Hello all, been surfing the site for quite some time now, but never have posted. This will probably be a lengthy post, but hope to include most details that I currently have in my head. I have a 55g community fresh tank and a 55g reef system and am migrating to a new (to me) 175 glass bowfront freshwater planted tank to support a family of breeding pearl scale angelfish that I am inheriting.
I purchased a used Oceanic 175g glass bowfront that is plumbed with overflows and I would like to explain the direction I am heading for filtration/return to the tank and see if anyone has any experience or opinions that may help.
I will be running a DIY rubbermaid drawer sump (thank you DIY section!) and returning the water to the tank through a modified reverse flow undergravel filter/jaubert plenum similar system. It's technically none of these, but uses elements from both of them. My plan is to create a water plenum under the gravel base by using small sections of 3/4" pvc to elevate a full egg crate grid off the bottom. Over the top of this will be fiberglass screen to prevent any gravel from getting down into the plenum.
There will be a grid of PVC tubes that the water returns to the tank through contained in the plenum. My thought is that I will create a large volume of holes for water flow with the thought that as opposed to undergravel jets providing localized pressure the entire plenum will support and equalize out a slight positive pressure. The water will flow through a base of river rock and flourite and create a slight positive (won't be noticable) vertical flow of water back to the overflows.
The two returns on each end of the tank will come over the tops of the overflow plates, juction into a T fitting and be connected by one length of PVC across the back of the tank to allow for equalization of pressure and allow me to drill one single siphon break in the middle. The other leg of the T will drop down via flexible poly tubing to the plenum on each side.
I think that the siphon break situated just below the water surface in the center will allow me to rotate the center connecting tube and create a flow from the center of the tank toward the front (though extremenly small if even noticable). Long term thought is that if this system doesn't work well the plenum can be blocked off or turned into a standard UGF and the top tube with the siphon break can be drilled to work as a spray bar.
Initially I will try to inject CO2 into my pump pressure line with the thought that it will enter under the plenum and have a little more time to dissolve into solution. I read an article about this technique where it didn't work as expected long term, but they also didn't have a water chamber underneath like I am trying. If that doesn't work I can always inject into the tank, but being that I am running a wet/dry system I realize that CO2 levels will always be difficult to maintain.
The sump will house my wet/dry system, heaters, and also probably an old Rena filstar cannister filter pulling from and returning to the sump for additional filter capacity and water polishing.
I've run a wet/dry on saltwater with success, an undergravel and undergravel reverse flow with success, I'm trying to combine the best of both worlds here. I don't have any delusions about pushing waste up from the bottom, don't think there will be enough flow for that, but figure I will get some help as that waste breaks down allowing me to push it towards the overflows and eventually the filter.
The one other technique I plan on using is that I will cut egg crate material to fit inside the overflows, attach about a 2" tall standpipe to the center of it and make custom filter pads that will sit on top of these allowing the standpipe to stick up above the filter media. The overflow chambers will be filled with some old bioballs and the eggcrate filter unit will sit on top of them so that the overflow gets some rough filtering intially. Primarily my reason for this is to stop the inevitable noise from an overflow. The filter pads can easily be changed and the standpipe allows for free flow in the event of a full clog of the filter media.
If you're still reading, I thank you for putting up with me on this. Anyone have any insight/suggestions/criticisms? I've tried to give myself the flexibility to rework the system if necessary once it's up and running. The thought of draining out 1500lbs of water isn't enticing.
Thanks
I purchased a used Oceanic 175g glass bowfront that is plumbed with overflows and I would like to explain the direction I am heading for filtration/return to the tank and see if anyone has any experience or opinions that may help.
I will be running a DIY rubbermaid drawer sump (thank you DIY section!) and returning the water to the tank through a modified reverse flow undergravel filter/jaubert plenum similar system. It's technically none of these, but uses elements from both of them. My plan is to create a water plenum under the gravel base by using small sections of 3/4" pvc to elevate a full egg crate grid off the bottom. Over the top of this will be fiberglass screen to prevent any gravel from getting down into the plenum.
There will be a grid of PVC tubes that the water returns to the tank through contained in the plenum. My thought is that I will create a large volume of holes for water flow with the thought that as opposed to undergravel jets providing localized pressure the entire plenum will support and equalize out a slight positive pressure. The water will flow through a base of river rock and flourite and create a slight positive (won't be noticable) vertical flow of water back to the overflows.
The two returns on each end of the tank will come over the tops of the overflow plates, juction into a T fitting and be connected by one length of PVC across the back of the tank to allow for equalization of pressure and allow me to drill one single siphon break in the middle. The other leg of the T will drop down via flexible poly tubing to the plenum on each side.
I think that the siphon break situated just below the water surface in the center will allow me to rotate the center connecting tube and create a flow from the center of the tank toward the front (though extremenly small if even noticable). Long term thought is that if this system doesn't work well the plenum can be blocked off or turned into a standard UGF and the top tube with the siphon break can be drilled to work as a spray bar.
Initially I will try to inject CO2 into my pump pressure line with the thought that it will enter under the plenum and have a little more time to dissolve into solution. I read an article about this technique where it didn't work as expected long term, but they also didn't have a water chamber underneath like I am trying. If that doesn't work I can always inject into the tank, but being that I am running a wet/dry system I realize that CO2 levels will always be difficult to maintain.
The sump will house my wet/dry system, heaters, and also probably an old Rena filstar cannister filter pulling from and returning to the sump for additional filter capacity and water polishing.
I've run a wet/dry on saltwater with success, an undergravel and undergravel reverse flow with success, I'm trying to combine the best of both worlds here. I don't have any delusions about pushing waste up from the bottom, don't think there will be enough flow for that, but figure I will get some help as that waste breaks down allowing me to push it towards the overflows and eventually the filter.
The one other technique I plan on using is that I will cut egg crate material to fit inside the overflows, attach about a 2" tall standpipe to the center of it and make custom filter pads that will sit on top of these allowing the standpipe to stick up above the filter media. The overflow chambers will be filled with some old bioballs and the eggcrate filter unit will sit on top of them so that the overflow gets some rough filtering intially. Primarily my reason for this is to stop the inevitable noise from an overflow. The filter pads can easily be changed and the standpipe allows for free flow in the event of a full clog of the filter media.
If you're still reading, I thank you for putting up with me on this. Anyone have any insight/suggestions/criticisms? I've tried to give myself the flexibility to rework the system if necessary once it's up and running. The thought of draining out 1500lbs of water isn't enticing.
Thanks
