Inflow and Outflow on Opposite sides

[Buggy]

Unfortunately, when I came to set up the filter, I realised that due to my awkward aquarium design and bulky background, the outflow and inflow could not fit on the same side. I am currently trying to think of how best to work with what I have, and encourage circulation as well as I can, with hope that CO2 will spread around sufficiently.

I'm still not yet at a stage where I have filled the tank with water, but plants are due no later than Wednesday.

It's 245L, with measurements of 116 x 38 x 60cm, and filtered with a Biomaster 600 Thermo.

I have a spray bar on one side, and the inflow on the other. The inflow is towards the back corner.

Would it be advisable to add a wavemaker, of some description, to the near corner of the inflow side? Or, perhaps, it's more a case of waiting until the plants are in and I'm able to observe them and make a judgement?

If the latter, what things should I be looking out for? What are the signs that I should be picking up that the plants require more?

The front of the tank, and under the spray bar, will contain Monte Carlo, which I'm concerned may suffer. And, just to note, this will be the first time I am using CO2.

 

[KirstyF]

So you have a few challenges here. Your filter is giving you about 5x flow which is generally a bit low for a planted tank perhaps. 10x is recommended though not always essential.

My experience of the bio masters is that the pre-filter is fab but flow is not that punchy.

With a spraybar on the side (I assume you mean the short side) and the outflow opposite, you have nothing to draw the flow back to create a circular pattern and get your nutrients and Co2 across ur carpet and other plants.

As your tank is a tadge over a meter long, you would be relying on water hitting the opposite end of the tank with enough force to create that ‘circle’ and you have the outflow directly competing against it, so that’s problematic.

If I were you, I would still look at a spraybar on the back of the tank pointing directly forwards to create a flow across the top, hitting the front glass across that much shorter distance, and then moving down and across the bottom of the tank and back up. More likely to get a circular pattern that way.

Whether it will work, you can only know once set up.

You will ideally be looking to achieve a gentle sway across all of your planting.

If this is not successful then a wave maker or similar to create additional flow may be your best option, but if ur front to back is only 38cm, you might get away with it. 😊

 

[Buggy]

With a spraybar on the side (I assume you mean the short side)

Yep, the short side

If I were you, I would still look at a spraybar on the back of the tank pointing directly forwards to create a flow across the top, hitting the front glass across that much shorter distance, and then moving down and across the bottom of the tank and back up. More likely to get a circular pattern that way.

My problem is that I have a background that is physically inside of the tank which stops me putting a spray bar there.

So you have a few challenges here. Your filter is giving you about 5x flow which is generally a bit low for a planted tank perhaps. 10x is recommended though not always essential.

That is worrying, yeah. From what I could see it was the best external filter that I could afford. Although I do have an Aqua One Ocellaris 850 that doesn't have a use at the moment. Maybe the thinner pipeage would mean I could run both.

I forget to mention that I have fitted an inline diffuser.

 

[KirstyF]

Yep, the short side

My problem is that I have a background that is physically inside of the tank which stops me putting a spray bar there.


That is worrying, yeah. From what I could see it was the best external filter that I could afford. Although I do have an Aqua One Ocellaris 850 that doesn't have a use at the moment. Maybe the thinner pipeage would mean I could run both.

I forget to mention that I have fitted an inline diffuser.

It’s going to be a bit tricky working in your long axis with that set up. Running both filters might help you along but it’s tough to get enough momentum to create that loop when the water has so far to travel.

Drastic I know but ‘is removing the background an option?

Don’t know if anyone has tried mounting a double spray bar with linear flow. I.e one at surface level and a second (with Co2) at mid tank or a little lower. Not sure if that would work tbf or how you would need to plan your planting to cope with that flow mid tank….just thinking on my feet here!

I have Maxspect gyres in my tank which can provide more flow than you can shake a stick at and should be enough to give you that circular movement, even on the long axis, but not a cheap option.

I use mine for front to back flow btw, so am not quoting this from direct experience. I tried on my long axis and it didn’t work out for me but my tanks 7ft long. I believe @zeus had his gyres set up on the long axis of a 6ft tank successfully, although I believe he had inflow and outflow at the same end.

 

[Buggy]

Drastic I know but is removing the background an option?

The more I sit here staring at the aquarium the more this seems like the best thing to do. Having said that, even the light has to attach in the small opening spot, along with the filter pipes.

With hindsight, I should probably not have chosen this aquarium with hi-tech in mind, but it was the best sized tank for the space.

 

[erwin123]

You can buy a usb pump for less than US$5 from China sellers. They're pretty small and easily hidden
As their flow is not very strong (around 100l/hr), I place them near the substrate level to encourage flow at the bottom of the tank, and the weaker flow means they are not blowing the substrate all over the place.