My use of wet/dry filters over the years.

Well I started using wet/dry filter in the late 80s. Always used on larger tanks. Now I’m running 3. Each is set up on a vertical drop through media. Each has a different type of media. My first is an aqua-link bought on eBay new. Bought with everything but the pump. It’s a setup for a 150g and I’m using on a 110-125. So it’s more filter than needed.
this is it new in 20. It’s drip fed from top left. The first media is a plastic mesh with a polyfill. Everything in here in still in it 4 yrs later. Nothing’s been changed. But I finally moved the sponge in the second space to above the first section. Makes it much easier to squeeze out.
This tank has been crystal clear since it started! My other 125 at the time was running an fx6. It never compared to this filter and has been sold. The plastic/poly media has been very durable but seems hard to find. The pump is a Jeboa dc pump with a variable speed controller. It can move 200g to 1200g. Nice pump and very quiet. There is noise though. The water flowing through the overflow to the top of the filter does make noise. Similar to the waterfall noise of a hob. It a very simple system. The waterflows from an overflow hanging off the back. Enters the top of filter than runs through the sponge the p/p media than through2 smaller sponges and some matrix (really don’t think at this point it’s doing anything. But I had it) and than the pump returns it to the tank. The amount of sponge gives a huge space for bacteria to grow on. Simple and I do believe the very best way to filter. Will do a write up on my 180 next .
Ok now my 180 I started in 4/22. This wet/dry I put together myself. The sump is an old Amiracle 36”. It’s a nice start. Has 2 main chambers and a sump at the end for the pump. This came with no media hoses or overflow. I bought this for $60. Picked up the overflow and hoses off Amazon for about $150. The next thing is the media. For this I bought 2 10’ rolls of the standard blue rolled wet/dry media.
Ok this was day one with the blue stuff. It’s basically just rolled poly fill. Notice how it’s compressed after a few days running.
tank is clear and running good. Also in the tank are these 2 filters. An odyssea 350 powerhead and a green machine uv.
the odyssea came with cycled sponges. Only a few discus to start. My this blue poly very quickly compressed to about 4”
.So I tried another type. The green stuff. A little thicker but still the same. This I laid flat. All water goes through all of it now. I also added under it some bio-balls I had laying around. This adds another area for bacteria to grow on and is permanent. What I was doing with the old media is changing out a section every 6 months. And of course I’m looking for something more permanent.
this is about a year into the tank and the water is crystal clear with 15 discus at the 5-7” size 3 bn plecos 15 tetras and 12 corys 4 rams. So there’s a lot in there.
Liking the bio-balls and not so much the poly fill rolls. I picked up some more bio-ball and ordered the pink roll. Now the pink stuff is the thickest stuff I’ve gotten so far. Again I’ve laid this flat above the new bio-balls and above it I placed some of the blue polyfill. Just did this and like this the best. Will have to see how long this pick stuff lasts.
the green stuff is about 6 months old. These rolls cost about $20 for 10’ x 12”. I don’t use it all. So experimenting I’m into this for $100. If going with the poly fill they last about 6 months. Keep the tank crystal clear and work well. Me I’m just looking for long lasting like the first wet/dry. I’m getting there. Just ordered another type of pond media. So will update soon. The pump on this one is again a Jeboa dc pump. This one can move up to 1400gph. Moving now 1000 gph. The overflow is an eshopps 1200 with dual outputs. It has sponges inthe overflow and on the top of the drip plates. These get squeezed at every water change. That’s the maintenance. These are very efficient filters. Bigger that hobs and canisters but the pumps being dc run cheaper and last longer. The pump is just pumping the water back into the tank. Unlike canisters where the pump is pulling the water through the filter and back into the tank.

 

Now my third wet/dry is an eshopps I got new off of marketplace. It’s about 10yrs old but never used. First buyer was afraid to use it. Got it for $100. This is on my 90g and the wet/dry is rated for 75-125g tanks. So a perfect fit. This tank is a community tank and has a tidal 110 running with it. This is the standard wet/dry.
the ball pit on right with a sponge in the drip plate and another sponge in the overflow. A bad of bio-home I had laying around in the sump. A smaller Jeboa dc pump that moves 200-900gph. Think I’m moving around 700gph. Because of the tidal I haven’t added any other media. Again just clean sponges at water changes. Nothing added to this. These filter for a larger tank are all you need. Less to clean than hob or canister filters. Keep the water clean. The ball pit has so much space for bacteria to grow and never needs cleaning. These filters are very cheap to buy used. Its predecessor is the sump system. The main difference is in the sump the water is mostly running horizontal across it. It vertically fall into the sump goes through socks that grab all large pieces. The flow water beaks these down into smaller pieces. These socks are rinsed daily. So what’s in them is being removed not broke down. The water than flow into another chamber. There are usually 3 chambers for the water to flow through. Different medias can be added to these chambers. But being the water is flow across these it’s easy for water to flow past without being filtered. Some add a K2 area as the first chamber. This is a great type of filtration and probably all that’s needed. Here all the water will be pushed into these k2 ball and with the constant movement of these ball bacteria is being knocked off and new forming all the time so plenty of bacteria to eat all waste. As to the ceramics people add to the other chambers it’s hard to guess what there doing. Bio-film will grow on them thus moving the water past them and not through so I’m not sure there worth. A spong into the last chamber picks up whatever is left and than off to pump and into tank.

