Level of Filtration Required?

[heff]

I have a 10 gallon with a few plants in it (Corkscrew Val, Christmas Moss, Crypt Wendtii) and I run an aquaclear mini filter with just a reusable hard sponge (no active carbon).

I just acquired some red cherry shrimp and I've found that they're being sucked into the filter, so I'm looking into alternatives to prevent this from happening.

I'm considering using filter wool (or whatever it's generally called) and wrapping it around my filter intake. I've even heard of using pantyhose.

My concern is the reduction of water flow... does anyone know how little flow I can get away with without my plants reacting to "low flow"?

Thanks!

[Evolution]

You can core out an aquaclear sponge and slide it over the intake strainer.

[timbruun]

The aquaclear sponge is exactly what I did. It's the onlything I tried that didn't plug up and reduce flow quickly. Keep in mind that it will have to be clean also though.

[heff]

Why I didn't think of that myself is another thing altogether. Thanks! I know where I'm going during lunch...

[JLake]

Yeah sponge aroung the intake is solid advice. Fill the rest of your tray with some bio media of some sort to increase the population if there is enough waste. Not sure how dirtty scrimp are.

[heff]

Got a cylindrical filter sponge that fits nicely around the intake. $1.30 well spent.

I have active carbon media for my filter, but I've heard that carbon is not the way to go with planted tanks. Can anyone chime in on this?

I've got a bunch of other fauna in there so active carbon would be great but I'm relying more on the plants to look after the increase of nitrates. I do weekly water changes at roughly 30%-40% and I haven't seen any issues so far.

Edited July 22, 2010 by heff

[Evolution]

Carbon is often classed as mechanical filtration, but a better word to describe it is absorbative filtration. Though carbon absorbs harmful chemicals that appear in a tank, it also absorbs the good stuff, such as the chemicals that plants use as nutrients.

[BettaFishMommy]

IMO, planted tank = no carbon.

you could consider running an additional sponge filter with an air pump if you want to increase filtration or flow. sponge filters are great for invert tanks, as there is no way for the little shrimpies to get sucked into the filter. and the sponge, after some time, harbors lots of organisms that the shrimp (and snails and baby fishy fry) can feed off of.

[Natures Corner Store]

Carbon is often classed as mechanical filtration, but a better word to describe it is absorbative filtration. Though carbon absorbs harmful chemicals that appear in a tank, it also absorbs the good stuff, such as the chemicals that plants use as nutrients.

Carbon is actually chemical filtration. Mechanical filtration removes particulates from the water column. Most times a sponge or polyfiber is used as mechanical filtration. And then there is biological fitration which is bacterias growing on some type of media that would have a large surface area to grow on such as bio balls or lava stone or the like.

You just said it absorbs chemicals. It absorbs chemicals making it the chemical filter of the aquarium and it also absorbs organics such as plant fertilizers.

Most people that keep planted tanks do not use carbon at all unless they want to remove some unwanted "chemicals" such as medications.

Henry.

[Evolution]

Carbon is often classed as mechanical filtration, but a better word to describe it is absorbative filtration. Though carbon absorbs harmful chemicals that appear in a tank, it also absorbs the good stuff, such as the chemicals that plants use as nutrients.

Carbon is actually chemical filtration. Mechanical filtration removes particulates from the water column. Most times a sponge or polyfiber is used as mechanical filtration. And then there is biological fitration which is bacterias growing on some type of media that would have a large surface area to grow on such as bio balls or lava stone or the like.

You just said it absorbs chemicals. It absorbs chemicals making it the chemical filter of the aquarium and it also absorbs organics such as plant fertilizers.

Most people that keep planted tanks do not use carbon at all unless they want to remove some unwanted "chemicals" such as medications.

Henry.

I'm pretty sure we both agree that carbon and plant tanks, like bettafishmommy said, is a no no. I know I agree with this. And it sounds like we both agree that it is because carbon removes chemical componds from the water that plants require as a nutrient.

What we disagree on is whether carbon filtration is mechanical (removing, absorbing or trapping componds from the water) or chemical (chemically altering the water). We know that carbon doesn't chemically "alter" the water, by way of ion exchange or by physically adding chemicals to the water like peat. But it actually "traps" chemicals within it's structure and does so by absorbing it like other mechanical filtation does with particulate matter. Where filter wool traps particulate matter such as feces, carbon traps chemical componds such as urea. I can see how you confused it as a chemical filter, you thought because it traps chemicals it is a chemical filter, however chemical filtration is filtration that chemically alters the water by way of adding chemicals or exchanging ions, and carbon does not do this at all.

