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Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V3 #382


Adam wrote:
> I'm in the process of building a new tank and I needed advice on a
> couple of things.  Which filter type is more effective for a 75 gallon
> plant tank,a fluidized filter bed, or a wet/dry filter.

Uhh, neither?

Both fluidized bed filters and wet/dry filters are useful primarily 
for their biological action.  I.e., they provide a home for the bacteria
that convert ammonia to nitrate.  In a tank without plants, this is
very important, since nitrate is far less toxic than ammonia.  In a
well-planted tank, the plants will be using all the ammonia that they
can get, and additional biological filtration will just provide
competition for the ammonia.

Of the two, the wet/dry is probably a better bet, since it has one 
major benefit:  a sump.  This is a great place to put your heater,
CO2 reactor, etc.

David Ozenne
Berkeley, CA