Filtration for 2 meter tank...

Kostas · Post by **Kostas** » 07 Mar 2007, 10:27

Hello,
I have some questions about filtration for the 2 meter tank i am going to set up...Unfortunately i may make it 200x60x70 instead of 200x90x70 for now but i will upgrade it to 200x90x70 as soon as Panaques reach 20cm in size which i know it wont take them much,probably only 2-3 years...And then again when they pass 30cm it will be upgraded again

Although i will make it smaller,it will do have a 200-250litter sump and a 250-300litter holding tank for water preparation...The fish stocking will probably be what i planned for the bigger one,although i may put 3 Panaque L190 instead of 4 and 3 Leporacanthicus L240 instead of 4.The other fishes will remain the same,which is 15-20 Copella compta and 4 Hemiancistrus subviridis.
For filtration i am planning to go with:
1 Fluidized bed filter designed for at least 600gallons of water
1 Eheim professional 3 electronic 2078(designed for 700litter vollume)
1 Eheim wet/dry 2229(designed for 600litter vollume)
Do you think they will be enough filtration with these?There will also be some powerheads in the tank with sponge prefilters and so they may help too...
Also i would like to ask you which fluidized bed filter you think its best:Lifeguard,Merlin or Emperor?

Thank you very much in advance

Post by **Shane** » 07 Mar 2007, 17:50

Kostas,
Just a thought... with a tank that size I would go for a sump type filtration system. A large sump, say 55 gallons, will fit under the tank and provide lots more filtration and increase water volume. You can also hide the heaters and fluidized bed down with the sump. Several companies now make overflows that require no drilling. In the end I think a sump would cost less and provide better water quality.
-Shane

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 07 Mar 2007, 18:05

Shane:

Although i will make it smaller,it will do have a 200-250litter sump

- I think we can take that to mean around 50-60g of sump?

And I would say that you don't really need any further Eheim filters with that sort of filtration volume (assumign the sump is filled with filter media, rather than just another tank of water - but that wouldn't be a "sump" in proper meaning).

Fluidized bed filtration is probably a nice addition to the sump filter, as that will do the best biological filtration you can ever get.

The sump should be able to cope with the mechanical filtration if you use the right mix of fine and course filter media, and of course also help with the biological filtration.

If you want more water movement, then just a powerhead with a basic "stop fishes from being sucked in" would do the job, I should think, rather than the expensive Eheim filters.

--
Mats

snowball · Post by **snowball** » 08 Mar 2007, 07:08

I agree that a sump filter would be more practical on a large tank, if well designed it should take care of all the filtering stages you need, with a few extra power-heads in the tank for circulation. A few things worth mentioning.

Firstly, fluid bed filters are great until the power goes out, then the bacteria dies very quickly - or so I've been told. This may or may not be an issue for you, but it is worth keeping in mind.

The Eheim 2229 is a great filter, but in a dirty tank it tends to clog up quickly and needs regular cleaning. I made a fairly detailed post about them a little while ago so if you search the forums for '2229' you should find it.

Personally I'd probably go for a sump filter plus a canister filter such as an eheim 2217 or thereabouts to help suck up the heavier detritus that doesn't go over the overflow. This way if you ever have a problem with either, the other will still be running.

Kostas · Post by **Kostas** » 08 Mar 2007, 08:29

Thank you all for your replys

Forgive my term ''sump'',i wasnt intenting to use my ''sump'' as a filter...I had in mind to use it more like a refugium filled with plants so that they would help with the nitrates and also as an isolation tank in case i have a nasty fight...If i use it as a sump i will probably not be able to iso any wounded fish...

Of course i was going to put the heaters and the fluidized bed filter in there too.The tank will be drilled and so there is no need for
Thats why i said about using these external filters...

So,you think that a sump filter would be better than these externals?Why is that?Is it because it is better at coping with sawdust of the Panaques while the other filters will need more frequent cleaning(something i dont like at all,very impractical with these huge externals...) or because it is generally a better filter?

