First Setup plan

Redoog

Candiru
MFK Member
Jul 29, 2009
313
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Boon, MI
I keep editing this because i am having trouble posting the whole message at once.

Ok I am planning a 100 gallon long tank setup.

Tank will be ordered from glasscages. I am near by so I can go pick it up myself, and it will be drilled with bulk heads and ready to setup. Once I know what sizes they need to be, and location.

I will be doing a reverse under gravel setup with a diy wet/dry sump, useing my current 10 gallon tank.
The plan is to copy Chompers design, once he reveals his new setup mods.

1stDraft.jpg

I have added a bunch of cutoffs and bypasses to allow me to route the water any way i might want. Do water changes, drain or fill the tank, anything.

Everything I am doing is based on my new house. Just so happens that I have 6 feet of crawl space under the tank location. There is an access door, power, water, and sewer as well.

Photo0019.jpg

Photo0020.jpg

Photo0024.jpg

I am planning a DIY background. Most of the back will be 2" foam rock, and a tree to hide the water lines.

tank1.jpg
 

Redoog

Candiru
MFK Member
Jul 29, 2009
313
1
46
57
Boon, MI
I do not know what brand or size pump or pluming yet?????

I will use greatstuff and coat hangers to makes the roots kinda loop a bit. Then i will coat everything with some kinda low lime cement I hope, by hydraulic?? Something i dont have to cycle the tank 100 times to get right.

Hopefully the extra pluming will let me cycle just the sump, so I can get it established, yet still fill and drain the tank if I have to because of the background, and again when i use some ammonia to jump start things.

My 10 has 1 pleco and 8 neons in it, and is overdue filter change. Filter is a 40-60 so i have two good pads i can drop in my sump. and was i clean it the 2 new pads will be ready in a few days. I figure i can also use some of the water for the sump, and the rest and the gravel for the tank.

I will also use and air pump and stone under the scrubbies??
 

Redoog

Candiru
MFK Member
Jul 29, 2009
313
1
46
57
Boon, MI
ANy recomendations suggestions, please let me know.

For Fish I am thinking about native. I am no fisherman, so I will be hoping someone in my area can help me when i go to stock.


Big thanks to everyone, this forum is great.
 

cypher1024

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 4, 2009
447
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Australia
Wow. This is going to be very cool when it's done!!

Cycling the sump by itself is pretty easy. I'd recommend doing a fishless cycle so you don't risk injuring or killing fish (either by ammonia/nitrite/nitrate poisoning or by getting stuck in the pump).
 

Redoog

Candiru
MFK Member
Jul 29, 2009
313
1
46
57
Boon, MI
I am worried about the effects of concrete. I have been searching and reading for weeks. It seems that the products that do not require weeks and several water chages, are hard to find here. But i found a few people that use either a hydraulic cement for pool repairs, or a concrete resurfer compound. I am on county water, so do not realy want to pay for thousand gallons of water.

I would like to build my background this week, so it can be curing. need to get some dimensions and get to work.
 

sostoudt

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 5, 2009
1,700
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va
are you getting starfire glass on the front?
ive heard from lfs owners here there glass is really green, to be honest it looks green from there pictures.
 

Redoog

Candiru
MFK Member
Jul 29, 2009
313
1
46
57
Boon, MI
sostoudt unk at this time, if i have the extra funds, yes.

Here is a little more on the background. Tree will be 8 " at thickest point, most of rocks will be 2" thick, near tree will be 4" thick, this is to clear bulkheads i think i need that much.

IF i can leave out 1 2" piece i would??????

The black circles are caves/holes with screen on the inside, and along top I think I will need this to keep fish out????

tank1.jpg
 

sostoudt

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 5, 2009
1,700
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va
why do you want to keep the fish out? they would like the hiding place i think
 
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