You're welcome! I hope you were able to learn something! Help us spread the word of our free online course! Its basically Part 1 of the CZcams series, but I think we'll be updating that with the ASG method moving forward, and using CZcams more as a vlog type situation :) - www.aquascapeguide.com/asgu
Sorry to disillusion you but its fine to do a quick rinse of filter media in tap water.ive been doing this for decades for fresh ,salt ,and reef tanks with no harmful aftereffects.Recent studies also indicate its not as harmful to the bacteria as once thought.
@@ChromeCobra420 Great point! Hobbyists forget that we are all not dealing with the same "tap" water. Shoot, some of us are even running RO! Lol. Thanks for chiming in :)
Hello Leigh! Internal filters are an interesting approach, but the problem we see with them is still turnover. But if you can find one that turns your tank over almost 10x an hour, the go for it! They are very nice if you have a smaller tank and no room to have larger equipment, and some have room for biomedia!... hey, better than a massive sponge filter in your tank! hahaha. Do you run an internal power filter? If so, which one? Have you had success with it and would you recommend it to others passing by these comments?
There have been speculations regarding the bilogical filter media. So, if understood properly, the "good" bacteria which attaches to the media consumes ammonia and nitrites and converts them in nitrates, right? However, according to latest science research, plants digest ammonia much better and faster than nitrates. So if you have a large amount of "good" bacteria stuck on the filter media, this means that it will basically consume the food which plants digest the best. Do we actually need to invest so much in biological media when we have a tank, full of healthy plants? In the end, healthy plants are the best biological filtration method, right?
Hello! And thank you for sharing your perspective! Yes, according to Diana Walstads book "Ecology of a Planted Aquarium" published in 1999, she found that plants prefer ammonia over nitrites, and nitires over nitrates as the compounds are simpler and easier to uptake. Which is great for the protection of our livestock, and allow us to keep heavier stocked tanks if that is your goal. The Walstad approach attempts to create a little self sufficient ecosystem, which is an approach to keeping tanks, but is not inline with our approach. We like to have control over all the systems needed to support plant growth, rather than relying on nature... hense why we suggest CO2 injection ;) And ammonia, nitrites and nitrates are only a small piece of the fertilization puzzle and not the only things plants need. There are another 13-14 compounds that plants need to stay happy and healthy. Check out our providing nutrients in a planted tank video here (czcams.com/video/83ggwJmKXWk/video.html) as if covers LieBigs Law of the Minimum and the EI Method. We prefer to not rely on plants as our biofiltration filtration and they still can not help us with mechanical filtration, like detritues, dead plant matter, stuff like that. But hey, as stated in the video, to each there own, right?! Regardless, it sounds like you might really like reading Diana Walstads book! Its great read and sounds like it might fall more in line with the approach you are working towards. Thanks for watching, and commenting! We really like these types of discussions as they help others that are learning and developing their approach to planted tanks. Happy scaping! ~ Phil
@@aquascapeguide thanks for the thorough answer. Actually, I just transferred a discussion which took place in one of our local aquaristic groups to the comments section here. Just like you, I am a fan of pristine high tech aquariums full of colourful healthy plants. It all comes to what your aim is. My goal is to sit in front of my aquariums and enjoy the massive plant growth, vivid colours and air bubbles popping out of the leaves. So, I share your vision here on 100% . Of course, I fully appreciate other methods such as Waltstad or low tech tanks. FYI, I have watched all your published videos so far. Keep up with the useful content! Thanks!
@@Habits1986 For sure! This is why this channel exists! To all talk and learn from each other, with the common goal of lush underwater gardens in our homes :) And thank you for the kind words! We're working hard on trying to educate those that are new, to help the beat algae.... as we all hate algae... hehehe. See you around! And again, thank you for the commenting! We appreciate the open discussion.
@aquascape guide Do some research and spread the knowledge about UV sterilizers for aquascaping please. If the aquarist uses the “all-in-one” fertilizers, chances are he/she is using chelated iron. UV breaks down the organic border and he/she technically destroys the only way plants can absorb the iron particles. The particles then stay at the bottom of the tank and they start building up without you even knowing. DO NOT use UV with aquascaping if the iron you are dosing is chelated. It beats its purpose. Read your fertilizer’s ingredients. Maybe use it temporarily to remove some brown slime or green floating algae and then remove it.
Hi Christos! Thank you for sharing your knowledge on UV sterilizers. We don't personally use them, but there may some views that to like them. Regardless, we appreciate you dropping some great knowledge and taking them time to educate others on topics they haven't researched. We want this channel to be a place for everyone to grow in the hobby :) So thank you for taking the time to comment! It's much appreciated.
