Freshwater Underground Filter Questions

Gold3nku5h · 11/22/2011, 10:36 AM

I am building a paludarium, from a 45 gallon tank with half land and half freshwater.
The water feature will be shaped like an L with a 24"x8"x8" long side and 8"x8"x8" short side making the total volume about 8.8 gallons.
I have a 1-1/2 hole drilled and am thinking about an under-gravel filter, or just having coarse enough gravel to let everything be taken care of by the sump.
Do you guys have any ideas what might work best?
I was thinking possibly a bulkhead with a strainer, an under-gravel filter that drains through to the sump tank to be filtered more, or a basically DIY under-gravel filter that acts pretty much just like a mechanical filter to be pre-filtered before the sump.

I am planning on using a coarse grain substrate no matter what, and i dont plan on any freshwater fish, shrimp, or snails, but i am not opposed to having any. I will have aquatic plants living in the water side too, and plenty of them at that.

Thanks for your help, i love learning from your forum.

RubberFrog · 11/22/2011, 11:11 AM

If you intend to keep plants, your not going to want to use gravel. Go with fluorite. Your plants will absorb iron through their roots and they'll have a hard time getting enough out of the water, no matter how much flourish excel you dose. Plus fluorite has a very natural look that will go well with the look you're going for. Also, it works very well as a substrate for a ugf.

Gold3nku5h · 11/22/2011, 11:29 AM

Thank you, i will add that to my list of products and supplies.

jayjigga · 11/22/2011, 12:22 PM

I would probably join plantedtank . net, since a lot of what we do here won't help nearly as much. They are just as awesome as the community here. I'm a member of both. Good luck!

Gold3nku5h · 11/22/2011, 12:32 PM

thanks, im checkin that out right now. i get help from all places

xCry0x · 11/22/2011, 12:38 PM

Aw, I skimmed the thread and thought he was making a saltwater land/water setup.

Was thinking how cool it would be to have something with sand & some small land reptile/amphibian like a leopard gecko then have a lr wall/barrier which falls off into a pico reef w/ some macro algaes & planted mangroves.

Gold3nku5h · 11/22/2011, 03:24 PM

the only plant i know of that is heavy salts tolerant is the coconut, and that cant work in a tank!

xCry0x · 11/22/2011, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gold3nku5h

the only plant i know of that is heavy salts tolerant is the coconut, and that cant work in a tank!

Macro algae are marine plants, same with mangroves.

allsps40 · 11/22/2011, 06:14 PM

I agree an under gravel style filter will work just fine. Some ghost shrimp and small tetras are a cool addition to planted tanks.

11/22/2011, 10:36 AM	#1
Gold3nku5h Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 11	Freshwater Underground Filter Questions I am building a paludarium, from a 45 gallon tank with half land and half freshwater. The water feature will be shaped like an L with a 24"x8"x8" long side and 8"x8"x8" short side making the total volume about 8.8 gallons. I have a 1-1/2 hole drilled and am thinking about an under-gravel filter, or just having coarse enough gravel to let everything be taken care of by the sump. Do you guys have any ideas what might work best? I was thinking possibly a bulkhead with a strainer, an under-gravel filter that drains through to the sump tank to be filtered more, or a basically DIY under-gravel filter that acts pretty much just like a mechanical filter to be pre-filtered before the sump. I am planning on using a coarse grain substrate no matter what, and i dont plan on any freshwater fish, shrimp, or snails, but i am not opposed to having any. I will have aquatic plants living in the water side too, and plenty of them at that. Thanks for your help, i love learning from your forum.

11/22/2011, 06:14 PM	#9
allsps40 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Arizona Posts: 4,627	I agree an under gravel style filter will work just fine. Some ghost shrimp and small tetras are a cool addition to planted tanks. __________________ __________ Current Tank Info: Past reef tanks: 20H softy, 29G mixed reef, 55G mixed reef, 40B sps dominant mixed reef and 75G sps dominant mixed reef. No tank currently

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11/22/2011, 11:11 AM	#2
RubberFrog Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 286	If you intend to keep plants, your not going to want to use gravel. Go with fluorite. Your plants will absorb iron through their roots and they'll have a hard time getting enough out of the water, no matter how much flourish excel you dose. Plus fluorite has a very natural look that will go well with the look you're going for. Also, it works very well as a substrate for a ugf.

11/22/2011, 11:29 AM	#3
Gold3nku5h Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 11	Thank you, i will add that to my list of products and supplies.

11/22/2011, 12:22 PM	#4
jayjigga Registered Member. Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Chicago Posts: 1,114	I would probably join plantedtank . net, since a lot of what we do here won't help nearly as much. They are just as awesome as the community here. I'm a member of both. Good luck!

11/22/2011, 12:32 PM	#5
Gold3nku5h Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 11	thanks, im checkin that out right now. i get help from all places

11/22/2011, 12:38 PM	#6
xCry0x Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Martinez, CA Posts: 1,116	Aw, I skimmed the thread and thought he was making a saltwater land/water setup. Was thinking how cool it would be to have something with sand & some small land reptile/amphibian like a leopard gecko then have a lr wall/barrier which falls off into a pico reef w/ some macro algaes & planted mangroves.

11/22/2011, 03:24 PM	#7
Gold3nku5h Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 11	the only plant i know of that is heavy salts tolerant is the coconut, and that cant work in a tank!