Filtration for 125g Planted...

1172 Views 5 Replies 5 Participants Last post by bloo, Nov 24, 2010

svavrek

Discussion Starter · Nov 23, 2010

I am going to re-visit my filtration situation. I have an overflow (Internal/External hangover) box setup plumbed into a wet/dry type filter into a 10 gallon sump... Works good, great even but problem is some fish get trapped in there... also the plants, some of them, are growing (Giant Val measured almost 5 feet Sunday before trimming!) get overflowed INTO the box and tubes and such...

Here's what I want to do. I like the idea of an overflow because I hate the intakes on my Fluval 405's, they always get crapped up and the efficiency of the filters are compromised. I plan on plumbing the overflow box through my wall to the other side of the basement where I have a 40BR waiting (40 gallon breeder tank) for the new setup. Essentially, I am wanting to eliminate the wet/dry and have the water overflow INTO the 40BR where I want to run both of my Fluval 405 filters, filtering the water IN the 40BR, then plumbing it back into the 125.

2 reasons...

1) If fish get sucked thru, they will simply live in the 40BR for a day or so.
2) If the Fluval units lose power they will not backflow and overflow the tank or sump, unlike the return pumps I have running now.

My main concern is how logical this might be... Kinda seems like taking an extra step to avoid intakes getting gunked up, and saving lives of some fish, has anyone had a setup like this and was it decent enough? I can throw an old (but still the BEST) Aquaclear filter on the tank, too for some overdose-age... Whatcha guys think?

Also, I DO plan to upgrade to a nice C02 system here shortly... would diffuse it right into the 125, not the sump, the substrate + ferts are making the plants I have go nuts!! Fish are Clowns, Angelfish... want some SAE's too.

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Porsche

· #2 · Nov 23, 2010

Not very logical for your whole approach. You are only making yourself more troubles.

A very easy way would be put a mesh bag wrap around your overflow. Clever enough? lol

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svavrek

Discussion Starter · #3 · Nov 23, 2010

I've actually tried that, it did not end up too well, what ends up happening is the mesh gets dirty and the overflow does not flow fast enough, the pumps run the sump near-dry, and its all not good... I could however try the thicker plastic mesh that people use for craftwork... silicone it to the top of the overflow box...

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wkndracer

· #4 · Nov 23, 2010

I rehabbed a Craig's List 110g with corner weir guards were damaged when I bought using HD 'gutter guard' mesh. The holes are nearly 1/4" square so there's some risk with really small fish like neons. Works well (imo) keeping Otto's etc. in the display and out of my sump.

I DO check for leaf litter while surface feeding with the pumps shut down. I use 12" tweezers to reach under the lids to remove plant debris stuck to the weirs, it's not a huge issue and never a flood to date. Tanks been filled since since 7/20/09

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adamprice271

· #5 · Nov 24, 2010

First off, your pumps returning water to the tank should have a check valve before them. If they lose power, a flap or whatever stops backflow. Wouldn't work with the new setup cause like someone said, overflow won't keep up, or will be too much. You would really take some time to get the flow right.

Scrap the sumps and whatnot if you don't have a true drilled tank and go with the FX5 and stuff it with about 3 liters of seachem matrix. I flow around 500gph but after 2 months of not changing the filter, the pads were brown and NOT black and my tank is doing great. My buddy has a 150 really heavily stocked and runs 2 FX5s with 3l of matrix in each, and it does an insane job. Soo much less worries and all too.

Adam

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bloo

· #6 · Nov 24, 2010

Do NOT depend on check valves. They fail, and you won't know they've failed until you have 50 gallons of water on your floor.

Proper technique for preventing backflow in the event of a power outage is to either put the return so close to the surface that it will break siphon in a power outage or to drill siphon breaks (plural, do not depend on just one) in the return line just under the water surface.

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