Looking for ideas

[Barry Tetra]

Hi there,

I’m planning to set up a high-flow river aquarium with water flowing only in one direction for my plants. Similar to this video right here
Has anyone done anything similar before? I am planning to maybe Any further suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I also have canister filter so it would be great if anyone can suggest how to utilised it to the set up.



Thanks, Barry

 

[Colin_T]

Just use an external canister filter and have the intake tube at one end and the spray bar at the opposite end. The water will enter the tank at the spray bar and flow through the tank before getting picked up by the canister filter and returned to the spray bar.

 

[Barry Tetra]

Just use an external canister filter and have the intake tube at one end and the spray bar at the opposite end. The water will enter the tank at the spray bar and flow through the tank before getting picked up by the canister filter and returned to the spray bar.

I think the problem is that the filter flow tend to hit the glass panel and return to the opposite side instead of going one direction. The filter intake is often not strong as the pump’s.

 

[Colin_T]

Change the angle and position of the filter outlet. It doesn't have to be at the top or on a side. You can move it to any position to create the flow and then add an airstone to increase oxygen levels in the water.

 

[GaryE]

A double bottom? Or is that just the video you chose?

I love high flow tanks, and have played around a lot to get them to work. The issue is always turbulence - river riffles don't hit walls and bounce back. You can minimalize that with a laminar flow pump, but they are very expensive. I have a small one I bartered for, but they are several hundred dollars. Great devices though.

A double bottom can work well. I have a friend who ran one for river gobies, and it was a workable tank.

I don't know of many canisters that have the wide outlets that would work best. You don't want jets of water, but rather a wider outflow, like a stream riffle.

 

[Barry Tetra]

A double bottom? Or is that just the video you chose?

Yes, and there is this one that is similar idea to the double bottom one. Not sure if it is any comparable though. How does your friend clean the double bottom? Do you know how the maintenance goes?

The tank will be no bigger than 45 cm long and will house only the
Rheophytes; plants that grow in fast-flowing rivers and are flood resistant. And probably some plankton.

 

[GaryE]

He gave it up due to algae, but that was placement. His space has wonderful sunlight. That wasn't so wonderful for the tank. But for the flow, he had a big laminar pump in a shallow 5 foot double bottom. Any detritus simply blew through. Nothing accumulated. He had small Asian gobies, and your chosen plants.