Reduction of flow

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lee_k

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Oct 17, 2009
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Staffordshire, UK
Hi all,

I recently upgraded my pump in my filter for a 1000l/hr pump for better filtration however some people have then said i need to watch the flow of the water with Gourami. Obviously i can angle the flow towards the glass etc to reduce the flow and also add 45 pipe to reduce (you can feel the difference)

But I had an idea of drilling a few holes in the push on pipe so that all of the water isn't pushed out the end of the pipe and split the flow out whilst maintaining the higher flow filter.

Anyone done this before? Did it work? - Other ideas?

Lee
 
just curious...how large is your tank? What brand name is your filter? I don't have a canister filter so I cant really comment on flow reduction methods. But I'm sure other members with knowledge of canister filters will chime in soon.
 
Gourami come from swamps, ponds, quiet backwaters. Water current needs to be minimal. I know this tank from our other conversation, and none of the fish being discussed would appreciate this either.

"Better filtration" is usually not achievable, depending what the term is intended to mean. Mechanical filtration, removing microscopic and larger particulate matter from the water to keep it clear, may be benefitted by more filtration, but that more likely means there is something wrong aside from the filter itself. Biological filtration cannot be "improved" no matter how many or how large a filter, subject to the tank being in biological balance to begin with. This is another of those myths that some stores readily repeat to boost sales. :/

Having said all that, if you are stuck w2ith this filter, there are some ways to lessen the deluge for the poor fish. Aiming the filter return into the end wall rather than down the tank helps. Placing solid objects like a chunk of wood or rock can further reduce the flow as it comes off the wall. Before drilling holes that might or might not have positive results, I would look into these.
 
If you upgraded the pump is it possible to put the original back. If so that sounds a better option than trying to find workarounds for an upgrade that provides no real benefits.

I'm not sure that simply drilling holes will work as the water will follow the path of least resistance. It may work if you block the end to force the water to use multiple exits. This is just a guess - I have reduced the flow on a spray bar (which is blocked at the end) by increasing the size of the holes.
 
Have you thought of a spray bar? That will spread the output into several weaker flows rather than one stronger one.
 
If it was me, I'd make a 'T' bar out of PVC pipe with drilled holes to disperse the water. Having 'said' that, Byron is correct....good filtration is about how well we filter the water not about how much or how fast we push water through media. The 'rule' that we need 4x to 10x gph flow relative to tank size is just wrong.
The dirty truth about filters is that they make water look clearer but not cleaner - detritus decomposes in the filter and pollutes the water. Fast water flows also reduce the efficiency of beneficial bacteria to convert ammonia into nitrites and nitrites into nitrates. So stick with a slower flow and service those filters routinely to get the crud out of the system! PLUS...be sure to feed high quality food as fish will produce far less waste Believe it or not!
 
Yeah thats what I fell for, i'd read that I needed a GPH rating at least 4 times my tank and that given my tank is "deep" it would be helpful for more flow to get more oxygen in to compensate for some of the lack of surface area, I was buying a spare pump in case of failure so just decided whilst at it to just upgrade to a high GPH.

I drilled some small 1.5mm holes into the outlet pipe and its done the trick brilliantly. Didnt expect it to work quite that well but i now have a 1000lph pump in there with less flow. Still got it pointed at the glass so i could increase the flow of the water if needed but given gouramis i think its better as it is for now

Thanks for the help again people!

Lee
 

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