 

Veerrry interrresting! This would be easier to DIY than a canister would be - though probably no cheaper unless I could find the makings at a thrift store maybe.

 

Thing is you can find these used on marketplace for cheap. I recently found an eshoops 150 with an ehime pump and overflow for $75. Just needed cleaning. Also another for a 125 for 50. No pump.
Making a diy one is easy. You can use a 20-30g Tupperware as the wet/dry with plastic scrubby’s as media. Just need an overflow.

 

Thing is you can find these used on marketplace for cheap. I recently found an eshoops 150 with an ehime pump and overflow for $75. Just needed cleaning. Also another for a 125 for 50. No pump.
Making a diy one is easy. You can use a 20-30g Tupperware as the wet/dry with plastic scrubby’s as media. Just need an overflow.

So it seems. I was looking at some built using plastic drawer towers. I only donated five of those things to the local Goodwill thrift store that I couldn’t see finding room for, if only I’d known then what I know now!

As for being cheap used, well, cheap is relative. For sure, anything for sale in the US is going to cost me a chunk of dough just to get it here north of the border - shipping is insanely costly. Plus I do get a kick out of DIY.

 

That's interesting. You set up two from left to right and the last one right to left. Mine is right to left and never thought about it really but I'm left handed so it likely explains the natural instinct to do backwards and cross the intake and output hoses. Thanks for sharing! Nice to see how other people are doing it, I'd never really thought about just using sponges I've always used plastic bio tubes mine came with.ive tossed sponge filter sponges in mine to cycle them and at the ready but never really thought of just using sponges.... Mines set up like #3 just bigger and older but not as big as your #1 and #2.


Been using mine since the 1990s and have changed a pump once. Other than that it's been trouble free.
I use a prefilter sponge on the overflow and clean that daily and then the filter floss gets changed with the water change. Not a lot of food or waste winds up down there no mulm build up even over years.

It seemed complicated and confusing at first, I was hesitant to do it just off the cost of it and not knowing how it all worked but once I got it set up and settled into it, it's far easier to maintain than other filters.
I got mine 2nd hand also. Just needed a pump and floss hoses.
it came with the biomedia and hob overflow, the expensive parts. Mine is acrylic as well as the hob overflow.

Loudest part is the "waterfall sound" also, but its not annoying or intrusive, kind of relaxing if you ask me.
Occassionally they might be a balance issue from evaporation that will cause a light sucking sound from the hob overflow as it drains down to the wet dry, mostly very quiet. Evaporation can be a problem, I find myself needing to add 2 or 3 gallons of water a week you wouldn't notice it with the water changes for discus though. Hahaaha

 

Yes there is more evaporation! Mine the water goes below the pump in 5 days. I usually change water every 3rd to 4th day but when away I need someone to refill the 3 of them. Left to right or reverse I never thought of. Don’t cross hoses. Must be a lefty thing .
Pictures would help. A lot of people are afraid of these types of filters. There different! It’s amazing how easy they are to run and how long they last. The hardest part is getting the overflow to meet the level in the sump so at power outages no water spills.

 

Yes there is more evaporation! Mine the water goes below the pump in 5 days. I usually change water every 3rd to 4th day but when away I need someone to refill the 3 of them. Left to right or reverse I never thought of. Don’t cross hoses. Must be a lefty thing .
Pictures would help. A lot of people are afraid of these types of filters. There different! It’s amazing how easy they are to run and how long they last. The hardest part is getting the overflow to meet the level in the sump so at power outages no water spills.

I can probably take pictures tonight of how mine is set up. My overflow is an adjustable level in the tank, I have it set up to surface skim, And I kind of have a thing on how I set it to where at most it would drain a half inch from the tank and then the overflow is out of the water so the wet dry never goes full or even close, it maybe comes up an inch before the siphon is broken. Also I have a hole in the return pipe above the water line so it can't siphon from there either. runninng it squirts out of that hole, if the power goes out that hole lets in air and breaks a backflow.
my biggest worry about a leak and water on the floor is a bad hose, it's never happened but it's what I worry could happen.

 

Wet/dry, Sump, Vertical drop, Overflow, Pump, left to right... I'm looking at all the photos and reading the copy but still don't understand how these systems work. Obviously it does quite well, as evidenced by your crystal clear water that always makes it seem like your fish are swimming in air. The sump seems like it would be at risk of overflowing, but obviously that's not an issue either. I guess I need to see one in person or a Simple Simon explanation. Thanks for posting!

