# Good filtration for small planted tank?



## xXMCCUEXx (Jan 29, 2009)

Hello, I am looking to start a new planted tank and i have lighting and substrate and CO2 all figured out...yet i cannnot decide wat kind on filtration to use...i have a 10 gallon tank that i would like to turn into a nice planted tank. i have a small 10 gallon filter and a penguin BIOwheel filter(for much larger tanks)i was thinking to use that but i am pretty sure it would be over kill...What recomendations for filtration would you suggest? water movment..keep water clean ETC.
it would be great if you helped out 8^D


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## djrichie (May 15, 2008)

You don't want to have the surface of the water to have much movement, evenually you going to need to add CO2 to the tank if it going to be densly planted as the palnts will not have enough Co2 to grow properly. If you have to much sufface movement the Co2 will escape before the plants can use it, however this is easy with a 10 gallon tank, you can DIY a system or buy a small system that uses yeast. So a HOB filter is not a good choice, I would suggest getting a canister filter. TOM's makes a HOB Canister filter that rated for up to a 20 gal tank, you can find it under 40.00 online but if you search around, I bought 4 for under 20.00 each.


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## Stellaluna (Jan 20, 2009)

I have a 10g with a Penguin Biowheel on it, and I keep the water level up so there is no splashing, and also I removed the Biowheel to reduce CO2 loss. A canister would be ideal, to reduce aeration of your filtered water, but an HOB is doable if that is what you have. I dose Excel on this tank, but I have also used the yeast CO2 method with a ladder diffuser, though this takes up a lot of room in such a tiny tank.

I have also kept a "natural" heavily planted tank with no filtration at all, except for the plants themselves. Keep your fish load somewhat light, provide decent lighting, and dose nutrients and you don't need a filter. The plants did great and it was nice not to have anything at all plugged in or hooked up to the tank.


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## AJ in AZ (Feb 13, 2009)

[
I have also kept a "natural" heavily planted tank with no filtration at all, except for the plants themselves. Keep your fish load somewhat light, provide decent lighting, and dose nutrients and you don't need a filter. The plants did great and it was nice not to have anything at all plugged in or hooked up to the tank.[/QUOTE]

This is exactly what I want to do! I have 3 guppies in a bowl now that I will put in, and I will be adding live plants gradually over the next month. Finances, you know. Do you think I will need a catfish or would a catfish disturb the plants too much?

AJ in AZ


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## Stellaluna (Jan 20, 2009)

Three guppies is _plenty_ for a bowl. You don't ever "need" catfish. Catfish produce plenty of waste themselves so you are not gaining anything by having them "clean up" after the other fish. If you like catfish, keep catfish, lol! The bowl is full with 3 guppies.

I would plant it heavily FIRST and then add fish, ideally, with decent fluorescent lighting or sunlight. I had a heavily planted bowl (before the kids broke it!!) and I will post pics of that in my gallery.


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## AJ in AZ (Feb 13, 2009)

Oh, I know the bowl is full, overfull actually. But I have been doing 20% water changes every couple of days, and we have well water, not city water. I was planning to set up the tank all along, but had a chance to buy the guppies before I got the tank. Hence, the bowl.
So they should be fine in the bowl while I get the tank set up, right? I have a bamboo plant and a small something else in the bowl with them, and a 25 watt bulb in the lamp over looking the bowl.
I look forward to seeing your bowl pictures.


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