Sump/Wet-Dry Filter Basics, Please!

wantvws

wantvws

AC Members
Jul 15, 2007
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Waynesboro, VA
After some discussion (check this thread http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=119514), I have decided to replace one of my canister filters with the wet-dry filter that came with my aquarium. What I need now is some basics on the operation. I know that the water is siphoned into the filter through the HOB overflow box, goes through the media, and is pumped back to the tank. I am missing the siphon part of my filter...can I make one out of PVC? How do I know if the siphon is to much or too little? If my pump is putting the water back in faster than the siphon, won't it empty the filter? OR will the filter overflow if the siphon is too fast? Or does the siphon flow just match the return pump flow? Sorry if these are basic questions....
Also, the box that hangs off of the back has two compartments (there are some pics in the thread link)...does the siphon fill one and it overflows into the other with the drain? Is there supposed to be some sort of sponge or something in this box?
Thanks so much for the help!
Robbie
 
Thanks...that is very helpful. I am going to test my filter this weekend with a tub of water to see if I can make it work.
Thanks!
Robbie
 
Ok....I bought a 29 gallon tank today to (1) use as a QT tank in the future and (2) figure out how this wet/dry filter sump thing works. I figure it's a lot easier to fill 29g tank in the garage and play with the sump than to fill my 210g in my aquarium room (formally known as the dining room). I used some 1" PVC pipe for the overflow box and it seems to match the flow of my eheim return pump perfectly. I let it run for about 20 minutes and the water level in the sump never changed...hooray! So I want to plumb the return line with 3/4" PVC to the tank (with a check valve). The question I have now is should I just have the PVC end open in the tank or should I try and put in some sort of thing like this-http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=9850&N=2004+113794
Does it matter how deep the return is in the tank? Also, I assume the return should be fairly far away from the overflow? And should I put my powerheads on the same end of the tank as the sump return?
Am I overthinking this?:thud:
Sorry if these are all pretty basic questions....
Thanks!!!
Robbie
 
wantvws said:
I used some 1" PVC pipe for the overflow box and it seems to match the flow of my eheim return pump perfectly. I let it run for about 20 minutes and the water level in the sump never changed...hooray! So I want to plumb the return line with 3/4" PVC to the tank (with a check valve). The question I have now is should I just have the PVC end open in the tank or should I try and put in some sort of thing like this-http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=9850&N=2004+113794
Does it matter how deep the return is in the tank? Also, I assume the return should be fairly far away from the overflow? And should I put my powerheads on the same end of the tank as the sump return?
Am I overthinking this?:thud:
Sorry if these are all pretty basic questions....
Thanks!!!
Robbie
Click to expand...

um yea it would b nice to have it as far away as possible so u arent skimming already good water and no it dont matter but remember to drill two 1/8" holes about half inch or so below water surface cause when u turn ur pump off or it fails the pump will suck water the opposite way and if lets say ur return line is half way in ur tank and u dont it will drain water til the opening of the pipe isnt in water...another words ur gone , pump fails, sucks water backinto sump til it breaks syphon ie...LOTS O' WATER on ur floor....i know i almost did it tonight..if a small wind went through my room or i even bumped the tank water would splash out... as far as the power heads i really would worry about it...i have 3 in my tank now and they kinda all just blow the water around in different areas...best thing to do is try and get a good current going in differnt directions and if u were to get corals u would have them blowing in their direction if its a type that need a good current on it...
oooppps...ur putting a check valve in well that should eliminate the need to drill hoes in ur return line in the tank part but i would do it just in case the check valve fails...remember what u tested in ur garage is gonna b differnt then on ur actualtank because the head loss, the valve, and the piping alone will reduce flow, but u shouldnt have to worry to much as long as ur pump matches ur overflow....GL im going through the exact same thing myself..oh and u dont need somethign like that unless u really want to throw it in differnt directions u really just need a pvc going up and over into the tank and maybe make it do u can adjust which way u want the flow to go but just regular old 3 ninteys.... over down and a directional one
 
Yeah I just read your near-flood thread....your sump looks alot like mine..of course I assume it's a pretty common design. I will drill holes in my return..thanks for the suggestion. I didn't really think about the water siphoning through the pump until I unplugged the pump to swap out my 3/4" return for the 1" return and noticed how fast my sump was filling....
thanks for your help and good luck with your sump...
Robbie
 
glad to help...its funny cause less then a month ago i knew absolutey nothing now im helping people...:) u gotta post some pics when u get a chance
 
Now, i have plumbed my return with 3/4" PVC because there was 5/8" tubing coming off of the pump and 3/4" was the next size up. When I was mocking it up, I pulled off the 5/8" hose and it looks like it was supposed to be 1/2" hose instead (the 5/8 slipped over the threads on the connector). Should I worry about the 1/2" to 3/4" step and replace the PVC with 1/2"? Will the water movement be reduced too much with the 3/4" PVC? there are a couple of pics here if you're interested.
Thanks!
Robbie
 
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