Filtering the filter outlets with a bathtub tray!

[EggShappedFish]

I have a lot of DIY filtration, and I like running multiple filters instead of one large one.
My current setup uses 7 pumps (4 power heads to pull water through two custom filters and 3 internal filters). Each of them moves 1000 lit/hour (260 gal/hr).

This gave quite a lot of current in the tank, and my fancy goldfish aren't all so great swimmers. So I decided to slow down the current, without affecting the flow (not sure about the actual physics definition, but I wanted to circulate the same amout of water without my fish having to swim against fast moving water.

I came up with this contraption. I initially had designed a modular system that that I could 3D print, and would work the same way, but this is a bathtub tray that I had lying around, that fitted perfectly to what I wanted.

I have a layer of fine filter mat in the bottom, and a coarser sponge at the top. This is so that the fine filter does not get clogged too fast. The blue sponge i can wash quite easily. That said, I don't expect it to get clogged at all because most of the 6 outlets that pour onto it, are from filters, so the water should be cleaned for solid debris

This has effectively slowed down water movement inside the tank, but retains the original water flow through the filter media, adding an extra stem that also can assist with further filtration. I assume that the sponge will house beneficial bacteria, that will have enough oxygen to be super effective.

My next improvement, will be to spread the outlets more evenly across the sponge surface, to get even better bacteria growth in the blue sponge

 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

I love creativity posts like this. Very well done! Feel free to throw a post in here as well if you like!

 

[Bsquared]

Great idea! A smaller version would be great for baffling flow in a growout/breeding tank to keep food from flying around and make it easier for smaller fish to eat