Silencer
12-18-2004, 03:32 PM
I'm converting my 55g to saltwater. I don't have room for a sump or larger tank. What I was going to do was make an overflow baffle at one end of the tank. It would be 12" wide, the same as the tank, and maybe 4-5" from the end of the tank. This will give me a 4x12x19 area to put my heater in, hide a SEIO powerhead for circulation, and some material to act as a small fuge in order to supply pods to the tank. I'm having trouble with the design though, perhaps you guys have some suggestions...
http://unrealdev.net/saltwater/fugelayout.jpg
I see two main problems. I will be mounting the SEIO powerhead inside the fuge area, with the intakes inside the fuge area, and the output will be directed through a hole in the baffle and into the tank. Depending on which model I get it would be 620gph or 820gph. I'm worried that even if it's a great breeding ground for pods, they will all be killed when shot out into the tank through the powerhead.
I can easily create a small internal baffle to seperate the fuge area from the powerhead intake area, but this creates another problem. If I do this than what supplies the flow to the fuge area? Perhaps if I made the baffle slightly higher in the fuge area without overflow slits I could use a powerhead to pump water in and then the slightly higher water level would gravity feed back into the tank through some small holes drilled in the baffle near the sand?
The other concern would be the heater which I would also be mounting within this 4x12x19 area. I'm not sure if it would be good to have macro algae (chaeto most likely) or live rock pushed up against it. What do you guys think? Given the small area I have to work with and the fact that I must house the powerhead and heater in the area, how should I setup any internal baffles or flow in order to maximize pod production and movement into the tank as well as nutrient export (since I won't be using a skimmer)?
http://unrealdev.net/saltwater/fugelayout.jpg
I see two main problems. I will be mounting the SEIO powerhead inside the fuge area, with the intakes inside the fuge area, and the output will be directed through a hole in the baffle and into the tank. Depending on which model I get it would be 620gph or 820gph. I'm worried that even if it's a great breeding ground for pods, they will all be killed when shot out into the tank through the powerhead.
I can easily create a small internal baffle to seperate the fuge area from the powerhead intake area, but this creates another problem. If I do this than what supplies the flow to the fuge area? Perhaps if I made the baffle slightly higher in the fuge area without overflow slits I could use a powerhead to pump water in and then the slightly higher water level would gravity feed back into the tank through some small holes drilled in the baffle near the sand?
The other concern would be the heater which I would also be mounting within this 4x12x19 area. I'm not sure if it would be good to have macro algae (chaeto most likely) or live rock pushed up against it. What do you guys think? Given the small area I have to work with and the fact that I must house the powerhead and heater in the area, how should I setup any internal baffles or flow in order to maximize pod production and movement into the tank as well as nutrient export (since I won't be using a skimmer)?