DIY WET/Dry

[baracuda]

I want to make a wet/dry for my 125 and 60gallon. No idea how to make one or how it works. Ive been hearing nothing but good things about them. I need all the info i can get. Ive seen some of the stickys but i still need more info.

 

[rallysman]

What exactly dont you understand?

 

[baracuda]

Well i understand that it works just like any other filter...water goes through and it is filtered while going through the wet/dry but i guess my question is What makes a wet/ dry better then an hob or canister filter? Right now i have canisters and hob filters on mine which provide great filtration but ive heard wet/drys are way better, easier to maintain etc.

 

[rallysman]

well, a wet/dry provides superior biological filtration because you can put as much/whatever type of bio media that you want in it.
It also provides better gas exchange because of the water "splashing" over said bio media.

You can also hide heaters, UV sterilizers, hold extra media (to cycle other tanks), isolate fish, add to you total system capacity which results in more stability, and have the convenience of looking at you prefilter at a glance to see if it need attention.

Additionally, the only maintanance involved is replacing/cleaning a prefilter periodically which takes only seconds because you can do it while the filter is running. You also have the luxory of determining your own flow rate because you can chose any pump you want. If your pump delivers more flow than you desire you can shunt the excess back into the sump or simply choke the output. You also have the ability to run multiple pumps for total filtration redundancy.
While I'm at it, I might as well mention that it's much easier to implement an automated water change system (search "drip system") with the use of a wet/dry (sump) filter.

All of this can easily be built in your house for the fraction of the cost of a high end canister.

In the end it does the same thing as a canister with the added benefits mentioned above

 

[salsa]

 

[baracuda]

well, a wet/dry provides superior biological filtration because you can put as much/whatever type of bio media that you want in it.
It also provides better gas exchange because of the water "splashing" over said bio media.

You can also hide heaters, UV sterilizers, hold extra media (to cycle other tanks), isolate fish, add to you total system capacity which results in more stability, and have the convenience of looking at you prefilter at a glance to see if it need attention.

Additionally, the only maintanance involved is replacing/cleaning a prefilter periodically which takes only seconds because you can do it while the filter is running. You also have the luxory of determining your own flow rate because you can chose any pump you want. If your pump delivers more flow than you desire you can shunt the excess back into the sump or simply choke the output. You also have the ability to run multiple pumps for total filtration redundancy.
While I'm at it, I might as well mention that it's much easier to implement an automated water change system (search "drip system") with the use of a wet/dry (sump) filter.

All of this can easily be built in your house for the fraction of the cost of a high end canister.

In the end it does the same thing as a canister with the added benefits mentioned above

Wow thank you rally!!! Im gonna try and make one asap What size tank should i use for the wet/dry for the 60 gallon and the 125?

 

[Mystix212]

Salsa's 2nd pic looks like a very simple sump. Might try it down the track.

 

[niqolas619]

I've been looking at this stuff for a while and would like to try it for my next tank. The only question I have has to do with a possible pump failure and subsequent sump overflow. My thinking is if the tank has a built in overflow, one would only want the water to flow over the top of the overflow. As this seems pretty obvious, I thought I've seen many overflows that also have slots for intakes near the middle height of the overflow. What's the deal with this? I would think that this would allow water to keep flowing into the sump if the pump fails. If an overflow doesn't have these middle slots, however, there is only water coming over the top of the overflow and its only going to allow water to flow into the sump until the tank level drops below the level of the overflow, right?

 

[salsa]

I've been looking at this stuff for a while and would like to try it for my next tank. The only question I have has to do with a possible pump failure and subsequent sump overflow. My thinking is if the tank has a built in overflow, one would only want the water to flow over the top of the overflow. As this seems pretty obvious, I thought I've seen many overflows that also have slots for intakes near the middle height of the overflow. What's the deal with this? I would think that this would allow water to keep flowing into the sump if the pump fails. If an overflow doesn't have these middle slots, however, there is only water coming over the top of the overflow and its only going to allow water to flow into the sump until the tank level drops below the level of the overflow, right?

The overflows that have holes in the center and bottom generally have a pipe inside of them acting as a second overflow.