[punman]

This is a picture of a 135 gallon drilled tank I just set up last week. It is 6 feet long.

It was drilled on the left and right side. It came with a fluval canister that was running through the drilled right side near the bottom and re-entering on the top left. The canister did not work so I plugged the drilled openings and am running two A Clear 110s which are adequate.

I am just wondering about the "overflow box" if that is what it is called at the back right. (I have never had a drilled tank before). It is about 5 inches by 5 inches and the glass box comes about 2 inches from the top of the tank and then there is a 2 inch mesh grid attached so water can flow through.

Would there be any point in putting bio-balls (came with the tank) in that compartment to make some use of it or would the miniscule water flow in there make it of little value?

The tank was free with the filter so I am not complaining. All I had to supply was the Aqua Clears and the lights. Oh, and of course the fish - wild caught frontosas don't usually come free.

 

[bearwithfish]

if you took a small power head and ran a tube to the bottom of the chamber and let the water run up through you may get some benefit but as it is and with out real current going through there it would not so much for you.... as the holes are plugged you could remove the overflow and just have a little extra space in the tank ....

 

[prov356]

Without water flow, I wouldn't. It might just collect organics that break down in an oxygen poor environment. Not really what you want. I'd leave it empty and even consider putting a very small pump down there to keep that water circulating a bit.

What you have in the way of filtration may work just fine, but since you have this tank, why not consider a DIY sump for some time down the road.

 

[Guest]

i find with canisters.. my fluval in particular... sometimes the impellor decides to not spin.... smack that thing a couple of times with just the head of the canister plugged in.. or i have used a butter knife or somethign liek that to kinda pry it to start spinning again... *** also had this happen a number of times with aqua clear hob filters... give that thing a good smack you might jus be able to run it still

 

[Glaneon]

Man if I had a drilled tank I'd definitely be fixing the canister vs filling the holes!

 

[sjnovakovich]

I'd be running a sump with maybe plants in a refugium.

 

[punman]

Part of my problem, assuming that I get the fluval going, is that the tank is at work on a cupboard built into the wall so there is no way to place a canister or sump below the tank.
There is no room to put it onto a stand-alone stand.

 

[Glaneon]

Although I question the use of bioballs in a Fluval canister filter... not exactly optimal or recommended usage!

 

[punman]

The canister had sponges and the like. It was the overflow where I found the bio-balls. Probably a good place if the canister was working.