I'm not teaching others how to get by, I teach what is best. Let's start with how sponges are poor at mechanical filtration. You get a fine sponge and they clog up after 48 hours. So every 2 days you have to ring it out otherwise you have no flow. So then you get a medium or course sponge and then it let's all the fine particulate matter through leaving your water with a haze. So they are poor at best for mechanical filtration. Then if you rinse out your sponge too well, or it drys out during a water change you lose your biological filtration and now your processing water changes every other day for weeks. Seen this and have mentored MANY others in this situation in Facebook groups. And lastly chemical filtration. Well, you can't run chemical filtration at all. So I would disagree and say that they aren't even fine. They are rudimentary at best and are the poorest approach to filtration the hobby has outside of a hospital tank with a single fish, or a plastic bin for breeding. Sponges should NOT be used on a planted tank and if you disagree your perspective is limited to your experience.
@@aquascapeguide fair enough. I'm considering upgrading to at least a hang on the back filter. I can't justify dropping $200+ on a cannister filter right now when I've only just started and I have a 10 gallon starter tank. You know?
Totally understand that! This hobby isn't cheap. And I'm not trying to be combative or contradictory, Im just trying to educate and don't want hobbyists thinking a sponge is as good as a canister. Check out the Fluval Aquaclear, or Google "canister hang on back filter aquarium" and you'll find hang on backs that process water like a canister for a fraction of the price. The kicker is having the water flow THROUGH media, and not over the top of it like a traditional HOB. For your case I would suggest a ZooMed mini canister. Those little things are cheap-ish and dope! Great little mini canisters.
@@aquascapeguide All good, sponges aren't meant to be long term I don't think. Also I'm looking to get the Aqueon quiet flow. I like the motor being in the tank so that it doesn't burn out if the power goes out when im not home. Plus it looks like it has a lot of little addons you can add which are nice
Don't canister filters have powerheads though? Or jut out the water really hard? I have tropical fish that require gentle flows and no currents. Is a canister filter going to be too powerful?
Great question. They have pumps that force the water out with a high turn over. So yes, depending on your fish you'll want to make sure you don't have too much flow. This can be mitigated in 2 ways. 1) have a part on the outflow of the canister to lower the blasting power of it. This can be through a spray bar, or a spin type lily pipe like this - amzn.to/3sR70ne - and 2) Most all canisters have flow control, unlike an HOB. So you can turn the canisters flow up and down as needed. Now we don't want to pay for a canister that gives us all this turn over, then turn it down to 1. lol. So I would suggest getting a spray bar, or spin lily pipe and then turn the flow up as much as possible to keep that turn over high without putting your fish through rapids :) Hope that helps! Feel free to ask more questions if you have them.
@@aquascapeguide Thank you SO MUCH! I have a 29g planted tank with tropical fish. I've been really struggling with the plants and algae. I have health issues and have a really hard time keeping up with maintenance. I think better filtration and CO2 injection will really help.
I am sure you've heard this, and it is quite frustrating to hear, but it is all about balance. I say "focus on your plants, and they'll fend off the algae". One thing I would DEFINLETY test, if your water's hardness. You could be doing everything right with lighting, Co2, ferts, etc. but if your water is SUPER hard, the plants are just going to struggle. Make sure you watch this video, and get a little API test kit which I linked in the description. A simple change to softer water makes a big difference - czcams.com/video/3-rJePrlGec/video.html - And take our free course! If you follow it to a T, you're bound to be successful. The ASG method is replicateable by design ;)
Yeah! Its still around. I google NilocG Reactor and it came up. I'll pop it in the discription if the link is old. But here it is as well - nilocg.com/products/na-advanced-co2-reactor-built-in-bypass-valve
If by pump, you mean a powerhead, then possibly. It all depends on your layout of the scape, the positioning of the inlet and outlet of the canister, and the turnover of said canisters. We just want that 10x turn over and for inside the tank we can enough circulation to avoid dead spots, and even through we have that 10x turn over, we still might need an additional powerhead.
Best series of Aquascaping tutorials on utube 👍 great stuff.
Thank you Neil! Just trying to help those that are new get over that steep knowledge curve! What did you learn from this video, if anything at all?
Definitely my new favorite resource for planted tanks
I like this format. Well done.
Why thank you! We hope you were able to learn something :) ~ Phil
A great series of videos. They get the information out here without all the padding seen in other channels Good job.
Thank you Tom! That means a lot. I try not to have a bunch of fluff. Just solid information and science :)
You referred me to your video when I asked a question on Facebook. Thank you so much!
