Ideas for Closed Loop Filtration

[ramullinax]

I'm going to be building a FOWLR aquarium that has a requirement of four viewable sides. This means no overflows. I'm going to have to run the plumbing directly out and back in through the bottom of the tank. I've seen this done using UV and Cannister filters inline. I would like to have a refugium on it, but I'm not sure how that can be done with a closed loop or with all of the plumbing coming out of the bottom.

What are everyone's thoughts?

 

[AZDesertRat]

Sounds like you are asking for a flood unless you plumb the lines all the way up to close to the surface so it limits the amount of water that siphons out in a power outage. Your other option would be to mount the refugium at the same elevation as the display tank but that probably is not a viable option.

 

[ramullinax]

Yep, as far as I know a refugium would flood if it were below the tank - at least that's what I think. Does anyone have any ideas for getting a fuge under a tank with no overflows?


Does anyone have any other ideas for filtration on a closed loop?

 

[ramullinax]

bump

 

[ramullinax]

bump

 

[psyco_guy_abd]

I've been thinking of trying something but I've been keeping it a secret, however it sounds like it would solve your problem. Try to picture this...
You have a tall stack of rocks, or make a DIY rock with a 1" hole all the way up the center. The very top rock isn't really a rock at all, its a shallow box made of glass or acrylic with a 1" uniseal in the center. The outside of this clear box is covered with that pond foam stuff to make it look like a rock from the sides and bottom. Now you put a 1" bulk head in the bottom of the tank and place a 1" stand pipe in it. Then place the stack of rock over the pipe and finally put the overflow rock on top.

Now you have a free standing overflow wherever you place this stack of rock. (assuming you have drilled the bottom of the tank in that location) And it looks like a stack of live rock from all 4 sides, the only problem might be if you are going with a open top/pendant sytle lighting then from the top you would be able to tell it was an overflow.

 

[ramullinax]

That is a good idea....What are your ideas on a return? It would have to go all the way to the top of the tank as well....Or at least to a spot where the sump/fuge could handle all the backflow if there was a power outage on your pump.

 

[psyco_guy_abd]

You could do a return in the same manner, run to the top disguised as a stack of rock. It would really blend in if you were doing pilers of rock instead of the normal rock wall. Remember that you really don't need huge flow through a sump. Most recommend 1-2x tank volume per hour for a skimmmer and about the same for a fuge. I don't know how big of a tank your talking about but a single 1'' return should handle 400 - 500 gallons. the rest of the flow would be on a normal closed loop so that returns could be at any level of the tank.