For a 5 gallon hex? lol
I've found some good options but don't really know what to expect when I get the product from an online store.
What I'm really looking for is something small, with a very low, VARIABLE minimum flow-rate.
I have the marineland eclipse with the integrated filter which seems to turn over about 5gph lol. The surface of the water barely moves despite the water level... I really don't need much flow here, just enough to get some current/surface disturbance going.
I also noticed hydor recently put out an in-tank aerator - The Ario 2 w/moonlight.(http://www.hydor.it/en/products/show/1). On that note my tank is far from being completely planted, and I'm not sure an aerator wouldn't just choke all the natural Co2 out of my tank?
If you don't have a co2 system then during the day your plants should use up more co2 in the water than I imagine is in the atmosphere, so an aerator would increase the co2 levels slightly during the day. At night when plants use up o2 more the aerator would keep the o2 levels safe for fish. I think this makes sense, right?
Hehe, as cool as that thing is I think its overkill. lol I tried to find some dimensions for it to give me a better picture of how much space it would take up in my 5gal but wasn't able to find much, don't need a heater anyway, the enclosed hood acts as a radiator when the freaking lights on. lol
I've been scouring the net to find some sort of powerhead that I can regulate the flow of between 25 and 75gph, is about the size of a whiffle ball, and I can toggle aeration (don't need it) on or off with, which just doesn't seem to exist, unless I'm not reading things right.
Still my only concern with using something like the ARIO from Hydor (the mini in-tank aerator) is creating tooo much surface agitation. Co2 will be crucial in this tank as I plan on getting dwarf baby tears and overhauling the existing plants (I was still a beginner when I got plants for this one..my java fern and anubias are planted in the substrate..
I know I need something though. Maybe a supplemental filter really would do the trick, all I know is this integrated thing sucks. There's a constant nasty film on top of the water which remains after every water change and thickens as the week progresses. The surface of the water barely moves.
you should try one of those water fountian pumps, i have one in my 2 gal bowl. you could pick one up at true value or a harware store. mine is no bigger than a half dollar and has a variable ajustment, and works awsome
Wouldn't you be increasing the co2 by running atmospheric air through the tank during the day when the plants need it? I thought that without supplemental co2 your plants will actually pull co2 in the water down to a lower level than what's in the air, which means that you'll be increasing co2 with an air stone. This is certainly smaller than a power head. It's when you have supplemental co2 that you don't want a bubbler. That will be a situation where atmospheric air has less co2 than your tank water and would blow it off. I think that a bubbler is what you need here and it will break up the film building up on the surface and increace o2 at night when fish can be in trouble in planted tanks. I have heavely planted tanks without co2 myself and the plants grow fine with lots of bubbles. I use powerheads with the air venturi on full. I'm even growing mocrosword in my 35 gallon long as well as java moss, fern, anubias, 2 varieties of larger sword, and others.
I guess that makes sense. :) I s'pose in my readings I got things all garbled up. Somehow I figured that the fish themselves produced a degree of Co2 and that a bubbler would be putting oxygen only in the tank forcing the Co2 out, but this is obviously where my understanding of planted tanks is in the least degree. :) Especially now that you've reminded me that our atmosphere isn't solely made up of oxygen. lol
Thanks Peter, and angus.
Ummm. I want to be sure about this as I didn't think of the fish adding co2 part of the equation. I asked this question in a forum where there are serious plant growers who use co2. I don't think the fish would produce enough co2 to keep up with the amount the plants absorb during the day, but to be sure I've put this question out to some "experts". I do have success growing the same plants you are growing w/o supplemental co2 and I have powerheads with the venturi's on full and I think I'm right but I want to be sure. I'll post the responses ASAP.
So far the answer is almost sarcastic. "It doesn't matter unless you have a high amount of light and high light desiring plants". I'm still fishing for a specific answer from these hoity-toity fancy super co2 pumped tank people.
OK. They said that agitating the surface whether it be by bubbler or powerhead would most likely increase co2 in the tank during the day and definitely help the fish at night. A bubbler would be a lot less obtrusive than a powerhead so I would go that way. I'm in the same position so I was interested in knowing this myself though it would be fun to bump it up to supplemental co2 at some point when $ is avaliable. Good luck!
Great! Thanks again...I didn't mean to make you my personal maid there, but I guess we all have things to learn. :)
With that peace of mind I just purchased the in-tank hydor ario2 w/o lights as I figured the moonlight in a tank so small would just piss my puffer off. hehe
I'll let everyone know how it works when it arrives, I had a whisper for my 16gal when I was running the 19" bubble wand and even with rubber feet that thing made more noise than my HOB filter..
I'm still a little skeptical of Hydor after purchasing a $30, 50w heater that died 2 months after purchase in the dead of winter---and the thermometer setting never put the water at the temp it was set at, in fact I had to set it at 72 for a constant temp of 78. We'll see. :P
You bought that little thing Snowboss linked to? Let us know how it works, looks pretty cool. If you want to see the discussion I had about non supplemental co2 with www.plantgeek.com in their forums you might get more of an idea what's going on. Look under co2 and water chemistry and you should see it. These guys seem to have a real thorough knowledge about the subject.
Sorry pete, didn't get the ekip, I got an ario, simple in-tank aerator from hydor that uses venteuri (sp?) like powerheads to bring the air in. It's completely silent and so far I'm thinking this would be an amazing Co2 diffuser for small tanks using DIY CO2. The fine mist of bubbles its producing would probably be easily absorbed into plants/water. Guess I'll have to test it out soon on the Dwarf Baby tears..got a couple of busy weeks lined up then I'll have time to devote to some more planting. :)
