Biological filtration

[maco]

Hi All

Need some advice please. after not keeping discus for the past three years would like to start up again.
I have a 110G aquarium ,3 foot above the aquarium is a shelf where i will like to put a 40G plastic container.
So will be feeding to top of container with a powerhead from aquarium with a spraybar 1st stage will be sponge 2nd plastic pot scourers
and 3rd will be a product i have read up about called alfagrog.Gravity fed with pipes coming out the bottom of the container back to the aquarium.
Firstly will a system like this work.
Secondly does the porous alfagrog need to be submerged in water.

Regards MACO























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[Second Hand Pat]

I see a couple of design considerations; first can the shelf support the 40 gallon weight of your container? Also if you have a return line from the bottom of the container to the tank when the power goes out the entire 40 gallons from the container goes into the tank which could overfill the tank leading to a flood. Once your 40 gallon container drains during a power outage all your bio-media is left exposed to the air.

[maco]

Yes the shelf will be able to take the weight, i can make the outlet on the side of the plastic container with a anti siphon to what ever height i want the water to be in the container. Will that work ?

Thanks Maco

[Len]

It would would work well enough, but is there a reason you would want it over the tank? Usually you would put it underneath in a cabinet where it could easily be hidden. I guess it depends on what your goal is.