Eureka!

[wasserscheu]

... ran across that saltwater-video coincidently... shows a moving powerhead...

http://www.petnet.de/index.php?cat=video&id=259

[Mark Janssen]

I'm exactly at the same stage as you Wolfram......planning. This will likely be a winter project....or Spring.....Summer

Martin.

and how far are things going?

[Martin Thoene]

How far are things going? About a centimetre

As I said, this is a "later" project. Here's what I'm loosely planning (but no details of my concept).

My LFS is just installing a new Marine fish and invertebrate system. The tanks and stands have been custom-made. Several 6 feet x 1 foot x 1 foot aquariums on 1.5" square steel stands. It set me thinking.....

For my "idea" I will need maybe about 1 foot of tank space to realize my plan. Therefore, I want to start with a long tank. I want to measure the elevators where I live and see what it's possible to fit in them, as obviously the equipment needs to be delivered and I'm in a penthouse apartment. I might make the stand myself from timber.
My Mother passed away last year and some inheritance will be coming to me, so I thought that I might treat myself and my fish to a custom-designed setup specifically aimed at Hillstream species.
I could easily fit an 8 foot long aquarium along one wall where a 4 foot, 65 gallon and a 30" tank now stand. They are my River-Tank and a tank with Schisturas and such-like.

What I was thinking was take down the small tank, move the 65 to my bedroom or utilize it to replace another smaller tank. A stand to take two 6,7 or 8 feet tanks (whatever fits in the elevator and I can afford) one above the other along the wall. They would be possibly 12" x 12"or 15" high lower and 12" wide by 15 or 18" deep upper, custom made again. So they won't be particularly huge in volume. The lower tank will likely use a "conventional" River-tank setup, although I have an idea about trying a kind of hybrid of my old manifold and this new idea.

As Vanceman has discovered, narrower width allows more current from a given output. Now, my theory requires some extra internal stuff in the tank that needs to ideally go in during manufacture, but I want it easily removable and modifiable in case it just doesn't work.
Basically, I want to be able to return to a more conventional River-Tank setup, but I also have some ideas on that which could utilize parts of my "new" idea should it prove unworkable.

My "backup" plan involves probably using two of the very powerful Sieio 2600 gph powerhead. My "new" plan does not use any conventional aquarium pumps at all apart from extra filtration of choice.

I have to cost this all out, but I might go for a shared sump filtration system. I would intend to keep sucker-type Hillstreams in the top tank and my Schisturas, Leptobotias, etc in the lower tank.

All ideas and dreams at present. I might just forget the unconventional idea completely because I'm very unsure of the aesthetics and go for my "hybrid" concept, which is aimed at eliminating the intake sponges from the River-tank manifold and in fact doing away with the tubular manifold entirely.

The concept of the original Rivertank manifold is a quick drop-in system that can also be easily removed. What I'm thinking now is a dedicated tank design for the hard-core loach enthusiast, not just Hillstream fans. We're all pretty much agreed that most loach species like a current, so I'm thinking of an idea that could be "tuned" by sizing the pumps, but not be limited by tubing size if you go really large flow. It could be added to an empty aquarium too, but would be more of a semi-permanent fixture.

Martin.