You're welcome! I hope you were able to learn something! Help us spread the word of our free online course! Its basically Part 1 of the CZcams series, but I think we'll be updating that with the ASG method moving forward, and using CZcams more as a vlog type situation :) - www.aquascapeguide.com/asgu
I'm officially a filter expert! Thanks Phil!
Hey! Then we did our job correctly! ;)
Sorry to disillusion you but its fine to do a quick rinse of filter media in tap water.ive been doing this for decades for fresh ,salt ,and reef tanks with no harmful aftereffects.Recent studies also indicate its not as harmful to the bacteria as once thought.
We haven't heard or seen any evidence that this is true. And until we do, we'll stick to playing it safe. Thanks for your comment!
Well water is fine because of no chlorine, which is probably what youre using. City water, absolutely not.
@@ChromeCobra420 Great point! Hobbyists forget that we are all not dealing with the same "tap" water. Shoot, some of us are even running RO! Lol. Thanks for chiming in :)
Yeah, I wasn't even thinking of RO. Good call.
Been Waiting for this one! Again,Fantastic job!
Thank you thank you! :)
what about internal power filters?
Hello Leigh! Internal filters are an interesting approach, but the problem we see with them is still turnover. But if you can find one that turns your tank over almost 10x an hour, the go for it! They are very nice if you have a smaller tank and no room to have larger equipment, and some have room for biomedia!... hey, better than a massive sponge filter in your tank! hahaha. Do you run an internal power filter? If so, which one? Have you had success with it and would you recommend it to others passing by these comments?
There have been speculations regarding the bilogical filter media. So, if understood properly, the "good" bacteria which attaches to the media consumes ammonia and nitrites and converts them in nitrates, right? However, according to latest science research, plants digest ammonia much better and faster than nitrates. So if you have a large amount of "good" bacteria stuck on the filter media, this means that it will basically consume the food which plants digest the best. Do we actually need to invest so much in biological media when we have a tank, full of healthy plants? In the end, healthy plants are the best biological filtration method, right?
Hello! And thank you for sharing your perspective! Yes, according to Diana Walstads book "Ecology of a Planted Aquarium" published in 1999, she found that plants prefer ammonia over nitrites, and nitires over nitrates as the compounds are simpler and easier to uptake. Which is great for the protection of our livestock, and allow us to keep heavier stocked tanks if that is your goal. The Walstad approach attempts to create a little self sufficient ecosystem, which is an approach to keeping tanks, but is not inline with our approach. We like to have control over all the systems needed to support plant growth, rather than relying on nature... hense why we suggest CO2 injection ;) And ammonia, nitrites and nitrates are only a small piece of the fertilization puzzle and not the only things plants need. There are another 13-14 compounds that plants need to stay happy and healthy. Check out our providing nutrients in a planted tank video here (czcams.com/video/83ggwJmKXWk/video.html) as if covers LieBigs Law of the Minimum and the EI Method. We prefer to not rely on plants as our biofiltration filtration and they still can not help us with mechanical filtration, like detritues, dead plant matter, stuff like that. But hey, as stated in the video, to each there own, right?! Regardless, it sounds like you might really like reading Diana Walstads book! Its great read and sounds like it might fall more in line with the approach you are working towards. Thanks for watching, and commenting! We really like these types of discussions as they help others that are learning and developing their approach to planted tanks. Happy scaping! ~ Phil
@@aquascapeguide thanks for the thorough answer. Actually, I just transferred a discussion which took place in one of our local aquaristic groups to the comments section here. Just like you, I am a fan of pristine high tech aquariums full of colourful healthy plants. It all comes to what your aim is. My goal is to sit in front of my aquariums and enjoy the massive plant growth, vivid colours and air bubbles popping out of the leaves. So, I share your vision here on 100% . Of course, I fully appreciate other methods such as Waltstad or low tech tanks.
FYI, I have watched all your published videos so far. Keep up with the useful content! Thanks!
@@Habits1986 For sure! This is why this channel exists! To all talk and learn from each other, with the common goal of lush underwater gardens in our homes :) And thank you for the kind words! We're working hard on trying to educate those that are new, to help the beat algae.... as we all hate algae... hehehe. See you around! And again, thank you for the commenting! We appreciate the open discussion.
@aquascape guide Do some research and spread the knowledge about UV sterilizers for aquascaping please. If the aquarist uses the “all-in-one” fertilizers, chances are he/she is using chelated iron. UV breaks down the organic border and he/she technically destroys the only way plants can absorb the iron particles. The particles then stay at the bottom of the tank and they start building up without you even knowing. DO NOT use UV with aquascaping if the iron you are dosing is chelated. It beats its purpose. Read your fertilizer’s ingredients. Maybe use it temporarily to remove some brown slime or green floating algae and then remove it.
