# Canister filter and aeration question



## tcampbell (Jun 8, 2006)

Moderate to heavy planted the plants will generate the oxygen level needed for the fish in the tank, so no reason to add aerators. Though you can monitor it, and if needed you might add a air pump at night, in most cases unnecessary. Just watch the fish first thing in the morning after the Co2 has been off all night, and see if they are near the surface "gasping". If so, you need to add air. If not, you plants are doing fine.


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## jesstray (Mar 17, 2005)

Honestly, it all depends on your fish load. You should be able to get away w/o an aerator, but if you see your fish taking in air from the top of the tank in the morning than you will need to aerate at night.
If you plan on using your emp 400 in addition to your canister, then you definitely will be fine.


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## lasutaku (Jun 15, 2007)

Yea, I guess I'll just have to see if the fish are gasping. 
I just wanted to get rid of the HOB because it's so big~

Thanks guys


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## tcampbell (Jun 8, 2006)

I have never had to add air to a tank except for a newly established tank (2 days old) when I added shrimp. Becuase of the changes in the tank, I found that by adding air for the first 24 hours the shrimp survived and helped establish the bacteria colony in the tank. It was 50% planted with fast growning plants. Since then I kept it on 12 hours a night for teh first week, then haven't used it since. In an established tank I have never had reson to use one except when my daughter accidentially turned by CO2 up all the way (not sure how she knew how to do that but she did) Air saved the fish!!


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## LS6 Tommy (May 13, 2006)

Plants respirate at night & do use some O2, but if they are happy & healthy, your lighting is good and your CO2 isn't up too high, you should be fine. I'm at a little over 5 BPM with a relatively high bio load & I never have needed aeration. Just start out easy with the CO2.

Tommy <9))>>{


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## lasutaku (Jun 15, 2007)

Ok, another question.

I got everything up and running. So far so good. I'm really loving the canister filter and pressurized CO2!

Now for my question, the return for the 2217. hmm, I'm trying to think of how to word this best... I was wondering if I could change the bar thing that the filter came with for the return of water into the tank. I wanted to get something smaller, a lot smaller. What are the options to make this possible? 

Thanks, and I hope that you guys could understand what I was trying to ask =)


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## unirdna (Jan 22, 2004)

I think I know what your asking, lasutaku. You'd prefer to do away with the spray bar, and use something less conspicuous. The ultimate would be to use lily pipes, but they are costly. I use these as a MUCH less expensive alternative.


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## lasutaku (Jun 15, 2007)

Thanks unirdna.
That's exactly what I was trying to say. And your less expensive alternative looks great! Do you know if this would fit the Eheim 2217 tubing without any modifications at all?

Thank you very much


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## unirdna (Jan 22, 2004)

The eheim return tubing is 12/16mm - in other words, 1/2". So if the description for this return pipe is accurate, it should work.


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## Ukrainetz (Jul 11, 2007)

Hey lasutaku. Sorry for a late response, I see you got plenty of suggestions already. Everything depends on your setup. I doubt however, that you have such a large fish load that most of your o2 gets used up during the night... Use an o2 test kit and figure out if you need to add more o2. If you do decide to add o2, you have to dissolve it in a similar fashion to co2, because if you simply let it bubble you'll do more harm then good. Driving off co2 and causing a sudden ph swing is *not* a good idea at all!!!


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## lasutaku (Jun 15, 2007)

alright, thanks guys!!!


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