Hey all,
I'm getting ready to set up my 55 river tank, and want to know if my new idea makes sense.
I am going to have a river manifold (PVC pipes running under the sand, hooked up to power heads and intake at opposite ends). I'd like to alter the typical design slightly by adapting it to an HMF system. I am looking at getting a sheet of 2" black 30 ppi Poret, which I will fix a few inches from the end of the tank, covering the whole width and height of the tank. I will put the powerhead and Rena xp2 intakes behind this sheet, covering them with either a fine mesh or small blocks of 45 ppi foam from Poret.
The Rena will have no additional mechanical filtration in it (I don't think it will be needed!), but rather a bunch of bio-ball type stuff. Mostly, it'll just be used for extra flow, and a place to run carbon or other chem if I should ever need it.
I'm hoping this will give me outstanding filtration and flow, but I'm also hoping it will allow the couple of inches behind the wall to be a place where shrimp and Sewellia young might grow. I think that Sewellia eggs (and shrimplets) will occasionally make their way through the wall, but I'm hoping they won't go through the fine mesh or 45 ppi foam and end up getting blown back into the tank.
Any general thoughts on this? Also, any thoughts on whether I should use 2" or 3" for the wall? And 20 vs 30 ppi?
Many thanks!
I'm getting ready to set up my 55 river tank, and want to know if my new idea makes sense.
I am going to have a river manifold (PVC pipes running under the sand, hooked up to power heads and intake at opposite ends). I'd like to alter the typical design slightly by adapting it to an HMF system. I am looking at getting a sheet of 2" black 30 ppi Poret, which I will fix a few inches from the end of the tank, covering the whole width and height of the tank. I will put the powerhead and Rena xp2 intakes behind this sheet, covering them with either a fine mesh or small blocks of 45 ppi foam from Poret.
The Rena will have no additional mechanical filtration in it (I don't think it will be needed!), but rather a bunch of bio-ball type stuff. Mostly, it'll just be used for extra flow, and a place to run carbon or other chem if I should ever need it.
I'm hoping this will give me outstanding filtration and flow, but I'm also hoping it will allow the couple of inches behind the wall to be a place where shrimp and Sewellia young might grow. I think that Sewellia eggs (and shrimplets) will occasionally make their way through the wall, but I'm hoping they won't go through the fine mesh or 45 ppi foam and end up getting blown back into the tank.
Any general thoughts on this? Also, any thoughts on whether I should use 2" or 3" for the wall? And 20 vs 30 ppi?
Many thanks!
