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Is an filter necessary in a nano?

Cor

Cor

Member
Joined
3 Nov 2015
Messages
388
Location
The Netherlands
I have a scape of 45 liters. Full of plants and no fish. In addition, I use CO2 and the Estimate Index.
Through the use of EI I do a weekly clean water change of 50%. I keep the scape clean, remove dead leaves, have no organic waste etc.

Is the use of biological and mechanical filter then really necessary? or is the use of circulation pump sufficient enough?

I'm aware that bacteria will lodge in the filter. But they also do so in the soil, on the stones, on the glass etc.? Or is that not enough to create an bacterial balance?

regards, Cor
 
No not realy a necessity it is indeed as you say, the substrate already does a great part in that... I've kept aquatic plants and snails in large glass bowls even without a circulation pump and no co2 and with good husbandry this can thrive for ever.

Now i have a 25 litre bucket hidden in the back corner of the garden under a table filled with water with all sorts of plants in it.. Completely stagnant and self sustaining. It contains several floaters, myriophyllum and pondweed. It doesn't even contain substrate the water is stained because of the tree leaves falling in but clear and it even doesn't smell.. And i do absolutely nothing to it, the rain fills it back up with water.. It's there already for moths now.. :)

DSCF7798 (Kopie).JPG


It exploded with flowers last month.. Plants are perfectly healthy.
DSCF7797 (Kopie).JPG


:)
 
Thanks Marcel for your comment, :thumbup:

but can you make this comparison? Because I think a bucket of water plants doesn't have the same conditions as a high-tech scape. A high-tech scape has a lot of
other influences such as CO2, temperature, pH, nutrients and light. Or maybe I see it wrong?
 
You might find that, over time, particulate that would otherwise be picked up by the filter starts sticking to the biofilm on leaves etc. This will prevent gaseous exchange at the leaf level and cause growth issues. I am, however, surmising.

Maybe tie some floss onto the intake of the powerhead, and replace it when you do your weekly waterchanges? It's cheap enough if you buy it in bulk.
 
Of course you can't compare that with a little high tech planted tank and it was not meant like that.. More like an example that plants only can thrive in all sorts of uncontroled conditions and still keep water in a relative good condition.. And the way you sum up your husbandry, then you are in a way the filter yourself with a weekly substrate vacuuming and syphoning 50% water out.. :) Sorry for being confusing..

What Henry says could indeed happen, the little particles floating around accumulating on the leaves. After some time these same little particles clog your pump if it doesn't have a small prefilter sponge at its intake. So without it you might need to clean that more often.

But if you plan to put in a circulationpump, why not put a little cheap HOB filter to it and put a plant in there as well.. Look @LondonDragon shrimp tanks.. It looks awsome and a very sufficient way of filtering and providing circulation.
http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/...arl-breeding-colony.19728/page-10#post-457560
 
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