Low-flow and no-flow tank setups

[Bart Hazes]

My interest in Apistogramma, and other fishes for that matter, is linked to learning about and trying to recreate the biotopes they live in. Many apistos come from slow flowing small streams, shallow lake margins, and completely stagnant ponds or puddles. I have therefore been running many tanks with zero water current, not even an air stone, over the Summer. All my tanks are heavily planted (I know - not biotope correct for jungle-stream biotopes but I am a sucker for plants) and use plants in lieu of a conventional filter, which allows me to have no current in the first place. I am not advocating no-flow tanks as a better solution, it arguably is not and I use circulation pumps in other tanks, but if you are interested in doing so for biotope, extreme low/no-tech extravaganzas or other reasons it can be done with good success. My experiences with no-flow tanks (up to 50 gallons, 120x60x25) is described in the blog link below. Now that the weather is cooling I needed to add heaters and also discuss small circulation pumps to distribute the heat without too much current in the blog.

http://biodives.com/blog/?p=175

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Now that the weather is cooling I needed to add heaters and also discuss small circulation pumps to distribute the heat without too much current in the blog.

I use the Maxijet 400 powerheads (mentioned in your blog), but with a really large foam block. You can see them in this thread <"Filtering the Scape">.

I've tried a few different internal filters/power-heads, but the only ones I would recommend are the Eheim Aquaball (and Bioflow) and the Maxijet power-heads.

If I had more tanks together I would use a piston air pump and the HMF & jet-lifter combinations <"that Stephan Tanner sells">.

cheers Darrel

 

[Bart Hazes]

A bigger foam on the maxijet would probably slow down the clogging but still more flow then I want in 10-20 gallon tanks. A reader of the blog, Ed Prust, told me the Top Fin internal pumps are sold as Superfish aqua flow pumps in Europe and he has had several running for a long time without problems. I'll be looking at matten filter setups as well. In addition to low-flow they offer a large area that gets covered with gunk that I've been told works well as a feeding source for fry, otocinclus and the like.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

told me the Top Fin internal pumps are sold as Superfish aqua flow pumps in Europe and he has had several running for a long time without problems.

That is useful to know.

In addition to low-flow they offer a large area that gets covered with gunk that I've been told works well as a feeding source for fry, otocinclus and the like.

That is definitely one of the advantages of having an exposed sponge surface.

A bigger foam on the maxijet would probably slow down the clogging but still more flow then I want in 10-20 gallon tanks.

I think you can deflect the flow fairly easily, I just aim it at a big clump of Bolbitis heudelotii, the Bolbitis benefits from the water movement and the flow is diffused by the plant.

This tank has both an Eheim Aquaball and an Eheim 2224 filter, but there are still plenty of areas with very low flow.

cheers Darrel

 

[Edvet]

Seeing my name came up i decided to chip in.(reallife dictated my longtime absence, for those who knew me)

I've setup several small tanks using those Superfish pumps. Two with a 50 liter one, one with a 200 liter one and 2 with a hunderd liter one. They have beeen running for almost 2 years and no fails yet. Just rinse them out and put them back.
The largest one runs on a 50x50x50 cm cube which has"the whole side and back running as a "matten filter", one of the 50 liter ones drive a full side "matten filter". The other ones just are in the tank.
I do like Bart idea of the no/low flow tank, and i wil try that out once too.

 

[Oscar Demonio]

Hi all, a bit late to the party here. I tried following the link but the page appears to have been deleted.
Bart, any chance you still have the blog post saved somewhere on your computer? I'm also a fan of swampy, stagnant aquariums and interested in seeing other people's approaches.
I particularly struggle with maintaining even temperatures across the aquarium in low-flow setups and would like to experiment with new solutions

 

[AlecF]

Heretical as it is, my observation is that some plants thrive for me in a low tech set up with sponge filters and an air stone, but no flow, better than those I have in a low tech tank with significant flow from a fluval 107 and spray bar, as well as a very small air pump and 2 sponge filters. I get the need for flow to disperse CO2 in hi tech. I'm referring to Hydrocotyle tripartita and Sag Subulata.