• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

Filter for ADA 45F

Spamamos

Member
Joined
4 Oct 2020
Messages
28
Location
Hassocks
Hi all,

Looking at scaping a shallow tank.
Using the ADA 45F as a reference (45x24x16), what filter would you recommend?

I am unsure as to what to go with as I am aware that most HOBS are deeper than the tank (Seachem 35 as an example at 18cm) and am thinking an external may be too strong?

Any shallow tank owners thoughts/experience appreciated.

Thanks!
 
Perhaps you could consider the smallest oase filtosmart external filter they offer, the filtosmart60 (no build in heater)? Its 15cm wide and 16.4 high, so could be hidden behind your tank. I dont have a shallow tank, but I do have a 'regular' 45x35x32 tank and I use the Oase filtosmart 100 myself, with build in heater. It doesnt give a huge amount of flow in my tank, but just about enough, so the slightly smaller one should be great for your size. Its very quiet, so I can recommend it.
 
Perhaps you could consider the smallest oase filtosmart external filter they offer, the filtosmart60 (no build in heater)? Its 15cm wide and 16.4 high, so could be hidden behind your tank. I dont have a shallow tank, but I do have a 'regular' 45x35x32 tank and I use the Oase filtosmart 100 myself, with build in heater. It doesnt give a huge amount of flow in my tank, but just about enough, so the slightly smaller one should be great for your size. Its very quiet, so I can recommend it.
I was considering the Thermo 100 as it has the 12mm hoses not 16mm.
 
Yeah thats the one I have on my tank (50l). I like it a lot, and the heater in it means less stuff in the tank. Its quiet, comes with everything you need and its pretty cheap.
 
I have ADA 60F, but it has same height. I had AquaClear 30, but I had to cut the intake. Then you have to somehow cover it. I later added that chinese small filter, SunSun 603B. Then, you can have lily pipes easily. I didnt use the Sunsun inlet, I think it would be too long, I used older Eheim pipes. It was difficult to create good flow in 60cm tank just with HOB. Now I switched the filters and put SunSun into 30C low tech and have Eheim Classic 250 in 60F.
But I would get that FiltoSmart Thermo 100 too. The internal heater is really much less pain in the shallow tanks. Also, the skimmer is pain in the blahblahblahblah too. Eheim Skimmer is tall, I have to put in deep in soil...

After all that litlle experience with my 60F, I would get something 20cm in height at least. I dunno about custom-made tanks in UK, but I regret getting 18cm only. I would go either 30 or 35cm and fill it with less water, or 20/25cm. Also you will get bored with shallow tank quickly ;). Fish are jumping out of that easily too. But they wont be able, if you have half-filled 30cm height tank... My two dimes after several months with 60F is, that it's trendy, but not so worthy of that difficulties.
 
Hi all,
I would go either 30 or 35cm and fill it with less water, or 20/25cm.
I don't fill up any of my tanks. I use rainwater, so I don't have a calcium carbonate "scale" water level line to worry about, and it gives some room for the floating and emergent plants. It also helps keep <"most of the fish"> in the tank.

cheers Darrel
 
Hi all,

I don't fill up any of my tanks. I use rainwater, so I don't have a calcium carbonate "scale" water level line to worry about, and it gives some room for the floating and emergent plants. It also helps keep <"most of the fish"> in the tank.

cheers Darrel
I am doing the same on my 30x30x35cm cube. I have limescale line but it's easy to clean it with vinegar on sponge. Not so possible with shallow tank. I seriously think 18cm was a bad choice from ADA...
 
I am doing the same on my 30x30x35cm cube. I have limescale line but it's easy to clean it with vinegar on sponge. Not so possible with shallow tank. I seriously think 18cm was a bad choice from ADA...
Thanks for these points.

Have been looking at the ADA Garden Mini M as well. The light I already have is a ONF Flat Nano which this would look great on.
 
You can adjust the inlet height on the eheim liberty, I suspect minimum depth is about 12cm
 
Hi, I have the same size tank and it has an oase filtosmart100 thermo. With a small lily pipe, the current is fine with the plants and substrate. I tried a jet pipe to increase the circulation around the tank but it blasted the new plant out of the soil.

The big black dot in the pic is a holding al of the floating plants back - I'll remove these once I move to weekly water changes.

It's next to a 30cm cube and I like the contrast. I hope the plants will grow out of the water - there's a great example at Aquarium gardens. Dave and Stephen helped me pick the plants, although their tank is without co2 and has a small internal filter for flow. I'm undecided about fish/shrimp yet - but I've got 6 weeks to wait before I think it will be established enough.

IMG_5745.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Back
Top