Filtration and flow for fish only tank?

[Nont]

Hello everyone.

I have this tank that is overstocked plantless tank;190 litres tank with silver dollar (that eat plants), angelfish, 2 discus and 3 loaches. Apparently 4 years ago, I don’t know anything about keeping fish and bought them (plese don’t judge me) I can’t find anyone who can keep them in a bigger tank or have any place for it . Now I’m trying my best to keep them as happy and healthy as possible.
The question is how much filtration or flow should I have in an the tank? I currently have an undergravel filter.
Is flowrate important in a tank without plant?

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

The question is how much filtration or flow should I have in an the tank? Is flowrate important in a tank without plant?

Not exactly flow rate, but you ideally want a <"large gas exchange surface area">. This becomes even more important when you <"don't have plants">, mainly because you don't have their extra net oxygen production.

Have a look at <"Aeration and dissolved oxygen..."> I wrote it about ten years ago specifically for the keepers of large rheophilic plecs, but it is relevant to all fish keeping.

silver dollar (that eat plants)

They do, and pretty much all plants. You could try Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) as a floater and Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum) might also work.

cheers Darrel

 

[tam]

If it's open top, you could consider growing plants emersed in the top - that would keep them out of reach of the fish but give you some of the benefits of their uptake of nutrients from the tank.

 

[Nont]

Have a look at <"Aeration and dissolved oxygen..."> I wrote it about ten years ago specifically for the keepers of large rheophilic plecs, but it is relevant to all fish keeping.

Thanks Darrel, I’ll have a read.

They do, and pretty much all plants. You could try Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) as a floater and Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum) might also work.

If it's open top, you could consider growing plants emersed in the top - that would keep them out of reach of the fish but give you some of the benefits of their uptake of nutrients from the tank.

Thanks for the idea. I am currently trying Pistia and pothos, I hope it survive silver dollar

 

[Nont]

Apparently plants doesn’t survive a day

 

[mort]

If you can protect the roots of the plants with a hanging pot then there won't be anywhere for the silver dollars to nibble. I share your pain, I have a silver dollars that are 25 years plus and for about the last 20 years I've not been able to have any plants. They were fine to begin with but got a taste for plants as they grew.
They did live with onion crinums and I'm not sure whether they are an option because they taste quite foul but I had to take them out because my clown loaches used to bite the leaves off.

 

[Aqua sobriquet]

I had a well stocked 50 gallon community tank many years ago and the external Eheim I used was well undersized by todays standards but I didn’t have any issues. I did use one of these though that may have helped.

Söchting Oxydator A

www.aquaristikshop.com

I still use a small one in my 60L.

 

[Nont]

Hi everyone,

I added 2 air pump to this tank and I think I wanted to add air driven filter to it.
What is more efficient between a regular sponge filter and a internal moving bed filter?