"Low Tech" GPH of filtration?

Mouflon44 · 10-02-2003, 7:43 PM

What would be the minimum GPH of flow I should be looking for regarding filtration of a low tech planted tank?
*edit- Guess I need to tell the number of gallons... 400 gallons.

The Gipper · 10-04-2003, 8:34 AM

Sibjective question. Depends on the amount of fish you have, seems to me. I've seen nice tanks, lots of plants, very few fish, and the gph way under normal gph.

IMO I would not go below 400 gph for your tank. Upper limit is preference.

anonapersona · 10-04-2003, 5:01 PM

I think that in the planted tank, it may be necessary to separate the GPH of filtration and circulation. It is possible to run a planted tank with no filtration at all, but you still need circulation. That is waht gets the carbon dioxide and nutrients actually TO the leaves, still water depletes right near the leaf and so mixing is required.

I read somewhere a suggestion of 5 x volume for filtration of the planted tank, whether this is really a circulation requirement or not, I don't know.

In my low light tank (1.9 wpg) I have filtration that is about 200 gph, (rated 250 but I doubt that) plus a power head that is another 150 gph. On a 29 gallon tank.

Richer · 10-04-2003, 8:43 PM

Slightly more info is needed...
How heavily will you be planting this tank? What kind of fish load?

If your tank is heavily planted, with a light-medium fish load, you don't need much biological filtration... your plants will do that for you, as they have lots of surface area for bacterial colonization, and they themselves filter out the water.
The one thing a plant tank needs (well, not really need, but it would benefit the tank) is mechanical filtration. In order for mechanical filtration to be effective, you need a good flow rate. A flow rate of 5-10x will do just fine for a planted tank.

HTH
-Richer

Mouflon44 · 10-05-2003, 9:15 PM

I will be attempting to make it a heavily planted, with only a light fish load. Thanks