Pump efficiency

[Piotr Koba]

Hello all,
As I wrote in one of the earlier topics, I am planning to setup an 600Ltr. (160gal.) tank for Centrals. But Which one of them will go there, it's a big question. It all depends what I'll can get thanks to my friends. So, I'm going to filter the tank using a "background" filter, similar to Lee use, slightly modified. You can see my idea here:

Inner dimensions of the filter will be about 70cm long, and 12cm width (height of the background, of course).
My main question is, how strong pump I should use. On Polish market there's not much to choose from, there are only quite weak, about 1000Ltr./hour, or much stronger, about 2000L/hour, and I have no idea, which would be the best.
I found this one:
http://new.aquaszut.pl/index.php?option ... &Itemid=85
It is from reliable polish producer, with quite reasonable price (that is about $60), but I'm affraid it's too strong. In comparison Willem uses 3600L/hour pumps in 4 times bigger tank! I have read an old article of George Reclos and others about filtering in cichlid tank, (smaller tanks=more efficient pumps) so this is why I have doubts.

Thanks in advance.

[Piotr Koba]

No one can help??

[Bas Pels]

sorry

I use spongefiltration a lot, and I'm quite happy with it. However, most of the filters are 25 - 35 cm (5 to 7 5 cm sponges) and I don't think they need to be larger

However, they do get stuck, and that can result in a dramatical reduction of waterflow - even to dry pumps. You will have to look the waterlevel near the pump over, quite regularly, and need to be able to get the sponges out

@ amount of water, I have 15 * 40 cm filtration with 600 l / hr pump, in 200 l tanks. Perhaps you cna go to 1000 l/hr, but that would be too little for a 600 L tank - that would suit a 300 l tank. Perhaps you can make 2 similar filters? one to the left and one to the right?

[Dan Woodland]

Hi Piotr,

I use the philosophy of turning over, filtering the water in Gallons Per Hour (GPH), a tank at least 4 times per hour knowing the filter media will clog over time lowing the GPH. For example, a one hundred gallon tank will have at least 400 gallons per hour of filtration.

Hope that helps.

[Piotr Koba]

Thanks much.

Good idea, Bas.
I can make two filters on each tank's side (but still behind background, in order not to lose lenght of the tank). I can use two Pumps 1200LPH each, and that would be 4 times of tank volume as Dan wrote.

[Piotr Koba]

I'm asking here instead of making new thread:

What thickness of glass should I use in 600Ltr. (160gal.) tank? (200cm length, 60cm width, and 50cm height) I think of using 10mm glas, and make strengtheners as in big aquariums. What do you think?

[Marko Lenac]

I have 6 tanks like that and just ordered another one

[Piotr Koba]

Thanks much!