Aquatic Plant Forum banner

Filter on a nano??

9K views 32 replies 19 participants last post by  Jimbo205 
#1 ·
I'm in the planning stages of a nano. I'm stuck on filtration. Does a nano need a filter? Any recommendations if it does? What do you have on yours?
 
#2 ·
I like the Red Sea nano HOB filters for nano tanks. I have one on my 5.5 gallon and it's great. IMO all planted tanks need flow of some sort so the water doesn't get stagnant. The nice thing about the Red Sea filter is that it's cheap at around $10.00 and the flow is adjustable.
 
#3 ·
Art, is it going to be plants only, or are you going to add fish or shrimp?

If I have any livestock in a tank I always want some sort of filtration.

They have some really nice little filters just for nano sized tanks out there these days. I belive Aqua Clear, Whisper and Azoo all have tiny palm filter sized ones to name a few. I know Whisper now has a tiny internal filter that really caught my eye as well.
 
#4 ·
I have an AZOO palm filter on my 2.5-gallon tank, but it's off most of the time (unless I forget to unplug it). I only use it to dose fertilizers, and the dry stuff dissolves within 5 minutes. I use a passive-type CO2 injection (in addition to Flourish Excel). I only have three tiny guppies plus two fry that they spawned, and maybe some snails in this tank, so filtration is not really necessary.

I do the same with the AquaClear MINI on my 10-gallon tank. I use it to dose ferts, then I turn it off. Come to think of it, I only run the power filter on my 20-gallon at night. The DIY reactor I made for this tank works a little *too* well and to be safe, I try to remember to turn on the filter when CO2 is likely to accumulate. After I dose the ferts in the morning, I unplug it... People might frown on this, but I really don't stock my tanks very heavily with fish at all.

-Naomi
 
#5 · (Edited)
I'll agree with grandmasterofpool, all planted tanks should have some water movement. On mine, I don't yet have a filter and the water gets stagnant and a film develops on the surface thats pretty ugly, and I can't imagine that stagnant water is very good for the health of the plants. On the other hand the tank next to it is the same size, but it has a small filter and it is doing much better with no surface film and healthy plants. BTW, the only nanos I have experience with are 5.5 gallons. I've never had anything smaller than that.
 
#7 ·
Fosty said:
I'll agree with grandmasterofpool, all planted tanks should have some water movement. On mine, I don't yet have a filter and the water gets stagnant and a film develops on the surface thats pretty ugly, and I can't imagine that stagnant water is very good for the health of the plants. On the other hand the tank next to it is the same size, but it has a small filter and it is doing much better with no surface film and healthy plants.
This depends on the individual set-up. In the case of my 10-gallon, I had the opposite effect from above... Since I'm too cheap to get a pressurized CO2 system OR a canister filter, my AC Mini at the lowest setting was enough to degas out the very little CO2 my DIY system could supply. I was dosing ample ferts. I had the CO2 bubbling into a MiniJet 404. Every plant I put in there would die a slow, excruciating (for me) death. The owner of a very reputable LFS suggested that I turn off the filter. I was a bit skeptical myself because this was a 10 gallon tank, but he showed me how some of his beautiful planted 10's had no filtration and the fish were doing fine. Sure enough, when I unplugged my filter, my plants started pearling and I began to get good growth. Then again, I still have light circulation from the MiniJet (which is set at the lowest flow), so the water is not entirely "stagnant."

I get surface scum regardless of whether or not I have the filter running. The only way it disappears is if the water level gets low enough that the water is "splashing" into the tank from the overflow; but just because I don't see it doesn't mean I don't have organics accumulating in the tank. Surface scum is from organics. Water changes, healthy plants (minimal decay) and under-stocking with fish/not over-feeding are the remedies. But in my case, the only way to get the plants healthy is to turn off the filter. Plus, I'm very lazy with water changes.

I remember how Ghazanfar Ghori (whatever happened to him, anyway?) had a 2.5-gallon tank with no filter whatsoever, no CO2 injection, no heater, only an 18-watt Aqualight for powered hardware. He grew nothing but erect moss in this tank, if I remember correctly, and it was *awesome*!!! And his cherry red shrimp were breeding like bunnies in it. I don't think he was even adding fertilizer to this tank... The moss probably managed on shrimp waste and whatever was already in the tap water.

It can be done. I actually do prefer the look of water movement, but the drawback in my particular situation is that the CO2 gets depleted, and I have plants that need elevated CO2. A nano with Anubias or Marsilea or Java moss - you can go either way with filtration.

-Naomi
 
#9 ·
Naomi, that would make me very nervous to use a HOB on a part time basis. Any time it's on, it's going to draw stuff to build your good bacteria, and when it gets shut off, that bacteria can turn toxic. When you turn it on again, it's going to dump the toxic stuff back into your tank, and could be very stressful on the livestock in there.

