Your comments about my master 360gallon filtration plan (pics)

[hamadee87]

Since i have a very large tank with drainpipes at the surface to a large sump and a sand filter. The water at the bottom of the tank always seemed untouched and becomes a resting place for all the waste and debris. An undergravel filter is useless due to the legnth of the tank and the large pevvl substrate. Under gravel jets also didnt seem like a good idea because of the large substrate and the large surface area. So after many thoughts and plns i decided to do the following, and please red thriugh it and give me your comments.


My plan consists of a piping network around the perimeter of the tank with slits evenly seperated along the pipe facing the bottom of the tank. 5 powerheads (4 on each corner and a powerful powerhead in the center) should theoritically suck the waste around the perimetr of the bootom of the tank and push it to the surface of the tank for circulation and to give it a better chance to get drained out to the sump. To aid this another pipe that runs along the center length of the bottom of the tank will be poked at even intervals and fitted with small fittings to jet the water from the center of thr tank to the sides for a better chance of suction. The source of this water is going to be the water return from the sump at one side of the pump and another powerful powerhead at the other for increased pressure.

This whole system will be covered with eggcrate or stainless steel wire mesh and the pebbles over it. I hope that this will create a drainage system through the pebbles to the piping. The diagram below shows this.

So what do you guys thionk about the idea, is it worth it? I am only worried that i won't get enough suction from the powerheads.

Anyways the pics below will give u a better idea,
Best regards

 

[DragonKeeper]

Sounds like a really expensive and over engineered under gravel filter. Me personally I would switch to sand for a substrate and go with an under sand jet setup. Also I don't know that your system will work as the debris is going to hang up in the gravel and decay.

Just my .02

Keeper

 

[hamadee87]

Sounds like a really expensive and over engineered under gravel filter. Me personally I would switch to sand for a substrate and go with an under sand jet setup. Also I don't know that your system will work as the debris is going to hang up in the gravel and decay.

Just my .02

Keeper

Thanks for the idea, but how often do you think the sand should be removed for total cleaning since its going to be really difficult to do that

 

[Wolf3101]

I have to agree that you're overcomplicating the situation. A simple pair of air driven hydro5 sponge filters in the back corners will give you all of the extra water flow you need and reduce the interval for gravil vacuuming at a far lower set up and operating cost than 5 powerheads.

 

[hamadee87]

Thats another good opinion. But what about the center of the tank will 2 filters at either end move the water in the middle.

 

[gekkecichla]

i think you worry to much, the powerheads will do the trick

 

[japes]

I'm not an expert at liquid physics, but here's a method that I use and should hopefully work for your situation. Ideally it will give you a lot of movement throughout the tank, from top to bottom, not just along the top like many Powerheads.

<Opens Photoshop>

Basically, if you can angle the outlets up at the surface, I've found it rebounds downwards and basically zig-zags through the tank and flows it all very nicely. I've got a 28" high tank so having canisters reach the substrate surface proved difficult, but with my sump spray-bar pointing upwards on nearly a 45 degree angle, as soon as we turned it on you could immediately see nice movement in the plants, and feces that usually lay dormant being lifted off the sand.

 

[Wolf3101]

Once you set up a flow pattern in the tank everything takes care of itself. Theres no need to have currents blasting over every sq inch of serface.