 

Wet/dry, Sump, Vertical drop, Overflow, Pump, left to right... I'm looking at all the photos and reading the copy but still don't understand how these systems work. Obviously it does quite well, as evidenced by your crystal clear water that always makes it seem like your fish are swimming in air. The sump seems like it would be at risk of overflowing, but obviously that's not an issue either. I guess I need to see one in person or a Simple Simon explanation. Thanks for posting!

It's definitely more complicated in theory than it is in practice.

Water siphons out of the tank through the overflow and down into the wet dry where it's spread out and rains over the biomedia oxygenating it and keeping the media moist. It trickles through the biomedia being cleaned by bacteria to the reservoir below and then to the pump, and it pumps it back up into the tank. The circulation of it coming out and going back in creates the circle to the filter and that's the simplest way I can explain how it works. Like a waterfall on a pond, or a pool filter the pump brings the water from the bottom to the top and as long as the water level is good and its goin in the overflow or skimmer where the pump can get it and put it back, it keeps on trucking.

 

Disclaimer: I'm not a photographer, just try to hold the phone steady and click.
I also still have the diatom bloom from overstocking, using 400% of aquarium space and 264% stocked according to AQ advisor 100% filtration for the stocking though!

Anyways here's some pictures of my wet dry set up. The HOB overflow, the water falls into the overflow from the tank skimming the surface, on the back side box it drains down to the wet/dry. The U tube transfers water from the overflow in the tank to the back box and the draining from the back box creates that suction... gravity basically.
Both of my hoses basically run dow to and directly over the wet/dry. the theory is if a hose leaks it leaks in there and the water stays in the system.
Last pictures are the return nozzle and the hole in it above the water line to suck air if the power goes out.

 

Sparky I just don’t get your tank. You’ve got both the wet/dry and the odyssea internal filter running and still getting that bloom. I’ve seen people’s discus tanks with 30+ discus and clear. The amount of floss on the top of the wet/dry should be clearing it. How much water are you moving in the w/d? Don’t care for the drip loop off the input hose from the overflow. Think that hose is too long. Next it looks like you’ve got a sponge at the bottom of the pit? If so that sponge could be the problem. If not cleaned every 2-3months (squeezed out) it will collect a lot of mulm. I just moved that in the 1st w/d to the top.

 

Sparky I just don’t get your tank. You’ve got both the wet/dry and the odyssea internal filter running and still getting that bloom. I’ve seen people’s discus tanks with 30+ discus and clear. The amount of floss on the top of the wet/dry should be clearing it. How much water are you moving in the w/d? Don’t care for the drip loop off the input hose from the overflow. Think that hose is too long. Next it looks like you’ve got a sponge at the bottom of the pit? If so that sponge could be the problem. If not cleaned every 2-3months (squeezed out) it will collect a lot of mulm. I just moved that in the 1st w/d to the top.

It's a grate actually. Plastic squares sheet big enough for no obstruction small enough so the tubes can't pass it to hold the biomedia out of the water.

And yeah I'm also using the 50 micron pad under the floss and every time the pH comes up the diatoms return. I mean maybe I'm not completely over the OTS, and I'm not completely down far enough on the stocking yet. I just got down to 15 fish from 25 and there's improvement.

Not sure on the pump but it blows pretty good but not enough to throw the angels around much. I did have a bigger pump on it but that was blowing them into the glass. And they'd avoid 3/4ths of the tank to stay out of it.

To be honest I did something people don't really do with angels, it's sort of uncharted territory and I had a pretty good idea it wouldn't work long term. I think there's a probably valid reason for 6 adults in 70 gallons max, unless you want to do daily 50% water changes due to the flow that's required. And the nitrate build up to achieve more in that space.

I think the nitrates don't help the situation but I think I may need to get really cracking on water changes to get it nice and stable on parameters and keep the nitrates low long enough for a full die off of the diatoms at my base pH the up and down that occuring seems to keep reviving them and to keep the pH down and clear means running high nitrates at least how it's been going. Meh. It's not the filter itself though, and the light has helped I'm getting green algae now which means the diatoms have less nitrates to use.

 

I like this thread. I use a clear for life wet/dry set up like your 3rd under my 125 acrylic tank, I use a layer of polyfill across the drip tray above the balls vs using socks, usually get a week or so before I need to swap it out. The only thing that could hold a negative on wet dry is that they are not very space efficient. Not a big deal on an enclosed stand with space, but for smaller tanks on multiple tank stands, a full wet sump can be sectioned and used as a grow out etc.

The biggest plus to the wet dry in my opinion is the ability to have 2 levels of protection for power loss surge/backflow water. In a full wet sump there's a crazy amount of precision math to be done to cover the flow back if the check ball in the pump leaks or fails. Additionally to ensure that the display can't overflow if the drain fails. With a wet/dry, there's plenty of space for flow back, and the pump would typically run dry if there was a drain failure long before flooding a display.

Great tanks you have set up, thanks for sharing the filter set ups.

 

Instead of polyfill across the drip plate a sponge works as well. Just needs to be squeezed out at water changes.