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Old 03-06-2005, 04:25 AM
Paul A. Ergh
 
Posts: n/a
Default How much water movement is required for planted tanks?

I have read in many places that good water movement is important in a
planted tank. Supposedly this helps to move waste products from the plants
off of the leaves as some of them are toxic to the plants.

I love the visual effect of the leaves swaying back and forth caused by the
movement. However, the fish (except for the danios) don't seem to like it
much. They hang out under the cover of the plants and only come out to eat.

So, I have two questions:
1 - How much water movement is really necessary for thriving plants?
2 - If the proper amount is anywhere near as high as I have how do you
provide it without upsetting the fish? Obviously I can pick fish that like
a lot of water movement but I have had a hard time find many pretty ones.

Here are the details of my Aquarium:
- 75g
- Heavily planted with various swords, java fern, java moss, anubia barteri,
crypt wendtii, jungle vals, crypt lucens, apongeton, red lilly, crypt
cilliata, anubia congensis
- 10 giant danios, 12 ottocinclus, 3 clown loaches, 1 spotted rafael, 4
three spot gourami, about 8 corydoras, 30 nerite snails, 2 Siamese Algae
Eaters
- 2 Fluval 304s (260 gph each) attached to 4 bio-wheel pros
- 2 powerheads rated at ~250gph each
- CO2 tank / pH controller
- 3.2 watts/gallon of Phillips Plant/Aquarium fluorescent bulbs
- flourish 2-3 times a week
- laterite/flourite/sand substrate
- 200W substrate heater
- pH 6.8
- approximately 80mg/L CaCO3
- approximately 20mg/L CO2
- temp. 80F