YAaquariumT: alternative to protien skimmers?

[krisoto]

i have a fresh water setup on a 100gal. 6x1.5x2.5
one end has a hole below it been covered
i bought a wet'dry filter with pump
pretty much will sit beside at the other end of the tank
now, i wann use this hole for intake water, but i don't need a skimmer to do it
is there another way to do this
i have the bulk head 1" . should i put pvc pipe, but what should be on top so no fish will get suck in?

 

[krisoto]

anyone?
help?

 

[FoBoT]

you could put some type of screen/cover on the intake. or a sponge filter

 

[Wuffsunie]

Alright. You bought a reef ready tank. (More than likely an all-glass mega flow I'd guess) They're designed to use a 1" stand pipe to take water from the aquarium and drain it into a sump (your wet/dry filter), after which the water is returned via pump.

As this is a fresh water tank, you don't want a protien skimmer. They're meant for marine, and won't even function if in fresh water.

Since you want to learn how to plumb the tank, go to http://dursostandpipes.com to learn how to make one. You might want to look at the stockman variation if you're ultra paranoid about stuff getting in, but that's mostly meant for keeping out the likes of marine snails. For further info, go to http://melevsreef.com/ and check their How a Sump works section.

 

[krisoto]

good suggestion, i have to get this going
one question, if my sump, which is 15in high and the fish tank is 24in high
i sit them side by side. will the intake still have enough pressure to take water to the sump even thou the hose goes from underneath the tank and goes up a little to discharge the water to the sump?

 

[krisoto]

this is what I meant
set up

 

[krisoto]

up

 

[evilmantis]

If I understand you correctly, it should, as long as the tube does not rise above the level of the tank water. However, most of these reef-ready setups (I have a reef and fresh tank) are designed to put the sump under the tank in a cabinet. Do you have a stand for the aquarium?
Honestly, you may be better off just plugging that hole somehow and using a different filter. A sump can often be tricky to figure out at first (example: what are you going to do if your power goes out? Do you have it set up so that your sump won't overflow when the return pump shuts off?).

Good luck
Goldie

 

[krisoto]

idealy, that why i want to put it side by side so if ever comes to that case. i don't know may be it will work

 

[trmiv]

It's not going to work. The water is not going to go up that pipe to that wet dry filter. An overflow for a tank is not a siphon, it's a gravity feed. There's air in the line, it's not completely filled with water. So the water is not going to flow uphill like that.

 

[krisoto]

i don't have a choice bec. im putting on a brick made room divider but it's made half way so i took advantage of it . i need it close to the fish tank bec. i got a rio2100 which is not enough for the 100g to do a return

 

[trmiv]

You may be able to get it to work by plumbing a line diagonally from the display to the wet dry. The way you have it diagramed will not work.

A little heads up too, Rio pumps are not the most reliable thing on earth, have caused their share of electrical fires and tank meltdowns.

 

[krisoto]

noted

i will try different method than mine just to get this done

thank you

 

[Wuffsunie]

Originally posted by: krisoto
this is what I meant
set up

Based on this, forget the plumbing nightmare, and get a canister filter.

Plug the holes or exchange the tank for an undrilled one, and get either an Eheim or Rena XP canister filter. They have their own internal pumps for pulling the water in and returning it, and will work the same way as your wet/dry. Or you could go for a wet/dry canister if you really want. The way you want it set currently, you have to worry about output and return pumps to make sure the water moves, and that just detracts from the tank, adds unnecessary heat, and makes way too much work.

And I second avoiding the Rio pumps if what you ultimately do proves to need them. Go for a Mag (very reliable) or Eheim if you can afford it.

 

[Minerva]

LOL Rio still having potting epoxy defects causing leaking and degradation of stator windings, electrolysis and SPARKING under water?

That was like TEN YEARS AGO.

Use eheim or supreme (Danner) for submersible pumps.

Walchem (Iwaki) and Little Giant for external pumps.

Gorman Rupp and Worthington for REALLY BIG pumps. (if you happen to run a public aquarium or sea world) -M-

 

[Wuffsunie]

Originally posted by: Minerva
LOL Rio still having potting epoxy defects causing leaking and degradation of stator windings, electrolysis and SPARKING under water?

That was like TEN YEARS AGO.

It's one of those long-term grudges no one cares to forgive or forget about. (ie, see race relations in the middle east)

Edit: And actually up to 3-4 years ago, it was happening. Not so much bursting into flame, as the too-thin wire they used in them over heated and caused the oil inside to expand, burst the housing, and kill anything in the tank with it. As a lot were used in reef tanks, it's understandable that people were notably pissed at this happening.

That's been fixed with the addition of thicker wires (I believe it's) a silicon lubricant in the current generation, but the old ones are still known to do it from time to time. The Rios are just so ubiqitious and cheap that newbies see them and buy without doing as much research as they should into them

 

[krisoto]

if that's the case, then what do you recoomecnd for GPH?
i was thinking around 800-900

 

[fstime]

Rio sucked and still sucks.

Stay away.

 

[Minerva]

Originally posted by: krisoto
if that's the case, then what do you recoomecnd for GPH?
i was thinking around 800-900

External 40RLT works. X series if return line has less than 8 feet lift. (net) In that case 30 series is sufficient.

Submersible: check out Supreme Magdrive 9.5.

Remember these will add heat to water. All pumps do but internals heat faster.

 

[krisoto]

Originally posted by: Minerva

Originally posted by: krisoto
if that's the case, then what do you recoomecnd for GPH?
i was thinking around 800-900

External 40RLT works. X series if return line has less than 8 feet lift. (net) In that case 30 series is sufficient.

Submersible: check out Supreme Magdrive 9.5.

Remember these will add heat to water. All pumps do but internals heat faster.

can you recommend me where to buy?
hopefully cheaper LOL

 

[Wuffsunie]

Originally posted by: krisoto
if that's the case, then what do you recoomecnd for GPH?
i was thinking around 800-900

A little excessive but fine.

What would be the exact setup you're thinking of now? Could give better advise that way.

 

[Minerva]

When I lived in PA I was less than a half hour away from a place called "That Fish Place". Haven't been there in ages but I hear the place is even bigger and they have a URL www.thatpetplace.com

They have a pdf cat you can d/l too.

Oh and the fish hobby is expensive! -M-

 

[krisoto]

it's a 100gl freshwater tank
i have powerhead ( for 100gl) to support the the pump too
fishes are cichlids 15pcs with two big rock on each side

 

[krisoto]

thanks,
i know they are ,i ve been switching back and forth on what fishes to get and been doing it for 7 yrs with always canister filter fluval 403 (change twice bec. of age and wear)

 

[Minerva]

Eheim 2260.

Trickle boxes are nice but for your tank not needed.