pondfilter on an aquarium

[flupke]

I'm looking at redoing my 500l tank. I saw some really nice minimalistic
root setups (South American with Angels) i would like to try.
Since that would mean increasing the number of angels in the tank (i
would be taking out some fish too), i would like to increase the
filtration. (1 eheim 2028, 1 powerfilter with home made filter and 1
eheim aquaball)
If i would get another filtration system running i would take the
aquaball out.

I would like to use something like the Oasis Filtoclear 6000.
I could get it going by connecting a powerfilter to the inflow or a pump
outside the aquarium (most can be put dry but they can't run dry).
The return is then provided by a pressure build up from the water in the
filter and that returns the water to the aquarium.

Some questions:

1. If you place a pump outside the aquarium, how can you prevent it from
running dry?
Does that mean that you have to make sure there is water in the tubes to
the inlet of the pump ? How do you do that? I can't imagine me sucking
the tube like i do for vacuuming the sand :)

2. Is it possible for the filter to return water about 1,5 m higher than
where it's standing? (from the ground up into the aquarium)

3. If it's possible to do that, wouldn't that mean that the use of a
powerhead is impossible? I mean if the pressure of the water that needs
to go up into the aquarium from the filter is very big, then i imagine
that the pump needs to be powerfull enough to cram even more water in
the filter unit so it would need to be able to withstand the
waterresistance in the filter building up, right?

Thanks
Benedict

[Cichla]

I use a Bioforce 9000 pressurised pond filter on my 6'x2'x2' tank. I run a
submersible/non-submersible pump in its non-submersible mode. As an extra
precaution against over heating I have it sat in a small tank of water. It
is configured to suck the water through the filter so that it doesn't over
pressurise the filter as the media starts to clog. It is a bit of a
nightmare to get it going again, which does involve sucking on the outlet
pipe. Works a treat once fired up though.

--
Cheers

Rick

http://www.aqua-maniac.co.uk
http://bmw.aqua-maniac.co.uk
"flupke" > wrote in message
...
> I'm looking at redoing my 500l tank. I saw some really nice minimalistic
> root setups (South American with Angels) i would like to try.
> Since that would mean increasing the number of angels in the tank (i
> would be taking out some fish too), i would like to increase the
> filtration. (1 eheim 2028, 1 powerfilter with home made filter and 1
> eheim aquaball)
> If i would get another filtration system running i would take the
> aquaball out.
>
> I would like to use something like the Oasis Filtoclear 6000.
> I could get it going by connecting a powerfilter to the inflow or a pump
> outside the aquarium (most can be put dry but they can't run dry).
> The return is then provided by a pressure build up from the water in the
> filter and that returns the water to the aquarium.
>
> Some questions:
>
> 1. If you place a pump outside the aquarium, how can you prevent it from
> running dry?
> Does that mean that you have to make sure there is water in the tubes to
> the inlet of the pump ? How do you do that? I can't imagine me sucking
> the tube like i do for vacuuming the sand :)
>
> 2. Is it possible for the filter to return water about 1,5 m higher than
> where it's standing? (from the ground up into the aquarium)
>
> 3. If it's possible to do that, wouldn't that mean that the use of a
> powerhead is impossible? I mean if the pressure of the water that needs
> to go up into the aquarium from the filter is very big, then i imagine
> that the pump needs to be powerfull enough to cram even more water in
> the filter unit so it would need to be able to withstand the
> waterresistance in the filter building up, right?
>
> Thanks
> Benedict

[NetMax]

"flupke" > wrote in message
...
> I'm looking at redoing my 500l tank. I saw some really nice
> minimalistic root setups (South American with Angels) i would like to
> try.
> Since that would mean increasing the number of angels in the tank (i
> would be taking out some fish too), i would like to increase the
> filtration. (1 eheim 2028, 1 powerfilter with home made filter and 1
> eheim aquaball)
> If i would get another filtration system running i would take the
> aquaball out.
>
> I would like to use something like the Oasis Filtoclear 6000.
> I could get it going by connecting a powerfilter to the inflow or a
> pump outside the aquarium (most can be put dry but they can't run dry).
> The return is then provided by a pressure build up from the water in
> the filter and that returns the water to the aquarium.
>
> Some questions:
>
> 1. If you place a pump outside the aquarium, how can you prevent it
> from running dry?
> Does that mean that you have to make sure there is water in the tubes
> to the inlet of the pump ? How do you do that? I can't imagine me
> sucking the tube like i do for vacuuming the sand :)
>
> 2. Is it possible for the filter to return water about 1,5 m higher
> than where it's standing? (from the ground up into the aquarium)
>
> 3. If it's possible to do that, wouldn't that mean that the use of a
> powerhead is impossible? I mean if the pressure of the water that needs
> to go up into the aquarium from the filter is very big, then i imagine
> that the pump needs to be powerfull enough to cram even more water in
> the filter unit so it would need to be able to withstand the
> waterresistance in the filter building up, right?
>
> Thanks
> Benedict

Some general comments as I can't comment on your manufacturer specifics.
Many pond filters are the aquarium equivalent of a sump filter (their
cover is cosmetic, to keep out debris and animals). Accordingly, all the
same rules apply, in regards to ensuring you don't empty your tank into
the sump when your return pump fails ;~) or overflowing your tank when
the siphon hose clogs. In a pond setup, the filter is typically at or
above the waterline. If the filters are completely sealed (like Tetra
canister filters), then you can go higher or lower than the waterline
with the appropriate shut-off valves in place for servicing.

Pond filters can work very well, but pond pumps are generally too
powerful. Aquarium guidelines are for x1 to x8 tank volumes an hour
(generally x2 to x4). Pond pumps are typically rated at x 1/2 to x1 pond
volumes, but a small 5,000g pond running 5,000gph is equivalent to a
large 1,000g aquarium. The same rigidity does not apply to pond filters
which generally do a better job at lower gph, and filtering lower
bioloads (less organic debris, leaves etc).
--
www.NetMax.tk

[John >]

> 3. If it's possible to do that, wouldn't that mean that the use of a
> powerhead is impossible? I mean if the pressure of the water that needs to
> go up into the aquarium from the filter is very big, then i imagine that
> the pump needs to be powerfull enough to cram even more water in the
> filter unit so it would need to be able to withstand the waterresistance
> in the filter building up, right?
>
> Thanks
> Benedict

For my 1000g tank, I have finally settled on a 40 gpm Above Ground Swimming
Pool Sand filter & Pump. This one because of several reasons. CHEEP at
$299, 40gpm = 2400 gph so 2.5 cycles per hour, Inlet and Outlet at 1" so
building a sump/drain under the substrate will not be a major problem.

http://www.haywardnet.com/products/displayProd_filters.cfm?ProductID=41
S144T1540S

Is there a way to automate backflushes and waste on a sand filter w/7 way
valve?
Is sand better than bioballs?

JOhn ><>