water movement

[dudeofrude]

I recently bought a new filter for my tank, its rated for twice my tanks size and has an hourly output of nearly 5times my tanks capacity yet I still seem to have a lot of bioload settling on the floor of my tank. I have a spray bar fitted and I can see the water current in the top part of the tank but the bottom seems very still? I'm just wondering if there's any kind of dye I can safely add to the water to check the current/movement??

 

[mfdrookie516]

You're seeing waste. That's why along with filtering, you have to gravel vac every week. Most of that stuff is going to stay there.

 

[dudeofrude]

Yeah I know I usually do but its only since I've had this new filter that its got worse. I can't vac at the min anyway coz I've got loads of fry in tank.

 

[OhNeil1969]

Yeah I know I usually do but its only since I've had this new filter that its got worse. I can't vac at the min anyway coz I've got loads of fry in tank.

Believe it or not I've vacuumed in the past with fry in my tank. I usually get someone to help keep an eye on things and guide me just in case I don't see a tank mate. Most fry will try and avoid your vacuum as a self-preservation technique.

 

[dudeofrude]

Yeah I'll just do it the best I can. But back to my original question, does anyone know of anything? I was thinking if some kind if food dye maybe?

 

[Gargoyle]

I have not used dye. I have no idea if it would be safe or not. What I have used is a little air into the filter so the impeller chops it up into smaller bubbles and I watch the movement of these tiny bubbles to see what kind of water movement I do or do not have.

With a spray bar I wouldn't expect much though. Normally you can get better circulation with a regular open outlet or a fan style outlet over a spray bar. Spray bars are for agitation of the surface and not much more.

 

[Peterjvh]

I have not used dye. I have no idea if it would be safe or not. What I have used is a little air into the filter so the impeller chops it up into smaller bubbles and I watch the movement of these tiny bubbles to see what kind of water movement I do or do not have.

I'm very new but what I've found is that my canister filter generally has air that gets trapped inside. I give the canister a light tilt/bump and the air gets dislodged and shoots out the diffuser in tiny bubbles. I suppose the bubbles want to rise but do get a good idea of the water flow.

 

[Mr Ray]

filter ideas?

I have my eye on a 120 gallon 48x24x24 tank and since I have been out of the hobby for 5 years I would like to hear what everyone has to say about what filter or filters I should have for this tank? The last tank I had I bought a eheim 2260 but I haven't got the cash to spend that much again. Something a little more reasonable if possible. It will house some small dwarf cichlids and approx 7 discus mainly, plus I really like live plants. I get off on the plants almost as much as I do the fish. So, what does everyone think?
The more I look around the more confused I've become.

 

[Gargoyle]

I have my eye on a 120 gallon 48x24x24 tank and since I have been out of the hobby for 5 years I would like to hear what everyone has to say about what filter or filters I should have for this tank? The last tank I had I bought a eheim 2260 but I haven't got the cash to spend that much again. Something a little more reasonable if possible. It will house some small dwarf cichlids and approx 7 discus mainly, plus I really like live plants. I get off on the plants almost as much as I do the fish. So, what does everyone think?
The more I look around the more confused I've become.

If your of the handy sort you could try a DIY trickle filter. If you do a google search it should yield tons of results for you. I have built 2 of them using viaaqua pumps and a DIY overflow using PVC piping and a toms water lifter pump. Most of these items I have bought online from drs foster and smith.

It takes a little planning but the results of these filters has been superior to my magnum 350 canister filters I was using and changing out the filter media is much easier now. I now use the magnums and water pumps during water changes making that task much quicker and easier than the buckets used to use.

Hopefully this helps more than it confuses but the DIY trickle filters I use filter over 800gph which is awesome for the light price tag of the parts.

 

[Mr Ray]

Thanks Gargoyle, I have thought about trickle filters a bit but thought they would be noisy. Can you hear the water running on yours? If they can be quiet than I would be interested in possibly making one. From what I read they are the biological king of filters.

 

[Gargoyle]

Well they are not silent by any stretch... Like I said I have made two of them. The first one is on my fish tank and it makes a fair bit of noise. I have found a few ways to quiet it down which has made the noise it makes more of a background type of noise. The second in on the turtle tank.. In the same room. It has a few design improvements which does make it quieter than the one on the fish tank but it flows a little less water as a result. Still works very well though.. But they do make noise... It's not irritating noise though...

Some of the benefits of them I have noticed are.... The surface of the water stays very clean.. No surface build up at all which allows for much better light penetration for plants. Extreme ability to oxygenate the water without airstones.. Plus for fish.. Minus for c02 injection. Te bioballs I use need to be rinsed once a year only.. The filter media is extremely easy to change and customize... Water level in tank never changes.. Just top off the sump area and your good to go!

