Ultimate fluval u2 internal filter position

[Mikeymikerson]

Right guys here we go.....

Yes I am new to all this so your opinions are so appreciated and welcomed.

My tank is 24" long, 12" wide and 12" depth. I have a fluval u2 internal filter.
I have placed my filter in the back right corner mounted on the rear glass with the top of my filter housing around 0.5cm above the surface of the water. This appears to have decent flow round the whole tank as, whilst I am fishless cycling the tank with food, I see the bits of food flowing in practically all areas of the tank.

I know that if I mount it on the side glass and the output flows along the longer edge then I get an increased flow. However it drowns my salvinia as the flow is too harsh. I also only like using the top outlet with the venturi as I seem to think airbubbles are necessary for oxygenation of the water. I know deep down this isnt the case but have this imprinted in my mind for some reason.
Also the middle spray bar doesnt seem to cause enough agitation in the water to oxygenate it (just my newbie opinion).

Where do you think would be the best position of filter (location and depth in water) and which setting is best.

As no instruction book is clear I look forward to hearing all your knowledge and opinions

 

[ruud]

Depends on your intentions. Looks like a river-ish scape....misses a few additional stones, perhaps a 'fallen' tree branch; in which case I would place the filter on the side glass, with the output just below the water surface. I'd remove floaters; instead I would add epiphytes between the stones and branch.

Over time, even with good water flow, you'll get biofilm on the water surface. Bubbles break the water surface, thereby keeping the surface clean, which benefits the oxygen concentration.

 

[Mikeymikerson]

I have a piece of wood soaking at the moment to be added. Its a tank for white cloud mountain minnows. When i add the wood I was going to attach a java fern to it.
Do you think I should run the filter just under the surface with or without the venturi adding air?

 

[Fishfur]

I have a piece of wood soaking at the moment to be added. Its a tank for white cloud mountain minnows. When i add the wood I was going to attach a java fern to it.
Do you think I should run the filter just under the surface with or without the venturi adding air?

A venturi doesn’t really add oxygen. All it does is pull some air into the output, which creates some bubbles. It’s really the circulation and disturbance of water that mixes it all together - but oxygen comes from the air by way of the gas exchange that constantly takes place at the water’s surface.

You may have it fixed in mind that the venturi and air stones add oxygen but they do not. An airstone circulates water and that promotes gas exchange at the surface but the bubbles of air on their own just aren’t in contact with the water for a long enough time to give up any oxygen to the water. But as rudd pointed out, bubbles coming up do break the water’s surface and that helps discourage the formation of biofilms on the surface, which could interfere with gas exchange plus they are very unsightly.


The river idea is a nice one because WCMM like strong currents so if you plan to keep the minnows, giving them plenty of current is a good idea. But it can be hard on a lot of floating plants.

 

[Mikeymikerson]

I have decided to go with the filter in this position and the wood has been added just a java fern to tie onto it and once cycle is done its the minnows new improved home.

 

[Fishfur]

Looks quite nice.

One suggestion for the future. If you’re really going for a ‘this is just a section of a real stream’ kind of scape, then smooth & rounded rocks look more realistic.

Any rock in a moving flow of water gets worn smooth and rounded soon enough.

I once did something like that with some bagged granite ‘pebbles’. They call them pebbles, I called the larger sizes big ‘ol chunks of rock but they were all rounded and worn looking and once in a tank were quite believable.

Not expensive per bag but I got 3 bags, naturally, since I wanted more than one size of pebble and they bag ‘em by size.

 

[Mikeymikerson]

Looks quite nice.

One suggestion for the future. If you’re really going for a ‘this is just a section of a real stream’ kind of scape, then smooth & rounded rocks look more realistic.

Any rock in a moving flow of water gets worn smooth and rounded soon enough.

I once did something like that with some bagged granite ‘pebbles’. They call them pebbles, I called the larger sizes big ‘ol chunks of rock but they were all rounded and worn looking and once in a tank were quite believable.

Not expensive per bag but I got 3 bags, naturally, since I wanted more than one size of pebble and they bag ‘em by size.

Yeah I think my artistic licence will be extended once I get the hang of looking after the fish first number 1 priority is to create a safe comfortable environment for the little rascals.