Filtration

[reptileman]

So, I am planning on doing a temperate aquarium. I don't know the size of the tank as stated in a forum i recently posted... but i'm just going to say its a 75l. So the plans for this tank are, platys, corys, and RCS. now don't go flaming me about the fact that platys aren't temperate and such. i have been doing lots of reading it will be a slow but good acclimation process, i have done my research and all that so i know what i'm doing. this tank also is slightly experimental for me because the only temperate i have ever kept were fat head minnows, which by the way, I LOVE. And it will be dirted. i know, mts and all that, i'm well researched, I'M NOT ASKING FOR TROUBLE .
 
 
Anyways to the point it, since it will be a closed system i plan on getting it to as self sustaining as it gets. So i'm wondering, sponge filter powered by power head or bubbler. I have the bubbler so if i can use it, it's a bonus. I plan on not moving the fry (trying to keep as natural as possible). Oh and the lowest temperatures usually get in my bedroom where the tank will be located is about 70f.
 
Keep in mind this tank will probably not even be set up until fall, and i plan on starting it with just snails, and plants.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I am not here to flame you, but I think that you may want to have a heater in the tank, as a failsafe.  You say the lowest temp in the room is normally 70F, which is fine, but having a small heater in the tank set to a temp of 68-70F would ensure that the temp never dips below that.
 
 
The fish you've mentioned: platies and corys are fine down to 68F, so there's no issue there, but you want to be 100% certain it stays there.  Also, have you researched which varieties of cories you are going to get?  That is a very broad category, some prefer warmer water, while others prefer lower.

 

[reptileman]

i was thinking along the lines of a smaller species, like swartz, nanus, panda, or adolfi. but just due to temps I've been looking at sterbas. As for the heater thing, I will have it as a backup but not in the tank. as i have always read that for most fish a gradual drop in temp, up to 10 degress, from time to time is not nessacarily a bad thing. the coldest my house has every gotten was 65. and that was the coldest winter we had in calgary in like 10 years. it only got so low because our furnace decided it didn't want to start. also our house lost power for 2 days aswell..... all my fish, and reptiles survived. i had nothing for backup for the reptiles, or fish. and they were fine just stirred the water 3x daily and one really good one before bed haha.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

They can handle gradual drops - just not too low.
 
Sterbai are one of the cory species that prefer HIGHER, not lower temps.  They are best in the 75-82F range. http/www.seriouslyfish.com/species/corydoras-sterbai/

Water Conditions
Temperature: 75 to 82°C (24 to 28°C)
pH: 6.0 to 7.6
Hardness: 1 to 15°H

http/www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=316

 Habitat Information

Distribution

Rio Guapore, Mato Grosso, Brazil
Amazon, Middle Amazon (Solimoes), Madeira, Mamoré, Guaporé (click on these areas to find other species found there)
 

 (Click the map-icon to show/hide map of species distribution)

pH

6.0 - 7.6

Temperature

24.0-28.0°C or 75.2-82.4°F (Show others within this range)

Other Parameters

One species of Corydoras that does not seem to mind higher temperatures.

 
 
 
Pandas can handle down to about 71-72.
http/www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=267

 Habitat Information

Distribution

South America: Peru: Ucayali Basin
Amazon, Upper Amazon, Marañón, Ucayali (click on these areas to find other species found there)
 

 (Click the map-icon to show/hide map of species distribution)

pH

6.0 - 7.4

Temperature

22.0-25.0°C or 71.6-77°F (Show others within this range)

Other Parameters

Soft to moderate hardness - dGH 2-12.

 
Same for nanus and schwartz.
 
 
 
 
Adolfi would be the best choice, as they too can handle temps as low as 68F.
http/www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=1

 Habitat Information

Distribution

Brazil: Rio Negro and Rio Uaupes.
Amazon, Middle Amazon (Solimoes), Negro, Upper Negro (click on these areas to find other species found there)
Amazon, Middle Amazon (Solimoes), Negro, Upper Negro, Uaupes (click on these areas to find other species found there)
 

 (Click the map-icon to show/hide map of species distribution)

pH

5.6 - 7.0

Temperature

20.0-26.0°C or 68-78.8°F (Show others within this range)

Other Parameters

Slightly soft, black water is preferred.

 

[snazy]

I am not sure about adolfoi being a low temperature lover. They are often kept in discus tanks because they can handle warmer. There's a lot of general info about corys and little specific information telling the real truth.  According to Ian Fuller corydoras adolfoi prefer it on the warm side and are actually often kept with discus.
 
