# (How to...) Get rid of filtration



## Ravenswing (14 Nov 2013)

Howdy!

This must be a stupid question, but never done this before... So, I have a big Hamburger matenfilter in my 600-litre tank. Young fish, not-so-crowded so I think it might be good idea to get rid of filtration now (or never). It has been kind of wannabe-amazonbiotope for six months with huge driftwoods but just one small sword and a lot of houseplants growing hydroculture way on its sides. NO3 has never been a problem. Surface flow has already been relatively slow and thats how Im tend to keep it so all Im doing is giving up bacterial colony/mass. I have planted the bottom pretty heavily with fast growing stems just a week ago and here comes The Question: what do you think, should I wait untill they have grown (now 10cm tall) or with the risk of NO2 lay my faith on just hydroculture and keep eye on NO2 daily? I guess I will lost a lot of bacterial colony any way, do I give up filtration now or later. And yes, I will also reduce feeding for a while. Something else to think about?

The tank wont become NPT, but maybe (hopefully) somekind of hybrid between low-tech and Walstad. There is no dirt soil since there is a nice group of breeding small-species-Geos which like to dig a bit.

Journal of five low-tech tanks | UK Aquatic Plant Society


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## dw1305 (14 Nov 2013)

Hi all,
I'd really strongly advise keeping the HMF, it is theoretically possible to just use plants as the filter, but it is much easier to have a combined microbial/plant system. If you really want to take the sponge out, you could use the hydroculture house plants as an over-tank phyto filter. Have a look a these links <http://www.aka.org/UserFiles/File/debruyn_filter.pdf>, <Joe's tank | UK Aquatic Plant Society> & <Hair algae - I'm now at a loss! | Page 2 | UK Aquatic Plant Society>.

cheers Darrel


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## Ravenswing (15 Nov 2013)

Hi Darrel!

Great links, thanks. Oh that tank of Joes is just fantastic, petty Im not capable to create similar because of my angles (and happily got one tank nearly same kind of)! I really need to think about this whole thing. Could you please explain a bit more about the theory behind "it is much easier to have a combined microbial/plant system"? Easier in wich way? I dont mean to argue by no means, Im just very keen on the life and job of aquarium bacteria. I have always thought that HMF just offers a good substrate for bacterial colony to live and that it can be replaced by (for exaple) plants or their roots (hydroculture/emersed). But are there some other benefits with HMF? 

There is in the tank now two (800 and 1000lph) inner filters wich are planned to stay but also current HMF pump 1000 (or 1200?) lph to ensure flow around the tank. My hydros grow straight from water, in other words roots in aquarium water. Somekind of gravel/grit would surely offer a better/larger substrate for bacterials but after a major mishap (also called a catastrophe...) with canister filter I have promised my husband there wont be any water outside of the tank(s) and a large growing box in the tank is visually and technically no-no. Small pots are OK, but, I think, benefits would be small too. Hmmm... I have used a Ikeas collander as a hydro box, maybe that with grit ("lightgrit", this volcano stuff, donnou the right word in english) as a substrate would work? It can be used submerge, thou it is not big (15x30x10cm). Two of these...?? Ill be back!

PS Sorry the Ikea link is not working, I had a problems with my PC and had to do some copy and paste nos to loose whole post...


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## dw1305 (15 Nov 2013)

Hi all,
Hydroleca (Hydroton) is the best substrate for the filter bed, you need at least some of the media above the water level. 





Ravenswing said:


> Could you please explain a bit more about the theory behind "it is much easier to have a combined microbial/plant system"? Easier in wich way? I dont mean to argue by no means, Im just very keen on the life and job of aquarium bacteria. I have always thought that HMF just offers a good substrate for bacterial colony to live and that it can be replaced by (for exaple) plants or their roots (hydroculture/emersed). But are there some other benefits with HMF?


It is really an oxygen issue, if you don't have any water turn-over you can end up with low oxygen levels, if you keep the flow that is less of a problem.

A small wet and dry trickle filter has the ability to filter water with a large BOD, but you need to have some of the media in atmospheric oxygen levels.

HMF are slightly different in the way they work, as they have both aerobic and anaerobic zones, but the anaerobic out-gassing of N2 is much less important to planted tank keepers. If you have a large mass of emergents, (like your_ Hygrophila_), then you could remove the HMF, but personally I'd keep it.

cheers Darrel


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## Ravenswing (18 Nov 2013)

Thanks Darrel again for your input. I was hardly and long trying to insert some pics with no succes since I cant use my Photobucket right now. Well, I did not end up giving up filtation but HMF. I built two growing boxes for hydroculture plants, ensured oxygenation in them with loooong air stones (so no overflow). I have used the same method in our 250-l tank a bit different way with succes. This way I was capable to grow even more hydroculture plants on my tank. I like to learn, try  and experience, this is just another attemp to learn more. It is definetly possible that HMF will return one day, but well see.


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## dw1305 (18 Nov 2013)

Hi all,





Ravenswing said:


> Well, I did not end up giving up filtation but HMF. I built two growing boxes for hydroculture plants, ensured oxygenation in them with loooong air stones (so no overflow)......This way I was capable to grow even more hydroculture plants on my tank. I like to learn, try and experience, this is just another attemp to learn more. It is definetly possible that HMF will return one day, but well see.


 Keep us informed, I don't see any reason why it shouldn't be successful as long as the oxygen levels remain high.

cheers Darrel


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## Ravenswing (18 Nov 2013)

My main consern now is No2 after taking the HMF away but Im sure I will handle it after few "quick set-ups" within pretty similar situations.

I built growing boxes by sawing exactly this  HEAVY DUTY TOTE TRAY LIGHTWEIGHT TOOL STORAGE CARRY ROBUST CARRIER | eBay kind of toolbox into two. Happily boxes happend to be as broad as the tank so they are hanging there on their on on both sides of the tank. I drilled boxes full of holes, set some MHF media around on its sides taking care the leca wont block holes (=flow). Substrate is Hydroleca and 90cm long airtubes (with airpumps of course) brings air under the lecalayer. And yes, a part of lecamedia is above the surface.


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## Ravenswing (3 Dec 2013)

....to be continued....My Photobucket is finally working so heres some pics and updates

This is how it looks like

The box before planting:






Soft airstone running along the bottom to oxygenate leca and roots









Pls ignore the pump, it does not exist anymore. This box is on the left side, the right side box is similar with a bit different plant species. They hang there during WCs.

So far, after two weeks everything is just fine. There hasnt been any sign of NH3 or NO2, lack of oxygen, no algaes etc, all fish have been fine and showing normal behaviour (Geos laid eggs last week) . EC seems to be fine and no signs of abnormal rising. There is two inner filters (800+1000lph) with fine foam in to collect small particles. When I will receive my new Aquabee innerfilter with several cabinets, Ill try Purigen brought by Santa last christmas.

If someone is interested in, the HMF wich was used before plant boxes, was made of two pieces size about 50x40x5cm each (water could run around it free).


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