Newbie w/ filter question here!
 

Hi folks.
Quick and likely simple answer to my question.
I picked up a top fin aquascene 2 aquarium today (2 gal, going to be putting 1 betta in) as my first ever aquarium.

The tank came with a 'filter plate' that rests below gravel, with perforations on it's surface. These holes are far to big to serve any mechanical filtration purpose, so my question is - do i put a filter substrate underneath the filter plate? I made a quick schematic to explain easily.

NOTE - the tank is hexagonal (not pentagonal like shown), and the filter plate is not attached to anything, but just weighed down by gravel.
http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/3546/aquarium.jpg

Thanks for helping a beginner out, and I look forward to gaining knowledge here!

Same tank then I got here for quarantine purposes :-)

Yes holes are way too big. Me personally I'll set mine up with a fine filter pad and the air pump down the tube, pretty much sponge filter style system.

Ups sorry, Welcome to the forum, hope you enjoy it here!

The substrate gravel will have to be large grained so it will not fall through the filter plate holes. IF that works for you, it will filter OK. Otherwise, a small-hole filter plate (undergravel filter) will be needed. Or some different filter altogether, like a sponge connected to the air pump. In smaller tanks (under 30g) I always use sponge filters. But I have plants, so no need for biological or chemical filtration and a sponge works fine.

Byron.

Thanks for the replies.
So if i placed a sponge filter underneath the filter plate and made sure it rested up against the riser tube it should be functional?

My thinking was to use a sponge filter alone, and remove the plate since it may not work. The sponge has an airline running to it and the water is drawn through the sponge. Or you can buy housed sponge filters with little motors. The undergravel plate will only work if the gravel is large enough that it won't slip through the holes. The sponge filter is an alternate filter system, not part of the plate.

easy enough to make a sponge filter with a small powerhead, if you can find one small enough for that tank. maybe a submersible whisper motor would work.