Am i using this false bottom correctly?

[yekram10]

I just made a false bottom out of egg crat and have about 2 to 3in space under it. I have bought a substrate divider. Im wondering if i should cut an area for a pump or will i need to siphon water out? Ive seen posts where people put a spot for siphoning or pump, Is this nessacary?

[Lynx]

My understanding is that if even you aren't going to have a water feature, you're still going to need to siphon out excess and/or stagnant water, so some sort of access to the water in the bottom is necessary. There's several options, but I'll let someone a little more knowledgeable go into better detail. I just have a little "pond" for the frogs to soak in. I siphon and change the water from there.

[DonLisk]

Exactly. If you just mak a small area in a front corner where you can sneak a hose in then you are all set. I have one where I can just lift the corner enough to slip a hose in, then siphon it on occasion to remove the excess water. Usually a 1 1/2 to 2 inch deep area below the eggcrate is enough.

Depending on how often you mist will determine how often you have to drain this area.

If you build in a pump and have a hose coming out to attach to you need to make sure the pumps suction is at the bottom and not sucking in water from the side.