I ran a SQWD for many years and can attest that they work pretty well. Sometimes, however, they will get stuck by a small grit of sand. When that happens, you can sometimes free it with a quick "whack"...but other times it requires removing the SQWD from the system and running water backwards through it.

You might find it helpful to place a couple of valves on the SQWD outputs, close to the SQWD. That way, you can close off the valves and more easily remove the SQWD for service/replacement.

I got about 2 years out them before they just wear out.

Hey Good idea with the plant hangers. I can't tell but are you able to lift the light fixture up on those hanging cables? That is always helpful when you want to work in the tank.

I too am using a squid in my nano tank and I can attest to the "whack" theory. I've been running mine for a year now and only had to "whack" it twice for noise (not because it stopped).