Undergravel river mod
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Undergravel river mod
Dave P and I made this undergravel plate for his 55
Hello all from Happy River
I have lost count of how many tanks I have
I have lost count of how many tanks I have
So...you're planning on putting powerheads on one end? And sponges on the other? Or all powerheads? I am thinking that either way a lot of junk is going to get sucked down under the filter plates eventually causing an eventual clog.
I don't mean to be negative, but is there any plan on what will be done about this? In a river tank, with all the rocks, etc, it is going to be extremely difficult to always move everything out of the way to clean under it with the gravel vac.
I don't mean to be negative, but is there any plan on what will be done about this? In a river tank, with all the rocks, etc, it is going to be extremely difficult to always move everything out of the way to clean under it with the gravel vac.
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Graeme Robson
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- Location: Peterborough, UK
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Sorry to leave you hanging Chris.. Lots of overtime and all.
When I was thinking this through with Chris, I was thinking that since I am using an undergravel 50 micron filter pad, that the flow of water would be mostly though the sponge at the opposite end of the power heads.. The filter pad slowly but surely filling with excrement, bacteria, sand, etc. As far as the flow of water, it is a great circulation, but I puposefully left Dead Spots as I filled areas with rocks and wood.. A decent breeding ground, if they're feeling, "freindly". The intent of the tank being an environment as close to the natural habitat as possible for Hillstreams.
The plate allows a tremendous return pool for flow of water to the powerheads, and if the water flow under the plate is reduced or there is an excess of debris, I replace the powerheads with sponge, and force water into the plate from the original return tube catching most everything in the sponges. I am relying on the filter pad to eventually become full, and help with the biological filtration, like the sponge, but it will also prove useful in holding the water in the plate when I'm reversing the flow to clean under the undergravel filter (Especially with Sand and gravel on top of it).
The final setup for this tank used;
-Chris and I created an extended Undergravel plate from two smaller ones
-A 50 micron filter pad
-Two 402 Powerheads
-Emperor 400
I'll get some pics up here when I replace my batteries in my camera.
Fishhead
When I was thinking this through with Chris, I was thinking that since I am using an undergravel 50 micron filter pad, that the flow of water would be mostly though the sponge at the opposite end of the power heads.. The filter pad slowly but surely filling with excrement, bacteria, sand, etc. As far as the flow of water, it is a great circulation, but I puposefully left Dead Spots as I filled areas with rocks and wood.. A decent breeding ground, if they're feeling, "freindly". The intent of the tank being an environment as close to the natural habitat as possible for Hillstreams.
The plate allows a tremendous return pool for flow of water to the powerheads, and if the water flow under the plate is reduced or there is an excess of debris, I replace the powerheads with sponge, and force water into the plate from the original return tube catching most everything in the sponges. I am relying on the filter pad to eventually become full, and help with the biological filtration, like the sponge, but it will also prove useful in holding the water in the plate when I'm reversing the flow to clean under the undergravel filter (Especially with Sand and gravel on top of it).
The final setup for this tank used;
-Chris and I created an extended Undergravel plate from two smaller ones
-A 50 micron filter pad
-Two 402 Powerheads
-Emperor 400
I'll get some pics up here when I replace my batteries in my camera.
Fishhead
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Jim Powers
- Posts: 5208
- Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 6:15 pm
- Location: Bloomington, Indiana
I have used a similar concept on a 20L river thank that I have.
I drilled a hole in the middle of the plate and one end, glued in a short uplift tube and mounted an Aquaclear 402. At the other end, I put another uplift tube with holes drilled in it and a sponge filter, in one of the uplift tube holes at the back side. It has worked fine for four years. One thing to consider, if gravel, or in your case sand, gets under the plate, it can clog up the powerhead from time to time. I was having trouble with that a few months back so I just directed the powerhead flow down through the uplift tube and pushed any nearby gravel away. It hasn't happened again since then.
I drilled a hole in the middle of the plate and one end, glued in a short uplift tube and mounted an Aquaclear 402. At the other end, I put another uplift tube with holes drilled in it and a sponge filter, in one of the uplift tube holes at the back side. It has worked fine for four years. One thing to consider, if gravel, or in your case sand, gets under the plate, it can clog up the powerhead from time to time. I was having trouble with that a few months back so I just directed the powerhead flow down through the uplift tube and pushed any nearby gravel away. It hasn't happened again since then.
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Jim Powers
- Posts: 5208
- Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 6:15 pm
- Location: Bloomington, Indiana
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