Pump that can suck from below?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
I

ITHURTZ

Piranha
MFK Member
Apr 11, 2007
1,846
38
81
Antioch IL
Iv finally decided on a filter setup. I was wondering if there is a pump that can suck from say 4-6" above water line in a container full of water?

Ill be wanting to build this.


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Basically I want the pump to sit in the container on the left (36Lx12Hx6W) and suck water from the tank below. Which would then shoot into a filter sock then out the outlet into the plant filler ducts. When then would spill back into the tank on the other side via twin 1.5" outlets. Im using a pool filter right now (intex) which is 800gph, but its a little ugly sitting outside the tank and was hoping to conceal everything inside the container. The twin outlets as is can handle over 1600gph. And if I went with a 2" outlet on the container side, seems a 1500gph pump would be max. Like I said before, I run a 800gph right now and it keeps the water pretty darn clear when the cartridge is CLEAN. So I guess anywhere from 800-1500gph pump that could suck from below?

Any thoughts?
 
Looks nice, I saw a piece on TV a while back where someone had a similar setup where they had a drip system from the tank into a 'tray' below the tank, that was filled with something like pea gravel and planted with 'nitrate absorbers, from there another 'drip' into a sump below the plants level that was their bio-filter, then a pump returning the water to the tank. Don't remember the details (pump capacity etc) only that it was a 'low power' system that ran off a solar panel.
Looking at your setup wouldn't it be better to have the 'bio-filter' at the return end so it doesn't get clogged with gunk?
 
Why would it get clogged with gunk? Filtered clean water would travel through the plant roots back into the tank.
 
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44420

attachment.php


From that thread:
"The idea behind the trap is to keep water in the pump in the event of a shut down. Centrifical pumps require water inside them to pump. The trap keeps an amount of water in the system for this. When the pump restarts, it only has to process the air in the pickup tube before it runs at full capacity.

I need to pump from above the water level. When pumping from below the water level, the water pressure keeps the pump supplied with water when the system shuts down. "
 
ITHURTZ;4658425; said:
Why would it get clogged with gunk? Filtered clean water would travel through the plant roots back into the tank.
Click to expand...

OK sorry, didn't realise you were filtering the water before it reached the bio-balls, thought the plants (and what they are planted in) would be doing the mechanical filtering as well as the Nitrate reduction.
 
repella42;4658772; said:
What show you watching that showed fish tank filtration??????
Click to expand...

I wish I could remember.........I think it was one of those PBS documentary shows about someone who built a 'green' home, you know the ones with everything recycled, solar heating/power, think he was growing tomato's or something with fish poop as fertilizer!
 
Just put a foot valve (back-flow valve) on the intake and you're good-to-go.
 
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