rio 400 circulation advice needed

[Froggster]

Hi

from my browsing on here,I know my circulation is poor at the moment

My current setup

Rio 400 - original juwel filter right hand of tank and a eheim 2224 left hand, with the eheim spray bar fitted to the top of the left wall.

Co2 - FE with regulator and solenoid via a ph controller, glass diffuser(probably going to change to an UP inline) under the eheim's inlet.

I've read a few threads regarding spray bars at the back of the tank, and this is my preferred method.

I'm thinking of moving the eheim's spraybar to the rear left hand side and fitting (somehow ) a spray bar to the juwel powerhead on the right. or I may swap the outlet spray bars juwel right/eheim left so circulation is consistent.

anyone have any thoughts/alternative methods?

cheers

 

[Alastair]

Hi froggster
My tried and worked method was to cut off the 45 degree angled piece off the juwel outlet and just leave on the piece that attaches to the pump this way giving a nice flow from right to left ( other advice on this at thr end) . Then have the eheims outlet wuth out spray bar front left blowing slightly down and right along the front giving similar flow to two lily pipes positioned either end.

If this doesnt help matters which it should, then place eheim back left with spray bar on back wall blowing across the front then down back across the substrate and up.

On the juwel filter, get either a fluval spray bar or even better a clear length of acrylic roughly 16/22mil (I can give you a link for cheap) drill some 3mm holes along the length and attach with a little piece of filter hose to the juwel outlet and have this along the back wall coupled with the eheim giving you a nice consistent flow from back to front

 

[Froggster]

Many thanks Alistair, I'll give the first suggestion a go later (when the fish wake up )

would appreciate the link for the acrylic pipe

 

[Sacha]

Alastair, do you think you could get a photo of your Juwel outlet pipe please...?

 

[Alastair]

Alastair, do you think you could get a photo of your Juwel outlet pipe please...?

Hi Sacha I dont have a juwel tank anymore

 

[Froggster]

Ive added a newave 2.7 circulation pump whilst waiting for my acrylic pipe to arrive,

My plan is to have a 1 metre spraybar (fed from the juwel filter) across the top rear of the tank with a smaller spraybar (fed from the eheim) supplying the co2 enriched water just below.

to keep the lph flow rate at around ten times the volume, i'm thinking of putting the circ pump on either the left/right wall centrally pushing through the center of the tank.

thoughts/suggestions would be appreciated before I get the drill out

 

[ian_m]

Co2 - FE with regulator and solenoid via a ph controller

Why a controller ? Use of these usually invites CO2 issues leading to plant problems and algae outbreaks

Most people round here, use a low tech drop check, low tech timer on solenoid and low tech needle valve...job done.

 

[Alastair]

Hiya
You may benefit from upgrading the pump in the juwel filter to the 1500 lhr pump too for extra flow as a metre long spray bar can reduce flow quite a bit

 

[Froggster]

Hi Ian

The controller is a leftover from my first attempt at planted around six years ago, and was bought after a buddy of mine had an issue and emptied a large amount of co2 into his tank overnight, I do have a drop checker , but whilst i am experimenting with flow and co2 delivery ,the controller gives me a sense of security to lower the ph whilst im not home.

once im confident I have this correct I do intend to move to the Timer and drop checker only.[DOUBLEPOST=1395403163][/DOUBLEPOST]

You may benefit from upgrading the pump in the juwel filter to the 1500 lhr pump too for extra flow as a metre long spray bar can reduce flow quite a bit

thanks Alistair, wasnt aware they did an upgrade pump for the jumbo filter, i was thinking of removing the internal juwel and replacing with a jbl cristalprofi e1901, but you may have just saved the internal , and my wallet

 

[ian_m]

thanks Alistair, wasnt aware they did an upgrade pump for the jumbo filter, i was thinking of removing the internal juwel and replacing with a jbl cristalprofi e1901, but you may have just saved the internal , and my wallet

I have left the original Juwel 600l/hr filter in my Vision 180 (and a JBL e1501). One advantage is that you can leave a layer of floss in the internal filter and is easy to clean the floss at water change time, unlike the e1501 which is a bit more laborious to clean, though being bigger I only open every month or two to clean the coarse filters.