8 foot tank idea

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muffywrx

muffywrx

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 15, 2011
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lincoln, NE
I have an idea coming into my head for tax season, or maybe even as early as August.

I currently have 3 smaller large tanks (125, 75, 60). All my fish are still on the smaller side, but my overall stock includes:
3 oscars (4-5" each)
1 JD (still a baby, maybe 2")
1 common pleco (4-5")
1 albino choco pleco (4")
1 3 beacon pleco (4-5")

I also have a 25 gallon with guppies, ghost shrimp, and some otos.

The JD will be kept in my 60 gallon until he is big enough to join the others in the large tank I plan on getting most likely.


My idea is to get an 8 foot tank. I planned initially on setting it up with my FX5 and my aquatop 500, and perhaps keeping a penguin 350B on it as well.

But then I got to thinking ... What if I did a sump which had a section in it to house the guppies and have an open spot on the stand where you could view said sump tank?


I'm kind of a newbie at all of this, but I would really love everyone's input on this. Here are my main questions:

1. How many gallons on this 8 foot tank would work best with my stock at full size and still give me a little room to add some things? I am thinking 300 gallons or so, but help me out on this one. Bigger is better, and price between the 8 foot tanks doesn't seem to be a big difference, but availability might be a factor.

2. Would the FX5, aquatop 500, and penguin 350 be enough filtration? Is the 350 worthless in this scenario? (If I didn't do a sump)

3. Would it be possible to have the guppies/shrimp/otos in the sump realistically?

4. What size sump would I need if I ran the FX5 alongside? What if I ran the fx5 and the aquatop 500?

If anyone has a setup like this, I would love to see it.
 
I have an 8x2x2 240g. Its reefready and I use an eshopps sump w a rio 26hf giving the tank a 6x per hr turnover rate (approx). I also use a koralia 1400gph flow pump for circulation. In my opinion, once you get into tanks this large, a sump is really best. They look cleaner and are a lot easier to maintain than ripping out canister filters. I dunno what an aquatop 500 is (unless you're referring to an aquaclear 500/110). But with big fish your gonna need more than one fx5 and there's nothing uglier than seeing a bunch of stuff hanging in the back of your tank
 
Good points. So a sump will be in the plan for sure, and I would love to throw my guppies in there ...

What size for about a 240-340 gal tank if I use my FX5 alongside?

The aquatop is what koi enterprises was advertising, like a sunsun ... 530gph with uv sterilizer.
 
Any other input?

Looks like the tank is official for August unless I can figure out a way to get it earlier ... so far anyway this looks like the plan!!! I am so excited. Still need to figure out a footprint however, and I want something that isn't too awfully tall. Looking towards possibly a 96X24X36 (96longX24tallX36deep), which I think calculates to 350 gallons.

Might get a sump with the tank, or might do something custom myself ... Am really interested in making a viewing area in the middle of the stand for the sump and adding my guppies.

Help! :)
 
If you are looking to make a viewing area in the middle, I would go with somewhere in the 100 range for a sump. Or, you could turn the 125 into a sump underneath (save money that way) and then you would have the room to make your refugium in it also.
 
Bear in mind that with sumps, there is gunna be alot of water flow going on. Especially with a big tank like that. So if you want to put fishes in the sump, they need to be adapted to fast water flow.

Also, it removes the ease in cleaning the sump if you have fish in it.

Hpwever, if you do set this up, i'll be intrigued in seeing it progress
 
I'd use the 350 with filter floss for polish, much easier than opening a cannister every week
 
Thanks for the input thus far everyone. How would I build a stand that supports a 6 foot glass tank underneath if I had an 8 foot up top?

Do I really need a sump that big?

Just a sidenote, plan on keeping the fx5 on it.
 
Ref45forweb.jpeg

This sump is rated for 300 gallons it says, and this is similar to what I'm looking for. I don't really want a glass sump, and all my tanks are unfortunately glass. Not that I'd be buying this sump per say, but this is what I am thinking of doing.
 
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