# Stupidly ambitious build



## howard2345 (Sep 10, 2012)

My family business is pet shops and i've had fish for 10 years.

I have decided to be completely stupid with my tank and do something really ambitious since I've moved out. I'm getting basic community fish, mainly shrimps, plecs and some little colourful fellas. Everything super peaceful. 

Because I like huge plants but I don't like thin and deep aquariums I went with a different shape.

Sooooooooooo I got a friend to make me a tank shaped like the letter L but turn it 90degrees right and so there is a deep and shallow end. Don't worry the glass is super thick and it has had water in for 3 weeks now whilst I do some water flow tests, I'm not even considering fish or plants yet till I figure out the plan. 

It is 1.1m deep and 1.2 wide but the shallow end will be 60cm deep. The problem I forsee is filtration. At the deep end I want huge plants, I'm not even sure how big plants can go, ive seen 80cm plants for sale so happy with that at worst. I will get co2 diffusers and loads of lighting for the deep end. 

However I'm worried about water flow so what is everyones thoughts of this working? I will have a sump tank but i'm thinking of having a second seperate filter to help with water flow inside the tank and filtration at the deep end. I will probably also get another pump that move the water around so it flows properly. 

I'm not made of money but i've been collecting returns for a while haha. 

Option 1. 
At the deep end have a stupid amount of gravel for the plants (I will disguise tank depth with the cabinet at the bottom so it doesn't look daft) and then use an under gravel filter at that bit with outlet being higher up the tank. 

Option 2. 
Have an internal box filter in the shallow end but put the outlet at the deep end so water will flow, Im hoping the gravity will be enough to get the flowing quick enough with the tube being 1m+


At 1.1m deep I can't really get down to clean the gravel regularly. I've got a long stick with some spoons on the end for turning the gravel to unsettle it but it needs to be heavily filtered at that depth I am guessing. 

Any ideas? How do other people get around this problem with really deep tanks?

Thanks in advance


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Canister filter?

You can have the outflow at one end and the intake at the other.


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## Bawl (Aug 15, 2012)

Wait so is the long vertical part sticking up into the air or hanging down? Either way that's a very interesting setup!


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## clep.berry (Mar 4, 2012)

Interesting set-up.
For something like that to work, I think you'd need to run 2 canisters- one for the shallow and one for the low ends of the tank - or a sump with 2 returns.
Treat as 2 side-by-side tanks basically.
The sump is possibly the best option allowing you to take a return from your syphon.
You could rig a mechanical filter in a bucket with a hole in the bottom or exit hose, filter pad in front of it, gravel for 2 inches above the bucket's hole with sand on top to be able to vacuum continuously and remove detritus without clouding your water and feed the return back into the sump - or design your sump in such a way that you have a wet/dry section specifically for syphon/gravel vac.
I like the idea but lighting is going to be more of a problem than water movement!
cb


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## howard2345 (Sep 10, 2012)

I've never used canisters inside the house. The ones on my pond leaked so bit worried about them. 

I can add mechanical filter into sump tank. It's just figuring out how all the gravel at the bottom doesn't get too mucky. 

The lid is a test also as I'm planning on checking it works first before getting it designed. 

I will probably go with 4 really powerful tubes at the deep end and then 2 at shallow end. I've spoken to a friend that runs the smaller tanks at local aquarium and she has a deeper tank with plants in from 4 tubes. if I have to go with 6 then so be it. 

If it comes to it I won't add live stock till plants established.

Just to confirm the tank is shaped like this 

¬ 

but it will be point the other way.


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