Now the bulk of the noise comes from the water movement into the sump using the DIY PVC overflow... Gurgling, rushing water sound, waterfall or trickle sounds... These noises can be lessened with a little thought.. Te gurgling is easily lessened by installing a muffler (I use a bulkhead strainer packed with filter pad) on the vent tube. The rushing water noise is remedied by inserting a piece of airline tubing into the intake. ( this does lessen the flow a bit though ). Be careful not to let the airline tubing get sucked into the tube like I did... I still need to fish that out of there.. And the water fall sound can be lessened and even eliminated by reducing the amount of free space between the outlet and the filter media.. It's a distance thing.. Takes a little fine tuning to get it.

So I know this is long winded but I wanted to paint a complete picture for you..

 

[Mr Ray]

Thanks Gargoyle for all the information. You have me thinking that maybe that a wet/dry is the way to go. I have looked on You tube and elsewhere for plans and have seen a few that I could possibly tackle. I was wondering if you would have an idea approximately on the total cost to build one with the pump and what kind of pump do you use? Submersible or not and flow rate? Thanks again

 

[Gargoyle]

Thanks Gargoyle for all the information. You have me thinking that maybe that a wet/dry is the way to go. I have looked on You tube and elsewhere for plans and have seen a few that I could possibly tackle. I was wondering if you would have an idea approximately on the total cost to build one with the pump and what kind of pump do you use? Submersible or not and flow rate? Thanks again

Well I use the "ViaAqua" pumps that drs foster and smith sell on their website. I forgot the size of your tank but I like the 1800 model that can move about 800 gph. Now when one was hooked to my 55 gallon going through 1 inch pipe with 4 90's a single DIY 1inch overflow did the job. With that being said the same pump hooked to my turtle tank would outflow my overflow and had to be throttled back a touch. So if you have a large tank and are looking for a ton of flow I would build multiple overflows.. At least 2 of them so you can be sure to have enough return in case it is needed. Playing with the plumbing a little and being sure before you glue it all up helps..

Now price... The first one I built I used a 5.5 gallon aquarium as my filter. Placed the pump in the tank "submersible" as I feel safer that way and bought all the elbows and PVC pipe for a cost of 97 dollars and change. The second one I built the same way but I was in a rush so the bargain hunting went to the wayside and it came in at 105.00 with a 10 gallon tank.

I found flexible hose and most of the PVC was cheaper at menards than home depot. The pump and lift pump where cheapest at the drs foster and smith site... As well as the filter media. The tanks were a toss up between petco and meijer both times.. I would say one of these could be built for less than 150.00 with filter media and impressive flow pretty easily.. I'm just cheap... lol

Any more questions please ask.. And be sure to check out the website for the pumps and media.. If only for pricing.. It'll give you a better idea and lots of options.

 

[Mr Ray]

Thanks Gargoyle, One more question for now. Those tanks you bought (5.5 and 10 gallon) were they glass?

 

[Gargoyle]

Both of them are glass... Easier to set up for filtration.. I'll try to get a few pics up if you think it would help.

 

[Mr Ray]

Thanks Gargoyle for going to all this trouble! A few pics would be great...

 

[Gargoyle]

OK I will snap some pics and upload them soon...

 

[Gargoyle]

Pics as promised... Last four are fish all the rest are pics of the turtle tank one I just did rather quickly.. Any questions please feel free to ask.

 

[Mr Ray]

Hey Gargoyle, Thanks for the pics, that's really nice of you to do that for me. I have a couple of questions of things I see in some of the pics that I can't identify. The pic of the aqua lifter on the turtle tank, is that a skimmer in front of the intake? Also that same pic and the very last pic has what looks like a breathing tube or vent what are they for? The rest I think I have figured out.(famous last words)

 

[Gargoyle]

The small circular thing right before the lift pump? If so that's actually a small filter to keep the diaphragm of the lift pump from getting clogged.. In a turtle tank that's a must have... Turtles are messy..

The black cap on the vent tube of the overflow is there for noise reduction. Most of the noise on these PVC overflows comes from the vent. Also without the vent the siphon action would quickly create a vacuum inside the tube and fail to continue working so the vent is needed. The black cap is actually a 3/4 thread bulkhead fitting stuffed with filter media to act as a muffler. Some people have just used PVC end caps and drilled a hole in them for an airline that they run to the filter to move the noise created into the tank stand which also reduces the noise.

Hopefully that helps.. Anymore questions just ask..