Do you think this will work?

[JonasBygdemo]

I'm planning a loach-tank for housing clowns, yoyos, and kubotais. I've made a sketch on a filtration-system that I'd like some feedback on.



The basic idea is to have a background (that I'll make out of styrofoam), and housing filtermedia and powerheads behind it, leving the front free from tech-stuff. This is not new, I know, I just like the idea. I've been looking on the river tank manifold by Martin Thoene, and it's a good idea, but I want to hide away as much as possible of the filtration and heating.

The black "boxes" on the sketch are powerheads, which have spraybars mounted on them to create a more river-like stream intead of a concentraded blast of water. They are mounted on two levels, one at the surface to aerate the water, and one to provide mid-level streams. The intake is to the left of the tank. The blue parts on the sketch is the filtermedia, consisting of long pieces of a filterpad to form a box, and in between those are cubes cut from the same pad. This enables me to stuff in carbon filters, prefilters, and cleaning of the upright pieces without having to shovel out a bucket of filtercubes. This also produces a large area for the bacteria to grow.

So, will this provide a more even one-way flow, or is it a waste of time?

[chefkeith]

Yes, this sounds like a wonderful project. Awesome ideas. I think it might work better if you use less sponge media. Water won't travel through it very efficiently and may slow the output down to a trickle. I think if you set-up some baffles and just a few coarse sponges it may work better flow wise. The baffles can act as a compartment for media also.

Here's an example-

[JonasBygdemo]

Okay, thanks for your input! So basically, you're talking about a sump behind the background? I'm not too keen on gluing inside a new aquarium, but I guess a sump-system would be better.

[Diana]

If you use a coarse enough sponge it might be OK, but leave a safety area so that as the sponge fills there is enough room for the water to go around. The idea of a baffeled series might work well, too. Less total filter media, so there is less resistance to the flow. Would this plug up faster, though?

I would also have more intakes, so they do not get plugged with leaves or debris. Perhaps a grid the full height of the tank. Plan it into the Styrofoam background that several inches at one end is just a little bit of Styrofoam but is mostly a grid. Maybe 1/4" mesh? Something coarse enough not to get plugged, but small enough to keep the fish in the display side of the tank.

[JonasBygdemo]

Okay! Yeah I can use a pretty coarse grid for the intake since I won't have Kuhlis, or any small fish really. I'd like to hide the intake though, so I'll have to think of a way to have a big intake, yet less visible than a big gaping hole. Your idea of having the intake the full height of the tank is good, and it gave me an idea. I could cut out holes that look like caves, but are intakes. I could also place a root, or a plant, or something similar in front.

Thanks for your tips as well Diana!

[Diana]

All of those design ideas can be incorporated. You could cut caves into the Styrofoam wherever you want, but simplify installation by attaching a single sheet of grid over the back of it. (As compared to trying to cut and fit a grid behind each cave).
If you can remove the grid for cleaning this might be an advantage, too.