In the top picture you can see the grey PVC drain leading into my mechanical/biological filtration chamber, which is basically a large blue HDPE barrel with a stack of crates in there, all with various medias in.
At the bottom of the barrel is my return pump. You can see the black ribbed return pipe leading up from the bottom of the barrel. That return pipe then goes over the back of the tank canopy and goes through a hole in the canopy panel.
It's just a very basic, very easy circulation system, and as mentioned, has been immensely effective and trouble free for close to three years now.
When I initially got my tank I was a little apprehensive, as you are. But honestly it is very easy to set up my basic way of doing it.
