Did some additional mods from what I saw on Uaru Joey's channel but I'm loving the ease of it. In the process of ordering a 375 gallon and will have 2 of these on top also a custom built canopy to hide all of the mess.
Note this is just a trial run on my 150 until the 375 arrives and is set up. The pvc pipes will be painted black to match the background and the pump inside the aquarium will be hidden by driftwood and plants.
So top drawer has a sheet of 3/4 inch course foam cut to size (similar to the pads in the fx5/fx6) then under the foam is a 50 micron filter sheet cut to size. Then egg crate cut to size
2nd and 3rd drawers are stuffed with pot scrubbies about 200 in each drawer
4th drawer I have to 2 holes cut out about 3inches from the top that leads to 2 drain pipes so water collects about 7 inches in that drawer then drains out the 2 pipes back into the tank. Inside that drawe I have a 300 watt heater suctioned to a piece of glass so it won't damage the plastic 3 bags of purigen and a ton of fluval bio max rings.
So for those of you that don't know how it works, here goes. Inside the tank I placed a 2300gph pond pump attached a pvc pipe (have to eventually paint black) and a ball valve that enters the top of the sterilite drawer system. The first top 4 drawers have about 100 1/8" size hole drilled in the bottom. The water flows through the foam and 50 micron sheet then rains down over the next 2 drawers filled with the scrubbies. Then water collects in the bottom drawer which has submersible media, the heater and the purigen then flows back into the tank. If the power cuts off the water just stops flowing with no chance if flooding. I still do my water changes twice a week and the 50 micron sheet every week. Which requires just pulling out a drawer change the sheet and close the drawer 15sec. I have 10 sheets so I wash them every 2 months when I run low on clean ones. The coarse filter pad I rinse bi-weekly 5min. And recharge the purigen once a month. Water quality is great and clear.
Sorry for the long post
I will appreciate any concerns anyone may forsee with this but 2 months in and I'm sold.
I'll also answer any questions the best I can. I still have a few fx5s in my shed just in case
Note this is just a trial run on my 150 until the 375 arrives and is set up. The pvc pipes will be painted black to match the background and the pump inside the aquarium will be hidden by driftwood and plants.
So top drawer has a sheet of 3/4 inch course foam cut to size (similar to the pads in the fx5/fx6) then under the foam is a 50 micron filter sheet cut to size. Then egg crate cut to size
2nd and 3rd drawers are stuffed with pot scrubbies about 200 in each drawer
4th drawer I have to 2 holes cut out about 3inches from the top that leads to 2 drain pipes so water collects about 7 inches in that drawer then drains out the 2 pipes back into the tank. Inside that drawe I have a 300 watt heater suctioned to a piece of glass so it won't damage the plastic 3 bags of purigen and a ton of fluval bio max rings.
So for those of you that don't know how it works, here goes. Inside the tank I placed a 2300gph pond pump attached a pvc pipe (have to eventually paint black) and a ball valve that enters the top of the sterilite drawer system. The first top 4 drawers have about 100 1/8" size hole drilled in the bottom. The water flows through the foam and 50 micron sheet then rains down over the next 2 drawers filled with the scrubbies. Then water collects in the bottom drawer which has submersible media, the heater and the purigen then flows back into the tank. If the power cuts off the water just stops flowing with no chance if flooding. I still do my water changes twice a week and the 50 micron sheet every week. Which requires just pulling out a drawer change the sheet and close the drawer 15sec. I have 10 sheets so I wash them every 2 months when I run low on clean ones. The coarse filter pad I rinse bi-weekly 5min. And recharge the purigen once a month. Water quality is great and clear.
Sorry for the long post
I will appreciate any concerns anyone may forsee with this but 2 months in and I'm sold.
I'll also answer any questions the best I can. I still have a few fx5s in my shed just in case
