Re: [APD] Water Circulation -- or - The Current Sponginess of Filtration Theory

["Robert T Ricketts" <rtricketts at erols_com>]

As an anecdote, Tom Barr convinced me that RFUG was not necessarily anathema
for planted tanks, and I remember Mike T using UG years ago, so I set a
low-tech test a bit over a year ago: 30XH, over-engineered RFUG driven by
Penguin 1140 w/RFUG kit and prefilter.  Current (and additional mechanical
filtration) provided by an Eheim 2006 Internal, plus an external Eheim 2211.
Neither of those Eheims is still available, but their specs were still on
the Eheim site the last time I checked.  Lighting is 4x20W NO in two each
two-tube Perfecto strips (effectively no reflectors).  Planting is
super-easy plants, an L of Val along one side and across the back, a carpet
of assorted Crypt wendtii cultivars for the rest, somewhat clumped by
color/growth form.  Sole fish resident is an odd-male-out Angelfish, plus
red ramshorn snails as cleaning crew.  Lots of current.  Fish and plants are
fine.  Other than the need to trim back the Val every few weeks to protect
the crypts, maintenance is trivial - weekly 1/4-1/3 partial and rinse of the
prefilters/sponges, clean the glass of the front and one exposed side about
every second week. Substrate is ordinary aquarium gravel.  Multiple
supplements (water column only of course) were used after setup and before
the fish was moved in, since that time supplements were weaned down to rare
additions. By the end of the summer the Crypts will be ready for their first
division/thinning.

The tank overall has been easy enough that I plan to do another sometime
soon in a 50 over-due for reset. I don't think i would suggest this as the
way to do planted tanks, but I will not dismiss it as impractical/impossible
either. Just another variant technique.

Robert Ricketts

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