# Do planted tanks need extra biological filtration?



## solchitlins (Sep 11, 2013)

I was just thinking today how great my tanks are doing with very low maintenance. I'm doing water changes about once every 5 or 6 weeks, rinsing out my ac110's about every 3 or 4 water changes, so only a couple times a year etc...

My tanks are over grown 40g breeders, each is running duo ac110's with double sponges. I took the bio media bags out in favor of more mechanical filtration. Am I right in this or would it be better off putting the bio bags back in?


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## Steve001 (Feb 26, 2011)

solchitlins said:


> I was just thinking today how great my tanks are doing with very low maintenance. I'm doing water changes about once every 5 or 6 weeks, rinsing out my ac110's about every 3 or 4 water changes, so only a couple times a year etc...
> 
> My tanks are over grown 40g breeders, each is running duo ac110's with double sponges. I took the bio media bags out in favor of more mechanical filtration. Am I right in this or would it be better off putting the bio bags back in?


 I say no, but with one exception. If one overstock a tank with fauna then I feel extra filtration is a plus.


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## Mariostg (Sep 6, 2014)

As Steve said. If the bioload is just enough so the plants can do their business then you are good. Biofilter are in direct competition with the plants that favor ammonium uptake. Using nitrates requires more work from the plants.

So keep planting 

Sent from my SGH-M919V using Tapatalk


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## Steve001 (Feb 26, 2011)

Here's what I wrote in another thread http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/8...ion/937889-co2-issues-help-2.html#post8397954.



> Other than a light vacuuming to remove mulm in places where it becomes unattractive once in a while there should not be all that much maintenance.
> 
> _I've been on this forum for a few years and I'm as perplexed as ever how much folks fret over filtration. Maybe it's akin to being "new parents". With the first kid you worry about everything, second kid not so much, third..., or maybe it's folks making the transition from fish tankers to planted tankers still thinking like fish tankers. I don't know, but it is perplexing like I said._


It's best to take time to comprehend what to do before leaping into this hobby. Many seem not to do that. This hobby should be an enjoyable one.


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## Kathyy (Feb 22, 2010)

I bought into the plants are the filter thing and had continuing issues with green water. Added huge sponges for biological filtration and haven't had green water since. 

Since you don't rinse the filter media out often it is very likely the coarse mechanical media is doing a great job of holding filter bacteria and the biological media was clogged to some extent and just cutting water flow.


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## Django (Jun 13, 2012)

I am running with just the sponges in my Fluval U2. The sponges are for particulate filtration. You don't need anything in the filter except the water movement. The Nitrogen Cycle starts with ammonia, and the plants take up the ammonia directly, so you end up with a low level of Nitrate.


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## BBradbury (Nov 8, 2010)

*Tank Filtration*

Hello sol...

A filter system, no matter how many you have on a tank or how fancy they are aren't designed to keep the tank water clean. The mechanical things can't remove and replace water, which is what's needed to keep the fish and plants healthy. The water may look clean, but unless you're removing and replacing most of the water weekly, you fish and plants aren't as healthy as they would be if you gave them new water weekly. 

I have very little filtration attached to my planted tanks, just enough to mix O2 in the water. I do change out roughly 60 percent of the tank water weekly, so there's never a chance that dissolved wastes will build up before I remove them through the water change. The mineral levels the fish and plants need for good health stay high with new water flushed into the tank so often.

Filtration can never replace an aggressive water change routine.

B


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## plantetra (May 17, 2014)

I have shrimps in my tank and so I have a sponge at the intake of both my HOBs. So thats the only mechanical filtration I have. Everything seems to be fine so far. The good thing is, the biomax inside my filter is clean and clear I never had to rinse it once. But I do have issues with tiny particles like a small leaf or something floating around but not so much to make the water look dirty.


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## Maverick2015 (Aug 8, 2015)

Duo AC110 on a 40b is more than needed but won't do any harm. The sponges will hold enough bacteria that you don't have to use the bio bags. A lot depends on how many fish you have as well.


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## Mariostg (Sep 6, 2014)

I am using that principle that "plants do that filter thing" in the 20 long I set up less than 2 months ago. On the thread in my signature one can see the minimalist man made filtration system I setup. It has low bioload and unheated.


