2213 big enough for 40B?
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If the bio load isn't too high it will (in my opinion) be ok, but you might want to plan for a power head for improved water circulation.
Some folks here use 2213s on tanks that can be shoehorned into the Nano classification.
Some folks here use 2213s on tanks that can be shoehorned into the Nano classification.
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Your fishes must have motion sickness I guess. :hihi:
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Haha. Nope. I have the double connect valve for adjusting my slow. And I'm keeping shrimp.
2213 is truly under filtration for a 40B IMO.
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Um, the size of the filter is more important initially. Once the tank establishes most of the filtration IMO takes place inside the tank in the form of plants, substrate and other surfaces and the filter is primarily a flow device in most tanks. A 2213 on a 40 should give you enough flow. I ran a 2213 on a 46g for 2 years without issue. Tank was nicely planted with a normal fish load and there wasn't a hint of any algae. So if you do your water changes, take care of the plants and tank you should be fine.
Pretty much this. Heavy plant load pretty much means your tank will be fine with a filter of that size, but most people generally opt for much more flow. I personally run a 2217 on each of my 20g tanks (a long and a tall) and sometimes I wish I had more flow on the long due to the lily pipes dispersing it so much. However, your filter will mainly server for water circulation, mechanical filtration, clarification (Purigen or similar products) if you opt to use it and additional biological filtration so long as your tank is decently planted.
Yup.
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I second this, once your tank is established and your plants are rooted in alot of the bio filtration is done in the tank a filter is mostly useful for mechanical, almost all my filters are 90% mechanical after established and my water is perfect. your filter is fine but more flow would be nice, i have a 150 give or take gph flow on my 20 long and also have a 240 gph powerhead to supplement, dead spots are a bad thing =p
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I'll be more careful with this thread 
I'll say first off that I think you should get a larger filter than a 2213. But you can make it work...a lot of it depends on what you're going to do with that tank.
For biological filtration and fish keeping, your tank will be just fine with a 2213. It would definitely be underfiltered by planted tank standards (assuming what you see on TPT to be a good example!).
However, for flow purposes, a 2213 will not work. So, if you turn this into a high-tech tank where you are injecting CO2 and dosing fertilizers, a 2213 alone will work against you. You could fix this by adding more powerhead(s) to distribute the nutrients and CO2 evenly throughout the tank. Though probably a cheaper route than buying a new filter, it will mean added mechanical bulk to your tank...not the best thing if you want one of those nice lily pipe equipped tanks.
Given how most people like to overfilter with planted tanks (which I do myself), you're going to hear suggestions for a 2215 or 2217 (a 2217 is probably what most people on TPT with your tank size run - or equivalent with other brands).
I have a 2215 on a 20G it's just about perfect for the tank - and I don't inject CO2 in it. I could see it used with a tank slightly larger and slightly smaller. A 2213 alone will probably not move much water in your 40G.
Good luck!
I'll say first off that I think you should get a larger filter than a 2213. But you can make it work...a lot of it depends on what you're going to do with that tank.
For biological filtration and fish keeping, your tank will be just fine with a 2213. It would definitely be underfiltered by planted tank standards (assuming what you see on TPT to be a good example!).
However, for flow purposes, a 2213 will not work. So, if you turn this into a high-tech tank where you are injecting CO2 and dosing fertilizers, a 2213 alone will work against you. You could fix this by adding more powerhead(s) to distribute the nutrients and CO2 evenly throughout the tank. Though probably a cheaper route than buying a new filter, it will mean added mechanical bulk to your tank...not the best thing if you want one of those nice lily pipe equipped tanks.
Given how most people like to overfilter with planted tanks (which I do myself), you're going to hear suggestions for a 2215 or 2217 (a 2217 is probably what most people on TPT with your tank size run - or equivalent with other brands).
I have a 2215 on a 20G it's just about perfect for the tank - and I don't inject CO2 in it. I could see it used with a tank slightly larger and slightly smaller. A 2213 alone will probably not move much water in your 40G.
Good luck!
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Once the tank establishes, I've never seen any real proof that you need these very high flow rates. As long as there is movement and you do the rest of what a planted tank needs you should be fine. I have a 72g with 2215 on it for 3 years now no problems, as mentioned I had a 46g with 2213 for two years no problems. I've never used a powerhead. I had a spray bar mounted on the left side of the tank and it gave the whole tank flow from left to right.
This was my 46g with a 2213 and nothing else. The tank had co2, strong light, EI ferts.
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This was my 46g with a 2213 and nothing else. The tank had co2, strong light, EI ferts.
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I could not imagine having a 2213 on a 40b. The flow would be so weak that if there were a heater inline I would be afraid only half the tank would be heated. The same goes for the co2. It is extremely important (dont know how houseofcards fulled it off) to have the co2 enriched water transported to all corners and crevices of the tank with a 2213 on a 40b that would be extremely difficult to do.
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I'm just not getting big flow in normal shaped tanks. Other than startup which I mentioned, I honestly have never understood the need for big flow to move ferts, co2, and heat through water a few feet. Again I have a 72g now for 3 years with a 2215 no problems. All I do is change water regularly (50% weekly), run co2, fert, trim.
If you look at my 46G again. There is a little alcove where I have HC, low-grow staur. This is at the far end of the tank (right front) from the inlet and it's protected by Bolbitus and you could see there is nothing lacking.
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Yes, I think you can say that. I usually only enter that level via a noon-day burst. Rest of time I'm more toward low-mid light.
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The lower the light intensity the less important/more flexible maintaining circulation/co2 levels and just about everything else that comes to play in high tech tanks.
Your doing a great job, keep it up!
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