Modular PVC Inline filter.

[sterling_mcdaniel]

If i am reading this right you are using 4 tubes with one pump centered in the middle?
The only problem is could see it that the water is going to take the path of least resistance. (i.e. the tubes closest to the pump) but to what extent I don't know, it will be very interesting to see what the flow rate in each individual tubes would be.
By the way Gator this is quite an ingenious design.

 

[Gator]

Hmm... Very interesting! Maybe I should route the pipes at the bottom of each filter so the water travels the same distance to get to the pump? I'll have to draw something up tomorrow in my downtime at work.

 

[sterling_mcdaniel]

Hmm... Very interesting! Maybe I should route the pipes at the bottom of each filter so the water travels the same distance to get to the pump? I'll have to draw something up tomorrow in my downtime at work.

Great idea. I cant wait to see how this turns out.

 

[Jgray152]

also because placing it above the PVC pipe will reduce the head height of the pump... so say your pump can pump only upto 3 ft and if your tank has a height of 3ft you will loose alot of flow rate but if you put the pump at the top of the pvc you get almost 0ft of head height inturn your pump runs in its full capacity....

The head height will be measured from the tank rim to the impeller of the pump. Not the bottom of the tank. If I remember correctly, there is a siphon factor that plays a roll in where, either the water line or the tank rim, to measure the head height, but I can't be to sure of that. So if your pump has a 3ft max head, that means there is zero flow at 3ft of head. To get max flow you need to be at zero head which its very hard to achieve this if you running a sump setup. A canister setup in terms of head can be thought of pump at zero head because to get the TDH (Total Dischage Head) you subtract the suction head from the discharge head.

Example, the discharge head is 5' while your suction head is 4', which comes out to be 1ft head. There are other factors that play a roll so this wont be exact science but that kinda sums it up.

Also the water being gravity fed into the pump is also being gravity fed to the discharge side of the pump as well. No matter where you have the pump on the canister system, it will be acting kinda like a circulation pump. Im sure there is a limit to how much flow is needed to make this irrelevent in terms of the pump acting like a circulation pump, but I don't know that much.

 

[Jgray152]

BUT, multiply the length and width of the aquarium and then multiply your answer by the number of inches from the bulk head to the water's surface. Divide that answer by 231 and you will have the amount of gallons that will be on the floor if something starts to leak. I would eliminate the anti-siphon design the way you have it.

I think I ment, I would not eliminate the anti-siphon design, I think, that woudl make more sence........

I don't know where you are going to have your water line but judging by your plumbing work on the back of your tank, it will be pretty high. I suppose after you get it built, obveously do a test run and see if you get continuous air in the system. If so, try droping the suction side of the anti-siphon plumbing you have to allow more water into the piping. This will in turn, increase the amount of water on your floor if something happends though.

I just read back a few pages and it seems you are not going to be using them anymore. .... Memory.... horrible

 

[mr.reef24]

Can't wait to see it built.

Mr.Reef24

 

[KaiserSousay]

Looking forward to hearing your results..Looked into a similar build myself, but after costing out the components and adding in the xtra work involved in cleaning, shelved the idea..Lucked into a bunch of 4" caps&threaded adapters, so the bulk of the pvc bill went away. I was thinking of a cartridge style mech filter, "whole house water filter" and using the pvc containers for all bio.
Good luck on the build.

 

[KaiserSousay]

 

[marine_hawaii]

Just a thought about the whole "canister filter" idea.

For the most part, the limiting factor for bacterial processing of nitrogenous waste is O2. That's why a bio-ball type of drip filter works a lot better than an "under gravel" filter. There's plenty of bacteria in an under gravel filter, but the only available O2 is what's dissolved in the water. The "lift tubes" aren't just to pull the debris into the gravel, it's to push water across the surface of the tank (creating a current) which brings re-oxygenated water back to the tank's inhabitants.

In a "wet-dry" filter (ie bioballs or other media), atmospheric oxygen is constantly available, so the bacteria can handle a huge ammonia load very efficiently.

Granted, the ammonia load on your tank is small, but if I were using a canister filter it would only be for carbon or Diatomaceous Earth filtration.

 

[jeepn4x4]

Hey Gator any updates on these filters?