Filtration

[PeeKay]

Hi All

Last week I posted the question wether to go internal filter or external canister filter. I needed a to get something in a hurry so I got an internal filter after seeing one in action in somebody elses tank, have had it in for a couple of days now and it is making a difference. Thanks for all the feed back, it made me go out and read a bit more on sumps. Then it dawned on me that the soloution has been staring at me all the time! The tank I have was originally built to be a marine tank, in one of the corners it has been closed off and has 3 different chambers, the first chamber has a hole cut out thru the bottom, the second and third chamber is not completely closed off from eachother, I assume this is for water to flow from one to the other thru bio balls? See images below. I am assuming that this can be used for a tropical tank as well, my question is does anybody know what will be needed to set it up and how?! My tank is not anywhere near setup properly, the fish always move the gravel around and the air pipes are constantly lifting! Probably need to get alot more gravel on the bottom. I am moving house end of October and will have to empty the entire contents of the tank, I have read all the threads on moving tanks and the advice has come in very handy. When setting up the tank up at the new house I would like to get the filtration system up and running, a new stand and canopy, all has to be custom made by me and a few mates. I then want to spend some money on kitting the tank out with new plants, rocks, drift wood etc and a nice background picture, I also want to build some kind of rockery to hid the internal filter behind in a corner and just have the spray nozzle showing. So there is alot of work, but I'll take pics all the way and keep you posted.

Many thanks.

[slayer]

It's gonna take some work to get that internal bio filter working. If you don't wanna add a sump and want to use that bio filter i would buy black leather grain and cover the whole side off creating 4 chambers. Where your heater is will be the first chamber. On the side if this chamber you will need to drill plenty of holes about 3 to 4mm. To enter the second chamber the water must flow over the separation glass, so it is cut a bit shorter. To enter the third chamber the water will flow under the next separation glass, so this glass is raised with a gap in the bottom. To enter the forth chamber the water must flow over the separation glass. You should have your heater in the first chamber. Filter floss in the second, bio balls in the third and your pump to return water to the tank.

[PeeKay]

Thanks Slayer, it sounds like it is going to be alot of work! Thanks for the advice, I never thought of closing off the whole corner and making that a chamber, that might just be an option!

I was thinking along the lines of having the water pumped into the first chamber (maybe via an internal filter pump using piping to direct water into the first chamber, pump does not have to have canisters attached), going thru bio balls and filterfloss, then overflowing into the last chamber with the hole (as the seperation glass there is shorter), mount some pvc piping to the exit hole, linked to a pump that runs the filtered water back up into the back of the tank. With another internal filter (with canisters attached) on the opposite side it should create a nice circulation in the tank. My intention is when I setup the tank up at the new house I am going to turn the tank around so that this would be on the left rear side when looking at the tank from the front. The tank weighs alot and it it just happened to be this way when we carried it into the house. We were too buggered to try and change it afterwards! Do you think something like that could work?

[guido.coza]

Thanks Slayer, it sounds like it is going to be alot of work! Thanks for the advice, I never thought of closing off the whole corner and making that a chamber, that might just be an option!

I was thinking along the lines of having the water pumped into the first chamber (maybe via an internal filter pump using piping to direct water into the first chamber, pump does not have to have canisters attached), going thru bio balls and filterfloss, then overflowing into the last chamber with the hole (as the seperation glass there is shorter), mount some pvc piping to the exit hole, linked to a pump that runs the filtered water back up into the back of the tank. With another internal filter (with canisters attached) on the opposite side it should create a nice circulation in the tank. My intention is when I setup the tank up at the new house I am going to turn the tank around so that this would be on the left rear side when looking at the tank from the front. The tank weighs alot and it it just happened to be this way when we carried it into the house. We were too buggered to try and change it afterwards! Do you think something like that could work?

Hi
you can,t use a pump to get the water into the filter chamber if something goes wrong(out flow blocked filter medium blocked) you emty the tank and flood your room. Better cut a whole into the glass of first chamber or put a pipe in. Your pump must than be "tuned" to the inflow rate.Also if pump is in the last chamber the lower the watterlevel the more gravity will suck water in. In any case a bio filter works best if the flowrate is not too fast. I would put heater and pump both i the last chamber. Bacteria don't need warm water and you have just one technic chamber. The first chamber can than be stocked with filter floss to get the worst gue out.
You need to fiddle around a bit ,till you get everything running right, but after that you hardly ever need to work on your filter again except rinsing the floss.

[slayer]

Guido is correct. Not wise to pump the water into your filter. Will overflow out the wrong chambers. Will post a pic of my bio filter when i'm back at work to aid you. I'm currently on leave. Don't forget to close that hole in the bottom lol

[guido.coza]

Hi slayer
I think you said peekay should put the heater into the first chamber. The warmer the water the O2 it can hold and the less oxy the bacteria have also the water cools quite a bit thru the filter and you have to set it al least 1 degree warmer than you want the tank water, Any specific reason for the heater in first chamber?

Hi peekay
if you turn the tank around and the filter chamber with the whole is at the back I would try to get a fitting that closes the whole compleatly but where you can connect a hose onto, a neater way to change your water you will not find! (-:

[slayer]

you can be 100% sure of your water level in the first chamber while you will have different water levels in your last chamber.

[guido.coza]

you can be 100% sure of your water level in the first chamber while you will have different water levels in your last chamber.

Hi Slayer
you mean water level drops below minimum level for heater?! Ok diffinitly a good reason

[slayer]

I use 1 300wt in my first and 2 150wt in the 4th chamber. The 300wt is 2 long 2 chance in the 4th chamber.