About fluidized bed filters,yes they do have quicker diebacks when power is off but all the other time they do a better job than most other filters...Also this is the reason(the dieback) that i wont be having only one biological filter...Which fluidized bed filter do you think is best to buy?
As for wet/drys,i was going for one of these because from what i have read,they dont clog as easily as canisters do...But reading your experience with them snowball,i would say the exact opposite...Thank you for the info about them...Its not the best thing to have to clean the filter all the time...Especially with the messy Panaques i am planning to keep in this tank.

This tank will be a river tank and so it will have powerheads with sponges on the opposite side no matter if i put external filters or not...

Btw Shane,what is the temprature range of the upper Orinoco where L240 originates and what is for the place where Panaque L190 ''llanos'' originates?

Thank you very much in advance

Post by **Shane** » 08 Mar 2007, 17:38

Btw Shane,what is the temprature range of the upper Orinoco where L240 originates and what is for the place where Panaque L190 ''llanos'' originates?

The big difference is that llanos fishes are exposed to more change over the year with water temps in the 76-85F range over a year. The Orinoco is much more stable in the low 80s. I would shoot for a nive average at 78-79F.

-Shane

apistomaster · Post by **apistomaster** » 09 Mar 2007, 01:37

Hi,
I think you will find that a wet/dry filter and large sump(sensu stricto) plus at least one large canister Ehiem filter will give the best results. Canisters do clog but can be an asset as a water polishing filter in conjunction with wet/dry filter.

Wet/dry filters are essentially miniature waste water processing plants down sized technology transferred to the aquarium hobby. This is a proven technology for managing wastewater quality.

Wet/drys maintain high flow rate WITHOUT clogging. That makes them a very desireable filter and are very good for gas exchange, a difficiency of the O2 consumer par excellance that is a characteristic of fluidized bed filters.

By all means try the vegetated refugium but only as an ancillary project. Don't misplace too much reliance on it's benefits. Regular water changes will still remain an essential aspect of maintaining high water quality.

Kostas · Post by **Kostas** » 09 Mar 2007, 08:32

Thank you both for your replys

Shane,
Thank you very much

Its very good to know the exact tempratures of the place my fish were collected...
What tempratures do you mean by low 80s and what with''nine average''?In this tank i am going to vary the temprature according to the seasons and also from day to night if there is difference in the day-night temprature and so i would apprecciate it very much if you give me some guidlines for this...

apistomaster,
Thank you for your help with the filters

What do you mean by ''sensu stricto''?
So what you propose is go for all of them together(sump filter plus the Eheim pro 3 plus the Wet/Dry)?
If Wet/Drys really dont clog,then they are an excelent addition for sure and are on my list...As is Fluidized bed which remains on my list...The fluidized bed will be fed with clear water only and so i think it wont have any clogging problems...
No,i wont rely on the plant tank for nitrate reduction...I will just be having it because i like to always have nitrates below 5...Water changes will of course be done frequently,even if the nitrates are well below 5...I manage to keep all my tanks free of nitrates with plants(inside the tank) and because this do work,thats why i am going to have it on this tank too,although in a separate tank as i dont know if plants will survive in the main tank with all those leaf and bulb eaters and plant uprooters

After all the usefull advice i got from you,i am planing to make something like the Ecosystem sump.I will try to make the biggest sump i can that also allows space for a holding tank and the Eheim wet/dry and an Eheim canister(i may put the pro3 but i was thinking of the biggest pro2 now that i will have filtration in the sump too,what do you think?)...The sump will be made with compartments as the Ecosystem sumps and the first compartment will be for mechanical and biological filtration while the last will be only for biological...How big should i do the compartments to have adequate filtration?The approximate sump dimensions will be 70x50x70-80cm...Also i would like to place the heaters and a fluidized bed filter somewhere...Where can i put the so that idealy they are not in the middle compartment which will have plants?

