Blackwater tank filtration

[mort]

Hi, was after some advice. I'm planning a blackwater Rio negro "biotope" for my adolfoi cories and have been contemplating filtration. The plan is to have a group of them and another open water species like black phantom tetra. I know the water currents aren't strong in the tributaries I'll be trying to mimic so can decide if a matten filter would be better, a couple of smaller sponge filters, or if a small power filter would work best. At the moment they are in a tank that has a small power filter and even on full blast they don't seem bothered by it one bit. I might switch it up later and add some apistogramma later if that makes a difference.
So how would you do it?

 

[PARAGUAY]

Should be a great set up with fish you describe, myself think I would lean to a external filter as in a biotope less visible eqiupment the better although athough sponge filters can be hidden with wood

 

[Edvet]

Mattenfilter, run on a small electrical filter, soundless and very little maintenance needed.
The mat will turn darkish brown, and can be overgrown with moss,so it will be "invisible"

Use these in the format you prefer:


And use quite coarse foam for the matten, i only rinse out the small blue filter when flow gets low.

 

[Edvet]

 

[mort]

Thanks for the advice guys. As it happens I already run a aquaflow in the adolfoi tank so turning it into a matten filter should be easy just need to buy a sponge.

This is really a trial for a potential larger system, so trying to keep the costs down. Found a lovely oak branch that someone had pruned with a bus.

 

[Edvet]

I poke the small spraybar through the matt, In a larger tank i would use 2 small filters on a different height, to get a bit more flow. One high so i get plenty flow across the surface and and below that.