MrDaytona
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
My 400 gallon FW aquarium is almost ready for water. My problem is which way to filter it- given two options. Use just one (which one) or use both (separately or together)????
I have a tower at one end that has 3 perforated pipes that are 12 inches tall [or 1/3 of the tower's height] and another pipe that goes thru the tower from the bottom and over the top of the tower. They were put in place so that I could put bio balls at the bottom 1/3 of the tower, then packets of carbon (coal), and on top of that a filtering material. The water would overflow the tower pass thru the aforementioned medium, thru the perforated pipe, the pump, and then back into the tank thru the overflow tube.
In addition to this I have 3 outlet drains in the bottom of the tank, beneath a homemade under gravel filter. There are four bubbler tubes located beneath the under gravel filter to facilitate removal of waste thru the gravel.
I understand the filtering thru the tower - even though the clean filtered water is returning at the same place the overflow is feeding the tower.
If I am to use the under gravel filter I would need to pump the water to the top of the tower for it to be filtered before going back into the tank.
It had been suggested I use a wet-dry filter beneath the tank for the under gravel filtering but the main drawback is that in case of a power failure I would have 400 gallons of water draining into the room.
Any and all suggestions would be appreciated as this really LARGE tank has begun to create LARGE headaches. Thanks in advance to all.
I have a tower at one end that has 3 perforated pipes that are 12 inches tall [or 1/3 of the tower's height] and another pipe that goes thru the tower from the bottom and over the top of the tower. They were put in place so that I could put bio balls at the bottom 1/3 of the tower, then packets of carbon (coal), and on top of that a filtering material. The water would overflow the tower pass thru the aforementioned medium, thru the perforated pipe, the pump, and then back into the tank thru the overflow tube.
In addition to this I have 3 outlet drains in the bottom of the tank, beneath a homemade under gravel filter. There are four bubbler tubes located beneath the under gravel filter to facilitate removal of waste thru the gravel.
I understand the filtering thru the tower - even though the clean filtered water is returning at the same place the overflow is feeding the tower.
If I am to use the under gravel filter I would need to pump the water to the top of the tower for it to be filtered before going back into the tank.
It had been suggested I use a wet-dry filter beneath the tank for the under gravel filtering but the main drawback is that in case of a power failure I would have 400 gallons of water draining into the room.
Any and all suggestions would be appreciated as this really LARGE tank has begun to create LARGE headaches. Thanks in advance to all.