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Position of pump in 20L

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Mcostas

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I currently have a 10 gallon with plants, a few tetras and Betta. My top fin filter is on one side, heater on the other.

I'm setting up a 20L and plan to get a fluval because I gather I have more versatility in filtering and biological media and they have accessories like a sponge to go over the intake. I'm planning on a school of small fish, and some shrimp, plus the usual plants and driftwood.

I'm thinking sticking the power filter on the end wouldn't be as efficient as if it were closer to the middle. I also plan to have a small sponge filter to keep my parameters from crashing when I change filter media (I don't know if that's a thing but it seems like it would have an effect)

What are some opinions on the placement of tank equipment in a 20L?
 
Mcostas said:
I currently have a 10 gallon with plants, a few tetras and Betta. My top fin filter is on one side, heater on the other.

I'm setting up a 20L and plan to get a fluval because I gather I have more versatility in filtering and biological media and they have accessories like a sponge to go over the intake. I'm planning on a school of small fish, and some shrimp, plus the usual plants and driftwood.

I'm thinking sticking the power filter on the end wouldn't be as efficient as if it were closer to the middle. I also plan to have a small sponge filter to keep my parameters from crashing when I change filter media (I don't know if that's a thing but it seems like it would have an effect)

What are some opinions on the placement of tank equipment in a 20L?
Click to expand...
I have a 10g on the bar shelf between my kitchen and living room, visible from both sides. I have a Penn Plax Cascade 300 submersible filter and a Huijukon double bio-sponge filter (the smaller version) both on one side of the tank, so as not to obstruct its view between rooms. It works great, plus it limits the stronger water current to one half of the tank mainly, as I have the outlets pointed toward the glass. This gives the fish some calmer waters on the other half. The water still circulates throughout the tank pretty well. With this equipment being off to the side, it becomes less noticeable in the tank allowing for more enoyability.
 
My 20 L. tank works with a Eheim Pickup 160l/h placed at one side of the tank with the outlet pointed towards the glass like Tetratopia do, it's reasonable doing so, I've an home-made mean built over the intake to prevent the baby shrimps to be sucked in, for more equipment isn't really much more place in such an aquarium, such as a sponge, I would say the gravel is the main habitat for bio-filtration (that should be enough flowed through) so you don't need worrying to much about changing biological filter media (in my filter there are only mecanical ones like perlon).
 
Can I just check the tank capacity..? The new tank is 20 litres..? Not 20 gallons..? That’s smaller than the tank I keep a single Betta in, and that filter sounds too much for that amount of water. I have an Eheim Pickup 45 (brilliant filter) and that circulates 50ltrs an hour (5 x your water volume).

Edit: sorry I’m getting the filter info from two separate posts muddled, but my thoughts still stand.
 
I had assumed 20 gallon long as Mcostas refers to a 10 gallon tank in the same post, and most people always use the same unit for volume.

I too have an Eheim Pickup 45 in my 23 litre shrimp tank. This has a turnover of 50 to 180 litres/hour. Both the flow rate and the direction of flow are adjustable. Mine is set to the slowest flow and it's pointed at the side wall. Like MonsieurLeGrenuoile, I also have a mesh over the intake slits to stop baby shrimps being sucked in. This filter is unusual because the water passes through the impeller before reaching the media so any baby shrimps sucked in would be liquidised (every other filter I've had has had the media before the impeller).
 
Though some aquabrands advise to do so normally you only have to change media when it is starting to fall.apart (after years).
Biological media hardly ever should be changed. Floss can be rinsed time and time again
 
Essjay said:
Just noticed - 50 litres/h is 2.5 times tank volume turnover with a 20 litre tank ;)
Click to expand...
😳 it’s very early on a Sunday… the mix of l (litres) and gallon did confuse me… but it doesn’t take much these days 😂
 
Oh yes I was wrong with the filter, mine is also the Eheim pickup 45 that Essjay also has, I have it running at maximal power of 180 l/h, before having it I had had the same Brillant filter as NannaLou (air pump 50l/h) which ended up in a desaster, I had tryed for the first time manado and with this Brillant filter that didn't make circulate the water at all the manado rotted after one a half year , as I took the manado (3 L.) out of the tank it stank horribly, now with the eheim this does work better. Here a photo or two of this 20 L. tank as it had the brillant filter
DSC00126.JPG
DSC00132.JPG
DSC00128.JPG
 
Essjay said:
I had assumed 20 gallon long as Mcostas refers to a 10 gallon tank in the same post, and most people always use the same unit for volume.

I too have an Eheim Pickup 45 in my 23 litre shrimp tank. This has a turnover of 50 to 180 litres/hour. Both the flow rate and the direction of flow are adjustable. Mine is set to the slowest flow and it's pointed at the side wall. Like MonsieurLeGrenuoile, I also have a mesh over the intake slits to stop baby shrimps being sucked in. This filter is unusual because the water passes through the impeller before reaching the media so any baby shrimps sucked in would be liquidised (every other filter I've had has had the media before the impeller).
Click to expand...
I have a ten gallon in the den, I'm setting up a 20L in the mudroom, which is kind of a porch where we watch birds and stuff.

I'm cycling it now, hopefully it won't take long. I have some plants and hardscape and I'm trying to plan it all out. I want shrimp and some kind of small bright schooling fish that will coexist with shrimp. I already have neons, I'm thinking of neons and rasboras.
 
Mcostas said:
I have a ten gallon in the den, I'm setting up a 20L in the mudroom, which is kind of a porch where we watch birds and stuff.

I'm cycling it now, hopefully it won't take long. I have some plants and hardscape and I'm trying to plan it all out. I want shrimp and some kind of small bright schooling fish that will coexist with shrimp. I already have neons, I'm thinking of neons and rasboras.
Click to expand...

Neon Tetras will eat your shrimplets and 20 liter is consider small for Neon Tetras.
It's better to get some Chili Rasboras which won't eat the shrimplets.
 
@Mcostas Can we clear up this point please - is the tank a 20 litre tank or a 20 gallon long tank?
It does matter which it is as a 20 gallon long allows for a larger choice of fish than a 20 litre tank.
 
Essjay said:
@Mcostas Can we clear up this point please - is the tank a 20 litre tank or a 20 gallon long tank?
It does matter which it is as a 20 gallon long allows for a larger choice of fish than a 20 litre tank.
Click to expand...
20 long. That's why I didn't want to just put it all the way to one side. But I'm also planning on a sponge filter so maybe it isn't as important as I think.

The tank cycling seems to be progressing, I have a bunch of plants, driftwood, and dragon stone. I have 2 Amazon swords, I'm thinking of putting those on each end, about a third in, I'm not sure how I will arrange the dragon stone, I'll use the smaller pieces to attach to the java Fern babies that are growing in the other tank.

I have been soaking and cleaning the pieces, I used a waterpik today to clean out the smaller holes which worked great.

It seems like most people arrange dragon stone at an angle but I'm not sure if that will work in my tank.
 
Lajos_Detari said:
Neon Tetras will eat your shrimplets and 20 liter is consider small for Neon Tetras.
It's better to get some Chili Rasboras which won't eat the shrimplets.
Click to expand...
It's a 20 gallon long, I have neons in my 10. Not a big school but they are doing fine and seem happy.

I've been looking for chili rasboras but haven't found any. One of the places sells ghost shrimp as "feeder shrimp". I'm thinking of getting them, even if they are temporary.
Ive also considered harlequin rasboras, I can find them locally.
 
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