Wet/Dry Eheim as second filter

[Mickey C]

Morning all,

Just seeking opinions on what you'd do with my 240L tank. I currently have my old Cascade 700 canister filter running with foam and sponge in the first basket, ceramic noodles in the second basket. The output of this filter goes into a 2 foot long spray bar in the lid of my Aqua one tank, where there's three compartments. All currently have a layer of noodles, then eheim substrat over the top with a layer of wool on that (to try and distribute the water more evenly). The outlet of the lid has an L shape attachment, so the water hits that and gushes across the surface of the tank.

I also have an internal UV filter running on its own which flows about 250l/h.

So, I've just got new bearings for my eheim 2229 and it's much quieter and ready to add. Should I:
Have my cascade use a spray bar in the tank (spraying down the back wall) and have the eheim go into the lid over the noodles? This will create a pulsating blast of water across the surface of the tank, or;
Keep the cascade as is and have the eheim as a spray bar on the back wall?
Just wondering if there's a benefit to having a pulse aggetating the surface really. I plan on replacing the cascade one day (probably when it dies, it's 8 years old and going strong), and have decided on two filters in case one dies (so I have a day to get another), and for the amount of dissolved oxygen using the wet/dry and trickle systems at the same time - hopefully no need for an air pump!

As a by-product of having this much filtration, with a mildly planted tank (mostly anubias and crypt), *could* it support 15 cardinals, 10 rummy noses, 2 whiptails, 2 bristlenoses and 4 discus? I currently have 10 rummies and 8 cardinals and a whippy in there which have been there 4 weeks now, about to by my first discus this weekend and putting in QT :)

So many questions, look forward to answers and suggestions!

PS: I know it's overkill, but I'd prefer to over-filter than under-filter as I'm starting out.

[ILLUSN]

No real advantage to having a pulse at the water surface, for gas exchange you need to break the surface tension, if water entered the 2229 then went into the top filter it would aldready be clean, as the top filter works as a wet/dry you would get no addition benifit of de nitrification.

with no surface agitiation and slow growing plants your disolved oxygen levels will be low, I'd put in the bristlenoses (they can gulp air to survive) and the tetras dont put discus in there they wont do well.

your best bet is to use the 2229 at one end of the tank as an independent filter, if you can disable the float so it works as a wet only filter (less NO3 build up) and put a sponge sock over the intake, 2229's have no mechanical filtration and once the biomedia gets too dirty you'll just end up with a nitrogen factory.

[Ghoti]

with no surface agitiation and slow growing plants your disolved oxygen levels will be low, I'd put in the bristlenoses (they can gulp air to survive) and the tetras dont put discus in there they wont do well.

Sorry to hijack the thread, though Illusn's comment above set off alarm bells for me!

Whereas traditionally I have had my canister spray bar across the surface, on putting discus in the tank I relocated the spray bar to vertically spray into the back corner to dissapate any current. The tank has 6 adult discus and anubia (as well as rummynose, BN, rainbows and harlequins) in a 6 foot 500L tank.

Should I have left the spraybar breaking the surface???

Cheers,
Scott

[Mickey C]

Thanks Illusn, I know by plugging the intake hose it works as a purely wet filter, I'll see how I go with the piping out of the cabinet :)

I'll still have a fair bit of surface aggitation with the lid outlet though - hitting that L piece seems to do a far better job than having a spray bar facing up. Is an air pump necessary in my case then? Don't mean to offend anyone but a 240L tank with just tetras is a bit of a waste...

[ILLUSN]

It's not the volume of the tank, its the setup that is going to cause you problems, bn's get to a healthy 6 inches of body length, they produce ALOT of waste. if you've got slow growing anubias and crypts they are going to do little to de-nitrify the water, if you use wetdry filters these have no real anerobic capacity for de nitrification.

Discus HATE nitrate, too high levels will cause stunting, HITH and other diseases. a 240L with a nice big school of tetras swimming in and out of leaves poping in and out of view will look amazing, if you wanted something bigger maybe add some angels to it they look great and are much more forgiving of nitrate then discus.

you could keep discus in there but try and maintain your no3 below 10ppm once your filters get dirty this will be very diffcult.

Scott, id move the spray bar back up.

[Mickey C]

Alright, thanks for the advice :) I'll have a rethink of what I've come up with and do some more reading before going much further then.

[Ghoti]

Scott, id move the spray bar back up.

Thanks for the advice. Something to keep me off the streets tomorrow :D

Cheers,
Scott