Thank you very much in advance

apistomaster · Post by **apistomaster** » 09 Mar 2007, 11:30

Hi Kostas,

There is some misunderstanding or terminology that means one thing to you and something else to me that is causing is confusion.
1.To me a wet/dry filter is an area or tower where incoming water passes through a filter pad on a perforated plate then falls through an zone where the water flows over,around and finally through a biomedia of your choice in so as to maximize exposure to the air for oxygen pick up and off gassing some CO2. On the surfaces of the biomedia every surface is coated with nitrifying bacteria which is constantly being bathed in the thin layer of oxyegen rich water.

Eventually this water reaches the container I call the sump where the water flow is maintained at a contant level of sufficient depth that a large submersible pump is placed to return the filtered water to the tank. The pump can also be installed externally to the sump but the idea of maintaining a contant depth of water below the above described trickle tower portion that makes this a wet/dry filter. Understand wet/dry is a term referring really the a wetted media with sufficient voids that there is much exposure to oxygen rich air. It is not truly dry. This system is best kept in the dark because darkness is conducive to the growth of hitrifying bacteria.

Sump is just the catchment reservoir part of the design. I happen to be there so it also becomes a convenient place to place a submersible heater, a skimmer in marine tanks, and in many designs compartments for carbon or other specialized media.

To my way of thinking the planted area you wish to incorporate is actually a separate area which in reef tank keeping would be a secondary specialized type of container similar to a sump in which you establish conditions suited best to support the growth of plants. This area will need to be well lit. This area is usually referred to a the refugium.

If the wet/dry is designed correctly for the size of your aquarium and intended bioload all other filters are optional. This includes canister filters and the planted refugium. Your idea of zero nitrate is not ever practical in a closed system. This is only approached when you have an external source of nitrate free water flowing through the aquariums faster than the life in it can produce it. Then on out and down a drain, never to be reused.

Beyond this degree of description you have to trust your consultant in aquaculture or make some educated guesses as to what your precise design requirements are so you build an adequate filter system.

Kostas · Post by **Kostas** » 09 Mar 2007, 15:29

Thank you very much Larry,i now understood what you mean...I thought that with the term Wet/dry you ment the External Wet/dry i was planning to use but from what you said,you mean a trickle filter above the sump...That is not very practical for me because the sump will be quite tall and will take most height in the stand...So there will not be enough space for it...Will Eheim Wet/Dry do an equally good job at filtering the water or it will clog easily as snowball said?
Yes,the plant section,which i plan to house a pair of Dicrossus sp. too,will be well lit...Just like a refugium in a marine tank,but instead of algae it will have plants.
How do you propose to make the sump and refugium?I want the sump to leave some space for a refugium like the Ecosystem sump does and at the same time be sufficient for my tank...In addition to the sump filter there will also be a fluidized bed filter and if neccessary,an Eheim filter,Wet/Dry or Canister,whatever is better...The max width is 50cm,max lenght 100cm(1meter) and max height 80cm
Can you tell me how big i should make the sump so as to have adequate filtration for my tank and also have a 60x50x80cm section of the sump as refugium to grow plants?

Thank you very much in advance

apistomaster · Post by **apistomaster** » 09 Mar 2007, 16:36

Hi Kostas,
I also have a better idea of what your are trying to do within your space.
I think I would start out with a one of the brand name self contained wet/dry filter systems you can buy as large as you can get to fit under your stand.

