10g tank with built in wet/dry filter

I

imafloormatt

AC Members
Jan 4, 2010
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Washington
So I have presented this idea before but I want to hear what other people have to say about this so I don't end up wasting my time and money.

I want to take a 10g tank and separate about 1/4 of it to be used as a wet/dry filter and the other 3/4 of it for a small planted tank. I just about have it all figured out but I want to make sure I am not missing something important.

So here is the design, I got the idea from here: http://www.danoreef.com/DIY_5.5.htm except I want to make the back section into a wet/dry filter. I know it is not to scale but I want to make it look pretty much exactly like this...

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The only thing I am really worried about is the CO2 reactor. Will it even work? Someone said that the CO2 bubbles will just flow out into the main tank area with the water but I was thinking that they would float up and stay in the reactor. I got the plan from http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/diy/65191-my-diy-co2-reactor.html but I want to know if anybody has done something similar with success. If this idea doesn't seem like it would work, does anyone have any suggestions about what I should do?

Also, will the overflow I have drawn not work as good as if I just cut teeth out of it like an ordinary overflow?

And last, on all other wet/dry filters I have seen, there is a sponge wedged into the small area between the two large sections (I think this is called the bubble catcher?) What kind of sponge should I use there?

I would lover to hear some opinions/suggestions.
 
lots of online store sell the sponge your talking about so they are easy to get just google wet dry filter replacement sponge and pick a store and place a order.
 
When you have a tank that small, what's the point of using precious room as a filter when you can get an out of tank filter?
 
This will be a bit cheaper than any other filter (I think) but mostly for the experience. I was going to make a DIY canister filter for it but it looked horrible, I think this will look better, and I will be able to hide my heater, thermometer, CO2 hose, ect. inside of it. And if this works out really nicely, I will probably end up making a wet/dry sump for my 55g.
 
It will work, but it always seemed like a lot of work, and a bit of overkill. take a look at the german style mat filters, they work great. I have 2.

here's mine, there are tons of people doing the similar things.
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=211746

Either design will offgas more co2 than a tank with no air being pumped in or a canister filter, but you'd be able to easily hide all your equipment. maximizing co2 really requires a canister filter, in my opinion... but that doesn't mean that you can't acheive co2 benefits with other methods.
 
i drew up a idea similar to this except its a 20g long. its pretty much a refugium/sump but the refugium part is the actual tank.
 
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