Filters for planted tanks?

K

karen99

AC Members
Nov 21, 2005
93
0
0
I was wondering what the best way to filter a 29 gallon planted would be. I can't afford a canister filter, and I already have a suitable HOB filter from an established tank.
If I keep the water level high, would a HOB filter be a problem with CO2? Or is there a better filter type that I could still use my established filter sponges in?
And on a related note, would it be good to use Flourish excel in a tank where there might be more surface movement? I gather excel isn't really a replacement for CO2.
 
Internal filters are good for planted tanks. There's very little (if any) surface agitation, therefore no CO2 loss. The only downside is that they can be a little unsightly, but a few tall and bushy plants can help.
 
It depends. I have low-light tanks and don't bother with ferts or CO2, so the choice of filter comes down to personal preference. If you have high light levels and are injecting CO2, then a cannister filter would probably be the better option. I do prefer cannister filters and would run them on all my tanks if I could afford it, but HOB's and internals do a fine job in the mean time.

Flourish Excel works very well for me. I only use it on my largest and highest-light tank (just under 2 WPG), and only dose about every three days (right after the water change). If I had a larger tank and/or more light I would make the switch to CO2. It all depends on what you want to achieve.

Also, my understanding is that HOB's will work with CO2 supplementation if you keep the water level high enough to reduce surface agitation.
 
Last edited:
I guess I'll try keeping my HOB for now, and try some excel and see how it goes. I have a DIY CO2 reactor I made, it just looks messy and I don't know how effective it is or whether the CO2 will just be lost.
For internal filters, I've been able to find 2 types, sponge filters and corner box filters. I considered using a corner filter with my established-filter sponges stuffed inside. But the fish store was using these in their tanks, and they were really producing a lot of air bubbles, probably worse than my HOB filter.
 
Hagen makes a "Fluval Internal Filter 3 Plus" for up to 34 gallon tanks. Sticks to the side of the tank with suction cups, and definitely no bubbles.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom