From: ste@cbnewsm.cb.att.com (Shaun T. Erickson)
Subject: [FILTRATION] Will this work?
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Allentown, PA
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 04:52:29 GMT
Summary: Using a Magnum 350 as a pre-filter to a wet/dry and another Magnum 350 as the sump pump.

I have a wet/dry filter and two Magnum 350s. I would like to hook them up
as diagramed below. Would this work? Does anyone see any potential problems
with this setup? I want to try this as it would allow me to remove the siphon
box and pre-filter leaving only an intake/output pair in the aquarium, making
it look MUCH nicer.

                      <----                          <----
                     ________                       ________
                     |      |                       |      |
                     |  ----|-----------------------|----  |
                     |  |   |                       I   |  |
                     |  |   |                           |  |
                     |  |   |                           |  |
                     |  |   |                           |  |
                     |  |   O                           |  |
                     |  ---------------------------------  |
TOP OF STAND -------|-------------------------------------|----- TOP OF STAND
                      \       _____           _____       /
                       \      |   |  wet/dry  |   |      /
                        \     | --|-----------|-- |     /
                         \    | | I           | | |    /
                          |   | |             | | |   |
                          |   | |             O | |   |
                          |   | ----------------- |   |
 SHELF -------------------|---|-------------------|---|----------------- SHELF
                        --|---|--               --|---|--
                        | I   O |               | I   O |
                        |       |               |       |
                        |       |               |       |
                        ---------               ---------
 BOTTOM OF STAND --------------------------------------------- BOTTOM OF STAND
                      MAGNUM 350 #1           MAGNUM 350 #2
                    (CARBON CONTAINER)      (MICRON CARTRIDGE)
                   (IN RITE-SIZE SLEEVE)   (IN RITE-SIZE SLEEVE)


I'd put the micron cartridge in the second Magnum because as it clogged it
would cause the water level in the wet/dry to rise. However, this rise would
be offset by evaporation, causing the water level to actually remain somewhat
stable. If the micron cartridge was in the first Magnum, the water level in
the wet/dry would drop as the micron catridge clogged and this drop would
actually be speeded by evaporation. This, of course, assumes that the micron
cartridge (in it's pre-filter sleeve) will clog faster than the carbon con-
tainer (in it's pre-filter sleeve), which seems reasonable.

It occurs to me that if the power wer cut to this setup, that water would
siphon from the tank through BOTH Magnums and into the wet/dry (which would
overflow, since it sits lower than the aquarium). Right? If so, wouldn't a
small hole, just below the water line, in both the intake and output tubes
take care of that?

My only other concern is if the output from the first Magnum would be so
fast that it would wash all of the bacteria on my (2.5 gallons of) bio-balls
away.

I do know that the first Magnum could be on the same level as the wet/dry. I
wish the second Magnum could be on the same level as well, but it seems it
would need to be lower in order to properly siphon out of the wet/dry.
-- 
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 * Shaun T. Erickson                              Internet: ste@alux2.att.com *
 * Cap Gemini America (RV @ AT&T)                    UUCP : ...!att!alux2!ste *
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