I built a large DIY wet/dry for my Heckel Discus tank.
The biggest problem with them, as I see it, is commercial ones are smallish, when it comes to their capacity to hold the water in the system that drains back in when you turn off the pump. I used a simple hole drilled in my pc return U where my normal operating waterline in the tank is to break the siphon. In your case, I would place a foot valve at the pump's outlet to prevent any backflow. I have 25 gallons in my sump when in operation with a reserve capacity of 20 more gallons in the sump.
I would mount the return pump externally so you have some more room in your sump.
I would not attempt to combine both the sump and the refugium. Rather I would recommend setting it up externally close to the tank. That way you can have any sized refugium you want that works with the available space.
Dicrossus filamentosus is one of my personal favorite among fish that have frustrated my attempts to breed successfully my entire career as an aquarist. I have never raised any fry past the seven days free swimming stage. So since you are choosing to work with a fish I continue to try to master myself I would make the refugium as large as possible. 30 to 50 gallons. A large tank is not at all unreasonable for breeding this SA dwarf Cichlid. two trios in a 50 gallon at most plus a few Otocinclus, small Corydoras, and maybe some Marble Hatchets.
connect the sump and refugium with a run of PVC pipe.
How to arrange the plumbing and actual placement of the pump is largely a matter of your own ingenuity, my friend. I suggest that you PM planetcatfish member, whitepine, as he has much more experience with this sort of thing. I'm sure there are critical details he will inject that I haven't dealt with yet in designs.
I would set up any canister filters in the sump. That water has already been rather well prefiltered and if you add a sponge filter on the intake then the canister filter should run almost indefinitely.Maybe only needing to be cleaned as little as twice a year.
It won't be drawing in anything but silt sized particles.
I just happen to be waiting on the import shipment of what the exporter is calling Crenicara maculata, a species I have never been able to get. I will be overjoyed if that is what happens but I expect they will turn out to be Dicrossus filamentosus, which is what I had originally asked for. It's a win/win scenario. Imagine! What if they really are Crenicara maculata?
They are an addition to 18 Coral Red Pencilfish that I previously ordered and paid for. Just anxiously waiting to hear what comes in this weekend.
I also have some new dwarf pike Cichlids I suspect a mix of C regani and C. notothalmus. Just possibly some C.wallacii, too. I brought home two from out of town but quickly called the shop owner to ask her to save me as many as she can out of the seven left.

Anyway, we need Whitepine's expertise to help smooth out the rough edges of your complex system design.

WhitePine · Post by **WhitePine** » 09 Mar 2007, 20:05

my expertise on wetdry filter systems is limited. I would try posting your question on one of the Reef forums like reefcentral or the likes.

apistomaster · Post by **apistomaster** » 09 Mar 2007, 22:03

Thanks whitepine. I now you have donesome big projects and just thought you might have some hints.

Kostas,
We both have almost the same amount of space under the tank to work with. The refugium just isn't going to be able to be incorporated into this space. If you have your heart set on one (and now I understand better why) I see no other way than to make it so it is remotely located but ajacent to the main tank.
http://www.reefcentral.com forum will have examples and expertise among the DIY and coral propagation forums.
There is another way this can be done too. The refugium can be mounted above the tank. It will still be a plumbing design problem and if above the tank a stand to hold the refugium. The real advantage of the overhead refugium idea that you won't require very much more than he existing foot print of the aquarium also this would mean the refugiium is high enough that the Dicrossus filamentosus will feel very secure. No problems caused by passing shadows or what ever it is that compels them to be such chronic spawn eaters. You could actually have two refugium tanks set side by side this way. They only need to be about
12X12 inches in cross section and each about half the length of the span.
Another way to conceptualize this is that you have a stand holding one large show tank and two smaller long tanks above, all driven primarily by the main water return pump from the wet/dry filter set up below the show tank.The latter is unsightly and is usually hidden by cabinet doors.
The refugium tanks would be light well lit by each having Coral Life AquaLight twin lamp T-5 freshwater spectrum lamps. Thes are only about 2-3/4 inches deep and l-1/4 inches high. Choose the appropriate length model(probably the 48 inch) The refugiums should be provided with a hinged cover glass. The wet/dry filters are a major source of evaporative water loss. Uncovered refugia would make this an even greater problem and take it from me, Dicrossus filamentosus are jumpers.
Take awhile to look over these reef designed refugia and coral propagation tanks. The "reefers" have this down to an artform and have already crossed these technical bridges many times in many ways.
Just remember that all this is going to be complex as long as you want everything you have asked about.
It is an interesting project but to make it simple you have to make some compromises.

