DIY background... Hiding stuff?

I've seen it done with 'false' back grounds.. usually the back ground is notched with slots and a circulation pump is place in the back ground.. water is then pumped from the back ground back into the tank. (think mattenfilter designs )you would modify the design to allow for flow since matten filters use sponge you would take the basic concept and install a pump. I have an internal filter for a tank that uses a similar concept.. it's an over flow with layers of media..I use a pump at the bottom and use tubing and an output spout to flow the water back over the top...

If I had designed this internal filter, I would have cut slots at the bottom and routed the water using tubing and an output at the top.

You can use an HOB and mask just the intake by building it into the background, then use the output as a waterfall up top. Make the hole for the intake a bit bigger than the tube itself to not hamper flow and make the background only open at the bottom (the tube is covered when you look at it straight on). You can also redirect the flow to pass over the heater on its way to the filter intake by installing the heater and HOB tube side by side in the same cavity and making the opening for water to enter the cavity only on the heater side.

I'm making one of these myself, so I've been thinking about it a lot

The idea I've adopted did used is to add a small pump and run an output tube under the substrate toward the front of the tank.

I built my own Styrofoam background for my 210 gallon. I have a compartment at each end of the tank. One for the intake and one for the output with my canister filter. I put a heater in each compartment as well. It has worked out well because the fx5 has enough flow to move the debris through the tank. I also have a powerhead on each side to help circulate the top.

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