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There really isn't anything more complicated. [Hose / pump / hose] + [water in / height difference / water out]

To clarify, I'm looking for a pump that can can be sited in the cabinet under a tank. It should draw water in through something like 16/22 hose and expell it through another 16/22 hose. The pump should be capable of moving water at a rate of 1000-1500 LPH when the outlet is 1.5m-2m above the...

I don't dispute the eficiency of in-tank circulation pumps, but it's just not what I'm looking for.

Ah ... I can see how my question was ambiguous. The filter and circulation pump will  not share pipework. It needs to be inline as all the hardware is in the cabinet, rather than I'm the tank.

Any recommendations for an external inline pump with a decent head? The tank is 200+L and has a canister filter - I just need something to boost the circulation. I doesn't need to have a massive LPH, but it does need to maintain a decent flow when pumping up around 1.5m.

I'm looking for an external circulation pump that is capable of a decent flow rate with a head of about 1.7m for a 250L tank. There seem to be 1000 options, some with astronomical price tags, so any first hand recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks.

I use a set of hoses and valves connected to my canister filter. The tank drains from the filter inlet in the tank through one hose, then refills via a second hose, the canister, and the spraybar. It takes about 5min to syphon off 25L and about 15min to replace that, but my filter is...

I'm impressed just reading that, and that's before I've even had a chance to process the information and picture it!

Cam you elaborate on this please?

In my ill conceived set up, the convenience of cleaning a canister vs in-tank pre-filter is not as clear cut as it might be for others. #ifIdKnownWhatIKnowNow

In reviewing my filtration, I keep reading about pre-filters. I don't currently use them. As I understand it, they are basically just a piece of coarse sponge over the intake of a canister filter. I've also read quite a few recommendations about cleaning pre-filters regularly, whilst cleaning...

This may be more work than you want, but ... Cut a piece of rigid , flat plastic, the same size as the filter. Using double sided, waterproof foam pads, attach that to the glass of the tank. (The glass would probably need to be dry, and that might rule this out for you.) Use the suckers on the...

Whilst I wouldn't disagree with your view of profit led business models, I can't see how that would explain recommending a different order to fill baskets.

Which concurs with what I've read. But why would JBL disagree?

Having read various recommendations on media, I had understood that course foam media should go before ceramic bio media, which could even go last? I wasn't sure whether my filter was top-to-bottom or bottom-to-top, so I RTFM'd. The instructions clearly suggest bio-media should go first. Your...

A self sustaining population will be interesting with the current Assasin snails. I'd better go for some bigguns! 🙄🤣

I have a carefully thought out system of valves and hoses that use one of my canisters to pump in and out. It's still half a ton / 5 baths. 🤣

That's 500L of water to shift each week. I'm not saying it's not possible, it's just not trivial either.

Thanks all. Increasing water changes would be a challenge: it's a 250L tank and I aim to change 40+L every week. @ceg4048 If carbon would move "organics" to the filter, is there an easy way to remove them from the carbon? @dw1305 Do you recommend any particular snails? I have Ottos, Amanos...

To combat a BBA problem, I'm looking at my filtration and aiming to improve flow. Having read comments from the UKAPS gurus, I'm planning to remove the ceramic tube type bio-media from one of my external filters. (The other just has sponges.) I've read that "organics" (what ever that amorphous...

True, but you could just point people at the index page when folk like me ask questions.

Thanks Darrel. If you're ever want to write a book called "Everything you know about aquariums is wrong", I'll definitely be buying a copy. 🤣

Having found 6 fish and 3 shrimp in one of my canister filters, I'm planning to put sponge pre-filters on the intakes. (My pipework is DIY Acrylic.) I've always avoided these as I felt they must hold the filtrate in the tank, and reduce the amount that makes it through to the canister. Any...

There are various ways to cut foam. Whilst I've not tried cutting filter foam, my go-to tool for foam is an electric carving knife. Filter foam has a very open structure (compared to something like upholstery foam) so I guess it might snag, but it's a similar principal to tools designed for...

Thanks.

Each of the baskets is probably at least 2" deep, so there's plenty of room for two grades per basket. I've just remembered I've got a tub of carbon gathering dust. Where would that fit in, assuming it's useful?

Catching up with y'all ... bear with me ...

I have two external filters for my tank. Filter 1 is used as a conventional filter. Filter 2 has been more of a circulation pump , albeit a slightly under-powered circulation pump. In the process of a tank revamp, I've added some filter floss to Filter 2 and, when trying connecting a gravel...

A few years ago, the Fluval FX filters seemed to be regarded as the mutt's nuts. Is there anything better at the moment in the price range or equally good but cheaper?

Thanks. It's actually the measurements for the mating surface between the pump body and he impeller housing I need, just so I can tell if they'll fit together.

Does anyone have an Aqua-Turn AT2525 adaptor for a Grundfos 15/50 or 15/60 central heating pump? I have another brand of central heating pump that I suspect is just a re-branded Grundfos, but other than mounting bolt spacing for the impeller housing, I can't get any measurements out of...

