So I am almost done setting up my vivarium for my dart frogs that I plan to purchase in the next two weeks at the Long Island Reptile Show on March 15. I have a quick question regarding my filter I am installing. I tried a canister filter but had problems so I returned it and decided that for $20 I might as well build my own wet dry filter. Pretty much I will have a 2" overflow installed under my false bottom that will allow the water to flow into the overflow, down a tube attached to a hole in the bottom of the tank, into the wet dry and then pumped back into my tank down a waterfall via a submersible pump. My biggest issue was deciding how big of a hole to drill in the bottom of my tank. I had ordered a 1" hole diamond drill bit. I had read that for a tank between 25-90 gallons, a 1" hole is big enough. However, with a bulkhead, the tube delivering the water to the filter can only have a diameter of 0.5". Is this big enough to deliver the water to my filter without creating any annoying sounds or having any problems? Keep in mind that my tank only will be holding a maximum of 5 gallons (extra water will be housed in the wet dry so that even after water evaporated, there is enough water to be siphoned to my tank).
Thanks for the input!!
just out of curiosity, why not just place a submersible pump under the false bottom and use that to feed your water fall? water draining through the substrate will get filtered. unless you are trying to keep all mechanicals out of the tank?
1.0.0 Oophaga Pumilio 'Black Jeans'
0.0.10 Phyllobates Vittatus
0.0.3 Phyllobates Terribilis 'Mint'
0.0.3 Dendrobates Tinctorius 'Patricia'
0.0.5 Dendrobates Leucomelas
0.0.2 Dendrobates Tinctorius 'Powder Blue'
0.0.2 Ranitomeya Variabilis 'southern'
0.0.3 Epipedobates Anthonyi 'zarayunga'
1.2.0 Phyllobates bicolor
0.0.3 Dendrobates tinctorius 'azureus'
0.0.1 Avicularia Avicularia
0.0.1 Gramastola porteri
0.2.0 Canines
1.0.0 Tabby/Maine Coon Mix
2.1.0 Genetics Experiments
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Well my thoughts are that if I can build an outer filter I can house more water and so I don't need to keep filling the tank every few days bc of the evaporated water. The external filter allows me to house abt 15 gallons instead of the 5 I could house in the tank.
evaporation is not normally an issue with darts because the tank is essentially sealed. your main concern will be getting the extra water out of the tank. remember, you need to mist to keep humidity at the right level, so you are, in effect ADDING water daily.
1.0.0 Oophaga Pumilio 'Black Jeans'
0.0.10 Phyllobates Vittatus
0.0.3 Phyllobates Terribilis 'Mint'
0.0.3 Dendrobates Tinctorius 'Patricia'
0.0.5 Dendrobates Leucomelas
0.0.2 Dendrobates Tinctorius 'Powder Blue'
0.0.2 Ranitomeya Variabilis 'southern'
0.0.3 Epipedobates Anthonyi 'zarayunga'
1.2.0 Phyllobates bicolor
0.0.3 Dendrobates tinctorius 'azureus'
0.0.1 Avicularia Avicularia
0.0.1 Gramastola porteri
0.2.0 Canines
1.0.0 Tabby/Maine Coon Mix
2.1.0 Genetics Experiments
0.1.0 Bed Bully
On all the larger builds we create, we used drilled tanks and sumps. Most of them make use of a 1.5" hole for return and 1.75" for drain. When I do a water feature I used make use of a sump on a larger tank. On smaller tanks I install pump internally.
If there is no water feature, you don't need to drill the tank. However, it can be beneficial to have a drain hole drilled so if you over mist the excess water will just drain out.
I didn't catch if there was a water feature on this build??
Yes there is a waterfall which is why I am drilling
You might be ok with those hole sizes, since it is such a small amount of water. You can install ball valves, to adjust water drain/return as needed.
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