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Water flow in the planted aquarium?

Did you also fork silly money out for the rubber suckers to fix it to the aquarium or find a cheaper source?
Yes extra spray bar and suckers were not the cheapest on the market. But still working 5 years later.
 
Hi,
Does not using a spray bar expel co2 from the water? just tring to sort this out spray bar or NOT! perhaps pointing it at the glass and not the water would help co2 levels.
Regards

Mel.
 
Hi,
Does not using a spray bar expel co2 from the water? just tring to sort this out spray bar or NOT! perhaps pointing it at the glass and not the water would help co2 levels.
FYI no matter what dissolution technique is used, about 90% of the CO2 injected goes straight out the window. This is unavoidable. The larger the bubbles, the stronger their buoyancy and therefore the quicker the bubble rises to the top and escapes, so the idea is to try to dissolve as much gas into the water as possible and/or to reduce the bubble size as much as possible to reduce it's buoyancy so that the bubble stays in the water as long as possible and gives it a chance to dissolve. The "micro-bubble", if it makes contact with the leafy, also allows the gas to be transported across the leaf surface more efficiently, i.e. it simulates the leaf being in the air.

When external diffusion is implemented correctly, and when the spraybar is configured/placed correctly, and when flow rate is correct, the water saturated with dissolved CO2 (and micro-bubbles) will be transported to the lower reaches of the tank and will deliver the gas to the leaves correctly.

In small tanks there may not be as much of a difference as compared to other methods, however, the larger the size of the tank the more benefit can be seen.

Incompetence in dissolution techniques, flow rate or spraybar placement/configuration, of course will result in failure or in reduced effectiveness.

Cheers,
 
If the filter isn’t strong enough, a powerhead will help by placing it direct above the spraybar or under it.

What if there is a 3D background. What would be the best position to place the powerhead ?
 
Hi,
3D backgrounds make things worse by disrupting the flow patterns in the tank. The best one can do with these, if removal is not an option, is to cut a slot so that the powerhead can be made to fit above or below to maintain the straight on angle. The next best thing is to mount it on the side and to point it as much as possible towards the front.

Cheers,
 
1. They are closest to where decaying detritus settles and where pockets of ammonia develop, with a greater likelihood of producing algae due to a higher ammonia loading rate.

Clive, detritus/mulm seems to be a cosmos in regards to good are bad. It's known to be plant food but also organic to create bio film etc, excess ammonia etc.... What about gravel vacuuming do or don'? Is it important to have some for plant health?
 
There are so many topics about flow importance and co2 distribution. Almost every issue people have with plants is adressed to bad co2 flow/distribution.
But please take a look at this tank, it has almost zero co2 distribution, one diffuser on corner of 720l tank and grow seems perfect :
 
It looks to be 1) lightly planted and 2) plants spaced away from each other making it easier for CO2 and ferts to reach all parts of the plants and 3) the amount of light dictates the amount of CO2/ferts/flow needed, we don't know lighting times and intensity
 
I think the above tank has low growing plants that would not block the flow.
As plants grow up they slow the water flow. It’s funny they put a betta in a tank that big. It looks lost.
 
Hi,
3D backgrounds make things worse by disrupting the flow patterns in the tank. The best one can do with these, if removal is not an option, is to cut a slot so that the powerhead can be made to fit above or below to maintain the straight on angle. The next best thing is to mount it on the side and to point it as much as possible towards the front.

Cheers,
Hi, so if I understand correctly, to increase flow with two flow pumps, these should be placed at either end of my spray bar (which runs the length of the tank, on the back glass) and direct the flow in the same direction, forwards to the front glass. Will this only I crease flow at the two extremities, of will it create better flow all round. My tank is 120cm long.
 
Hi, so if I understand correctly, to increase flow with two flow pumps, these should be placed at either end of my spray bar (which runs the length of the tank, on the back glass) and direct the flow in the same direction, forwards to the front glass. Will this only I crease flow at the two extremities, of will it create better flow all round. My tank is 120cm long.
Hi,
I would start first by dividing the length in thirds (120/3) and place each of the two at 40cm from either end. If i only had a single powerhead them I would place it at the exact center (unless there were an obstacle there). In my view symmetry is all important...

Cheers,
 
Clive, detritus/mulm seems to be a cosmos in regards to good are bad. It's known to be plant food but also organic to create bio film etc, excess ammonia etc.... What about gravel vacuuming do or don'? Is it important to have some for plant health?
Yes, it is a known plant food, and that is great in a low tech tank, however, in a fuel injected tank the breakdown of organic waste is also trigger for algal blooms. Besides, we are already feeding the plants with nutrients, are we not?

Cheers,
 
Hi,
I would start first by dividing the length in thirds (120/3) and place each of the two at 40cm from either end. If i only had a single powerhead them I would place it at the exact center (unless there were an obstacle there). In my view symmetry is all important...

Cheers,
Hi,
I like that, thank you.
 
Hi im thinking of keeping discus I have 45 litre tank an want to keep a pair is this doable ?
Thanks

I’m not sure if that’s a genuine question, or just some sort of baiting, but giving you the benefit of the doubt and assuming the former, it should be patently obvious that you don’t house such large creatures in such a small enclosure?

I’m not sure I’d house any fish in a 45 litre tank, but if I did they would need to be the smallest species possible.
 
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