I am still hoping to get some input on what I would like to build for my 50 gallon tank. I have large rocks for aggregate and have a hard time cleaning all of the debris from between them. I plan to build a 3 drawer trickle tower which will be housed in a 30 gal tank under my stand. Would it make sense to have some sort of undergravel plates hooked to this so it would draw the debris from under the rocks into the filter? The way I imagine it working would be for the water to be siphoned from under the rocks, go into the top of the tower, flow through the 3 drawers of media into the 30 gallon tank and, once filtered, be pumped back into the top of the tank via a spray bar. I would have my heater in the 30 gallon tank also. I would appreciate any input on this as I would like to start constructing something. Also, if the power for the pump went off, would there be a way to stop the siphon if the water was being drawn from the bottom of the tank?
help with diy filter
- Thread starter oddballfishlover
- Start date
I have built the 3-drawer trickle filter for my 125g.............It is simple and saves a lot of money, as compared to buying a brand new wet/dry filter..............
SIMPLE:
Fill the two lower drawers with cheap, inexpensive sponges...........The top drawer should be layer with two mats of filter of floss.............Remember that the top drawer is the mechanical filtration part of the filter.This is where the bigger to medium sized debris is floss out...............The best thing to do to compliment the DIY drawer is by buying an awsome HOB mechanical filter..The best thing that goes well with it is the Aqua Clear HOB filter..............Alongside my DIY wet/dry, I use two AC101's for my 125g.........
SIMPLE:
Fill the two lower drawers with cheap, inexpensive sponges...........The top drawer should be layer with two mats of filter of floss.............Remember that the top drawer is the mechanical filtration part of the filter.This is where the bigger to medium sized debris is floss out...............The best thing to do to compliment the DIY drawer is by buying an awsome HOB mechanical filter..The best thing that goes well with it is the Aqua Clear HOB filter..............Alongside my DIY wet/dry, I use two AC101's for my 125g.........
The problem you have is one called a siphon. If the return pump should stop pumping the water out of the sump, the siphon will drain your tank, into the sump, onto the priceless persian rug.
The remedy is...a siphon break near the top of the overflow tube...basically a hole in the tube large enough to break the siphon should the water level drop below the hole. The trick is to turn the return pump off and let the sump fill to a level you are comfortable with,(hopefully several inches from overflowing) note the water level on the downtube in the aquarium and that is where the siphon break should be. Start with a small hole and go from there. Once the water reaches the hole in the tube, the siphon should break in just a few seconds.
Sometimes the problem with this kind of overflow is getting it started.
I would recommend experimentation before you flood the lower forty...so to speak.
GL
The remedy is...a siphon break near the top of the overflow tube...basically a hole in the tube large enough to break the siphon should the water level drop below the hole. The trick is to turn the return pump off and let the sump fill to a level you are comfortable with,(hopefully several inches from overflowing) note the water level on the downtube in the aquarium and that is where the siphon break should be. Start with a small hole and go from there. Once the water reaches the hole in the tube, the siphon should break in just a few seconds.
Sometimes the problem with this kind of overflow is getting it started.
I would recommend experimentation before you flood the lower forty...so to speak.
GL
Great, thanks. what would you recommend for a return pump? and pipe size for the siphon? Do you think that hooking this to an undergravel plate would help to remove the debris that falls between my rocks? they are large river rocks and not regular aquarium rocks. I'm hoping that there will be enough draw from the siphon to pull everything into the filter through the rocks
You wont suck everything out, even with undergravel plates but that could be a good direction to go. Pump should be quiet, and return enough to keep up with the overflow. Conversely, the overflow should keep up with the return, so the "siphon" shouldnt really be a true siphon. The return pump has to push the water through the overflow. The pump you choose ultimately will run continuously so get a good one. Eheim, LifeGard(QuietOne), Reeflo, Magdrive(Danner), Dolphin, all good brands. Try to find a pump that publishes its flow curve based on head pressure (the amount (gph) the pump pumps, against the weight of the water in the discharge pipe. eg; 1000gph @ 4' through 1" pipe.) A pump may pump 1000gph, but a 0 head. It more than likely pumps somewhere around 600gph at 4' of head, a more realistic height for a return pump in a sump.
I recommend looking at some threads in the DIY forum on DIY overflows and sumps, with a focus on the overflow.
GL
I recommend looking at some threads in the DIY forum on DIY overflows and sumps, with a focus on the overflow.
GL