# Acrylic tanks with built-in filter



## 748johnd (Jun 30, 2007)

I have been researching acrylic tanks with the built-in filters such as Tennecor, Uniquarium and SeaClear. From what I can gather the filter takes up about 4 inches of interior space along the back of the tank. I have a couple of questions. Aren't they hard to clean if the back of the tank is close to the wall and are they quiet?


----------



## F8LBITEva (Nov 9, 2007)

The overflows you are talking about are only chambers the water in the tank flows into that leads to hoses that take the water to the wet dry filter below. the water passes through a series of chambers with filter pads, biological filter media balls then to a return chamber with a pump that pumps water back up to the tank. Hope this helps you understand.


----------



## lotsofish (Feb 28, 2008)

The overflows can collect crud but you can stick a siphon tube in them to suck it out. The python attached to the faucet is good for this but you may have to adapt a smaller collection tube depending on the size of your overflow. Also, floating food might collect in the overflow and I found that my African cichlids liked to spit their fry into the overflows. The tank is now an all-male tank.


----------



## 748johnd (Jun 30, 2007)

It's not only the overflow I was asking about, but the whole filter area such as where the bioballs are and the compartment where the pump is to return water to the tank. It seems to me that eventually these areas are going to need cleaning and only being about four inches wide and the tank close to a wall it has got to be a difficult job. With a 4-foot tank you have a filter area that is going to be about 4 inches wide and 4 feet long including the overflow and about 24 inches deep. It sure seems like it would be difficult to access and clean. Again, how quiet do these run. My tank would go in the living room.


----------



## Morpheus (Nov 12, 2008)

I have one of these myself. They run as quiet as your pump does. Ocasionally I will here some water as it exits the tank into the overflow, but you quickly become used to it. As for cleaning, the python or similar siphon works great. I haven't had the need to actually wipe anything down inside of there, but I do know my hands fit in there because (a) I had to hook up the pump and (b) i dropped a few bio-balls in the prefilter chamber and had to get them out.


----------



## lotsofish (Feb 28, 2008)

You can get acrylic tanks with overflows that drain to a sump system or even a canister beneath the tank. I think this would be a better option to be able to access your filtration system.


----------



## 748johnd (Jun 30, 2007)

Thanks for the feedback. I'll probably opt for a canister or sump rather than the built-in filter.


----------



## djoneser (Mar 20, 2008)

I actually have been looking at getting one of these types of tanks myself. They are hard to find used on craigslist.

The major advantage to this type of filtration system is that it is self contained. There is no possibility of a leak or overflow from the sump or a hose to the canister filter, since there is (theoretically) no need for another filter. I myself would likely add a HOB for the backup/load filtration (chance of leak from HOB is very low), and likely add a circulation pump still (hydor, etc). The cleanup for this type of system is very fast from what I can tell, since you really just clean your prefilters (faster to just pull and clean the prefilter pads, than to open a cannister and pull the pads out and then replace) regularly

The drawback is that you lose 'livable' space for the fish in the tank, due to that 4 inch cutout for the filtration system.


----------



## spotmonster (Nov 23, 2006)

Personally,. I don't understand why we don't see more of this type of filter. My LFS has a custom in wall acrylic with filters like this built in, but they are both ends of the tank. I've thought about buidling one into an existing tank someday. The kind I'm thinking about are built in wet / dry's. You just don't need external plumbing.


----------



## Gusmyster (Feb 3, 2008)

I have one of these and it is awesome. By far the lowest level of maintenance possible. I am blown away by the ease of it all! As a matter of fact I have not spilled a drop of water from the filter such as what you would experience with HOB and canister filters. I would however recommend under gravel jets!

myster


----------



## dartman (Apr 17, 2003)

I would highly recommend one. I have a 100g SeaClear. No chance of a flood, very nice looking. You put the heater in the filter area. Only the return tubes are visible. The only thing I really don't like is the back wall of the tank is blue, but I suppose I could create a background, with enough motivation.

I also have had trouble with small fish going through the overflow. Anyone find a solution? It is very difficult to get them out of the back of the tank.


----------

