Advice wanted

[YourOtherLeft]

Hi Everyone,

OK, so I'm in the process of redoing my turtle tank and decided I want to add a second filter. Most likely a DIY wet/dry in addition to my FX5. I would like any expert advice on the feasibility of of this. Basically I want to add a DIY overflow using 4-6 inch PVC pipe. Similar to what has been done here http://www.randystacye.com/diy_overflow.htm But I would like to add a cheap small pump/powerhead to suck up poo from the bottom of the tank into the overflow tube then up and out of the tank. I'm guessing there will be a lot of wear and tear on the pump from debris passing through but the cost of a cheap pump versus a cleaner and easier to care for tank seems acceptable to me. I'm thinking about a pump size of between 150-200 gph max for my 150 gallon turtle tank.

So, Any opinions, advice?

 

[timeneverfreezes]

I went to the link you have posted in your thread and couldnt help but think that the design is awfully complicated for a simple overflow. Would a pvc overflow like of the type that that Chompers has posed in the stickies work for you?

You could have the return water flow positioned so that it pushes the debris to the overflow intake. Then the water could easily be mechanically filtered in the sump. You could also use the fx5 as the return pump, it should handle it without a problem.

This way you would save buying yourself a powerhead and return pump while having your cake and eating it too.

 

[YourOtherLeft]

Guess I should have added that part. I was intending to make a DIY overflow like Chompers, I was really just planning on the pipe to act as an internal overflow. I thought about trying to direct the poo towards the overflow but it seems most of my turtle's poo sinks to the bottom of the tank, it seems kinda heavy and I don't know if I can get enough current going with out plastering my turtle to the side of the tank.

When you mean using my FX5 as a return pump, what precisely do you mean?
Do you mean running the intake of the FX5 out of the sump? I thought FX5's intake worked on gravity and suction. Would it work like that?

Thanks