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## solchitlins (Sep 11, 2013)

I want to upgrade to a much larger tank soon, I'm looking at 6 foot long 150g's as we speak. 
I'm wondering if I would be better off removing one sponge and putting the bio rings back in for a few weeks prior to help cycle the new tank or if I should just let them keep running and not mess with a good thing.


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## Django (Jun 13, 2012)

Mariostg said:


> I am using that principle that "plants do that filter thing" in the 20 long I set up less than 2 months ago. On the thread in my signature one can see the minimalist man made filtration system I setup. It has low bioload and unheated.


I agree completely with this philosophy, with the possible exception of no heater. I think the plants and fish need a certain temperature. I just bought a heater after some months, but my fish prefer a lower temperature in their range.

Bump:


Mariostg said:


> I am using that principle that "plants do that filter thing" in the 20 long I set up less than 2 months ago. On the thread in my signature one can see the minimalist man made filtration system I setup. It has low bioload and unheated.


I agree completely with this philosophy, with the possible exception of no heater. I think the plants and fish need a certain temperature. I just bought a heater after some months, but my fish prefer a lower temperature in their range.


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## Mariostg (Sep 6, 2014)

Django said:


> I agree completely with this philosophy, with the possible exception of no heater. I think the plants and fish need a certain temperature. I just bought a heater after some months, but my fish prefer a lower temperature in their range.


I picked fishes that should do fine. White cloud mountain minnows (9) and one hillstream loach. MTS and pond snail are present too.

Plants, I rather went with what I had already plus some I wanted to try. So far I'm am surprised the the Blyxa Japonica is surviving. But it's clearly not the best environment for this plant. All others are ok so far. Slow growth but that's perfect with me.


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## Kathyy (Feb 22, 2010)

solchitlins said:


> I want to upgrade to a much larger tank soon, I'm looking at 6 foot long 150g's as we speak.
> I'm wondering if I would be better off removing one sponge and putting the bio rings back in for a few weeks prior to help cycle the new tank or if I should just let them keep running and not mess with a good thing.


Sponges are a superior biological filter media, keep the sponges in.

I ran the tank with bioballs in a wet/dry for years. Took them out when I decided to try the plants are the filter thing and saw no change in the number of GW incidents. Put in sponges and haven't have GW since.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

When you get the larger tank, how will you be setting it up and stocking it? 

a) Mostly from the current tanks, moving decor, plants and fish. 
In this case the filter will have plenty of bacteria, and adding more or different media won't grow any more bacteria. The bacteria population matches the bioload. If you want to grow more bacteria, over feed the fish. The protein in fish food is the origin of the ammonia part of the nitrogen cycle. 

I have done this sort of set up with similar sized tanks:
New tank get the cycled filter, new substrate, decor, and half the fish. New plants, or you can share some trimmings if the old tank is overgrown.
Old tank gets a new filter, and keeps half the fish, the substrate and decor. If the plant mass is wimpy, then get new plants for the new tank, otherwise, a good trim can rejuvenate the plants in this old tank so they grow even better, and provide a fair amount of cuttings for the new tank. 
Won't hurt to add some Nitrospira to both tanks, but this was not available when I did this sort of split. 

Given the size difference between old, established tanks (assuming both will donate to the new tank) and the new tank in this instance, I would consider buying a lot more plants.


b) All new. 
In this case it still does not matter if you change or add media to the current set ups, it won't grow more bacteria. However, if you want to add any sort of media at all (sponge, bio... ) then some bacteria will grow on this. 
Transfer this to the new tank to jump start the bacteria population, and continue growing the bacteria with the fishless cycle. 
Monitor the tank(s) that donated the media to be sure you have not taken too much bacteria from them. I have done this, removing up to 25% of the media from the filter of a well cycled tank to start another tank and had not problems. Removing more than 25% of the media might be a bit much.


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## frenchie1001 (Jun 23, 2013)

It's a balance plant vs bioload! 


I have an over stocked 55 with 2 canisters on it just as insurance. The plants weren't keeping up with the fish and it threw it out.


Plus one of my filters didn't have fine enough sponges in it and wasn't cleaning the water properly.


I used to have a 120gal that got yearly water changes.


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