tank size for a eheim 2217

[MeioFormiga]

What is too small of a tank for 2217?

And on the other end of the scale too large?

Am currently looking for a tank, so this question might help. Other ifo: Will be heavily planted community tank, likely a homemade spraybar and inline CO2 reactor on the outlet.

Edited May 9, 2007 by MeioFormiga

[punman]

I had an Eheim 2217 and an AClear110 on a 90 gallon for a time.

I now run two 2217s and a 2213 on a 180 gallon tank.

It depends on the amount of fish and type of fish and size of fish.

If you are only running a 2217, I'd say max. 50 gallons and min. 33 gallons.

[MeioFormiga]

So the common and relatively cheap 45 gallon 4 foot tanks wouldn't be too small? Is a general concensus? As for load - as heavy as I can get away with. More fins=more plants!

[werner]

Filtration for a heavily planted tank has much different requirements than a fish only tank. In this case a filter will be used basically for some mechanical filtration and water movement. Since the term "heavily planted" is kind of vague, I'd define it as: you can't see the back of the tank, and you can't tell how many fish you actually have because of the plant load.

The plants will take care most of the nitrogenous wastes from the fish (and you will probably even need to add nitrates) so a large filter with lots of media for biological filtration is unnecessary. If a tank is heavily planted with healthy, growing plants right from the start, you won't even need to cycle it.

Much of the plant leaves and debris in the tank will be trapped in the plant mass and break down there. The filter will do some mechanical filtration, but again, you don't need a huge one.

Chemical filtration is unnecessary. You will be adding fertilizers and don't want them being absorbed by carbon, etc.

You do want a decent level of water movement within the tank, but not so much that all your CO2 escapes at the surface from the turbulence. You can always add a small pump/powerhead for additional water movement.

If you're looking at a 45gal, I'd say the 2217 is waaaay too big. The 2213 would be more appropriate. Remember that your plants are your filter, so the regular rules don't apply.

[MeioFormiga]

Your definition is exactly in the direction I'm leaning. Over the course of the day today I've actually been contemplating a couple of powerheads for water movement. The question regarding the 2217 was due to finding a new one for a really good price. I know that the biological isn't an issue, and with my 20tall I was dosing regularly. I still have all my dry ferts sitting in a box here. I'm interested in the canister as it's really easy to add an external co2 reactor. I jumped on the eheim due to the zero bybass of it. The fluval 104 is one of my most hated purchases, bypass is terrible, and the check ball in the intake blew off while priming it one day blowing all sorts of disgusting crap into the tank.

I don't know, honestly I haven't decided what route I'm going to go for filtration, such as it is with a heavily planted tank, yet. That's the point of the questions I have to ask right now.