filtration?

[Rallysman]

I would go with this for an overflow. If I can find the like to the PVC one I made I'll post it, as it works flawlessly.
http://www.aquatraders.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=146

 

[cyberbeer65]

if it were me, i would just get a better canister. HOB's don't tend to have enough power with tanks that big. canisters are good filters if you get a good brand. i don't currently have a canister because i don't have a large tank, so i can't give you any recomendations.

I have two Aquaclear 110 HOB on my 100 gal and my water is crystal clear,and if you look in my signature,I don't have a small bio load.

 

[loaches r cool]

FWIW here is another resource for DIY wet/dry http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/wetdry.htm

 

[QldRobbo]

thanks for all your help everyone!

 

[QldRobbo]

why does everyone use skimmer boxes for their overflow?

What I mean is, if I put a syphon tube in the tank that went to an overflow box on the outside of my tank... and in that overflow box I had a partition between the inlet from tank, and outlet to sump which was partitioned to the height of my water that would work also right?

The advantages of this is that it isn't only sucking water from the top, I can put holes in the syphon tube at halfway down and near the bottom of the tank.... the only advantage I can see to using a skimmer is that the syphon tube between the skimmer and the box on the outside of the tank shouldn't ever lose prime, whereas I'd need to re-prime mine after every water change (unless I put in a valve).

Does this make sense to everyone? If so, wouldn't this technically be a better option?

 

[loaches r cool]

QldRobbo, if I understand what you are saying correctly, then I think the main problem other than it loosing siphon whenever the tank water level dipped below the first 'hole' is that I think if the water level in the tank decreased it would suck the water in reverse through the overflow and empty it, loosing your siphon. The way the skimmer box works is that only the extra water pumped into the tank from the sump then pushes the water level up to flow into the skimmer box. No matter what happens to the tank level the skimmer/oveflow will maintain siphon in the traditional design. But why do you want the intake to be lower in the tank? If your trying to suck up more debris than you have to be really carefull any prefilter or anything doesnt get clogged because if water cant flow down into the sump at the rate the pump is pumping back then your going to have a flood unless you incorperate some kind of water level switch.

The advantages of this is that it isn't only sucking water from the top

I dont see this as much an advantage, atleast when weighed against the advantage of continous siphon. Thats just my opinion... but then again I might not be understanding your design properly either.