Ok, now after rereading your post, sounds like you are
describing a wet dry filter. A regular tank as a sump
would be better.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



Cindy wrote on 5/10/2006 2:11 AM:
The tank I mentioned earlier is a 20-gal. Looks home-made or at least
home-modified.
I don't know what to call the filter in it.
There's a box built into the back right corner made of black glass.
The left side of it is open, made of plastic screen. Then there's a
vertical closed glass partition an inch lower than the water level of the
box, so water flows over. Then there's another glass partition that's
higher so water can't go over it, but the bottom 2" is open, so the water
goes under to get to the last section.
I don't know what to do with it. Is it like a pre-filter for water to
be pumped to a sump? Is it supposed to be like a mechanical or bio filter?
What do I put in it? There doesn't seem to me to be enough room in it for a
pump big enough to do anything--one of those little teeny pumps would fit.
I was going to put floss in the first section to filter out crud, then
bioballs or some of those ceramic media in the next ones, but I'm not sure
how to move the water.
Any advice?
Tomorrow I'll take a photo and find somewhere to post it if you want to
see.

Cindy