Obvious ... when you put it like that. :facepalm:

Is there any good reason not to use standard plumbers copper pipe to make custom lilly pipes etc? I've read that copper is bad for fish and inverts, but AFAIK most domestic plumbing uses it, so most water in domestic aquariums has been through copper. Right?

Yeah, fair point.

The way I look at is this... A second hand central heating pump is £15 ( inc P&P), as is the Aquaturn kit. An Aqua Medic pump is about £130 (inc P&P). The CH pump might need a bloody good clean, but my hobby time is free. Even if a s/h CH pump lasts a year, that's around d a decade of pumps for...

Yeah, but you won't get one of those for a tenner. :lol:

Darrel. Thanks. Last time I looked they seemed to be no longer available. Webworm, by my reckoning, the Grundfos has around 100 advantages (Sterling) over the Aqua Medic. ;-)

I know there used to be someone who sold adaptor kits to run Grundfos central heating pumps as aquarium circulation pumps, but they don't seem to be available any more. Does anyone have any current knowledge of these, or know of a good (cheap) alternative?

I've tried various pond dips today: A net near pond weed. A net near the mulm at the bottom of the pond. A net in a rondom spot in the middle of the pond. A tub in each of these areas. In each case I've left what I've accumulated to settle in clear plastic tubs, and with a white sheet of paper...

Presumably the benefit is that they are detritivors, as well as a source of live food? I have a pond - am I right in understanding that just a scoop with a fine net should result in a catch, or would it be ok to just add a litre or so of pond water to the tank? Would that be enough to generate a...

In the tank, or in separate culture tubs/bottles?

Thanks. That all makes sense, but perhaps I didn't quite ask the question I meant to, and more info would perhaps have been useful. By low maintainence, I was thinking more in the context of what I've got now. How irregularly can I reasonably get away with water changes. (The down side of...

I'm a lazy aquarist. Right. We've got that out of the way, now lets move on and get to the point ... I've got out of the habbit of maintaining my 250L tank, and despite an attempt to get it back up and running about a year ago, it has now been all but unattended for 18 months. That said, both...

I have an external circulation pump that has died and a Rena XP2 canister gathering dust. Is there any good reason not to remove all the filter media and baskets from the XP2 as just use it as a circulation pump?

Whilst I do like the idea, and I'm sure it's possible to design downsides out of a system, I think on balance it's more hassle than it's worth at the moment. At least that's not another "project" on my list. ;-)

I don' add co2.

The guy I was talking to seemed to think cleaning filter media was a lot easier. Are there any disadvantages to a sump?

After talking to soneone at my LFS (another customer) I am wondering about swapping my canister filter for a sump filter on my 250L tropical tank. Q1. What are the pros and cons of sump filters? Q2. Everthing I can find on sumps is for marine tanks, which usually seem to have wiers built into...

I've never had milky tank water. I had a creamy beige sludge in my old filter that was a b*****r to remove: was that bacterial? I've never known what it was or what to do about it.

Is that an Imperial Amount or a Metric Amount? ;-)

Ok, so are there indications, other than flow rate or elicited NO2/NO3 levels, that you're cleaning the filter too often or not often enough?

You feed twice a day? I'm closer to twice a week! (Well, more like every other day.) :-D

Maybe I've been making more work for myself than I need to! (And I feel an aweful lot better about leting the weekly schedule slide a bit!) That said, I've always found that when I rinsed the foam, the resulting water was really dark and murky. And I don't think I've ever had particularly messy...

I recently had to replace my filter and bought one from JBL. Based on reading I did when I first started keeping fish, for years I've been aiming for a 10% - 20% water change, ideally once a week. At the same time I'd rinse all the filter media in tank water I was going to throw away, so as not...

It's a long time since I sturied any fluid dynamics (and even then I skipped a lot of lectures) but with the shape, size and hardscaping of my tank, I'm not convinced ideal flow paterns are a realistic hope. There are just too many potential areas where flow is hampered. (BTW, whilst the...

Why?

To combat algae I've recently increased the flow in my tank by adding a Hydor external pump, plumbed in to a second spray bar. In the diagram, my EX1200 feeds the red spary bar and the Hydor pump feeds the blue one. (NB Not to scale: the tank is about 2'6" deep, 1' back to front, and 3'6"...

For some time now my filter has acumulated some sort of grey/brown sludge. It's most obvious in the corners and on the bio-balls where the flow is obviously slowest, and where it's hardest to clean out. What is it, is it harmful, and if so, how can I get rid of it?

Testing with a bucket is a good idea.

"Pressure washing" the filter head is worth a try. The only way to remove 2ft of head would be to throw away the stand or cut the tank in half. (Almost.) http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/tall-250l-y-llechen-ogof.15588/ The impeller is fine and there aren't any leaks.

I have an EX1200 which I guess is about 3yrs old. I can't be sure, but I'm pretty sure the flow rate it produces has dropped significantly since it was installed. (It is a little hamstrung as it has to pump to a height of about 5ft, but that has always been the case.) All the pipe work has...

I'm adding an external circulation pump to my 2'6" deep 220L tank and need to make some custom pipes for it. I currently have an EX1200 with an inlet at the bottom back corner or the tank and a spray bar across the back or the tank. What sort of positioning should I look at for the in/out-lets...

