Best Internal filter for a Planted tank?

What's the best internal filter to use in a planted tank?

I cant go with a HOB or Canister . . .

I had my eyes on the Fluval U4 and Ehiem Aquaball but the price is almost the same as a canister filter and there are other alternatives out there!

What Flow rate do you recommend for a 120L planted tank?

What filter do you use in your planted tank(s)?

TM

 

You can always go for a Jebo Bio Internal Filter 260 or 480 if you can find them or Cascade is also pretty good bang for your buck. Or you could for for a Aqua One Maxi Internal Filter most petshops sell them:

​

They are only an internal mechanical sponge filter though. Or you could go the Resun route they have a pretty wide selection: http://www.resun-china.com/en/Produ...120&PPro_ClassName=Puro Internal Power Filter

 

Eheim make a pretty funky one called an Aquaball. Dolphin can source these at really good prices. The nice thing about them is that they are reasonably small for the size volume tank. The bigger the tank, the bigger the filter required, but the aquaball is already a neat package.

 

Yeah but in my first post I mention that the Aquaball is $$$$ . .

@Dolphin

 

Sorry TM... that must have slipped my sight.

Oh, and the flowrate you want is about 600l/h. I would suggest slightly higher going through a spray bar. The plants need to sway gently in the currents, but not be blown away. This also helps with algae control. So My suggestion would be approx 800lph, and at that rate, you then may as well get a canister.

 

I can probably get a Resun 800l/h but I will have to make a DIY spray bar . . do they still make black pvc pipe and elbows or can I get the black elbows at a LPS and use thick air line?

 

Some LPS sell the elbows and the spray bars for the resun others dont, I just made my own with some 16/22 mm pipe:

​

Angled most of my flow so that it breaks the surface. But I am sure you can extend it while making holes in it and silliconing the other end closed.

 

I found that using 2 smaller filters with a combined filtration of 10 x tank volume worked very well for me in my 100l planted project. It's pretty hard to get good flow between the plants with only 1 filter. I used a spray bar on 1 filter and a powerhead on the other. Best part for me was that the smaller kit was easier to hide behind the plants

Hope this helps

 

Good point here!

 

You make a very good point there Jedigenie and shooting myself in the foot for not thinking of that considering I use a canister for my main filtration, and 2 internal small filters for circulation myself!

 

LoL! . . .I have used an internal and a HOB together . .Even I am in that predicament @Zoom

Well, Might do 2X 400L/H filters with flow adjustment.

 

This might be one of your best options. If you place them strategically you can create a circular current in the tank, and a lot of the mulm-and-mulch buildup at the bottom of the tank will get moved to one of the filters and picked up. This is the only downside i have with the PFP. It's not easy to do a gravel vac because it can dislodge the gravel. (I use very fine black gravel, so moves very easy under the vacuum suction.)

Having said that, you also don't want to create too much of a current that may move the substrate too much.