what should be the position of filter outlet in planted tank

[AqEnthusiast]

hi,

i have my filter outlet outside of the water column as shown below in which there is good amount of surface agitation as well.. reason being that i have observed this brings excellent oxygen in the tank and fish are happy.. but i think plants are getting affected by this..



what i want to understand is what is the right way to position filter outlet in a planted tank - outside the water column like this or inside the water column ensuring some water surface agitation?

looking forward to some guidance on this..

 

[Byron Amazonas]

I prefer having the spraybar or spigot below the water surface. Some surface movement is not detrimental, quite the opposite, but too much will drive off CO2 and at the same time bring in perhaps more oxygen than is preferable for plants. Too much oxygen can harm plants because it binds readily with various minerals preventing their uptake by the plants.

With the spraybar just below the surface and along the end glass, you can direct the openings toward the glass such that some water movement on the surface is achieved but the main thrust is down the glass toward the substrate. This movement is good to create a flow across the length of the tank, as the filter outflow should be at the opposite end if at all possible.

Byron.

 

[ROYWS3]

I prefer having the spraybar or spigot below the water surface. Some surface movement is not detrimental, quite the opposite, but too much will drive off CO2 and at the same time bring in perhaps more oxygen than is preferable for plants. Too much oxygen can harm plants because it binds readily with various minerals preventing their uptake by the plants.

With the spraybar just below the surface and along the end glass, you can direct the openings toward the glass such that some water movement on the surface is achieved but the main thrust is down the glass toward the substrate. This movement is good to create a flow across the length of the tank, as the filter outflow should be at the opposite end if at all possible.

Byron.

Byron just saved me a whole bunch of typing -- DITTO

 

[gmh]

Yeah, what Byron said. You can fiddle with the spray bar and point it a little upward for more surface flow or downward for less. I don't even use a spraybar now, just a nozzle attachment, which has the convenience be being easily pointed to the exact direction I want for optimal flow direction.,

 

[tanker]

Just as Byron said. All my outlets are about 2" below the surface.

 

[FreshyFresh]

That's a major benefit of a canister filter in my opinion. Set up properly, with the outlet or spray bar below the surface, there's little/no surface agitation to waste water and mess up your glass tops, lights, etc.

 

[AqEnthusiast]

Thanks everyone for your help and guidance on this. .

Now i have put my canister outlet under water. .






I am sure this will help co2 and plants ( I wish ).. my worry now is o2 as I have no airstone as my filter outlet was above water column earlier and I needed no airstone. . Is it must to have airstone now? That to be used only during non photo period? Is it okay to have no airstone?



Please guide. .




Sent from my GT-N7100 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[ROYWS3]

I've hard of folks putting an airstone in there tank that is on a timer to only run at night when the pants are not photosynthesizing and using O2. I have never found it necessary to do so. Do you have any water movement at the surface now at all?

 

[ZorroNet]

If there is some surface agitation and reasonably dense plant life, there is no reason for an airstone. Roy is right that some people use airstones only when the lights are out, BUT I would not suggest this. The reason is that airstones deplete the water of CO2 that normally would build up a little while the lights are out. In the morning when the lights come back on, the plants would then have access to less CO2 which they use for photosynthesis than they would if there was no airstone on at night. It's normal for aquariums to have this cycle of CO2 levels, and it's nothing to worry about as far as fish go. Unless you see them gasping at the surface, oxygen levels are fine.

 

[Byron Amazonas]

I agree with other members' answers. Provided you do not have an overstocked (with fish) aquarium, you are not going to have oxygen deficiency issues. High-tech planted tanks are different, because there you are artificially building up CO2 during the day to levels far higher than would ever occur normally in the tropical waters our fish come from. I have never found night aeration (beyond that produced continually by my filters) to be necessary, and I have fairly heavily planted tanks with good fish loads.