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filtration for 55g

Neil Groves

Member
Messages
52
Location
Brentwood, CA
I'm about to set up a 55g for Apisto's and I thought about the Emperor 400 Pro power filter because of the bio wheels that will benefit my bacteria colonies and a Fluval 406 canister that I can fill with seachem matrix bio media also for my bacteria colonies, does this sound ok or is this a little too much for this size tank please, I will be keeping a lot of plants in this tank also.

thanks

Neil.
 

dw1305

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
2,755
Location
Wiltshire UK
Hi all,
I'm about to set up a 55g for Apisto's and I thought about the Emperor 400 Pro power filter because of the bio wheels that will benefit my bacteria colonies and a Fluval 406 canister that I can fill with seachem matrix bio media also for my bacteria colonies, does this sound ok or is this a little too much for this size tank please, I will be keeping a lot of plants in this tank also.
It will be fine, you don't really need both, because if you have lots of plants, you don't really need a huge amount of filter biological filtration.

Plant/microbe systems are very efficient at biological filtration, partially because the plants deplete ammonia and are net oxygen producers, and partially because the plants provide extra area for microbial colonization (particularly in the root zone (the "rhizosphere")).

Bio wheels (and HOBs generally) aren't much used in the UK, but I quite like them.

With HOB/canister filters <"I use a sponge on the intake">, and then I only 1/2 fill them with biological media. Matrix is fine, but any media that doesn't impede flow too much will do.

cheers Darrel
 

Neil Groves

Member
Messages
52
Location
Brentwood, CA
Thanks Darrel...

Another reason I thought about the hang on the back is that it will help to break up the surface, allowing better gas exchange and providing shimmer from the T12s....I have been told l.e.ds encourage beard algae which I certainly don't want.
 

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