130 sump setup.

[Ghost]

I totally belive in the biowheel. I have had a 160 biowheel for the past 5 years and love it.

So i'm in the process of planning a 130 gallon setup with a sump. I was planning on using an existing 20 gallon for the sump and two fluval 404's. One 404 will draw from the tank and into the sump this will be one big mechanical filter to get the big stuff out of the way. I was thinking of having four biowheels in a row and letting the water fall down the sides of them. This is going to work the nitrifying bacteria to the max. Then having the water pass through bags of carbon, and ammonia or whatever I need. Then the last fluval will have bio max pellets and return the water to the tank.

Is this overkill? Should I use a trickle filter instead and use the bioballs as my biological filtration? Are two fluval 404's enough. Both of those will turn over 450 gallons an hour and that means the whole tank will be filtered 3.5 times an hour. Maybe thats not enough for a planted tank.

I think the two 404's are good because it what one 404 takes out the other puts back and that means no overflow.

Is there any other options or ideas?

Thanks

 

[Sasha the breen]

Wont that be one big nitrate factory "I was thinking of having four biowheels in a row and letting the water fall down the sides of them. This is going to work the nitrifying bacteria to the max. Then having the water pass through bags of carbon, and ammonia or whatever I need"

 

[Great Lakes]

If you have not got the Fluvals yet, you can go this route here. With the Tidepool system, you just need a good return pump. No need for canister filtration. I have one of these, and I love it.

GL

 

[Ghost]

Well I was thinking of the samy system myself but made by myself. I have just found a Marineland 1140 powerhead, and two large biowheels. The Marineland site calls it a Biowheel Pro 60. The powerhead pumps 300 gph. Not a bad freebie!

But the tidepool thing was the design of what I wanted. I was going to make the water drain via overflow in the corners and over two biowheels. It would pass through various medias of my choice and then the fluval 404 would return back inside.

The question was how to ensure the tank won't overflow. I think that if the 404 is putting back into the tank, when the power fails the overflow won't over flow that much.

But the tidepool may be a good option.

 

[Hazmat]

My concern in your setup is what if the return 404 dies on you and the 404 pulling from the tank sucks that 130g into that 20g sump or even if the two 404's are not in sync one tank my fill faster then the other.

That might be a big oooooppps

Hazmat

 

[Ghost]

Quite true. So maybe the overflow is the best idea.