Wet/Dry Users: What Size Sump and Filter Flow Rate are you using?

DB junkie

Gold Tier VIP
MFK Member
Jan 27, 2007
9,036
1,863
2,053
Iowa
Behold the part that I don't understand......

How does the flowrate have anything to do with how fast water falls? Gravity is constant.

If I run my wet dry with a 1K GPH pump then the water still falls through the bio tower at the same rate as if I was pumping 4K. The difference is the water actually makes it out to the perimeter of the drip plate with 4K as opposed to only an "island" of the drip plate with 1K.

IF you did NOT have a drip plate this might hold true..... But most "trickle" filters do use a drip tray now don't they?
 

Chaitika

Silver Tier VIP
MFK Member
Feb 1, 2007
7,921
40
955
Back in action!
Ahh, see now you're getting to the crux of the matter.

Filtering 500 gph or 1000 gph of water through the same drip tray will result in two different outcomes. At some point, the water flowing through the drip tray is no longer a drip/trickle, it becomes a stream. If the tray is drilled with enough holes, and the small streams of water are broken up quickly by way of hitting a piece of bio media, then you might achieve the same result. When dripping through it is already in smaller droplets, meaning greater surface area and more gas exchange. There is way more gas exchange happening in an unstable flow of drops as opposed to a steady stream of water. Drops fall more randomly through the plate, whereas a small stream falls the same way almost all the time. If that small stream does not make contact and break into drops, the effect is lost.
 

DB junkie

Gold Tier VIP
MFK Member
Jan 27, 2007
9,036
1,863
2,053
Iowa
So this "unbroken stream" occurs... And "the effect is lost" this means???

Seems to me at worst you may loose a little efficiency. I would think insufficient filtration would be more detramentel to the fish then a "Innefficient" wet/dry.

Not trying to argue the principles here...... But I think it IS possible to have a wet dry work efficiently with a decent flowrate.
 

Rivermud

Candiru
MFK Member
Dec 14, 2007
980
14
48
Idaho
DB junkie;2840642; said:
So this "unbroken stream" occurs... And "the effect is lost" this means???

Seems to me at worst you may loose a little efficiency. I would think insufficient filtration would be more detramentel to the fish then a "Innefficient" wet/dry.

Not trying to argue the principles here...... But I think it IS possible to have a wet dry work efficiently with a decent flowrate.
You are correct. I think the point they were making is that you want to try to make the filter as efficient as possible. Some people try to takes things like turnover rate and use them as gospel without really realizing how to utiliz their bio filtration. People need to base their filtration based on their bio load, not so much their turnover rate or sump size. This is why each sump and/or other filtration setup is unique for each hobbyist. The idea is to provide stable healthy parameters in your tank which really has nothing to do with massive turnover but more with proper bio filtration based on the load your system pushes which will be unique to you. A lot of us like to "go large" to provide a buffer zone and less chance of failure or spiking.
 

DB junkie

Gold Tier VIP
MFK Member
Jan 27, 2007
9,036
1,863
2,053
Iowa
This is true.... I guess efficiency just kinda goes out the window when you start talking the bio load of a dozen rays...... LOL

But a higher flowrate design can obviously work, it hasn't let me down since I built mine.
 

Rivermud

Candiru
MFK Member
Dec 14, 2007
980
14
48
Idaho
DB junkie;2840718; said:
This is true.... I guess efficiency just kinda goes out the window when you start talking the bio load of a dozen rays...... LOL

But a higher flowrate design can obviously work, it hasn't let me down since I built mine.
Oh absolutely it can work. I think the message was that it's way more important to make sure the system functions efficiently than to make it function fast.... I'm sure you have a hardcore sump with a massive amount of bio media to address the load, if it didn't do the job, you'd be the first to know lol.
 

Chaitika

Silver Tier VIP
MFK Member
Feb 1, 2007
7,921
40
955
Back in action!
Yep, its about understanding how a wet/dry is efficient and maximizing it's potential, as opposed to following some phantom rule arbitrarily perpetuated on the net. :)

Another thing to keep in mind is if you're using a closed chamber, air should be injected with a small air pump and tubing. :)
 
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store