240 Gallon Build thread

Dieselhybrid

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Yes that will work. those are expanded clay pellets that have been kilned and heated. I used them extensively in hydroponics and aquaponics setups. They are very porous, enough so that they float before becoming waterlogged. I have seen setups where the fish live in a reservoir, then a pump pushes water through a bed of these clay pellets (I prefer hydroton brand) that acts as the biological media for the tilapia and rooting substrate for kale, and other veggies. symbiotic system works great.

It's cheap, and quite porous, more so than even lavarock. This is a quality, budget media that is a decent compromise. Just make sure you rinse the heck out of it. I find when using it as hydroponic medium that if I rinse bags thoroughly with hose water, then put into pots and add pure RO (20ppm) the ppm rises to about 550 overnight and ph rises. I have to rinse with pure ro 2/3 times to leach all of the salts out of the pellets. be aware of this and rinse it a ridiculous amount. Once properly rinsed and leached of salts it's a fairly inert medium that is safe for fish.
 

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Aimara
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Yes that will work. those are expanded clay pellets that have been kilned and heated. I used them extensively in hydroponics and aquaponics setups. They are very porous, enough so that they float before becoming waterlogged. I have seen setups where the fish live in a reservoir, then a pump pushes water through a bed of these clay pellets (I prefer hydroton brand) that acts as the biological media for the tilapia and rooting substrate for kale, and other veggies. symbiotic system works great.

It's cheap, and quite porous, more so than even lavarock. This is a quality, budget media that is a decent compromise. Just make sure you rinse the heck out of it. I find when using it as hydroponic medium that if I rinse bags thoroughly with hose water, then put into pots and add pure RO (20ppm) the ppm rises to about 550 overnight and ph rises. I have to rinse with pure ro 2/3 times to leach all of the salts out of the pellets. be aware of this and rinse it a ridiculous amount. Once properly rinsed and leached of salts it's a fairly inert medium that is safe for fish.
Ok I may put it in one tray. I will be sure to rinse it. Does this stuff break down easily in canister filters?
I don't have any ro water, so I'll just plop some in a bucket and rinse for a while
 

Dieselhybrid

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I put it in laundry bags and into the kiddie pool with the hose. rinse rinse rinse, move it around like a tea bag you'll see the brown come off of it. After you hook it up in the canisters, do a couple back to back water changes to flush and leach salts again. this is before you add fishes.

I also use laundry bags to hold it inside of the canisters. But I use Eheim 2262 which has no inserts, basically a hollow fx5/6 so I can fit a huge bag inside. You might need to get creative with smaller bags or panty hose and zip ties kind of thing to fit into the plastic inserts your filter has.
 
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Aimara
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Placed in an order for the 4 bulkheads. Wanna leak test before building the stand.. After that it's stand work, getting to canisters and inline heaters in, and building 1 new lid as I broke the old one.

Got some driftwood soaking in the pond, hoping to get it water logged
 

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Aimara
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Do you guys think 2 hydor 300watt heaters could heat up this tank? Don't really want any heaters inside the tank. But if they can't do the job then I'll just scrap that idea
 

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Do you guys think 2 hydor 300watt heaters could heat up this tank? Don't really want any heaters inside the tank. But if they can't do the job then I'll just scrap that idea
Yes that should be more than sufficient with adequate flow/placement
 
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Aimara
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Yes that should be more than sufficient with adequate flow/placement
Awesome. I do have a eheim jagr 300watt, but don't want anything in the tank.


*update* placed in an order for 1" inner dimension bulkheads, should be here in 1-4 days. Finally can get the leak test going
 
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Aimara
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Updates will be slow for a couple of days. Bulkheads are on the way, should be here in 5-10 days.

I'm prepping the tank so when they arrive leak test right away.

After that is ordering the two hydor heaters as many suggested it should be fine. And stand will be last
 
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Aimara
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While I wait for the parts to arrive I would like to discuss some stocking?

Got some options, if I can get my hands on some cool turtles

2. Grow out a ray, datnoids, and fire eel that o already have


2. Not sure if there are any peacock bass that stay small enough?

3. Maybe like a schooling theme? Couple of them synodontis catfish, maybe some vitatus?

4. Some mixed "monster fish"?


Since its in the living room, the tank needs to be active and some what fun to look at. I like more of the monster aspect, so not really looking for discus, angles ect...
 
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