Genius Sump Idea

[Kobeclone]

I am going to start building my 55 gallon diy W/D this weekend and a genius idea popped into my head.

In the first section comming into the sump, there will be 2 filter socks. As the water spills over the first divider, before hitting the drip plate and going into the bio ball section, I was going to add a BIO-WHEEL directly in the water's flow. I figured the water flow of around 3000 gallons per hour going thru this sump, would forcibly rotate the bio-wheel- wouldn't it? Please give me any feedback.

 

[Kobeclone]

 

[aquatic_wonders]

where will you attach the bio wheel?

 

[hangner]

good idea it would probably turn
but why would u need a bioweel if u already have a wet/dry section with bioballs?

 

[Kobeclone]

good idea it would probably turn
but why would u need a bioweel if u already have a wet/dry section with bioballs?

Maybe the question you should ask your self is why not.
But seriously, IMO it can't ever hurt to have too much bio filtration.

 

[Kobeclone]

where will you attach the bio wheel?

Right where the water spills from the first section, containing the filter socks, onto the drip plate. Right under the water drops onto the drip plate. If that makes sense at all.

 

[Dr Joe]

Did you see JD_MAN's? http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=83107

3000gph might just make a Bio-wheel spin (a little too fast ).

Is there a place where the water spills over into the area where the return pump is housed? Perhaps it could be mounted there, in a little less domineering flow.

In mine I mounted two Bio-wheels in the center section of the sump (sometimes used for a refugium). Wasn't much left to feed them after the bio-material got thru.

Get it done and take pix, also do the chemistry test before and after so we know how it's working.

Dr Joe

.

 

[Wolf3101]

Reinventing the Tidepool sump by Marineland?

This works very well with the large bio-wheels but you need to be able to regulate the speed. They work best with a slow steady rotation.

You can also make DIY bio-wheels out of Hydro5 sponge filter kits. You'll even end up with a larger serface area for the BB...

 

[Kobeclone]

Reinventing the Tidepool sump by Marineland?

This works very well with the large bio-wheels but you need to be able to regulate the speed. They work best with a slow steady rotation.

You can also make DIY bio-wheels out of Hydro5 sponge filter kits. You'll even end up with a larger serface area for the BB...

Lol, kinda like reinventing the wheel. I had no idea something like that was already out there.

 

[Wolf3101]

Maybe the question you should ask your self is why not.
But seriously, IMO it can't ever hurt to have too much bio filtration.

Actully you can only have as much bio-filtration in your system as the number of fish in your aquarium can support....the rest of the space is nothing more than POTENTIAL bio-filtration. The BB (benificial bacteria) will always equil the bio-load in the tank but it can't ever exceed it.

What will probubly happen is that either the BB will spread out and populate ALL of the media or stay put in the existing bio-media and the new wheels won't become established unless you add a lot of extra fish.

You can tell how heavilly populated a bio-wheel is by it's color...the darker the material of the wheel is the more heavilly populated with BB. I have some bio-wheels that almost black and others that are hardly any darker than they started out.