whats your opinion on this filtration "technique"?

[sibernation]

i have an idea for building my concrete aquarium. im certain it would work but just to make sure... i wanna ask as much opinion as i can. after all, i only have one chance to design and build a permanent concrete tank. so, every point raised is valuable.

on my glass tanks, i was implementing a technique on filtration. i applied this to all the setups that housed big fishes. 8 adult oscars on a tank, an over fed adult flowerhorn and so on.

regardless on the stock, i only used a single OHF. what i do is to stick the powerhead on the vertical middle of the aquarium. i then direct all of the output of the powerhead to the OHF. needless to say, the tank has minimal current. this enables the waste to settle on the bottom. i then religiously siphon this everyday or maximum of 2 days. this siphoning routine doesnt bother me, for the love of the hobby. the reason for such a technique, i dont want to clog up my filter to the point that it will defeat its purpose. coz i know, if it does... it will re-circulate the waste within the tank. as for circulation, the OHF box is always place on the opposite side the powerhead, length wise. as for the aeration, i used air pump on min setting halfway down the aquarium. i did not have any problem with any of my fish so far by using this "technique".

thing is, i wanna implement this "technique" to my future concrete aquarium. i had made a rough sketch on the design of the concrete tank to enable me to use this "technique".

here's the sketch.

hopefully on this design, the waste will settle down to the open drainage pipe. i plan to drain it everyday. just enough to flash out the day's worth of waste. btw, this future concrete tank will house a single arapaima. 10 silver dollars and an albino pleco.

let me know what you think. thanks!

 

[CA-Delta]

Sounds like an interesting project, however, I don't think there is near enough information here to make an educated guess.
Is the tank round ? square? rectangular?
How many gallons ?
What kind of flow rate are you shooting for ?
Is the OHF strctly for Bio filtration ?
What are the dimensions of the tank ?
All of my questions pertain more to design than technique as I tend to think of technique more so as the method used to operate a system than the actual construction process.

 

[sibernation]

Is the tank round ? square? rectangular?

i know that a circle would be the effective shape for it. though, i think will be gunning for a rectangular design because of space constraints. we all know that the circle shape is not much of a space saver. interestingly enough, i still plan to build the flooring to be an irregular cylindrical of some sort.

How many gallons ?

im not sure. i didnt calculate it yet. pls refer to your last question below regarding the dimensions.

What kind of flow rate are you shooting for ?

maybe 1 - 2 turn over per an hour.

Is the OHF strctly for Bio filtration ?

nope, i wont be using OHF on this project. i know it would not be adequate this time. even if i use 10 OHF for aquariums . im planning to build a concrete bio tower hybrid. the main job of the filter is to polish the water. though, the filtration setup will still be designed to accomodate the normal bio-load of the tank without putting to consideration the daily flushing out. filter tower hybrid should be 3x3 and 4ft deep.

What are the dimensions of the tank ?

the tank would be around 9 x 7 ft. middle portion would be 4 ft deep and the corners around 3 ft deep.

 

[livebearerfreak]

nice!

 

[sibernation]

thanks man! any inputs?

 

[KaiserSousay]

You need to stop thinking “Aquarium” and start thinking “Pond”.
I would start looking at pond related sites as well as any sites fish breeders might have up.
The breeders would probably have filtration setups that work the best, for the least amount of money, and require the least amount of service.
Good luck with your project.

 

[sibernation]

point taken. though, you entirely missed the point or you misinterpret it. the design is not for decerasing pond building coast. i made it that way thinking it would for the good of myy fish. the intention was for easier cleaning, because even though i have to open a gate valve everyday.. still its just a switch and would take less than 5 minutes. as of now, i also believe that my design will be for the better of my water parameter, ammonia and nitrate wise.... unless someone prove me other wise. still, thanks for the input kaisersousay.

 

[kurare]

Concrete does crack... you'll have to build it like a pond/pool i would think :|

 

[surfpalmsncycads]

the shape of the tank being deeper in the middle causing waste to collect ther is actualy a good idal i personaly wouldnt use a ball valve like you intend to flash out the waste. youl have to worry about water levels and such throughout time accounting how much is evaporated and how much is flashed. if you use salt it doesnt evap so if levels are down you just add treated water if you open your valve may cause confusion of how much salt and whatnot was let out if that makes sence. id have a large powerhead in the centerpoint where waste is collected running to and above ground bio filter. very easy to build i did mine for 25 bucks pm me and ill show you how. thats what i use on my pond and its crystal clerar no wait. extrememly crystal clear! water pumps through it and pours right back into pond/tank similar to hob but terrific bio and polishing as well. no maintnance except pull top off and squirt off filter pads. bio stays put. youl also get great aeration from the spillway back into the pond/tank. concrete does crack over time. use pondoat at least its rubbery so if you get cracks theres give and take on the sealant. good luck with the project sounds fun!

 

[walleye1]

I dont see why this should not work. This is no different than a pool drain, Right? Just higher slant. However, I would go with earlier post and stick a pump in the middle. This would be pain to fix if you ever have drain pipe issues like clogging.