Quote:
Originally Posted by don.ald
well, i am impressed! looks amazing. can you explain the canister filter...i mean why not just overflow into the bin and return pump back out? i have never used a canister filter so not sure how they work. how is the tank itself plumbed? did you drill and put in bulkheads?
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The canister filter has three trays inside stacked on top of each other. I feed the water from the overflow directly down into these trays which hold my filter floss, carbon and some bio-media. This was easier for me than trying to build such trays or chambers into a sump. It also keeps the majority of water noise and humidity to a minimum as it’s all contained within the seal canister filter. I drilled a hole and installed a bulkhead in the base of the canister to convert it into a wet-dry system which typically wouldn’t be ideal for saltwater but in nanos I believe it can be good. A bulkhead is also installed in the lower side of the sump to connect to the canister drain. This drain puts less back pressure on the overflow compared to trying to feed the output out of the top of the canister and into the sump. The sump is now free of micro bubbles and most of the clutter so it holds the return pump, heater and float valve easily. I’ve also placed some live rock in the sump for added bio-media in the more conventional saltwater way.
I did have to make some changes to the canister filter to make this work for me, besides installing a bulkhead in the base I also opened up the water entrance (which is actually the stock water output) by removing the impeller assembly and drilling out any major obstructions, this way a clog is less likely and it handles the gravity feed flow much better. I also made a simple baffle to keep bubbles in the canister and out of the sump.