Starting again.

[Planned Spontaneity.]

Hi all, I'm in the process of returning to troical fish keeping and have a 25 gallon tank with Aqua one and Interpet PF3 pump/filters, now, given the size of the tank, can I get away with just the one pump or should I use both? I was planning to use sand, but my local shop suggested gravel as sand is more difficult to clean, is this true? I was wanting to put Cory's in, along with maybe a Plec, Tetra's, Neon's, Platy's etc, nothing out of the ordinary, just something to get me up and running, along with some live plants.

What do the learned members think?

Cheers.

Alan.

 

[AbbeysDad]

Hey Alan,
I think sand (medium/coarse, but not fine) is the perfect substrate for a tank, planted or not. Gravel is coarse and uneaten food and detritus gets down under and unless you routinely gravel vacuum, can become a nitrate factory of sorts. With sand, nothing gets down under except what might be added by Malaysian Trumpet Snails if you have them - substrate vacuuming is not needed (or desired in most planted tanks). Now I'm using silica (pool filter) sand while my friend Byron has great success with big box store play sand.

For HOB's, I'm not fan of cartridge type HOB's. I like the Aquaclear, Fluval 'C' series, and the Seachem Tidal as they allow us to select the media type.
I think the Interpet PF3 is a small internal filter of little real value in anything but a nano tank. Although you can get started with your Aqua One, if it was me, I'd plan on an upgrade in the near future.
-Mike

 

[Planned Spontaneity.]

Thanks Mike, I've already made the decision to upgrade and ordered a 400LPH filter.

Cheers.

Alan.