# Filtration on plant only tank



## tylernt (Dec 23, 2003)

I don't think mechanical filtration is necessary per se but you may opt for it anyway. I have no mechanical filtration in my 1g, just an airstone for water movement. I see a few particles floating around, which doesn't bother me at all... but it may be annoying to some.

Main problem with tiny tanks is filters take up so much room. You might consider an Azoo Palm Filter if the back of the tank is open enough. The Palm Filter doesn't protrude into the tank too much. 

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produ...tchallany&Ntx=mode+matchallany&Np=1&N=0&Nty=1


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## ANUBA (Jun 14, 2003)

U mostly don't need filtration but u need a decent water movement


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

You don't need filtration in a plant only tank. I would suggest to get a tiny powerhead (ex. AS404 or similar) and reduce output further if necessary. You can hide that easily in a back corner.
Air stone = surface agitation... not so good for a planted tank.


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## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

I have a ten that I'm running without a filter or powerhead. http://www.plantedtank.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3474&start=15

Just a Hagen CO2 diffuser.


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## Buck (Oct 13, 2002)

Not only is the filter optional but a heater is as well... a lot of plants do very well in cooler water temps.


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## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

No heat in that ten either.


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## tylernt (Dec 23, 2003)

Wasserpest said:


> Air stone = surface agitation... not so good for a planted tank.


Not good for a CO2 injected tank.... just fine for non-CO2.


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## Ray1214 (Aug 6, 2003)

I personally think flow is a bit important, as I have noticed that a small amount of flow especially across the front glass, keeps algaes at bay. I ran an experiment, with two setups. Both 10 gal tanks, both had flourite substrate, both shared the same light strip (132 fixture across both tanks). Both had whisper 15s, (the little ones), and a 50 watt submersible heater. I planted Swords in both and rotilla in both. And they were right next to each other. I put a 30 GPH mini-pump in one, and that was the only difference. I used plant tabbs at the time (all I knew about back then) and each tank had 5 guppies in it (feeder guppies, gambusia). This stemmed from me trying to figure out why the front of an Eclipse three, right in front of the filter exhaust, had less algae than the rest of the tank. I had two theorys. 1. Algaes didn't really like the flow and not having a place to get a good grip on, (algae in stream beds are on porous surfaces and easier to adhere to.
2. The water out of a well maintained filter tended to be cleaner and there for less nutrients for the algae so the outlet was not a good place for algae.

I found that you get algae either way, BUT......where there was flow against the glass, Algae grew about 3 -4 times slower. Also I found that even though you really have to weight down plants, The fish seemed healther, leaner and more vibrant since they would spend the day swiming against the current. 
My 20 gal planted tank has a 30 gph powerhead that points from the filter exhaust (Whisper 50) at a catty corner to the front glass and the current goes down the length of the tank. My 5 Harliquinn Rasboras Swim in the current. It has been up for 6 months, I have not scraped algae off of the glass as of yet. It is heavily planted and I inject CO2. I have 5 rasboras and one Golden Pleco (the dwarf kind) and now only one amano shrimp, (the other one got himself deceased). I have Melon Swords, Dwarf Swords, Chain Swords, Red Rotilla, Red Cacomba, java Fern and dwar anubias growing to the point I am pruning on a weekly basis.

Ray


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## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

Ray1214 said:


> .... Also I found that even though you really have to weight down plants, The fish seemed healther, leaner and more vibrant since they would spend the day swiming against the current.
> My 20 gal planted tank has a 30 gph powerhead that points from the filter exhaust (Whisper 50) at a catty corner to the front glass and the current goes down the length of the tank. My 5 Harliquinn Rasboras Swim in the current. It has been up for 6 months, I have not scraped algae off of the glass as of yet. It is heavily planted and I inject CO2. I have 5 rasboras and one Golden Pleco (the dwarf kind) and now only one amano shrimp, (the other one got himself deceased). I have Melon Swords, Dwarf Swords, Chain Swords, Red Rotilla, Red Cacomba, java Fern and dwar anubias growing to the point I am pruning on a weekly basis.
> 
> Ray


Hi Ray,

 

All of my plant and fish tanks have some device creating flow, I agree that flow is good for the fish and plants in those larger tanks. He was just asking if he could keep a small plant only tank without a filter and we were were showing examples and saying yes it is possible. 

Is flow good? Yes. Is it required? Not always, but it is a good idea. 

Do you really prune your anubius weekly? :wink:


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## Ray1214 (Aug 6, 2003)

Well I prune my plants weekly, not nessecarily the dwarf anubias and my new ones the Dwarf Lilies (gorgeous red ones), they kinda grow slow, but the wisteria and the swords grow like there is no tommorrow (swords maybe once a month really) but the wisteria and cacomba gets weekly prunings. (The cacomba kinda dims the light if I let string out too far across the top of the water)

Ray


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## Nordic (Nov 11, 2003)

I dont want to be difficult but you should see how much algae grows in the ¾" pipe that comes from my 300gph pump in the pond... quite a bit of flow.

Could be however that the particular type of algae you had at the time preffered not to have a current though...


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Ray, you might be onto something here... I notice much less algae grow on the back glass, where the filter flow is stronger, compared to the front glass, which I have to clean weekly. Also I have a 40 gal tank with lots of current, and I never have to clean glass on that one either.

On the downside, BBA and Hair Algae seem to love moving water :? 

So if you have a problem with "regular" green algae covering glass and plants and substrate, increasing the flow might just improve things.


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## all4funwfish (Jan 18, 2004)

Is it not also possible, that in increasing flow, hypothetically decreasing green algae, a better condition for a higher flow algae is not created, not curing the problem, but changing its form?


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