I'm not saying it doesn't work for you, but you may be better off with something like a sponge filter or anything but an external filter given your usage pattern.
 
#10 ·
I'm still waiting on a Zoo Med Turtle Clean 501 canister for my 1ft cube. Those look like they'd make a pretty sweet canister for smaller tanks. They measure roughly 6" x" 6 x 3.5"(W), can run level with the tank and has a 78(?)gph rating(they claim it's suitable for tanks up to 30+ gallons).
 
#12 ·
JanS said:
Naomi, that would make me very nervous to use a HOB on a part time basis.
You're referring to my 20-gallon, right? Because in the other tanks, I doubt that the 5 minutes I leave them on would be enough to keep any aerobic bacteria colonizing on the media. Granted, this tank has only been running for four weeks so I don't know if there are going to be problems down the line. However, I just tested for ammonia a few days ago (because I wasn't sure how to interpret my nitrate test) and it was undetectable. It probably helps that I have it stocked so lightly. But also, I suspect the plants take up most of the waste that the fish produce, anyway, so there's never enough to really foster the colonization of Nitrosomonas. I guess to be sure, I should actually test for nitrites...

I would NEVER recommend this "part-time" usage of a filter for anybody who keeps tanks with significant fish loads and/or no plants.

Any time it's on, it's going to draw stuff to build your good bacteria, and when it gets shut off, that bacteria can turn toxic. When you turn it on again, it's going to dump the toxic stuff back into your tank, and could be very stressful on the livestock in there.

I'm not saying it doesn't work for you, but you may be better off with something like a sponge filter or anything but an external filter given your usage pattern.
Your points taken and appreciated. I hope to be able to outfit this tank with better equipment, eventually. Until such a time, I'll be keeping my tank lightly stocked with critters.

My tiny tanks have been fine, having the filters only being used as "mixing chambers" for the ferts (again, with ultra-light stocking). So regarding the original topic, I still think that whether or not one uses a filter for a planted nano-tank is, for the most part, optional.

-Naomi
 
#14 ·
I have two of the filter discussed here:
Azoo Plam filter: works great. Perfect for up to 5 gallons. I have it on a two gallon, with the flow turned down a bit.
ZooMed 501: Awesome filter. The smallest canister filter on the market. Flow is about 65 GPH. Very quiet. I have it on a 15 gallon with a heavy biolode.

If i were doing a 5 gallon or less, i wouls not hesitate to use the Azoo. Between 5 and 15, I have not heard of anything I would rather use than the ZooMed 501. When you get into the 20 gallon range, I guess I would start looking at Ehiem.
 
#16 ·
My own 'nano' (10x6x6 inches) doesnt have any filter/pump. The only equipment is a 11W compact flourescent fixture. I kept the stocking level very low (shrimp and a couple of minnows) in the first few months, with water top-ups (and a litle Equilibrium) every week. I found water changes did more harm (causing rapid turbidity from bacterial blooms) and have stopped changing more than a cupful. Currently it houses a dozen Boraras urolphthamoides, two ****** loaches and a few generations of cherry shrimp. Plants are mosses, ferns, nanas, crypts, Najas, hornwort, duckweed. The setup's about 2.5 years now.
 
#19 ·
The RedSea and AZOO nano/palm filters are exactly the same, as far as I can tell. The ones that I'm presently using are technically "Azoo" and they're great. I have them on my 2.5-gallons and even one on my 5.5-gallon. Only complaint is that they get clogged quite often (which is to be expected) so you need to rinse off or change the floss regularly. Other than that, I'm very pleased with them.

-Naomi
 
#24 ·
My 2 Gallon Betta Bowl at the Office has no filter on it at all and with the Seachem Daily Dosage (sometimes I skip a day or two) it looks AWESOME! And the Betta is healthy and Happy.

My 10 Gallon Tank has a Bio-Wheel Filter on it probably just because I love the sound and motion of water like a fountain. If I was REALLY brave, I would shut it off and see what would happen.

In the frigid Northeast I need the filter in my 10 Gallon tank to make sure the water movement helps the heater keep the temperature uniform throughout the tank.

Jan S. What would be a safe test to see if I could turn off my filter? Should I?
 
#25 ·
Jimbo, if you turn off your filter, there the water movement will cease, and filtration will be gone. You'll have to do waterchanges to ensure water quality. It sounded at first you liked the filter on your 10 gallon because of the calming noise it produced, now you don't want it?

I think you could turn off your filter, as long as you do water changes. But like you said, the no flow would created hot vs cold spots in the tank, and also might not get the nutrients circulated to all the other plants.

-John N.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top