Any ideas/recommendation to improve my mechanical filtration?

[Magnum-]

Hi guys, I have my 4x2x2ft low maintainence planted setup (anbubias etc). My fauna is primarily a Fahaka puffer and about another 30 small fishes (danios, SAEs, tetras etc) Hard to believe, but the Fahaka and the rest of the fauna is living peacefully and even sharing meals together for more than a month. He only goes crazy for crustaceans and ghost shrimps. Thats it, he doesn't bother anything else.

Now, my problem is... the Fahaka generates quite a lot of watse and the watse doesn't get get filtered up by my canister filter. My gravel is black and the watse is generally light brown and its an eyesore in contrast to the black gravel.

I've thought of adding another canister filter or OHF but an extra canister would be too troublesome to maintain mechanical, not to mention it is going to be expensive and i don't plan to get an OHF because it quite noisy due to water splashing. So I'm looking at an Internal filter that would be sufficient for a 4x2x2. Mainly for mechanical filtration and preferably black or perhaps green so it could blend in aesthetically with the aquarium.

Anyone has any ideas how i could improve my mech filtration? Or any recommendations for internal filters?

Thanks in advance!

Magnum

[vinz]

No point putting in an additional filter if you don't push the waste to the filter. Basically, you need to solve how to make the waste on the substrate move to the filter.

Several suggestions:
1. Get some active bottom dwellers like corydoras. Their constant shuffling over the gravel will kick up the waste and let the water current move them.
2. Reposition your filter return to push a decent current over the gravel. Place a rain bar along the bottom of one side and point it across the gravel.
3. Get some small power heads, and place them in strategic locations to push a current over the gravel.

Maybe a combination of 1 with either 2 or 3.

[Magnum-]

Thanks for the suggestions, i was thinking of adding an extra internal filter as the canister itself is insufficient for mechanical filtration. Was thinking about those big internal filter that has a wide surface area of filter absorb.

I normally use a long pvc pipe to stir up the gravel then use a net to scoop up all the watses and debris, its effective but its too much work, have to do it at least once a day.

I'll still include an internal filter, meanwhile i might get a powerhead or maybe some corydoras (i'm scared they might be an easy snack for my Fahaka) or maybe i'll just stick to my manual stir up of dirt with my pipe.

Thanks for the suggestions, keep em coming

[Quixotic]

I won't trust the Fahaka with other smaller fishes, just be prepared of the possibilites of fish loss. Many hobbyists have had very limited success keeping them with smaller fishes. Therefore, I would suggest an additional filter as the way forward.

[vincentlii]

Hi guys, I have my 4x2x2ft low maintainence planted setup (anbubias etc). My fauna is primarily a Fahaka puffer and about another 30 small fishes (danios, SAEs, tetras etc) Hard to believe, but the Fahaka and the rest of the fauna is living peacefully and even sharing meals together for more than a month. He only goes crazy for crustaceans and ghost shrimps. Thats it, he doesn't bother anything else.

Now, my problem is... the Fahaka generates quite a lot of watse and the watse doesn't get get filtered up by my canister filter. My gravel is black and the watse is generally light brown and its an eyesore in contrast to the black gravel.

I've thought of adding another canister filter or OHF but an extra canister would be too troublesome to maintain mechanical, not to mention it is going to be expensive and i don't plan to get an OHF because it quite noisy due to water splashing. So I'm looking at an Internal filter that would be sufficient for a 4x2x2. Mainly for mechanical filtration and preferably black or perhaps green so it could blend in aesthetically with the aquarium.

Anyone has any ideas how i could improve my mech filtration? Or any recommendations for internal filters?

Thanks in advance!

Magnum

Use under substrate cable heater to move the water gently. My tank is one year old but look like just set up, substrate is not black also