Article here:
http/www.ianfuller.com/articles/authors/i_fuller/h_c/authors.html
 
Ian Fuller(coryman)'s suggestions for cold water corydoras here:
 
http/www.ianfuller.com/articles/authors/i_fuller/if9.html
 
Other than that, I don't see why you just can't install a heater in that tank, keep the temperature at 73-75 problem solved. If your room temperature is naturally that, the heater will barely work.
 I keep platies, corys and RCS myself. Mind you that you won't get much shrimpletts surviving the platy curiousity and constant hunger but in a heavily planted tank as I presume you are planning, there should be some to keep it going.

 

[snazy]

I actually missed that you are asking about filtration. I recently setup a dirted tank myself. It's similar to what you want as stocking. It's housed at the moment with platies, corys, 2 ottos, a nerite and a ramshorn snail. I am waiting on malaysian trumpets to arrive and I also have red cherry shrimp which I'll transfer once the vegetation increases a bit.
Filtration wise, and this is a 100G tank, I have 3 external filters(1x265G/H, 1x330G/H, 1x530G/H). So personally, I prefer a lot of flow and filtration despite that the tank style is supposed to rely on plants for filtration but I prefer to have the redundancy in case the plants don't do well all the time. You really need to plant densley from the start if you are to go by with one sponge filter and get lots of fast growers and floaters too to help with ammonia and stabalize the tank. Careful with stocking it at first if the filter is not cycled yet.
As for how much filtration, normally for this type of tank you need less or little surface movement but flow throughout the tank will help all nutritients/co2 spread evenly so I'd suggest get an external filter of the type 600-700L/H.
 
Eagles already saw the video but here's my tank at the moment. It's got a lot of growing to do but I started with well cycled filters so I am not worried how fast my plants grow.
 

 

[reptileman]

my plan is to age the filter in my 240 litre. But the whole circulation for the nutrients is why i was thinking about a powerhead. Although i have read in a few places that the bubbles create a great vaccum for water circulation.... i probably would have to by a new bubbler anyways as mine is starting to go on me. it is 4-5 years old now!.
 
As for the plants my plan was crypt wendtii, hornwort, anubias nana on malaysian bogwood, duckweed(if i can get a good amount growing), and jungle val.
 I haven't had much luck with duckweed yet, i put some in the 240 and my fish ate all of it(granted it wasn't very much). Last night i got what i could find kicking around as it got shipped in on plants from last month at work. yet again not very much, i know the betta won't touch it i'm just hoping the amano's and snails don't go after all of it... Other than that in the past, i have seemed to have a green thumb with all plants, even somehow high light plants in low light aquariums, but a black thumb with duckweed

 
Also i think i will go with the paleatus, we have them at work and they are quite enjoyable

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I am not sure about adolfoi being a low temperature lover. They are often kept in discus tanks because they can handle warmer. There's a lot of general info about corys and little specific information telling the real truth.  According to Ian Fuller corydoras adolfoi prefer it on the warm side and are actually often kept with discus.
 
Article here:
http/www.ianfuller.com/articles/authors/i_fuller/h_c/authors.html
 
Ian Fuller(coryman)'s suggestions for cold water corydoras here:
 
http/www.ianfuller.com/articles/authors/i_fuller/if9.html
 
Other than that, I don't see why you just can't install a heater in that tank, keep the temperature at 73-75 problem solved. If your room temperature is naturally that, the heater will barely work.
 I keep platies, corys and RCS myself. Mind you that you won't get much shrimpletts surviving the platy curiousity and constant hunger but in a heavily planted tank as I presume you are planning, there should be some to keep it going.

 
 
Your source for adolfoi intrigues me.  I am familiar with the work of Ian Fuller, and he is a frequent contributor to planetcatfish, which is where I cited the temp preferences for adolfi.  The fact that they can handle the higher temps, doesn't preclude the ability to also handle the lower temps.  Some fish just have a wider range of temps that they can tolerate.  

 

[snazy]

The fact that they can handle the higher temps, doesn't preclude the ability to also handle the lower temps. Some fish just have a wider range of temps that they can tolerate. 

 
That's true. Possibly they handle lower temperatures too or even prefer a lower range but how low I don't know.  It's just hard to decide in this scenario whether they are best suited for colder water tanks. I am just not sure.