Hi Christos! Thank you for sharing your knowledge on UV sterilizers. We don't personally use them, but there may some views that to like them. Regardless, we appreciate you dropping some great knowledge and taking them time to educate others on topics they haven't researched. We want this channel to be a place for everyone to grow in the hobby :) So thank you for taking the time to comment! It's much appreciated.
sponge filters are fine, especially for smaller tanks. I have a 10 gal, and its doing just fine.
I'm not teaching others how to get by, I teach what is best. Let's start with how sponges are poor at mechanical filtration. You get a fine sponge and they clog up after 48 hours. So every 2 days you have to ring it out otherwise you have no flow. So then you get a medium or course sponge and then it let's all the fine particulate matter through leaving your water with a haze. So they are poor at best for mechanical filtration. Then if you rinse out your sponge too well, or it drys out during a water change you lose your biological filtration and now your processing water changes every other day for weeks. Seen this and have mentored MANY others in this situation in Facebook groups. And lastly chemical filtration. Well, you can't run chemical filtration at all. So I would disagree and say that they aren't even fine. They are rudimentary at best and are the poorest approach to filtration the hobby has outside of a hospital tank with a single fish, or a plastic bin for breeding. Sponges should NOT be used on a planted tank and if you disagree your perspective is limited to your experience.
@@aquascapeguide fair enough. I'm considering upgrading to at least a hang on the back filter. I can't justify dropping $200+ on a cannister filter right now when I've only just started and I have a 10 gallon starter tank. You know?
Totally understand that! This hobby isn't cheap. And I'm not trying to be combative or contradictory, Im just trying to educate and don't want hobbyists thinking a sponge is as good as a canister. Check out the Fluval Aquaclear, or Google "canister hang on back filter aquarium" and you'll find hang on backs that process water like a canister for a fraction of the price. The kicker is having the water flow THROUGH media, and not over the top of it like a traditional HOB. For your case I would suggest a ZooMed mini canister. Those little things are cheap-ish and dope! Great little mini canisters.
@@aquascapeguide All good, sponges aren't meant to be long term I don't think. Also I'm looking to get the Aqueon quiet flow. I like the motor being in the tank so that it doesn't burn out if the power goes out when im not home. Plus it looks like it has a lot of little addons you can add which are nice
Yeah, those on tank filters are great and some even come with a surface skimmer which is awesome.
Don't canister filters have powerheads though? Or jut out the water really hard? I have tropical fish that require gentle flows and no currents. Is a canister filter going to be too powerful?
Great question. They have pumps that force the water out with a high turn over. So yes, depending on your fish you'll want to make sure you don't have too much flow. This can be mitigated in 2 ways. 1) have a part on the outflow of the canister to lower the blasting power of it. This can be through a spray bar, or a spin type lily pipe like this - amzn.to/3sR70ne - and 2) Most all canisters have flow control, unlike an HOB. So you can turn the canisters flow up and down as needed. Now we don't want to pay for a canister that gives us all this turn over, then turn it down to 1. lol. So I would suggest getting a spray bar, or spin lily pipe and then turn the flow up as much as possible to keep that turn over high without putting your fish through rapids :) Hope that helps! Feel free to ask more questions if you have them.
@@aquascapeguide Thank you SO MUCH! I have a 29g planted tank with tropical fish. I've been really struggling with the plants and algae. I have health issues and have a really hard time keeping up with maintenance. I think better filtration and CO2 injection will really help.
I am sure you've heard this, and it is quite frustrating to hear, but it is all about balance. I say "focus on your plants, and they'll fend off the algae". One thing I would DEFINLETY test, if your water's hardness. You could be doing everything right with lighting, Co2, ferts, etc. but if your water is SUPER hard, the plants are just going to struggle. Make sure you watch this video, and get a little API test kit which I linked in the description. A simple change to softer water makes a big difference - czcams.com/video/3-rJePrlGec/video.html - And take our free course! If you follow it to a T, you're bound to be successful. The ASG method is replicateable by design ;)
I can find that exact niloc g reactor anywhere. doesnt it even exist?
Yeah! Its still around. I google NilocG Reactor and it came up. I'll pop it in the discription if the link is old. But here it is as well - nilocg.com/products/na-advanced-co2-reactor-built-in-bypass-valve
Do you still need a pump if you already have an canister filter
If by pump, you mean a powerhead, then possibly. It all depends on your layout of the scape, the positioning of the inlet and outlet of the canister, and the turnover of said canisters. We just want that 10x turn over and for inside the tank we can enough circulation to avoid dead spots, and even through we have that 10x turn over, we still might need an additional powerhead.