building a 1000 gal concrete block monster tank

[dogofwar]

What's you're setting up is what I call a "dump" filter - I've got them on nearly all of my tanks. They work great.

I have mine sitting directly on top of my tanks (like a partial hood).

Water is pumped from a pump (or powerhead) in the tank through the base of the storage container a drops through a variety of media. Holes in the base of the Rubbermaid dump the water back into the tank. There's nothing to spill or leak, since it's all right on top of the tank!

My "first generation" were taller and solid colored rubbermaids. I've replaced all of those with lower "under the bed" style clear ones because they flex / get deformed less and they're easier to monitor. Rubbermaid and others make "Christmas Wrap Storage Containers" that are really long and low - maybe a good fit?

On the top row tanks (where I have room), I pump the water into the top of Rubbermaid three drawer storage containers with holes drilled in the bottom of each level of drawers. I put different media in each drawer. The others I just use two levels of stacked Dollar Store trays (top is fluff, lower is bio balls) and fill the rest of the Rubbermaid with bio balls.

Even when there has been a power outage, there is so much residual water / humidity in the drawers (not to mention the wet, dripping filter fluff on the top level) that everything has remained wet. Keeping the lids on the Rubbermaids also helps keep the wet inside (and reduces evap).

Also, a way to keep some media submerged in the Rubbermaid is to put a piece of small PVC or something (the desired depth of water in the filter) in the holes returning water to the tank...

I use a sponge pre-filter on the intake of some of the filters. While this reduces flow some, it's easy to clean this.

Dump filters are the bomb - a great way to maximize pump flow, get wet/dry levels of bio capacity without the cost and without having to drill tanks...

 

[Lil_Stinker]

Yeah, I understand, however, you have to consider the cost of installing a floor drain in this thing. It's got at least 10" of solid concrete under it, and this concrete is the nastiest stuff I've seen. I went through several concrete drill bits just drilling the 1/2" holes for the rebar. I would've had to rent a big mason saw and cut the nonsense out of the existing slab to trench out the drain for it. All that, or a sump pump. Which would you do?

Actually you "could have" put one in the bottom and out the side before you poured the floor; then no drilling the slab, just a block. Sorry I didn't post this earlier. but perhaps others might want to use this thought.

Great job, can't wait to see it all in action.

 

[nativelover]

Actually you "could have" put one in the bottom and out the side before you poured the floor; then no drilling the slab, just a block. Sorry I didn't post this earlier. but perhaps others might want to use this thought.

Great job, can't wait to see it all in action.

i think hes talkin about the slab that was already there...?

but either way, hes got a way to drain the water if needed

 

[Lil_Stinker]

i think hes talkin about the slab that was already there...?

but either way, hes got a way to drain the water if needed

he was talking about the basement floor..

 

[wizzin]

Actually you "could have" put one in the bottom and out the side before you poured the floor; then no drilling the slab, just a block. Sorry I didn't post this earlier. but perhaps others might want to use this thought.

Great job, can't wait to see it all in action.

You're right, however, I don't like the idea of the seal at the drain. I also would think the slab would've had to have been poured thicker to make up for the lost area of the pvc drain pipe. 10000psi of water pressure at the base of this thing makes me weary of putting any kind of "hole" in the bottom, regardless of how good I think I would have it sealed. I also still question the effectiveness of a floor drain vs a sump pump. I think the drain would clog easier since you'd need a screen over it, and it would have all the substrate on top of it. I'm not using sand anyway, but a floor drain would surly rule out sand and any other small substrate.

As for the sump pump and impeller wear, this isn't an outdoor pond, and it's not like I'm going to be pulling sticks and leaves through the pump. It's no different than an HOB filter. The muck passes through the impeller prior to the filter media although strained by the strainer first. Same idea here.

Here's a sketch of the filter. It was a quick sketch, so I hope it makes sense. The water is pumped down from the top of the mech filter and is discharged at the bottom of the mech box. The bulkhead connections to the bio box are at the top of the mech box, forcing the water to flow "up" (hence "up flow") and over to the bio box. The mech box will also have a flush valve on the bottom, so that when I need to clean the media and do a partial water change, I can close the bulkhead connections to the bio box and open the flush valve and either use a garden hose or rig the supply from the tank to have two discharges, one below the media and one above. during operation, when the water enters the bio box, it's sprayed through two 2" pvc spray bars over scrubbies. The bars will be higher than in the sketch so that there is more exposed scrubbies above the water line. The water has to flow down through the scrubbies under the watertight baffle and then finally out a spillway on the tank side of the bio box. PHEW.... Hope that makes sense. I gotta go to a doc appt now.

 

[zennzzo]

Looks like you got yourself a fine filtration system there bro...
Seeings that the bio-box is covered, it won't take too much H20 to keep the scrubbies wet.

We had a power outage last Nov. that lasted 72 hours.
I took about 12 hours to gather a 12vt. system, (live well pump and deep cycle battery) and my gravity return system was still damp enough to keep things alive, no problem.

Are you going to power the pump and heaters 220vt?

 

[mattyr]

looking great still. keep the pic's coming

 

[REAKtion4]

how is it coming along? Looks amazing so far.

 

[chico3611]

Amazing project - I hope to do one some day.
do you have a fill date projected?


ohh yeah and uh.....YOU ROCK!

 

[TheFishGuy]

It's so hard to put your ideas onto paper for people to understand.... Looks so complicated, yet simple lol.... When people have come to see my filters they're like..... Ohhhhh..... I get it..... lol lol lo