One thing I don't understand is why you are concerned about the relativelu low nitrate levels you will have at correct stocking levels and sufficient water changes? It is only the fact that skimmers so efficiently remove ammonia and proteins by direct removal before they can enter the nitrogen cycle that justifies so much of their methods. As I said to you earlier nirates are unavoidable consequence of closed system freshwater aquaria. It is only the open system with flow through replacement water that I know of that will keep the nitrates much lower.

Post by **Shane** » 10 Mar 2007, 07:45

What tempratures do you mean by low 80s and what with''nine average''?

Sorry, that was a typo. I meant "nice average." "Low 80s" means low 80s Fahrenheit. I can think in miles or kilometers, liters or gallons, but not both Celsius and Fahrenheit. You should aim for 26 to 26.5 Celsius. I would not worry about varying the temperature unless you are specifically trying to induce a certain species to spawn. In the tropics water temperatures do not really vary between day and night. The ambient temperature may drop a degree or two at night, but the river's temperature will remain stable.
-Shane

Kostas · Post by **Kostas** » 11 Mar 2007, 13:49

Thank you very much all of you for the help you gave me...

I finally decided to go with only sump filtering and a fluidized bed filter and forget for now the plant filtering as there is no more available space in the stand...The sump will be 90x55x60cm and will also house in it the fluidized bed filter and the heaters.The sump pumps(2x3500 l/h) will be external to minimize heat during summer.
Is 7000 l/h enough or too little?How much more current will i need to have a fast water rivertank so that i may breed the Leporacanthicus and Hemiancistrus?How much flow for Panaque L190?
All the current of the sump will inevitably be close to the water surface...Will it be too much for Copella compta or they can stand it?The sump overflows and returns will be at the opposite sides of one another...

Now,as for lighting,i have two choices:
Go with t5 in side a hood
Go with a clear glass cover and no additional hood and metal halide pendants...
The plants i will keep are mainly floating like Eichhornia,Pistia,Phyllanthus and others and some submerged like Echinodorus(i hope at least

),Ceratopteris pteroides,Lilaeopsis macroclavia,Hydrocotyle leucocephala and Hygrophila guianensis which will be allowed to grow out of the water...I will have a gap of 10-15cm between the water level and the glass cover(there will be glass covers between the lights and the water even if i choose to go with t5 and have a hood above).
With what do you think i should go,t5 or no hood and halides?

apistomaster,
Thank you very much for all this info about Dicrossus filamentosus

Unfortunately i can have a tank above the main tank as it will be too tall...But i may get a trio of them and keep them in another llanos tank of mine and try breeding them there if they are not too aggressive during it...

Shane,
Thank you very much for clearing this out

Yes,i will be going for spawning attemps of the species i am going to keep and thats is why i would like to know...Also,i will be varying the temprature according to the actual season and the average temprature of the Orinoco river during the season and so i would like to know what are the average tempratures of the river during each season and about how much it lasts...Also if you can give me some hints about the temprature related with the months,i would greatly appreciate it

Thank you very much in advance

apistomaster · Post by **apistomaster** » 11 Mar 2007, 20:19

Hi Kostas,

Copella compta love currents so they are a great fish to keep. I happen to like the Copella species. I have C. elenorae and C. nattereri

Dicrossus filamentosus are peaceful. A bbrooding female will guard her eggs but I usually keep some Pencil Fish,
Marble Hatchets or Copella nattereri as dithers. Also a school of Otocinclus and small Corydoras species with them.

I designed my return out let out of 1/2 inch PVC pipe that extends to within about four inches from the bottom. I place a T-fitting so part of the flow exits just below the water line and I placed a 90degree elbow at the bottom end to direct the flow laterally.
This splits the return flow into two outlets from the same pipe. I found this makes a good way to produce a good current that isn't too strong as it might be from only one outlet without reducing the over all return flow.
Having part of the flow exit laterally near the bottom assures that that dirt doesn't build up on the bottom and the plecos like the currents.

