Water flow in the planted aquarium?

[Barbara Turner]

There is no right or wrong way.. It depends a bit on your flow rate and where your plants and hardscape are.
Also which direction you want the plants to get pushed.

You can see whats happening quickly enough and try a few different things.


I tend to find lilly pipes work better than spray bars at not knocking all the Co2 back out of the water.

Here are a few different options..

 

[Jwilliams0487]

There is no right or wrong way.. It depends a bit on your flow rate and where your plants and hardscape are.
Also which direction you want the plants to get pushed.

You can see whats happening quickly enough and try a few different things.


I tend to find lilly pipes work better than spray bars at not knocking all the Co2 back out of the water.

Here are a few different options..
View attachment 227040

View attachment 227042

Thank you. You're right. Depends on the hardscape and plants when optimising the outflow position and strength of flow. Depends on live stock too. Some fish prefer strong flows, others not so much.

Copying your design lol. My set up is in the diagram which is similar to your first diagram

 

[Jwilliams0487]

Hi all,

It is now you've posted in it🙂 .

Normally you would have them pointing in the same direction.

It looks fine for low tech, you don't need as much turn-over if you aren't distributing CO2.

I'd put a sponge on them, ideally you <"don't want any crud"> getting into the filter, just water and dissolved gases.

Having an <"intake pre-filter sponge"> often improves flow, purely because it carries out the mechanical filtration and it is easy to clean without opening the filter etc.

cheers Darrel

That's sound advice, thank you.

You've given me a pre filter idea which I actioned today. I'm sure that'll work!

I always believed pre filters were only designed to prevent small live stock getting injured. It makes sense that another benefit is to protect the filter's internal systems. Such as the delicate impellers.

I cleaned the Fluval 407 today. I will clean the other one in a couple of weeks. The 407 sponges had a lot of crud on them 😬

 

[Barbara Turner]

If you get sick of cleaning the blue sponge too often, I found these mesh tubes are marginally quicker to clean and block up slightly less.
you can also scoop / knock off the crud off without taking everything apart.

The challange is reducing the dead spots without any flow.. if your injecting Co2 you can often see tiny bubles moving around the tank.
You can also tell where the dead spots are because all the crap collects in them.

I'm sure someone on here advised me that all the plants in the aquarium should be slowly moving.. Something I've never achieved.

Filters always do fill up with crap, just means there doing there job.

 

[johntambler]

Hey all. I've noticed that over filtering, and good flow of water around a planted aquarium seems to be mentioned a bit in some of the posts I've been reading of late. I just wondered what is best. Is it just high water turn over, or is it specifically good flow around stems/substrate level that helps?

Whats the basic science behind it?

On that note, I am due to setup a second external filter, doubling the turnover of water in my 180 litre tank. I wondered what positioning works best? Opposite ends, same ends, spray bars/single outlet?

Thanks in advance 🙂

Steve.

Good flow is key, but it’s more about even circulation than just high turnover. You want water moving around stems and substrate to prevent dead spots and help distribute nutrients and CO₂. For dual filters, placing them on opposite ends usually works best for balanced flow. Spray bars can help spread it out, but it depends on your setup and plant density. Experiment and tweak as needed! 😊

 

[Andy Pierce]

Part of the challenge is getting the right tool for the job. If you want something to filter the water, get a filter. If you want something to push the water around the tank, get a powerhead. Asking the filter to do both things well sometimes isn't going to work. Maybe adding a small powerhead solves your flow problems.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

If you want something to filter the water, get a filter. If you want something to push the water around the tank, get a powerhead. Asking the filter to do both things well sometimes isn't going to work.

I'd agree, that is the problem with canister filters, but I'd actually split the role of a canister "filter" in three ways:

• Nitrification or <"biological filtration">, the microbial oxidation of Total Ammoniacal Nitrogen (TAN) (eventually) to nitrate (NO3-).

For me this is the one that really matters, albeit less so for <"planted aquarium keepers"> than <"non-planted ones">.

• The laminar flow of water around the tank,

In my case more so that the gas exchange surface area is enlarged, ensuring the <"supply of dissolved gases"> to the inhabitants and filter.

• Mechanical filtration (the filter bit)

I actively don't want my canister filter media doing this, I want to keep biological filtration <"and mechanical filtration"> spatially separated.

cheers Darrel

 

[Barbara Turner]

Part of the challenge is getting the right tool for the job. If you want something to filter the water, get a filter. If you want something to push the water around the tank, get a powerhead. Asking the filter to do both things well sometimes isn't going to work. Maybe adding a small powerhead solves your flow problems.

It can do but your filter/ pump has to be a bit special.

I use a stainless canister filter with a marine sump pump.
My pump is rated to something like 4000litres an hour.

I want as little as possible in the tank. So just have two lilly pipes. Everything is done externally out of sight.

 

[Jwilliams0487]

If you get sick of cleaning the blue sponge too often, I found these mesh tubes are marginally quicker to clean and block up slightly less.
you can also scoop / knock off the crud off without taking everything apart.

The challange is reducing the dead spots without any flow.. if your injecting Co2 you can often see tiny bubles moving around the tank.
You can also tell where the dead spots are because all the crap collects in them.

I'm sure someone on here advised me that all the plants in the aquarium should be slowly moving.. Something I've never achieved.

Filters always do fill up with crap, just means there doing there job.

View attachment 227054

I can imagine a weekly cleaning of the sponge becoming tedious. Surprised it works. I'd love to use those mesh tubes but they won't fit on the Fluval intake pipes.

I'll hunt around for possible adaptors.

Thanks

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I can imagine a weekly cleaning of the sponge becoming tedious.

I have the answer to that.

I use <"really big black foam blocks"> ( in the background, below), but I have <"no interest in aesthetics"> and <"very weedy tanks">.

I use the same sponges on Powerheads etc. They are ~£10 for a 12" x 4" x 4" drilled block.

cheers Darrel

 

[Andy Pierce]

I use the same sponges on Powerheads etc. They are ~£10 for a 12" x 4" x 4" drilled block.

Where do you source those from?

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Where do you source those from?

I usually buy them from "Rainbow Koi" mainly because it is about 5 minutes down the road, but all Koi places sell them.

The description is "Pre-Filter Foam Block 4 x 4 x 12" Koi Pond Media", apologies for the <"imperial measurement">.

<"Fish pond filter foam sponge media block 4x4x12 inch coarse black grade | eBay"> or I've bought them at "Kettering Koi" before - <"Pardon our interruption...">.

You can buy smaller blocks 4" cube etc. but I just buy the big and cut them down to size.

cheers Darrel

 

[Jwilliams0487]

Hi all,

I have the answer to that.

cheers Darrel

Hi all,

I have the answer to that.

cheers Darrel

Another good idea! Thanks. I used these sponges for my filter trays (after cutting them to size).

I'm on and off with aesthetics. I plan out to have the aquarium aesthetically pleasing but it never stays that way. I tried micro managing the kuhli loaches keeping an eye to see if they uproot a plant lol