Wow thanks all. Filters and flow rates hey, be there done that, now my thoughts on turnover comes via my reef & Malawi experience. Turnover by itself means very little (this is my view) its contact time with the media, media type, oxygen levels within the media being more important and I have indeed proved this one to my self. Turnover rates seem to be the fashion at the this time within the koi world also. Yet I've loaded my pond with top japs and to some overloaded my pond by 200% yet they are fine and so are my stats for 10 years and I feed very heavy. When water comes out of your filter it should be free from ammon and nitrites, so what size filter would you need to accommodate the media to do that work with a 10 times turnover rate?? All you are doing is (again my view folks and I don't want to upset anyone) is having a great turn over rate but its taking 10 cycles to do the job of 4-5 cycles. Now having a massive filter the size of your display tank and fill it full of media and turn over 10/hour yep I'll have one but then you would have to supply massive amounts of oxygen to the media throughout the filter or the bacteria would starve. Also you can have a massive spaceship size filter with a 10 time TOR but you still would have only the amount of bacteria that matched your ammon/nitrite levels would you not, no food = no bacteria?? With any/all filters the problem (as I see it) is when its cant convert the am-nitrite-nitrate fast enough and levels are detectable with a test kit. Surly forget turnover rates and ensure that am/nitrite levels are undetectable with a standard test kit. When we feed our fish more some days and a little the next and then miss a day what do yopu thinks occurring within the filter media, massive death and births, when the births cannot match the waste = problems. Sorry gone right off of topic here, sorry folks. Many views here and I thank you all for them.
New tank, what would you putin it??
- Thread starter Not another new tank
- Start date
Wow thanks all. Filters and flow rates hey, be there done that, now my thoughts on turnover comes via my reef & Malawi experience. Turnover by itself means very little (this is my view) its contact time with the media, media type, oxygen levels within the media being more important and I have indeed proved this one to my self. Turnover rates seem to be the fashion at the this time within the koi world also. Yet I've loaded my pond with top japs and to some overloaded my pond by 200% yet they are fine and so are my stats for 10 years and I feed very heavy. When water comes out of your filter it should be free from ammonia and nitrites, so what size filter would you need to accommodate the media to do that work with a 10 times turnover rate?? All you are doing is (again my view folks and I don't want to upset anyone) is having a great turn over rate but its taking 10 cycles to do the job of 4-5 cycles. Now having a massive filter the size of your display tank and fill it full of media and turn over 10/hour yep I'll have one but then you would have to supply massive amounts of oxygen to the media throughout the filter or the bacteria would starve. Also you can have a massive spaceship size filter with a 10 time TOR but you still would have only the amount of bacteria that matched your ammonia nnitrite levels would you not, no food = no bacteria?? With any/all filters the problem (as I see it) is when its cant convert the am-nitrite-nitrate fast enough and levels are detectable with a test kit. Surly forget turnover rates and ensure that am/nitrite levels are undetectable with a standard test kit. When we feed our fish more some days and a little the next and then miss a day what do your thinks occurring within the filter media, massive death and births, when the births cannot match the waste = problems. Sorry gone right off of topic here, sorry folks. Many views here and I thank you all for them.
Yep, I have 10 litres of matrix and as much BHM as I can get in. I have the BHM left over oh and also the underrated sponge pre-filter. I have around 1.8 cube/ft = 51 litres of space for media. Oh and a section for chemical media also.
Sounds like you've definitely got a grip on what you're doing lol. I was worried you'd be one of those folks who popped up with the most basic filtration one can buy hung on a big tank and would want literally 20 pounds of fish in the tank.
I think the pair of red terrors would be amazing as well.
I think the pair of red terrors would be amazing as well.