Kostas · Post by **Kostas** » 12 Mar 2007, 17:53

Thank you very much for all this information apistomaster

You gave me some great ideas as to how i can set the outflows

I am glad the Copellas wont have probems with the current.I like them very much too and the only reason i dont have currently any of them is that they are very rare in Greece...

In fact,I have never found the species i want(Copella compta)...But i am going to order it online and get it this time along with the other plecos i want,hopefully

The Dicrossus is in my list then,if its peacefull enough to be kept with Otos and Corys then i guess i wont have any problems with it...
As for the hood,what do you think,should i put only glass and have metal halids or go with double hood and t5?I want to have automatic sunrise/fall by gradual dimming...Is this easier with the halids or with the t5?I have found a very good dimmer for T5,the Solar 1000...Is there something like this for dimming metal halids?

Thank you very much in advance

apistomaster · Post by **apistomaster** » 12 Mar 2007, 19:24

Hi Kostas,
I am glad to hear you found some of my suggestions useful. Actally I'm jealous I don't have room for a two meter tank. I'd move my Heckels into one faster than you can say Symphysodon discus. Mine are really out growimg their tank!

Any Copella species except Copella guttata is a good one.
C. compta is prettier than most but I think they will be very hard to find. Copella elenorae is more common and when they are happily ensconced in a planted tank they are nice. They are good sized, larger than most Copellas except C. guttata. They sell them as Rainbow Copella over here.They are prismatic and can develop rose colored fins. They look good in a larger tank.
I think they are a very under appreciated fish. I have spawn and raisedtwo species. Both laid their eggs on a small leaf and the male fanned and guarded the eggs.

In such a large aquarium you could easily keep 3 or 4
trios of Dicrossus filamentosus and they would not be crowded. The males in full display are fantastic. I happen to have 12 coming in this week. I have been trying to sucessfully raise them on occassion for years. The eggs need the sof acid blackwater enviroment in order to hatch. They fry are very sensitive and it is hard to feed them and yet maintain perfect water quality. Challenging to propagate but not hard to keep.

The lighting questions are harder for me to answer. I have no experience with halides and because my aquariums are smaller and none are more than 20 inches high, I can use T-5 Normal Output lamps and I'm not using any CO2 so my plants grow well but not like they can with Halide/CO2. For freshwater tanks as large as yours, I would probably use the T-5 HO or T-5 VHO. They are extremely energy efficient, run cooler and really produce intense light. I don't know if they can be dimmed like Halides but they could be timed to switch on/off in a sequence. You could also incorpoate some LED moon lights into the cycle to make the transitions more gradual. The moonlights also allow for better viewing of the habits of nocturnal fish as so many catfish are. I prefer to cover my tanks because the fish you care for the most are always the one's that jump out.

One other feature I liked about the split flow return pipe I described is that the fittings on the inside the tank don't need to be glued. That allows you the latitude to direct the flows or change the directions they're pointing anytime you wish.

Kostas · Post by **Kostas** » 13 Mar 2007, 08:26

The reason i want Copella compta is firstly because it comes from the Orinoco as my other fishes come and secondly because its one of the most beautifull Copella sp.If i cant manage to find them i may go with C. nattereri which i think also comes from the Orinoco...
This tank wont be planted...It will just have some plants...mainly to cover the aquarium walls.I will do try growing Echinodorus and other plants i like but i dont think they will be left alone...Will Copellas feel ok in such a tank or do they need a planted tank?There will be many floating plants and the Ceratopteris,Lilaeopsis,Hydrocotyle and Hygrophila i mentioned before...Will they be ok?
This tank will be a strong current river tank and i will add more current to the one provided by the sump with powerheads...So i dont think that keeping Dicrossus in this tank will be a good idea as they live in calm waters,right?
I will do have moonlight in this tank and if i go with T5 i will also use the dimmer i said...I have thought about lighting them in sequence but i think it will be better for the fish to have tank light gradually light from nothing as this tank will be at the basement and there wont be any other light open before the tank light open,nor will there be any other light when tank lights close...There is only a small window from which only little light gets in...So i would go with nothing else than a dimmer...
I too prefer to cover my tanks...It really isnt safe without a cover and i will always be looking for fish on the floor

