Tub Filtration

[Onion01]

Alright, I am going to set up my 300g rubbermaid tub to house my silver arow and temporarily house my large cats. I have a basic schematic, but need some references...

1) what type of pump and pump strength should I use to take water into the filter?
2) Is a 5g bucket good enough as a filter or should I go for a 35g rubbermaid bin?
3) filter material used? In each of the three layers I want progressively finer filter material
4) should the water exit as a waterfall or should I powerhead it and make a current?

 

[frasertheking]

well u want at least 3x turn over after head loss . if you wanna be cheap use a filter floss pre filter then gravel as bio if you are cheap or pot scrubbers are better .

5g miight not be enough the 30 would be better . and a water fall sounds fine will help aerate the water but a few air stones will help

 

[Onion01]

well u want at least 3x turn over after head loss . if you wanna be cheap use a filter floss pre filter then gravel as bio if you are cheap or pot scrubbers are better .

5g miight not be enough the 30 would be better . and a water fall sounds fine will help aerate the water but a few air stones will help

airstones in a 300g? you mean air boulder. thanks, i think I will both use a 55g bin, and start reading the diy thread

 

[Dr Joe]

frasertheking's got a handle on it, I'd go with a higher turnover rate (5x, as the filter gets dirty it will slow down) and the 35g bin, to keep the water cleaner with cats. And on the cheap I'd use lava rock since it's more porous than gravel for the same price, and always use with a mechanical pre-filter. Put an air stone in under the lava rock (bottom of the filter) to aerate Bio-filter and water). MagDrive pumps work well (Danner Mag-Drive Supreme 18 1800 GPH Pump is 1200gph @ 5ft.). Put the pump in the opposite end of the tank as the waterfall return. You can add a power head to direct the waste toward the pump later if you find it necessary. The cats may move it around enough by themselves.
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Dr Joe
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[Onion01]

sounds great! but for filter media, should i just load it with one type, or get progressively finer pores? Will just scrubbies and filter floss be okay? Should I put a drip plate at the top of the bin?