Creating directional flow in a smallish tank

[WhistlingBadger]

Hey, kids. Has anybody on here ever tried adding an extension pipe to a hang-on-back filter intake so that the intake is on the opposite side of the tank for through-tank flow? How did it work? Did it make the pump noisy and/or lose power? Looking at alternatives to canister filters for a 30g hillstream tank.

 

[Dasher92]

Why are you moving away from the canister filter? I'm just curious because I just removed both my HOB filters and replaced them with a single Oase Biomaster Thermo 250 for my 30 gallon and now you got me worried.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Why are you moving away from the canister filter? I'm just curious because I just removed both my HOB filters and replaced them with a single Oase Biomaster Thermo 250 for my 30 gallon and now you got me worried.

No, nothing wrong with them. In fact I greatly prefer them. Trouble is the stand for my 30 barely fits my Sunsun 302, which doesn't give enough flow for a hillstream tank. I could just put in a big powerhead, of course, but I really like end-to-end flow. So I'm just kicking around ideas.

 

[davros]

I suspect if the additional pipe is under the waterline it would work just fine, just a bit more friction from the pipe wall.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I suspect if the additional pipe is under the waterline it would work just fine, just a bit more friction from the pipe wall.

So flow would be reduced a bit but otherwise should work fine? That's kind of what I thought but wondered if anybody has actually tried it.

 

[Boundava]

Sis has a power head and a Tidal on her 40B and there is enough flow for her fish. I have some used Tidals if you need 1 or 2.

I was thinking of adding some extensions to a hanging back for my turtle's tank which is in 180 gallon, but I figured the further the water has to travel from the intake to the actual filter the harder the pump has to work pulling the water up, so I guess what I'm trying to say is the pump might not be strong enough to pull the water the extra distance to the filter from the intake if you add an extension.

 

[davros]

The horizontal section self fills if it is below the waterline. The "work" is the lifting vertically.

 

[Archerfish]

What type of HOB do you want to modify? Some have a wide weir like the Marineland HOB's and that might be difficult. I did what you are suggesting many years ago (when I was just a mere child...Yeah right!) with a Dynaflow HOB that had a single tube for the return. In that case, extending the tube was easy. Personally, if using a HOB with a weir, I would move the return water across the aquarium with a small internal power head. How large is the tank?

 

[WhistlingBadger]

What type of HOB do you want to modify? Some have a wide weir like the Marineland HOB's and that might be difficult. I did what you are suggesting many years ago (when I was just a mere child...Yeah right!) with a Dynaflow HOB that had a single tube for the return. In that case, extending the tube was easy. Personally, if using a HOB with a weir, I would move the return water across the aquarium with a small internal power head. How large is the tank?

Tank is 30g. I plan on using lots of emergent plants, almost a paludarium, so it will probably act more like a 20 long. I'm looking at Aqueon Quiet Flow 400 gph. I'm not sure what you mean by a weir. All the HOB filters I've used have a single intake tube, though some are round and some are rectangular; the former would be much easier to modify. I once did a modification on a HOB's outlet, attaching a pipe to take the water over to the other side of the tank. I've since realized it would be a WHOLE lot easier to just modify the intake tube.

@Boundava you're probably right; it would be easier just to use a big power head.

 

[Archerfish]

Ohhhh. Like I used to say, "Read the question!" Sorry. Yeah, modifying the uptake is more complicated and I agree, just use a powerhead to move the water. The weir is a spillway like seen on a hydroelectric dam. On the Aqueon HOB it is the 'spillway' where the water returns to the tank. I used an HOB in a paludarium and diverted (spread) the water by flowing it over a large log. The downside to using an HOB in a paludarium is the pump is already straining to get the water up into the filter. This is because of a lower water level.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

OK, you were talking about the outlet. That makes sense. I'm starting to think an HOB isn't going to work for this because of the lower water level, as you mentioned. A horizontal extension to the inlet wouldn't be a big problem, but the extra vertical lift probably would be.

The trouble I've always had with powerheads is that they create a churning/tumbling current, especially on the far side of the tank. I kind of want a smoother, end-to-end flow. I'm looking at maybe building a river tank manifold...As usual this is getting complicated. ha ha But I actually built a river tank manifold for my rice paddy tank, without knowing that's what it was. So I think it would be doable, and combined with the canister or an HOB it would provide a nice amount of directional flow.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Oooooh, I want to build one of these. I could easily enough run a tube from one of the powerheads up to make a little waterfall for the emergent plants up top...yep, I think this is what I'll do.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

More info, if anybody's interested.

River-Tank Manifold Design — Loaches Online

An article describing the design concept and Do It Yourself construction details of a River-Tank water manifold.

www.loaches.com

 

[WhistlingBadger]

(I asked a moderator to change the title of the thread to reflect this new direction. )

 

[Archerfish]

Oh yeah, looks great! I did something similar to that for a Mudskipper paludarium. An HOB wouldn't work because they climb out. I fitted the sponge filter on the powerhead and ran a hose up to the top of a log/rock arrangement on the other side of the tank and it worked beautifully.