Edited July 23, 2010 by Evolution

[Kronosdelsol]

I like to use carbon in my planted tank and have been doing so with no effects that I have noticed to the plants. It keeps the water nice and crystal clear. However, my nutrients are mostly in the substrate level and not in the water column.

[Natures Corner Store]

Carbon is often classed as mechanical filtration, but a better word to describe it is absorbative filtration. Though carbon absorbs harmful chemicals that appear in a tank, it also absorbs the good stuff, such as the chemicals that plants use as nutrients.

Carbon is actually chemical filtration. Mechanical filtration removes particulates from the water column. Most times a sponge or polyfiber is used as mechanical filtration. And then there is biological fitration which is bacterias growing on some type of media that would have a large surface area to grow on such as bio balls or lava stone or the like.

You just said it absorbs chemicals. It absorbs chemicals making it the chemical filter of the aquarium and it also absorbs organics such as plant fertilizers.

Most people that keep planted tanks do not use carbon at all unless they want to remove some unwanted "chemicals" such as medications.

Henry.

I'm pretty sure we both agree that carbon and plant tanks, like bettafishmommy said, is a no no. I know I agree with this. And it sounds like we both agree that it is because carbon removes chemical componds from the water that plants require as a nutrient.

What we disagree on is whether carbon filtration is mechanical (removing, absorbing or trapping componds from the water) or chemical (chemically altering the water). We know that carbon doesn't chemically "alter" the water, by way of ion exchange or by physically adding chemicals to the water like peat. But it actually "traps" chemicals within it's structure and does so by absorbing it like other mechanical filtation does with particulate matter. Where filter wool traps particulate matter such as feces, carbon traps chemical componds such as urea. I can see how you confused it as a chemical filter, you thought because it traps chemicals it is a chemical filter, however chemical filtration is filtration that chemically alters the water by way of adding chemicals or exchanging ions, and carbon does not do this at all.

Sorry, my mistake. I thought OP was talking about aquarium filtration. :chair:

chemical filtration

Henry

[Evolution]

Carbon is often classed as mechanical filtration, but a better word to describe it is absorbative filtration. Though carbon absorbs harmful chemicals that appear in a tank, it also absorbs the good stuff, such as the chemicals that plants use as nutrients.

Carbon is actually chemical filtration. Mechanical filtration removes particulates from the water column. Most times a sponge or polyfiber is used as mechanical filtration. And then there is biological fitration which is bacterias growing on some type of media that would have a large surface area to grow on such as bio balls or lava stone or the like.

You just said it absorbs chemicals. It absorbs chemicals making it the chemical filter of the aquarium and it also absorbs organics such as plant fertilizers.

Most people that keep planted tanks do not use carbon at all unless they want to remove some unwanted "chemicals" such as medications.

Henry.

I'm pretty sure we both agree that carbon and plant tanks, like bettafishmommy said, is a no no. I know I agree with this. And it sounds like we both agree that it is because carbon removes chemical componds from the water that plants require as a nutrient.

What we disagree on is whether carbon filtration is mechanical (removing, absorbing or trapping componds from the water) or chemical (chemically altering the water). We know that carbon doesn't chemically "alter" the water, by way of ion exchange or by physically adding chemicals to the water like peat. But it actually "traps" chemicals within it's structure and does so by absorbing it like other mechanical filtation does with particulate matter. Where filter wool traps particulate matter such as feces, carbon traps chemical componds such as urea. I can see how you confused it as a chemical filter, you thought because it traps chemicals it is a chemical filter, however chemical filtration is filtration that chemically alters the water by way of adding chemicals or exchanging ions, and carbon does not do this at all.

Sorry, my mistake. I thought OP was talking about aquarium filtration.

chemical filtration

Henry

I thought we all were.

[heff]

Alright, moving foward as originally planned: no carbon.

I'm going to see how this prefilter sponge works out. The tell-tale signs are reading like I should have shrimplets in a few weeks, providing I'm reading the signs correctly , that is...

Edited July 23, 2010 by heff