[fishfanatic24]

First off thank you everyone for all the awesome info on here! I am on here often reading all of the things you guys share, I just don't post very often.

I'll cut to the chase about the tank:
size: 7.9 gallon (fluval flora kit) (35 cm tall x 30 cm wide x 30 cm deep)
lighting: 2 Hagen Fluval PCL13 MINI lights (florescent 13 watts each)
filter: Fluval Nano Aquarium Filter
substrate: Fluval stratum
heater: aqueon pro 50 watt
CO2: In tank ceramic diffuser (~30-35 ppm via drop checker)
Ferts: I have been dosing PPS Pro (KH2PO4, KNO3, K2SO4, and CSM+B) but am thinking about switching to EI (Thoughts?)


live stock: 1 male Betta, Drax is his name

water: tap water conditioned with Prime and occasionally API Stress Coat (GH and KH test kit will be here this week.

Questions:
1) I have a Fluval 305 filter from a previous tank, would it be possible to dial it back enough to use it without creating a hurricane for my Betta. I want to use it so I can build an inline CO2 reactor to get the CO2 bubbles out of the tank from the ceramic diffuser. Is there a different filter you would recommend?

2) Does it harm the filter motor to have the flow restricted by an inline valve?
The only other canister filter I have is a Fluval FX5 which I am thinking there is no way that will work, haha!

3) I would really like to upgrade my lights to something that is dimmable that I can dial in. I am thinking the SBReef 16 inch freshwater light would be awesome, is this just a algae farm waiting to happen? I have a 90 gallon that I would like to get going again in a few years that I was thinking the SBReef light would be awesome to switch over to, that is the reasoning for that light. What other lights would you recommend?

I think I covered everything, let me know if is missed some information that you guys need.
Thanks again!

 

[kaldurak]

I can address question number 2. You can safely restrict the Outflow side of a canister, but you shouldn't restrict the Intake side. I can't remember the exact reason so the short answer is something something science something. 😉

 

[fishfanatic24]

I can address question number 2. You can safely restrict the Outflow side of a canister, but you shouldn't restrict the Intake side. I can't remember the exact reason so the short answer is something something science something. 😉

Thanks for the reply kaldurak. Haha! That is awesome news! I guess I'll just give the 305 a try and make some kind of spray bar to go with it. The worst thing that can happen is it doesn't work, haha! Adding this filter will add quite a bit of volume to a setup this small, I think it might benefit from it as long as it isn't a category 5 hurricane in the tank!