automatic waste removal idea

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
hmmmm, now i actually wanna do a scaled down model just to see how it works! probably use a ten gal and modify it and see how it works! I'll post pics, but might be a while before I get to it! If anyone else does it first let me know, and post pics!
 
What I would do if you are set on doing a bottom darin is use the drain as your water change drain. Shut off valve on it and when your ready to do a water change, run a nice 1" hose outside or wherever and then drain out your water, then shut off the valve then add your new water.
 
maybe hook it to an automatic timer like everyone is doing for their auto water changers and let it get rid of the waste at set intervals!
 
Sounds cool but even with that I say you'd still need to vacuum the gravel occasionally, there would be a lot of poo that wouldn't go down. Id say try it with like a 15 gallon, although you never know because tanks sizes affect cleaning

What I have is an undergravel filter + powerwheel filter in my fully planted 55 gallon and I dont need to gravel vac at all, I stir it up to see if theres any poo and zippo. nitrates are cool to, its my most carefree tank.
 
Very interesting idea!
I'm sure it would work great to just have a undergravel filter vith large holes and only large gravel/stones to cover it.
 
You can still use pea gravel with an undergravel filter that has large slots. Here's a setup I used on a 180gal poly tank. I copied a technique used by Dr. Spotte and placed a heavy pond bonded filter pad between the UGF plates and gravel. The pads kept the slots from clogging, prevented sludge from building up under the plates, provided 800% (per Dr Spotte) more surface area for bacteria to adhere to, and provided an excellent base for plant roots to anchor to. I ran the tank for over 2 years before having to tear it down to move. There wasn't a spec of dirt under tha plates and, aside from plant roots, there wasn't much dirt in the pads. I was surprised considering there were over a dozen polys in the tank and a couple of aros.

UGF.jpg
 
Oddball said:
You can still use pea gravel with an undergravel filter that has large slots. Here's a setup I used on a 180gal poly tank. I copied a technique used by Dr. Spotte and placed a heavy pond bonded filter pad between the UGF plates and gravel. The pads kept the slots from clogging, prevented sludge from building up under the plates, provided 800% (per Dr Spotte) more surface area for bacteria to adhere to, and provided an excellent base for plant roots to anchor to. I ran the tank for over 2 years before having to tear it down to move. There wasn't a spec of dirt under tha plates and, aside from plant roots, there wasn't much dirt in the pads. I was surprised considering there were over a dozen polys in the tank and a couple of aros.
Click to expand...
Hmm.. That was very very interesting..
 
You could also have an underflow. This is an overflow that pulls water from the bottom of the tank. You could accomplish this by having a a piece of glass in fron of your overflow (provided that the overflow is on piece of glass and not a box) so that most of the water goes under this piece of glass and then over the overflow. You would still want to have some of the water going over the top of the overflow to skim the surface.

There are formulae to calculate all this. It depends on your pump height differential of the two pieces of glass, gap under the underflow and space between the two piece of glass.

You could also do it the way my new tank is going to be made. It's actually more simple and works on similarly to the above method, but it would be a b*tch to explain so I'll wait and take some pics of it when it arrives (less then a week :D )

Cheers
 
Hey - would this work and be simpler???

Keep the grate or whatever with rocks on top and crap falling underneath it.
Then, could you just use a regular canister filter and set it up so the intake is under the grate? Like have the intake tube go to the bottom of the tank and then go in an "L" shape so the intake hole is under the grate.

That way there's no drilling, no problem with power outage problems, etc.
You'd just have to clean the filter pads in the canister filter often.
 
CichlidAddict said:
Hey - would this work and be simpler???

Keep the grate or whatever with rocks on top and crap falling underneath it.
Then, could you just use a regular canister filter and set it up so the intake is under the grate? Like have the intake tube go to the bottom of the tank and then go in an "L" shape so the intake hole is under the grate.

That way there's no drilling, no problem with power outage problems, etc.
You'd just have to clean the filter pads in the canister filter often.
Click to expand...
Absolutely! It's no problem connecting an undergravel filter with an external filter anyway..
 
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