RE: [APD] Wet/dry setup questions

["Eric Wahlig" <ewahlig at earthlink_net>]

Glenn Attwood writes: "Looking around for pumps I saw the Dolphin DP-385 at
Big Als, and I was wondering if anyone else has experiences they could
share. Primarly I'm concerned with noise, as this will be in my living
room."

 I have used a couple of different submersible pumps in a trickle filter on
my 75 gal. These were a Mag-Drive 350 and a Rio 2500. The pump will just
sit on the bottom of the filter and may create some vibration/noise if you
don't use the rubber suction cup mounting attachment that comes with the
pump. I chose not to use these as I have never had a suction cup device
actually work longer than a few months and it raises the level of the water
intake about a half inch or so. To solve the problem I first put the filter
on a piece of anti-skid mat. This material is also useful for other things
and is sold under different names for different purposes. Basically, its
just a mesh fabric that is coated with a foam rubber material. Its
relatively inexpensive and sold at any department store like K-mart,Target,
Wal-Mart, or Home Depot, etc. I then cut a small piece and put it under the
pump to cut down the vibration of the pump against the bottom of the
filter. The Mag-Drive, while a strong and reliable pump, is noticeably
louder than the Rio. On the other hand The mag drive has a 1/2" FPT on the
intake so I added a 90 degree elbow pointing down. This prevents, or at
least delays, the pump from drawing in air as the water level in the sump
drops due to evaporation. I also bubble CO2 in at this point. 

---Eric



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