My understanding was that because Vaseline is petroleum based it will break down rubber seals. That said I don't know if pump seals are usually synthetic and/or whether they would be affected. (I need something to stop a filter priming piston from sticking.)

Can anyone recommend a lubricant that's not oil based and is safe for aquarium use?

This is a major **** up, I know. Please don't ask how it happened, or tell me how important it is not to let it happen, or how to stop it happening. The situation was entirely beyond my control. My filtration has got blocked, and the water has not been changed for several weeks. The result is...

Too much flow in a low tech tank is a new one on me. Can you elaborate?

Thanks. By my reckoning it's about 1600lph on the middle setting with 1m of head. Cool! Are you aware of any significant issues with cleaning a second hand pump? (I know different additives get put in central heating systems to reduce calcification and air bubbles, but I've no idea how toxic...

(That's roughly what I found.) Bearing in mind the demands on a central heating pump are massive compared to a fish tank, any idea what LPH you can get with just a metre or so of head?

Just done some research: was your pump new or second hand? (Can't find a new one for less than an aquarium pump.)

Vanish - you're absolutely right about reduced flow. I tested the EX1200 to see what it would pump. I can't remember what it turn over, but with filter media and no head, I know it wasn't 1200lph. Do you have a thread or journal featuring this pump? Obviously that's much cheaper than any...

2'6" tall, 12" back to front, and a little less than 4' wide, and there is no added CO2. I'm most interested in increasing flow in general. CO2 won't be considered for the forseeable future.

Ooh, I like that idea, but it wouldn't work for my tank. (Pictures are in my old journal in my signifies.) But the question is effectively the same: Should it go towards the bottom of the tank?

Half the reason I'm putting a second pump in is instead of an ugly plastic lump with a messy wire sticking out of it in my tank.

I'm about to re-plumb my tank and add a second pump to improve the circulation.The tank is 2'6" deep, and the surface area is just 3.7 sq ft. In order to improve flow at the bottom of the tank, I've been wondering about having the outlet for one pump as something other than as a spraybar at...

I'm going to remake my filter intake and return pipes in the near future. As my tank is about 30" deep, any thoughts on how long I should make the filter intake sieve?

If you want something longer try attaching a bottle brush (or burette brush) to one of the flexible, plastic coated wires that net curtains get hung from. (My guess is they're pretty cheap.)

Mainly dead fish with no obvious sores, parasites, inflammation, or any of the usual signs of desease. Occasional laboured breathing, some slight clamping, swimming with heads pointing upwards (like a swim bladder problem), sometimes lying on the substrate or on plants, and in the case of...

Re: HMA filters Having read up on HMA fiters (thanks for the link Ceg) I am still concerned that there maybe some unknown toxin(s) getting into my tank from the mains supply. Obviously without knowing what it is it's difficult to know how to address the issue. 1) My guess is RO is the best...

Re: HMA filters Thanks Ceg. I'll shall read up when I have a moment.

I've been looking into water purification (in adition normal filtering). I don't want to go for RO, but have come accross HMA filters as a possible haf way house. Except I can't find any info on what they actually are and how they work. Can anyone help?

The pipe that runs through he centre of the 300W version is perfectly straight so, as long as the internal diameter is the same as your hoses, there should be no difference to flow. (I've got 22/16 hoses and it seems fine.)

Thanks Charlieh. That's gonna take some reading, and seveal cups of tea, and some more reading, and some more tea, but I shall try. (To think I did some fluid mechanics 23yrs ago - really didn't think some pretty fish in the corner of the kitchen would re-open those old wounds ;) )

Dear all, Alastair is officially the nicest man on the planet today! Alastair, you will have a PM shortly! Bob, which supplier did you get your pipe and rod from? The one I got my smaller diameter stuff from does 15mm rod but not 16mm. Just because I can get quite anal about details (you may...

Thanks Bob. I hoped that was the case but wasn't 100% confident it would stretch that far.

Thanks George. Really useful. :thumbup: Do you have any sense of how much difference a short section that is narrower would make? eg 16/22 pipe with a 50mm length at only 12mm? Unfortunately it confirms my fears: My Rena xP2 is rated at just over 1000lph. So I was expecting about 500-600lph...

I know nothing of the subject, but with the shrimp filter caps, wouldn't that stop any solid matter getting filtered by the pump? Wouldn't it just act as "filter media" and keep all the gunk in the tank?

Does anyone know how much pipe diameter and length effect flow rate? I know it's not a simple relationship, and I don't want to get into complicated maths, but it would bs useful to know roughly.

I've never been a fan of rules and have never met the Rules Poice so I should be ok. And as stated I can't justify another filter and I don't really want to start having wiring and Koralias etc in the tank. You have a PM.

Having read through some of the posts on flow etc I am concerned my project may be heading for some dead spots and risk of algae. The tank is just over 1m wide, 75cm high and 30cm deep (about 250l), with two large pieces of wood and a relatively large cave. The filtration is from a Rena xP2...

Are you using metal jubilee clips, silicone tube and hard plastic (eg ABS) fittings? if so I'm wondering how the metal clips are looking against soft tubes?