But what about a simple glass cover and metal halides?It keeps fish in and heat out...Thats why i think that as another option,because i am afraid i will have problems with keeping the temprature down at summer with all those T5s in the hood...I will do have glass covers between the T5s and the tank water...Will they help with keeping the temprature down?Another think that bothers be is that the two return hoses from the sump will be running the lenghth of the tank just behind the t5s so as to keep visible equipment(outside the tank)to a minimum and i think this will cause serious heat problems...What do you think?Will putting a plexiglass between the hoses and the lamps minimize heat trasmition to the hoses?

Thank you very much in advance

apistomaster · Post by **apistomaster** » 13 Mar 2007, 15:11

I wish you luck in finding the Copella you want.

I doubt that the current will be too much for checkerboards because there will be calm protected areas they will find and they form small territories anyway.

If you end up only using floating plants you still get the benefits of their ability to help purify water and it is a more accurate simulation of an Orinoco environment. Remember that most of our aquarium fish originate from clear blackwater tributariy streams and lagoons rather than the main river. True rooted aquarium plants actually occur in these enviroments, Most are bog plants that grow emersed except during flood periods except the floating plants.

I did not know you could dim fluorescent lamps. I know halides can be on a dimmer. You might like to join the Aquatic Gardener Association. Also buy Christine Kasselmann's excellent books on aquarium plants. Check out this site: http://www.thekrib.com. There is a lot of good information on this site pertaining to plants and DIY projects.

Gozza · Post by **Gozza** » 13 Mar 2007, 19:50

I don't think you can dim tubes, I was assuming that Kostas was going to have several tubes and switch them off and on in sequence to imitate and dusk, dawn period.

apistomaster · Post by **apistomaster** » 13 Mar 2007, 23:13

Same here.

Kostas · Post by **Kostas** » 19 Mar 2007, 22:32

You do can do it.You just have to use a dimmable electonic balast connected to a microproccessor which is programmed to gradually light and dim the tubes in a given period of time...The Solar 1000 is the microproccessor i will use and the dimmable electronic balast will be the Ice Cap 660 for VHO T5...Its quite doable and easy,just a little expensive if you choose the Solar 1000 model...But there also is the Solar 750 which is much cheaper...

Kostas · Post by **Kostas** » 26 Apr 2007, 12:18

After some discussion with some friends of mine who have big tanks,i decided to make the sump 90-55-60cm(L-W-H) with external pumps.In it i will also have a Lifeguard fluidized bed filter for extra biological filtration.The sump will have 6 compartments.The first in which the tank water will enter the sump will not have any filtration media but will house all the tank heaters.The second compartment will have mechanical filtration media.The third will be filled half with very fine mechanical filtration media and half with biological.The forth all biological.The fourth will not have any media.It will have a Aquarium systems powerhead which will feed the Lifeguard filter which will be in the same compartment.I can also place the Lifeguard externally...
So,what do you think of that?Do think it will be a good filter for this tank?Should i include the Lifguard in the sump or it would be better to place it outside the sump but connected with it?As for the external pumps i was thinking of using the Eheim hobby 4000...Do you think it will be reliable and not leak?Has anyone be using it externally for some time?Others suggest the Aqua medic Ocean Runner but i have heard many leaks for these pumps and i am afraid of using them...What dou you think?
Something else,i will have about 7000l/hour turnover from the sump alone...How many powerheads should i add to have a strong current but a correct one for the Panaque L190,Leporacanthicus L240 and Hemiancistrus subviridis and not one that would make them feel uncomfortable?

Thank you very much in advance