Internal DIY filter for 180g tank

[Aiden77]

Hey guys, its been a while since I last posted, but I have had a 180 gallon tank setup for about 3 years now and I am tired of replacing canister filters/ having the hoses hang out of the tank. I am currently running the largest sunsun canister available, (with UV light) and a larger black koi pond filter I got off eBay. I have two very large oscars, watermelon pleco, and a large black belt cichlid. My question is; is this internal filter that I have designed going to be adequate enough for the output that the fish produce? I also had an idea of adding a fluidized K1 section to the box with a powerhead and three airstones. I have a 1100gph pump that I would be using in this build, but I also have an 800gph pump. I thought that maybe the more flow around the tank and in the filter the better. Let me know your opinion on this and give me your advice/ input on what you would do. Thank you!
Dimensions of the proposed filter box are; 5inches deep (front to back), 20inches long or (side to side), and 16 or 17 inches tall. P.S. I figured I'd make the box at least an inch lower than the top of the tank in the case of a flood or clog.
Below are the attached files where I have designed the filter. The colored boxes to the right are filter media stages, middle is the K1, and left is the pump.

 

[danotaylor]

You’ll get lots of opinions & ideas here, but biological filtration is not about high flow, it’s about contact time with the media bed where the beneficial bacteria live. A turn over of approx 4 times the tank volume through an adequate amount of media will result in the biological conversion of toxic waste to less toxic waste.
High flows are perfect for mechanical filtration only, but in the realm of the biological, it’s like trying to eat from the drive through window without stopping.
If you want more flow in the tank for the fishes benefit consider a wave make or circulation pump outside of your proposed internal filter.
If you want water polishing & highly efficient biofiltration, consider using the lesser output pump for bio in 1 section of the filter, and the higher output pump in a filter wool/sponge section separately for mechanical.

 

[tlindsey]

Hey guys, its been a while since I last posted, but I have had a 180 gallon tank setup for about 3 years now and I am tired of replacing canister filters/ having the hoses hang out of the tank. I am currently running the largest sunsun canister available, (with UV light) and a larger black koi pond filter I got off eBay. I have two very large oscars, watermelon pleco, and a large black belt cichlid. My question is; is this internal filter that I have designed going to be adequate enough for the output that the fish produce? I also had an idea of adding a fluidized K1 section to the box with a powerhead and three airstones. I have a 1100gph pump that I would be using in this build, but I also have an 800gph pump. I thought that maybe the more flow around the tank and in the filter the better. Let me know your opinion on this and give me your advice/ input on what you would do. Thank you!
Dimensions of the proposed filter box are; 5inches deep (front to back), 20inches long or (side to side), and 16 or 17 inches tall. P.S. I figured I'd make the box at least an inch lower than the top of the tank in the case of a flood or clog.
Below are the attached files where I have designed the filter. The colored boxes to the right are filter media stages, middle is the K1, and left is the pump.

View attachment 1561707

I don't think the internal filter will give you satisfaction. Also the Oscars waste may have you cleaning the filter every week. I personally would go with HOB filters and do weekly substrate vacuuming and wc's.

 

[HUKIT]

Hey guys, its been a while since I last posted, but I have had a 180 gallon tank setup for about 3 years now and I am tired of replacing canister filters/ having the hoses hang out of the tank.

I absolutely loathe canister filters and was happy when I finally retired my last remaining FX6. Now all my large display tanks are run on sumps. So much more beneficial than their counterparts. First the obvious is no hoses/no heaters in the display, greater capacity for mechanical/biological filtration, so much easier to maintain, and the best is increased water capacity. With that 180g I’d toss a 90g sump down below and toss all the canisters and possible internal filters in the bin.

 

[Aiden77]

Thank you all! I agree with what you guys are saying, may look into doing a possible sump under the tank. Oscars produce so so much waste and I’ve gotten to the point that I couldn’t keep substrate in the tank due to them always messing it up. Either way I want to do what’s best for them.

 

[Midwater]

+1 for sumps.

 

[cockroach]

I have had a tank with an internal filter. It wound up being to restrictive and a PITA to maintain in the end. Although, I have friends who had had them and love them.
I would say sump all day long. The simpler the better.