Any thoughts on this DIY filter?

[wataugachicken]

This is an idea to get some additional filtration on my 150g. The bright pink rectangle is a sponge, underneath that is bioballs, and then water flows through a perforated divider into the planted side. I want to have this on top of the tank. Aside from attempting to find suitable plants without adding a light, do you have any thoughts on this? The tank will be a 12g eclipse acrylic tank, but i don't have the hood for it anymore, though i do still have the rim.

I could theoretically do it without plants, but since it's going to be sitting on top of the tank i want it to look a little nicer. I just don't know how i can add a light because that would 1. look ugly and 2. block the plants from growing. The tank is only a foot tall.

oh and also, the outflow pipe would probably be pvc, so what would i use to seal around that pipe?

 

[Sploke]

Looks like a nice little setup to me. For the outflow, assuming the tank is acrylic, you'll just want to get a hole saw and drill a hole in the side, and get a bulkhead fitting to seal the pass-through. Some hardware stores sell them, or plumbing supply stores, or marinedepot.com as a last resort. If you got a nice looking light fixture you could hang it from some L-brackets or plant hangers mounted on the wall above the tank.

 

[RichardA]

Looks really good, might wanna re-think the fireworks in the wet chamber though.....LOL

J/K.

 

[wataugachicken]

those are my surreal plants, growing like weeds without light.

 

[jmhart]

Why above the tank....why not plumb it below the tank and call it a sump....and why not make it bigger and call it a sump.....and then you could call your chamber for plants a freshwater refugium.....you see where I'm going....

If you are concerned about looks, then without a light the plants and the whole device will look awkard on top of your tank

 

[wataugachicken]

i've had sumps, and they're a pain in my butt. in addition to that, i would have to drill holes in the tank stand, figure out plumbing, try to make room in the stand because i already have a canister and fish-stuff under the tank, worry about overflows/ pump running dry etc.

i already have the extra tank, and the pump, and the bioballs. i'm trying to work with what i already have laying around rather than buying more stuff, because if i have to do that i'll just go get another canister.

 

[jmhart]

But I still don't see how/why you don't want to just put it under the tank? Somehow you'll have to get water out of the tank and pump it up to the "above-tank sump", and then you'll have to relay it to the tank. The only difference between putting this above the the tank and below the tank is which side of the sump the pump is on.

I mean, just look at it, it is a sump....it's a sump with a refugium, it's just on top of the tank.

So, there's no problem putting it above your tank. I was just commenting on the fact that your top concern seems to be that it will look ugly. Well, the simple way to get around that is to pump the pump on the return instead of the inlet, and then just put it under your tank.

 

[wataugachicken]

then what's an easy way to get water down from the tank into the sump? that's where the main problem lies.

i don't want to deal with the sump overflowing, or fish getting sucked into it, or the sump going dry and the pump burning out. i've already dealt with those things and they weren't fun. none of those are issues with the above-tank idea.

 

[jmhart]

i don't want to deal with the sump overflowing, or fish getting sucked into it, or the sump going dry and the pump burning out. i've already dealt with those things and they weren't fun. none of those are issues with the above-tank idea.

I don't really see how those still aren't issues? For starters, how are you going to get water from the tank to the over-tank sump?....with a pump, so the fish can still get sucked in just like with any other filter. In the same way that user error can cause a sump to overflow, it seems like the above-tank sump could cause the tank itself to oversflow.

How are you going to get water from the tank to the above-tank sump?

 

[jones57742]

I want to have this on top of the tank.

These above the tank sumps are possible but I would not do that one due to the possibility of tank overflow.

With the standard below the tank sumps the sump is designed such that the volume from the bottom of the weir to the water surface in the tank can be discharged into the sump without overflowing the sump.

oh and also, the outflow pipe would probably be pvc, so what would i use to seal around that pipe?

You will need a bulkhead.

TR