8g tank- can 'good' bacteria grow in an underwater filter?

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ClownMob
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8g tank- can 'good' bacteria grow in an underwater filter?

Post by ClownMob » Tue Jul 05, 2011 6:13 am

Hi y'all, short background, then a Q. I've been a member a few years, mostly lurk. I've had my clownmob of clown loaches for about 5 years now. Aside from the very unfortunate/strange death of my Big Boy, the other 4 have been doing great, although it took awhile to figure out who was the new sheriff in town.

Just so you know I've had tanks for years, understand the fundamentals.

Which brings me closer to my question, non-loach related. It's about filtering a little 8g 'wall/picture' tank, had been in storage, I found an interesting spot for it so I've had it running a few days. Basically insta-cycled it, filled with water from the established 75g tank, rubbed good filter gunk on the filter, no problems with the water.

So we've come to the filter. This tank is only 4 inches wide, the smallest 10g filter is just too tight, could easily overflow when it backs up a bit. So, I bought a little fluval underwater filter, turns enough water for 15g, but it's basically a powerhead with a cover over the sponge filter.

Drum roll: THE QUESTION(s) : ) Will a small, 'one stage' (sponge only) underwater filter create enough good bacteria work for the long run? I mean there is no oxygen transfer, or bio-wheel or anything above the surface to interact with air. Do you think that is sufficient? Do those nasty 'undergravel' filters work on the same process, no oxygen transfer at all?

My first thought for a fix is running an air bubble line where the bubbles suck into the filter and thru the sponge, but I'm curious if anyone has other insight on this type of underwater, one-stage type filtering for a small tank. And it's only very small fish involved, neon-sized, nothing over 2 inches max.

If you made it this far, thanks for any input.
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KittyKat
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Re: 8g tank- can 'good' bacteria grow in an underwater filte

Post by KittyKat » Tue Jul 05, 2011 2:16 pm

ClownMob wrote:Will a small, 'one stage' (sponge only) underwater filter create enough good bacteria work for the long run? I mean there is no oxygen transfer, or bio-wheel or anything above the surface to interact with air. Do you think that is sufficient? Do those nasty 'undergravel' filters work on the same process, no oxygen transfer at all?
Yes, these filters work. Yes, they usually have enough surface area for decent bacteria numbers. They work in the same way as all other filters do: you provide bacteria with a place to live, and they colonise it.

You are right that the bacteria which live in filters without ready access to oxygen are either different or have adapted to live in this way, but I don't know which one it is..
ClownMob wrote:My first thought for a fix is running an air bubble line where the bubbles suck into the filter and thru the sponge, but I'm curious if anyone has other insight on this type of underwater, one-stage type filtering for a small tank. And it's only very small fish involved, neon-sized, nothing over 2 inches max.
Submerged filters are very common and I currently run only those.. to be honest, I rate them over bio-wheel and trickle filters because they are often quieter and can have a lot more area for the bacteria.

As for the "one stage" bit, I often fill them with porous ceramic or replace half the sponge with ceramic media. If you want to polish the water, you can also add a fine sponge at the start or end of the filter, just keep in mind that it will need to be replaced or cleaned often.
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ClownMob
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Re: 8g tank- can 'good' bacteria grow in an underwater filte

Post by ClownMob » Tue Jul 05, 2011 9:26 pm

Thanks for the reply, was curious about the oxygen transfer thing. I asked a local fish store owner today, he had a similar take, all of his tanks are undergravel. I understand the gravel itself is a good place for the bacteria to grow too, it's an interesting thought if the 'oxygenated' bacteria are the same as the 'underwater' bacteria, always been a little curious about that, with the big sump boxes using air/water mix too.

Good tip on some filter media too, I've got some extra ehfi substrat, those little microporous rings I use in my other filters. I will put a few in there with the sponge.
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