FX5 hooked up to overflow?

[Weaksrt]

If you have a sump or refugeum takeing care of your bio load ( I prefer plants b/c they export the NH3/4 directly, no nitrates) Then just fill the FX5 with the sponges, and whatever various levels of mech media you see fit. I plan on doing bonded filter padding in my top tray, poly fill in the mid tray and then a bit more poly in the bottom tray with a micron polishing pad at the very bottom. Crispy ftw.

Ok so ur saying that the plants proivde the biological life the tank needs.

My plans were to filter the inlet of the sump with the white filter then spill over to Bio balls and then back to the tank. All the while in the sump i would grow plants in a separate tub with holes in the side so the plants got the flow of the water across them and would provide nutrition for a healthy tank. the plant would be grown in the sump but not in any certain Stage just in the sump. the filter and bio balls would be doing the work. the Fx5 is just extra i was assuming.

Thanks for the input those i really want the tank to be perfect for my first Aro.

 

[LD50]

Ok so ur saying that the plants proivde the biological life the tank needs.

My plans were to filter the inlet of the sump with the white filter then spill over to Bio balls and then back to the tank. All the while in the sump i would grow plants in a separate tub with holes in the side so the plants got the flow of the water across them and would provide nutrition for a healthy tank. the plant would be grown in the sump but not in any certain Stage just in the sump. the filter and bio balls would be doing the work. the Fx5 is just extra i was assuming.

Thanks for the input those i really want the tank to be perfect for my first Aro.

That can work too, with the right ammount of plants they can use NO3 as nutrients as well. Thats the beautiy of the "sump" you can experiment with all kinds of diffrent designs. Good luck on your build!

 

[Weaksrt]

That can work too, with the right ammount of plants they can use NO3 as nutrients as well. Thats the beautiy of the "sump" you can experiment with all kinds of diffrent designs. Good luck on your build!

Thanks! im almost done with the sump. Just waiting on the Overflow i bought for cheap bc it looks better than teh pipe and im kinda lazy when i cant make things that look just as good ill pay a little extra to do it right. So the overflow shall be in today or tomorrow and then ill hook up the hose to the sump for it then pull off the Fx5 inlet and install on the sump and see if it works for the time being so i can get tht bio load going while i find a good pump. Later ill get some plants once i know the water is A O K and cross the good ol Fingers! My first sump so im playing it by ear!

 

[Weaksrt]

Ok so i hooked up my Fx5 to the sump tonoght and it works Perfectly! I honestly do have the flow that i should be getting on the sump but hell atleast teh sump is moving and biolife can begin there as i had started in the Fx5 already. I hope the Bio life begins ASAP! I cant wait to have a Happier Healthier Fish tank!

 

[Weaksrt]

Ok so i did a small test last night and well U need to make a siphon break for the Fx5 to keep from Draining your tank. I thought that the Fx5 being a canister wouldnt siphon back but it does very slowly but does. So i drilled a small hole at the clip for the over the edge hose brace and reinstalled the clip. The clip hides the holeand deflects the small flow of water out the hole but acts as my siphon break till i can get the new sump pump.

 

[LD50]

Oh your useing your FX5 as a sump pump? Thats not what I was talking about lol. I mean to have a sump with its own pump runing from one overflow and an FX5 hooked up to the 2nd over flow (both intake and output) so that you wouldnt need a siphon break. I suppose this could work but you might burn up your FX5, it was meant to run as a closed loop system and not an actual pump that has to fight gravity. But it may work fine as a temp pump?? I would highly suggest getting an actual pump for your sump asap.