Water water everywhere! But how do i pump it?

[stern69]

Hey guys,

Are there any waterfall experts out there? I'm trying to work out how i'm going to get one into a viv i'm building. The arty part (making the rocks etc) isn't a problem cos i've done that a few times for geckos but obviously, being a geckoey kinda guy, waterfalls are a new one on me.
What i am thinking is pool of water at the bottom of a cliff. On top of the cliff is a smaller pool which runs over the edge like a waterfall. Very nice!

Mechanically, i am thinking of a pump (preferably with a built in filter) that site behind the hollow cliff, that will suck the water out of the main pool at the bottom through a tube, send it up the back of the cliff through another tube, empty it into the little pool at the top which then overflows and creates a waterfall.

Simple enough (i thought!) but all the diagrams i can find are REALLY complicated and laid out completely differently. Has anyone done it this way before or do you at least know if it will work?

PS. I do have a drawing of my idea saved in my documents on my PC but can't work out how to up-load it! (keeps asking for it's URL!?!)

PPS. If i have to lose the small pool at the top to make it work then no biggie but defo need the big pool at the bottom!

Thanks in advance

[stern69]

In addition to my first post:

The problem is, all the water pumps i can see have to sit in the water. Is there a type out there that doesn't need to work like this? (Like a car water pump would for example)

Basically i want it to suck water out of a pool thorugh a tube, and then squirt it out of another tube. This then runs down the cliff and into the pool.

Can this be done?

HELP!

[chondro13]

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/amphi...-frog-viv.html

Heres how i did mine - i used an external filter

[sasandjo]

alot of the oase pond pumps can mounted inline style also a few powerheads can be made to work like this too with a bit of fiddling about but as chondro says external filters probably the easiest way to go..

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/newbi...otobucket.html this should help with posting pics

jo

[stern69]

Woo =hoo i can finally upload pictures!!! Anyway, this is the kind of layout i was after. Can this be done?

[stern69]

Originally Posted by sasandjo

alot of the oase pond pumps can mounted inline style also a few powerheads can be made to work like this too with a bit of fiddling about but as chondro says external filters probably the easiest way to go..

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/newbi...otobucket.html this should help with posting pics

jo

Saosandjo, when you say "external filter", does this actually pump the water round or does it just clean it? I'm confused!

[sasandjo]

if you look at chondro13's link she gave out u will see the external filter basically it will take the water out of your bottom pool and suck it into the filter which is obviously external(underneath the tank,behind or wherever) and then will filter and pump it back to wherever u place the output pipe ...in your case top pool........so this way the pumps not even in the tank makes maintenance easy and all u have is an inlet and outlet pipe in the tank...

instead of a removable panel just have the whole thing watertight and use the bottom as a collection sump and place the external filter intake in it

jo

[sasandjo]

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/amphi...-frog-viv.html

actually that link pretty well describes everything lol ps....thanks chondro13 i've now got one running because of u

[chondro13]

Originally Posted by sasandjo

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/amphi...-frog-viv.html

actually that link pretty well describes everything lol ps....thanks chondro13 i've now got one running because of u

glad to hear it!

[stern69]

THE PENNY HAS FINALLY DROPPED! I understand now! Think i was just being stupid!

So Chondro, in essence, your system works pretty much the same as my plan (created using MS Paint!) except you don't have the pool part in the actual tank, your's is underneath).

Where did you get your filter from can i ask? I'm not too far from from Kidderminster you see...

Jo, Chondro, thanks for all your help!