Efficient Aquascapes.

[MaloK]

Are you Thinking about how will water flow in your design ?

What have you discovered that is beneficial ? When things get complicated.

I follow light food path to get a cheap quick view of how it goes.

Can we use a simple easy design that will prevent mulm accumulation on sand.

I have it. it works with the slowest filters. But it's the opposite of what many does.

What is it ???

I really want to know how this "inverted" in peoples mind. It was really in the first thing I was thought.

 

[fishorama]

Every tank is different. Some are easy to scape for, lots of flow...& in my case, prefilters can help trap "crap". A "pretty" tank doesn't mean a well-functioning 1. To me it's a matter of trial & error, moving filters & decor to get it just right. & then it may change as plants grow, tastes change Too. But isn't that part of the fun? Like an aquatic Barbie funhouse? OK, mostly males here, lol.

 

[CassCats]

For me, water flow has a factor in how things are set up, because I use wave makers in my larger tanks. It helps to know how the plants behave with that level of flow.

I try to place taller plants where they will move with the flow and when I know that, I try to move the hardscape to go with that same direction for better visual appeal. Oddly enough, that means opposite side of my tank as the filter outlet and wavemaker, because the flow is strong enough that the opposite side of the tank flows back towards that end lol

 

[Uberhoust]

I have always looked to increase the "efficiency" of the flow through the tank. In general, I try to get strong flow across the top and back with reduced flow near the front bottom. I also put a slope on the substrate of 2 to 2.5 inches per 12 (can be difficult with sand) inches so that the mulm accumulate in the front of the tank where excessive amounts are easy to clean. I use mostly plants to reduce strong flows near the top of the tank or occasionally floating wood. Mid tank I have used flattish rocks to redirect water where I want it to flow. I have torn down setups that block the flow of water in any section.

I like this method

I follow light food path to get a cheap quick view of how it goes.

 

[Magnum Man]

great minds think alike... I was just thinking this morning, that all my tanks flow like a river, except the 10 gallon tanks with sponge filters... most of the bigger tanks are set up to cross flow in the tanks

 

[MaloK]

I also put a slope on the substrate of 2 to 2.5 inches per 12 (can be difficult with sand) inches so that the mulm accumulate in the front of the tank where excessive amounts are easy to clean.

That is a little why I started this thread...

Since I restarted in the hobby, I'm at my fifth setup and was wondering why mulm started to accumulate in the front of the tanks...

And never did I have this problem before... And it took me too long to remember... I slopped my substrate in the wrong direction.

So I decided to re-apply the method I learned 40 years ago to my last setup. And gently slopped the substrate from the front to back, toward the filter to create a ridiculously shallow funnel shape going toward it. about 1/2-3/4 of an inch.

And "voila"... No more mulm accumulation in the front of the tank, I left the whole area under the filter bare bottom so what accumulates there is very easy to vacuum out.

Why it didn't come back at first, I don't know but, I remember clearly now that it works perfectly with standard gravel too and the front is maintaining a clean look.

Of course a slope from back to front give a better scape looks, but I find it very counter productive in the optics of a "self cleaning" environment that actively move mulm toward the exit.

Sloping the scape towards the input of the filter creates an effective mulm trap that slowly brings every particles in the trap, maybe the back corners will get some but the front keeps clean. Maintaining the trap clean is a breeze and a excellent part of the tank becomes accumulation proof.

 

[Uberhoust]

Sloping the scape towards the input of the filter creates an effective mulm trap that slowly brings every particles in the trap, maybe the back corners will get some but the front keeps clean. Maintaining the trap clean is a breeze and a excellent part of the tank becomes accumulation proof.

That was the method my father taught me many years ago. But for viewing the tank at couch height I find sloping down towards the front better for me. Additionally, with mulm collection at the back of the tank it is less likely for me to clean it up frequently, "out of sight out of mind" is an issue of mine.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I prefer to plant in a small size gravel, I do not vacuum my planted tanks because I want all the mulm I can get in the substrate not on top of it. Mulm is one of my primary substrate fertilizers.

I am much less concerned with flow rates and more worried about circulation. In most of my tanks I have multiple filters. They need to produce a less strong flow as they are only providing circulation for a part of the tank. I also tend to use multiple heaters placed low down and horizontally as they create flow from the bottom towards the top. It also helps to hide the heaters.

I have also bred a lot of plecos without having strong flow. One of the best pleco breeders I have known used only Poret cubefilters in his pleco breeding tanks. I have a few like that. Many of the plecos which I work live in pretty warm water which make oxygenating the water more important than flow rate.

As always, the above is just my way and not the only or even necessarily the best way. We all have to decide what works best for our tanks and fish.

edited for typos

 

[MaloK]

That was the method my father taught me many years ago. But for viewing the tank at couch height I find sloping down towards the front better for me. Additionally, with mulm collection at the back of the tank it is less likely for me to clean it up frequently, "out of sight out of mind" is an issue of mine.

Atm I have modified 2 setup back, to the back. And have really low, thickly protected water inputs. And I have only one space to clean. 1 inch under.

I wont keep them out of mind for sure, I want to see how effective it is in the really long term.