Waterfall Design, Help Needed

[MermaidMel]

I've got this tank
http/www.theaquariumshop.co.uk/images/catalogue/AR-380-Silver.jpg

Via Aqua 380 which is 16" wide, 16" tall, 10" deep and holds about 11 gallons

I am planning to keep a couple of fire bellied newts and so want 3/4 full of water

This tank has a wet/dry tickle filter running along the top and water comes out of a tray that is pierced all the way along just like a spray bar, so water returns from the back of the tank all the way along, and so I want to build up (from the bare bottom) a rock formation that goes past the top of the water level and meets with the out flow to make a dry land area that is constantly wetted by a water fall

I hope this makes sense

What would be the best option for creating the rock formation/waterfall, given that I only have a 10 inch depth and as such, would not be able to accommodate sloping gravel, as it would all just fall down

Thanks

 

[MermaidMel]

Also, would this idea even work because the power head is built into the tank and would that need to be fully submerged in water?

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Hard to say if it would work straight off the bet without seeing it. Does the input pipe for the filter go down the back towards the bottom of the tank (presumably where the water will be) or does the pump go in the water? If not it might take some modding to extend the pipe and even then it may not work 100% (depends on the type of pump and how the filter is set up).

Regarding the water fall I would recommend using slate. Its flat so can be stacked easily and held together with a little blob of silicon.

Try and get some photos of the filter layout and the pump and we should be able to come up with something.

 

[MermaidMel]

hi Barney

here is the tank itself

 

[OldMan47]

That picture looks very much like the pumping part is going to need water very close to the top of the tank to work. You might possibly be able to run the water level just about where the holes in the distribution tray are located but I get the impression you want the level much lower than that.

 

[MermaidMel]

That picture looks very much like the pumping part is going to need water very close to the top of the tank to work. You might possibly be able to run the water level just about where the holes in the distribution tray are located but I get the impression you want the level much lower than that.

If I build slate up to underneath the holes there will be a little basking area, although I'm now tempted to run with a turtle dock instead, going to go shopping and see what I can find

 

[the biffster]

i would fill the tank up slowly and find
out at what level the pump starts pumping water
then that way you know were you stone slate
backing area needs to be i have an aqua one
620 and that dosent start pumping till the
water is nearly to the top of the tank
were it touches the bottom of the pump

 

[MermaidMel]

I have just bought a turtle dock instead, I can have that just beneath the outflow area and have the water slowly trickle back into the tank. I take it the newts don't mind being underneath the light when they are on 'land'?

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Would agree with the above post. If the water level is too high though all is not lost. You could probably modify the filter compartment and pump so the pump is at the bottom of the tank in the water and it pumps up to the filter compartment. At worst you might have to upgrade the pump to a small maxijet pump depending on how that one deals with the head height (looks a bit like a maxijet pump anyway).

 

[MermaidMel]

My sister was running this tank for years with the pump only half submerged and it worked really well and silently, so I think I am going to be ok, especially with the turtle dock taking the impact of the water returning, as newts don't like a heavy flow of water