Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Im looking for plans for a vivarium with a false bottom filtration, I plan on setting up a screen like thing that will hold rocks and then have sphagnum growing on top. I want to put fluval or dueto underneath the screen where the water will run down for filtration and then the water will be pumped back into some sort of water fall on the surface again. Does anyone have any suggestions on materials to use. One of my concerns was getting to the filter to do maintaince. I thought maybe having an opening in the surface and screen to get to the filter and of course surrond it with a screen or mesh so the critters cant trap themselves.

Any online resources are welcomed as well. I need to basically write a proposal for this set up and need all the info possible to be persuasive.

I dont want a center resivoir or side for that matter that Ive seen with most set ups. I want the whole surface to be sphagnum maybe a small rocky pool where the water fall leads to. Will this work? I want pretty much even distribution of water to the bottom resivoir. The tank is about 50 gal it was a donation so Im not quite sure of the size.

How about doing a sump setup. You would have to drill the tank or get it drilled, but that isn't so hard. I included a link to a sight that shows how to set up the sump.

http://home.earthlink.net/~kenuy/water.htm
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Ken
Peace of the Tropics
www.PeaceOfTheTropics.com

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A sump wouldn't work out for the space the tank is located.

How about using a canister filter, with the intake located below the false bottom.