What size sump pump? Help please.
- Thread starter razE
- Start date
Depends on the loading of the main tank. Depends on the media.
From the picture of the pump box, it says:
You may consider getting a more durable pump for the sump.
- 5000 litres / hour
- 12 watts
- 0.8 metres maximum head
You may consider getting a more durable pump for the sump.
This is the sump pump. The photo in the previous post was just to show the media type.
Since dovii are considered a lake species (depending on the original and ancestral catch location) as opposed to a rheophile, your pump may be sufficient, at least while it's young. As an example......
I use a pump not quite double that size on my 6 ft tank, with 6ft sump, but I do keep rheophillic species.
above is the current, and flow of the river I catch them in, and below the pump I use to "simulate" that flow as best I can.
I also add a wave maker (below) to boost flow in the tank to supplement extra flow for the my rheophiles.
The flow I use does not compromise the beneficial bacteria as you can see clearly by my weekly water parameter test results..
For you to know for sure, regular testing of these parameters will let you know info as to whether you are in the ballpark for proper care of your dovii or not.
If ammonia and nitrite test non-detectable, with your flow rate, you are golden.
If nitrate remains low, with your water change routine and volume, you are also golden.
But......
if your nitrate creeps into an elevated level between water changes, then you may want to reevaluate your routine to a larger pump, and volume, and more frequent water change regime.
And regular testing will let you now if the routine is sufficient as the dovii continues to grow, adding pressure on the filtration system, and water changes routine.
Once the initial cycle is done, it's seldom necessary to test as often for ammonia and nitrite, but regular pH and nitrate testing is a good indicator of the general heath and stability of your system, and will be an obvious indication if things start to deteriorate.
Just as a for instance
If you google the nitrate concentration of Lake Arenal, where dovii are commonly found in nature
you will find its average nitrate levels in the lake barely exceed 1 ppm.
For me, this the would be the concentration I'd set, as a benchmark goal for water changes and filtration.
I use a pump not quite double that size on my 6 ft tank, with 6ft sump, but I do keep rheophillic species.
above is the current, and flow of the river I catch them in, and below the pump I use to "simulate" that flow as best I can.
I also add a wave maker (below) to boost flow in the tank to supplement extra flow for the my rheophiles.
The flow I use does not compromise the beneficial bacteria as you can see clearly by my weekly water parameter test results..
For you to know for sure, regular testing of these parameters will let you know info as to whether you are in the ballpark for proper care of your dovii or not.
If ammonia and nitrite test non-detectable, with your flow rate, you are golden.
If nitrate remains low, with your water change routine and volume, you are also golden.
But......
if your nitrate creeps into an elevated level between water changes, then you may want to reevaluate your routine to a larger pump, and volume, and more frequent water change regime.
And regular testing will let you now if the routine is sufficient as the dovii continues to grow, adding pressure on the filtration system, and water changes routine.
Once the initial cycle is done, it's seldom necessary to test as often for ammonia and nitrite, but regular pH and nitrate testing is a good indicator of the general heath and stability of your system, and will be an obvious indication if things start to deteriorate.
Just as a for instance
If you google the nitrate concentration of Lake Arenal, where dovii are commonly found in nature
you will find its average nitrate levels in the lake barely exceed 1 ppm.
For me, this the would be the concentration I'd set, as a benchmark goal for water changes and filtration.
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Its on the small side, will make very weak flow for that size tank imo. But if you dont need lots of flow it will be fine for that.
Agree with the above, and as a lone juvie in the tank, may be sufficient.
The average recommended aquarium flow , is usually 5 times the entire tank volume per hour for just a basic community tank.
But a dovii is no normal aquarium fish, so as it matures, you may need upgrades, just as the water change routine and volume will need to be upgraded as the cichlid grows.
The average recommended aquarium flow , is usually 5 times the entire tank volume per hour for just a basic community tank.
But a dovii is no normal aquarium fish, so as it matures, you may need upgrades, just as the water change routine and volume will need to be upgraded as the cichlid grows.
