hob or sump

Superbass

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 5, 2013
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Canada
to avoid all that piping and drilling for a sump, could i use a side tank as a hob and design it internally like a sump. would that be considered a sump or hob? would it be as effective as a sump? also on a naive perspective... people use pot scrubbers for bb, do they have to be in the filter/sump or can they be in the tank say under the substrate or behind rocks and out of sight?
 

castro1212

Gambusia
MFK Member
Dec 13, 2012
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metairie louisiana
Sorry i cant help with anything else. I don't think they would do any good under the substrate. I think as long as there is some type of current running through them bb should colonize them

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administrator

Gambusia
MFK Member
Aug 21, 2011
395
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What about a sponge or small pond filter depending on the size of your tank. No external pipes or drilling to worry about.
 

David R

Blue Tier VIP
MFK Member
Apr 26, 2005
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How would you connect the "side tank" to the main tank?

IMO "all that piping and drilling" isn't that big a deal, it doesn't need to be complicated at all. Even if you have a "side tank" you're going to need some way of transferring water from one to the other and back again, so there will need to be an overflow of some sorts.
 

livelymc

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Mar 21, 2011
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United Kingdom
I think if the tank was at the side as opposed to underneath it would require more to make it work. I mean without the use of gravity to pull the water out the tank would mean u would need two pumps. One in one out. Also those pumps would need to match exactly otherwise ull end up with a flood or a dry sump. You could have it above the tank but that would be just awkward. Just buy a fx5 n be done with it lol.

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Superbass

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 5, 2013
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well my thought was like an old dynaflo type hob which my father had. basically a simple cane tube would siphon into the side tank and a pump inside it to return the water. the siphon doesnt have to be very long, it just as long as it is below the water level, gravity will work. i prefer to keep the aquarium as is and was wondering if this could be done on a larger scale. Also i am looking for a cheaper way and just buying a pump, seems the diy systems work better for much less. thank you for your suggestions. i still havent ruled out a fx5.
 
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