Filtration Forum?

[billm90]

I'm new here.

I need some better filtering ideas, or some advise/ideas.

I have a 100 gallon tank with 2 bulk heads at the back, drilled about 2" from the top of the tank. Both of these overflow to a sump and through lot of filter media and pumped back up to the main tank. 550 gallon per hour pump (this tank was originally intended to be a reef, but since these fish went from 2" to 9" in no time, I put the tank up in a hurry to give them some room.)
I also have 2 power heads in the center lower tank pushing water out towards the front corners.

My main problem is I have some fish that are 8-9" long, and they leave large waste on the bottom (I have sand for gravel). I am having trouble getting all the waste out. I picked up the largest siphon gravel filter I could and I still cant get all the waste out.

Should I extend the bulk heads to a lower level to get water from closer to the gravel?
Should I add aditional HOB filters?
Do I not have enough circulation suspending these particles?

This tank was also tapped with 4 bulk heads on the bottom of the tank. I was wondering if I put in an undergravel filter and just bottom drained the tank for water changes? Would this free me from dead water issues?
Or could I reverse an undergravel filter and pump water into it, to try and suspend the fish waste and hope it will get into the bulk heads?

I had the tank set up for about 3 months. I pulled out the filters to clean it, and they were very dirty. I took 10 minutes to clean out each pond grade foam out. I also have a layer of regular fish filter on top of those.

how do other large fish keepers deal with waste?

 

[znk]

I'm new here.

I need some better filtering ideas, or some advise/ideas.

I have a 100 gallon tank with 2 bulk heads at the back, drilled about 2" from the top of the tank. Both of these overflow to a sump and through lot of filter media and pumped back up to the main tank. 550 gallon per hour pump (this tank was originally intended to be a reef, but since these fish went from 2" to 9" in no time, I put the tank up in a hurry to give them some room.)
I also have 2 power heads in the center lower tank pushing water out towards the front corners.

My main problem is I have some fish that are 8-9" long, and they leave large waste on the bottom (I have sand for gravel). I am having trouble getting all the waste out. I picked up the largest siphon gravel filter I could and I still cant get all the waste out.

Should I extend the bulk heads to a lower level to get water from closer to the gravel?
Should I add aditional HOB filters?
Do I not have enough circulation suspending these particles?

This tank was also tapped with 4 bulk heads on the bottom of the tank. I was wondering if I put in an undergravel filter and just bottom drained the tank for water changes? Would this free me from dead water issues?
Or could I reverse an undergravel filter and pump water into it, to try and suspend the fish waste and hope it will get into the bulk heads?

I had the tank set up for about 3 months. I pulled out the filters to clean it, and they were very dirty. I took 10 minutes to clean out each pond grade foam out. I also have a layer of regular fish filter on top of those.

how do other large fish keepers deal with waste?

How many and what kind of fish do you have?

It's not clear from your description but as I understand it you have both power heads shooting in different directions. I would try to get them both shooting in the same direction parallel to the back glass with a slight downward angle. This way you will get a nice continuous current that goes arround and arround.
Also it's not clear how powerfull the powerheads are.

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But in the end you might need to add a Hob filter or a canister filter.

 

[billm90]

I have 4 red tailed barbs, they are all about 8 to 9 inches long.
6 cat fish (sharks), all about 4-5 inches
1 algae eater placostomis whatever, about 9-10 inches long.
3 small barbs, about 2.5"
1 bala shark about 4"

Correct the power heads are shooting away from each other. towards the front glass.

How powerful? I would say mid level. there is no rating on them I can dig up. They are not super powerful. but I can see them pushing water. it just does not reach the ends of the tank obviously.

I have been thinking about adding additional power heads. My goal was to keep everything concealed, and I have reached this goal, but perhaps a few powerheads showing will do the trick.

I built a fake background and hid the 2 power heads and heater in this.
I should have used larger power heads now that you mention it. Maybe a mild redesign needs to be done.

 

[australia]

today i seen a setup of tanks only using air driven sponge filters, and the water was clear and the tanks were clean, i diidnt think it was possible to maintain a tank with just air driven sponge filters, though i do have them in my fry tanks, though i cant see them doing a realy good job compared to a canister filter etc, what is the difference in using air driven sponge filters? i am realy interrested in this as the sponge filters are realy cheap

 

[smmetz]

I have a 9 inch pleco, and have the same problem. I also have sand for substrate. The largest gravel vac I could find does not pick up the plec poop. My solution was to just use the hose that came with the gravel vav, without the tube attatched to it. Sure, I always get a little sand, but I've been doing it for almost a year, and there is still plenty of sand in the tank.

For those large pieces of waste, I dont think a reverse UGF will suspend them in the water. I have heard of people adding more powerheads to their tank, and sloping the sand in such a way so that the waste ends up in 1 small area of the tank floor. This way, you only need to vac up that small area. I have not tried this approach.

 

[Yetti]

I would not advise you to lower the bulkheads, intakes or the power heads. There is one fault with having sand in an aquarium, and that fault is that you will see debris and fish excrements. If you want to get most of the debris out then just use a plane hose without any "gravel vac" attachment to it, it will pick up all the waste. Another option is to redirect the flow of the power heads so that the waste goes behind rocks or ornaments.

 

[Behold]

I have a 9 inch pleco, and have the same problem. I also have sand for substrate. The largest gravel vac I could find does not pick up the plec poop. My solution was to just use the hose that came with the gravel vav, without the tube attatched to it. Sure, I always get a little sand, but I've been doing it for almost a year, and there is still plenty of sand in the tank.

For those large pieces of waste, I dont think a reverse UGF will suspend them in the water. I have heard of people adding more powerheads to their tank, and sloping the sand in such a way so that the waste ends up in 1 small area of the tank floor. This way, you only need to vac up that small area. I have not tried this approach.

I now use this method and its GREAT. i can do my whole tank on 1 bucket! and it sucks up minimal sand.....

 

[billm90]

I went out over the weekend and picked up a rena xp3 canistor filter (rated for 175 gallon tank)
added on 2 HOB 20-40 gallon filters and now my tank has never looked so clear ever.

So far no waste on the bottom which has me baffled.

I can look down the side of the tank and see the wall perfectly on the other side. (6 feet away)
I am really happy with these additions. Maybe I was doing it all wrong this whole time.