Filtration, flow, turnover and in-line CO2

[neofy705]

Hello all,

Last year I started my first proper high tech high energy planted tank. I have to thank the ukaps community for all the help and advices.

My tank was 200L Fluval Roma, chihiros wrgb 2 pro, Fluval 307, in line co2, in line heater TNC Complete and Lite, tropica soil. I understand that "I broke a few rules". I did not have a strong flow or a high turnover and I was dosing more on the lean side. Here's the tank at its peak. No algae. Good growth. Beginner's luck?

I have recently relocated and decided to upgrade to a nicer tank and start a new scape. The move was... let's say I'm not doing it again. 😅 and I had to rescape in like an hour. The only thing I did in advance was to buy and soak a "millenium" wood.
Scape aside I want to repeat the algae free "success" of my first tank.
My new tank is about 40 litres bigger (aquaone aquasys 230).

This (and the 3 hillstream loaches I added) made me wonder if I need a bigger filter/more turnover.

I was wondering why I never had any problems with low turnover in my previous scape. Was it because the in line CO2 is easier to reach the whole tank than say an in tank diffuser?
Was it because I wasn't doing EI? Was I just lucky? Or is lower turnover ok as long as the flow is good?

In a more pragmatic context should I upgrade to a fluval 407 or is the 307 still ok with the extra volume? Any recommendations for any other filter that uses 16/22 tubing?

Thank you all,
Neo

 

[Matt1994]

Hi Neofy705,

I am only onto my third aquascape/tank some others that are much more experienced may be able to offer advice with proof. This is just from my personal experience, but hope it is of some help.

My first tank the aquascaper 600 (600mm by 500mm by 360mm) I ran the Oase Biomaster 350 thermo. Flow was ok but definitely had some dead spots. My media consisted of Seachem matrix the top orange sponge and a bag of purigen.

On my second tank the water box 600mm by 500mm by 45mm i bought the Oase Biomaster 600 thermo and this was better but once the plants grew in there would still be slight dead spots or spots not seeming to do as well as
Other spots.

I used on the aquascaper steel lily pipes with skimmer and on the waterbox the aquario neo pipes. Both these pipes had more of a jet style outlet which would come out with a greater force but I felt this soon have less flow/ dead spots in some areas even on the smaller aquariums.

I have since upgraded to the Aquael Ultrascape 90 and have used the Biomaster 600 and Biomaster 350. I have however used glass lily
Pipes on both the filters . One filter is positioned at the front (600) flow hitting the co2 diffuser (in tank aquario large) and then
The filter at the back (350) seems to take the left over co2 around the rear of the tank.

I personally think I could have gotten away with 2x 600 filters and not had an issue. The glass loly
Pipes seem give a much more gentle flow. I am getting great surface agitation and co2 bubbles are all around the tank with barely any hitting the water surface. This tank is not even two weeks old yet so time will tell. But I feel already all the plants are getting an equal amount of co2 and have a lot better hopes for this scape.

Hope this personal
Experience is of some help.

Regards
Matt

(Picture is of my Aquael
Ultrascape 90)

 

[Matt1994]

Both stunning tanks your have created.

Thanks
Matt 😃

 

[ElleDee]

If it ain't broke don't fix it? I have wildly different flow situations in all my tanks and there's no correlation with how much algae they have. I think even flow and adequate gas exchange is much more important than meeting a particular threshold for flow or turnover. "Flow is king" is often said here, but it's not a universal rule and you aren't the first person to get by with less than advised.

Any time you change things you run the risk of throwing things out of whack and you might have to deal with algae; that's just how the game is played. You try something different and see what happens. In the end your plants and livestock will always let you know if a particular setup is adequate.