Need help with water current on 55 with plants

[ulthipster]

Hi all. I have a 55 gallon setup with lots of plants, 5 angels, 3 rams, 1 krib, a whiptail and a bushynose. I have 6 new botia striatas in qt. I'm having trouble with getting a decent all-over current that isn't too strong or doesn't leave the tank with 1/2 of it too still. I'm using an eheim 2026 b/c I read how great they were on larger planted tanks. I hate to have to add another filter and I've not had luck with powerheads. The p.heads blow the plants too much... any ideas? Here are some pics...
http://s208.photobucket.com/albums/bb14 ... tehipster/

Tests show 0 nitrites and 0 ammonia, very low nitrates.... I used my 29 gallon penguin 330 with the canister a few weeks and bio spira so it's cycled but I want it to safely support more fish.....

Any help with placement of intake filter and outflow... I had the spray bar outflow setup, didn't like the way the plants blew, so took it off and have just a small section blowing the water out so will have to change that so the loaches don't swim up into it... Ok, would love to hear from everyone ...

[linarite]

Since I am new to this I can't give you any help with the water flow problems but want to let you know this is a beautiful tank. I seriously considered doing a planted tank but opted for silks after doing some research on it. After seeing yours I'm having second thoughts. Good Luck with working out the problem.

[ulthipster]

Thanks linarite! I'm already going through major algae though and plastic plants are much hardier to clean. Also, my krib Lucky is enjoying tasting various ones, I see random holes from his samplings!

[blued941]

i use a fluval 205 filter for 1 of my tanks and a fluval 105 for the other this works well and cleans the tank well if u having problems with algae then go to a fish shop and ask for an algae treatment u actually put it in the filter and they are blue little gel balls that clean the tank also try using accu-clear its around £6.45 per bottle but it cleans the water and dont allow the water to go cloudy i have had fish for over 10 years now hope this helps get bk to me if u want to ask more i might be able to help

[Diana]

It reaches a point where you have two conflicting goals, and they are just not compatible.
The list of fish and plants in the current set up are mostly the slow moving set up sort of things, and will not thrive if you increase the water movement to the point that the Loaches would prefer.
I see two separate tanks here, actually.
The Loach tank can have plants, but they will be the more durable ones, stiffer leaved, perhaps Java Fern, or Anubias that can be in a less active corner. Plants that can be tucked down between some rocks are good. Mosses and algae that grow attched to the rocks are the best, most natural plant for a Loach tank.

[helen nightingale]

i was thinking along similar lines to Diana. i like to have real plants in my tanks, but my loaches also like wrecking them. it seems a shame to make a mess in a nice planted tank with fish that are well suited to a calm planted tank.

i like to see the plants blowing about a bit - the plants dont like it so much but java fern copes quite well. people here suggested an onion plant, and now its tucked in between bits of wood, it seems to be doing OK. the loaches force themselves through quite bushy clumps of java fern, and have mananged to carve up a big bit of very well established anubius i bought. now small chunks float about till they get their roots caught up with other chunks of plants. the fish are wreckers

[linarite]

Maybe going with silks wasn't such a bad idea after all. lol Glad I learned this one before I went thru the trouble to do a beautiful planted tank for these guys.

[Diana]

Use as many live plants as you can find protected spots for, just do not expect it to look like an Amano tank when you have so much current for the loaches.

[LoachOrgy]

I am only using an aquaclear 70 and one ac 70 jethead on my 55 now and don't have many problems. I also have 8 clowns, 1-9" pleco, 4 cories and 2 upside down cats. one gae and 6 cherry barbs. i place the ac jethead unit around 6" underewater from the top and i get good current in the entire tank. air bubbles can be seen at all levels of the tank. i can see the current drag sediment around the tank in the current to one spot in the tank. this is usually where the ac jethead filter attachment sucks up the debris.


i am about to hookup two x3 renas to a 120 gallon when i buy the tank. i have another ac jethead 70 to go along with this.

hope that helps. the ac jethead was like 60$ and the ac70 was 50$. i am about to start using this canister but in my opinion, i always want to hear the ac 70 waterfall just in case something gets clogged. it allows me to know that i can hear the current going so i know the fish are ok. even when i do attach the canister i am going to keep the ac 70 unit.