"Dead Spots" in wet/dry filter

cdienzo

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 24, 2008
130
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0
Long Beach, CA
Hey Y'all,

I was hoping that someone could tell me how to eliminate/minimize "dead spots" in the media (bio-balls) of my wet/dry filter.

You can see in the pic that water isn't trickling over one of the corners. I use a bonded (Rite-size) filter pad as a prefilter over the drip tray. The filter sits level & is fed by 2 overflows (1" bulkheads). Tank is 100g (2 corner overflows) w/ a pro-clear 175 wet/dry.



View of the drain lines & T-fitting to filter:


I have a set of Durso standpipes that I made for this tank laying around. Would those make a difference in keeping the drain lines "filled"? (thus, increasing the flow over the drip tray & lessening the dead spot? Dursos are 1.25" with a reducer to fit the 1" bulkheads. The only reason I haven't already put them on is that the tank is outside & noise isn't an issue.

Thanks for looking!
 

Mattyou

Piranha
MFK Member
Mar 12, 2007
1,132
52
81
Jax Fla.
I would pull the filter pad off the drip plate, and in my experience the T (although it looks good) never works out. You would be better off running a single oveflow into the drip plate and the other right into the sump. How many GPH is the Pump(s). I think your just not flowing enough, but once you increase your flow, the T is going to be an issue IMO.
 

ScottXGTR

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 19, 2007
60
0
0
Biloxi MS
that single outlet is forcing all the water to a single point, and might be constricting flow as well.

add a second tee(or more) with an outlet and space them accordingly.

my 2 drains go to an 0 shaped pvc loop with lots of holes drilled in it. it evenly distributes the water over the entire drip tray, where as yours has the flow concentrated.
 

Frostyone

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 21, 2008
1,230
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Baltimore
Here's what I'd do, get rid of the 90, get another T (same size as the one you have now) and get 2 45's, put it together like in the picture below.

Or, you could drill another hole and plumb them both to the wd individually, one closer to the front the other closer to the back.

wd mod.jpg
 

cdienzo

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 24, 2008
130
0
0
Long Beach, CA
Thanks for the tips, fellas. Frostyone- thanks for the diagram. I think that may be the way to go.
 

Bawb2u

Gambusia
MFK Member
Nov 21, 2005
292
2
16
MA
What you have is called punch through, where the water is following the path of least resistance, which in this case are thinner or less dense areas of the bonded foam. A quick fix would be to lift the bonded foam a little by cutting a piece of "egg crate" to fit over the drip plate. That way the water can drop a little and spread out over the drip plate rather than just puddle on top of the bonded pad to find the easiest way through.
 

lewis23

Gambusia
MFK Member
Nov 9, 2005
696
0
16
NewYork
Get the air out of the lines. Pic 2 shows air in the line which wont let any water flow.
 
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