Hello guys,
We have a 290 gallon tank with the dimensions length 120in width 18in height 20in. It used to be a marine tank with a few fishes so we had no probs with filtration. ever since we converted to freshwater the problems started. To cut the long story short, after many attempts to design a filtration system that would maintain the tank clean we have failed to achieve this. I think that maybe the flaw is in the original design of the drainage as detailed below:
1. the tank was designed with 2 outlet pipes to the filter at the top of each end of the tank, the 2 pipes are 3/4inch each.
2. The inlet from the filter is only one 1/2inch pipe
.
The problem is that i have to work with these pipes only since they are built in the houses walls in cocrete and they cant be moved.These pipes drain the water to a 70 gallon wet/dry sump which in turn feeds a sand filter.
The tank has large pebbles as substrate and four powerful powerheads at each corner. But still a lot of debris collects at the bottom and i feel that since the drainage pipes are at the top the water at the bottom is left untouched even though the powerheads help move the water.
Anyways the tank is empty now and i am willing to start working on it. My plan is to layer the tank with an undergravel filter under the large pebbles, and connect xlarge powerheads (4or more) to the UGfilter. I am hoping that the debris will work its way through the pebbles to the trays below and the powerheads should suck all the rubbish out and push it to the top of the tank where the jets will be pointed. Hopefully there's going to be a better chance for the water below to be drained out.
I decided to share this with you guys since most of you have large tanks and experience so your comments will be appreciated.
Its a bit long for m first post but anyways, Thanks.
We have a 290 gallon tank with the dimensions length 120in width 18in height 20in. It used to be a marine tank with a few fishes so we had no probs with filtration. ever since we converted to freshwater the problems started. To cut the long story short, after many attempts to design a filtration system that would maintain the tank clean we have failed to achieve this. I think that maybe the flaw is in the original design of the drainage as detailed below:
1. the tank was designed with 2 outlet pipes to the filter at the top of each end of the tank, the 2 pipes are 3/4inch each.
2. The inlet from the filter is only one 1/2inch pipe
.The problem is that i have to work with these pipes only since they are built in the houses walls in cocrete and they cant be moved.These pipes drain the water to a 70 gallon wet/dry sump which in turn feeds a sand filter.
The tank has large pebbles as substrate and four powerful powerheads at each corner. But still a lot of debris collects at the bottom and i feel that since the drainage pipes are at the top the water at the bottom is left untouched even though the powerheads help move the water.
Anyways the tank is empty now and i am willing to start working on it. My plan is to layer the tank with an undergravel filter under the large pebbles, and connect xlarge powerheads (4or more) to the UGfilter. I am hoping that the debris will work its way through the pebbles to the trays below and the powerheads should suck all the rubbish out and push it to the top of the tank where the jets will be pointed. Hopefully there's going to be a better chance for the water below to be drained out.
I decided to share this with you guys since most of you have large tanks and experience so your comments will be appreciated.
Its a bit long for m first post but anyways, Thanks.
Please guys just write ur opinions about what u read and wat u would do ..................... thnx