On a home scale as well. Lava rock, sand, lego and toy soldiers are all good media and CHEEP. More pumps dpn't just cost more money - they draw more power as well which not only increases your electric bill, but makes it harder to keep a tank going using a generator if there is a blackout.Agreed, it's cheaper on commercial scale to get more media than more pumps
I agree 100%
It is not about the volume of your media, but about the surface area, and how much of that surface area is exposed to the flow. 1.8 cu ft of sand is 9000 sq ft, "8,000 square feet of surface area per cubic foot." , while if it where plastic beads, it 720 sq ft "200 square feet per cubic foot". media type matters just as much as filter size..
source: http://www.koifishponds.com/state_of_the_art_filters.htm
If it isn't built already, I would definitely suggest scrapping the built-in filter, or put the filter along the back of the tank, so you lose width and not length. For large south americans, floor space is everything, and while 74" isn't bad, I think you will really be much better off with the extra room. Plus, having 10" of filter on the right of the tank won't be pretty. Do a wet/dry sump or even a couple big canisters. Just my .02
Regarding the fish, Festae as have been mentioned are awesome. Could do a pair or maybe even a trio (1m2f) in this size tank with some silver dollars or other large SA dithers.
I don't know if you care whether the fish are from SA or CA... but CA has some really great colorful options for your tank. A colony of Vieja Breidohri would be awesome for instance. Something like 1m 3f would probably work and you could have a pair of smaller cichlids like convicts in there as well.
Regarding the fish, Festae as have been mentioned are awesome. Could do a pair or maybe even a trio (1m2f) in this size tank with some silver dollars or other large SA dithers.
I don't know if you care whether the fish are from SA or CA... but CA has some really great colorful options for your tank. A colony of Vieja Breidohri would be awesome for instance. Something like 1m 3f would probably work and you could have a pair of smaller cichlids like convicts in there as well.
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I've done the sump job to death to 3 other tanks and don't want to go there. External filters could be an add on if required later and yes I agree 100% more room the better but on balance loosing the 10" seems the best option for this build. The partition glass will be black as will the 10" on the RHS at the front. The RHS is going up against a wall so I'm hoping that it wont be too bad. I'll post some pics when I get it. But I do hear what your saying and that would be my advice to sump it. I would have liked the filter along the back but the tank would need to be wider than the 24" and the cost shot up daft and I mean daft. I know its not perfect and I may regret it, if I really don't like it I will remove it and go for 2 x Fx6 in the Uk they are £233 each = £466 I have so many bits and bobs hanging around that the internal is costing me the glass only. around £50 with the holes drilled. So that's over £400 saved for FISH lol. Her in doors is getting a bit fed up of this fish keeping lark after all these years so I don't want to push to hard (at this point anyway). But yep, hear you and agree with everything you've said. The Festae seem difficult to get in the UK, if someone knows anyone in the UK and has some for sale will you let me know please? Thanks again everyone.
I've done the sump job to death to 3 other tanks and don't want to go there. External filters could be an add on if required later and yes I agree 100% more room the better but on balance loosing the 10" seems the best option for this build. The partition glass will be black as will the 10" on the RHS at the front. The RHS is going up against a wall so I'm hoping that it wont be too bad. I'll post some pics when I get it. But I do hear what your saying and that would be my advice to sump it. I would have liked the filter along the back but the tank would need to be wider than the 24" and the cost shot up daft and I mean daft. I know its not perfect and I may regret it, if I really don't like it I will remove it and go for 2 x Fx6 in the Uk they are £233 each = £466 I have so many bits and bobs hanging around that the internal is costing me the glass only. around £50 with the holes drilled. So that's over £400 saved for FISH lol. Her in doors is getting a bit fed up of this fish keeping lark after all these years so I don't want to push to hard (at this point anyway). But yep, hear you and agree with everything you've said. The Festae seem difficult to get in the UK, if someone knows anyone in the UK and has some for sale will you let me know please? Thanks again everyone.
stunning fish, thank you, never seen them in the UK, rays we can get, one local chap breeds them
https://www.wharfaquatics.co.uk/stingrays_aaa_marble_motoro.htm
