haha yeah i suggest you visit the Philippines one time bryan, totally different but its gonna be a great experience! thanks for the suggestion! that will be one option as well but access to direct sunlight will be around 10 feet from the tank, not unless aquatic plants can do with flourescent lights on top of the aquarium as shown in the pics..
Cichla Stocking
- Thread starter darboy
- Start date
lol if i get a chance i will!!
they arent aquatic plants. just pothos and hyacynth will work fine.
but if you add 1 or 2 bulbs they will do great bc the water will be so shallow.
pothos do a great job and hardly need any light
also you can add bio stuff under the plants to make an icredible bio filtration and maybe at the end add a filter sock right as it dumps back into the tank to make sure its really clean
they arent aquatic plants. just pothos and hyacynth will work fine.
but if you add 1 or 2 bulbs they will do great bc the water will be so shallow.
pothos do a great job and hardly need any light
also you can add bio stuff under the plants to make an icredible bio filtration and maybe at the end add a filter sock right as it dumps back into the tank to make sure its really clean
hey man! i've decided to go with a pond filter w/ uv for the sake of my stock. ill just have to contribute from the budget but at least the tank will get very good filtration so i wouldnt have to worry too much!
i need help deciding some stuff and since you do pond filtration, i hope you can help me.
i would want the pond filter to be placed on top of the tank because i would not want tubes showing or holes being drilled on the tank if every filter is placed under the tank. Placing the filter on top would cover the pipes so that the tank won't be too messy looking. now this is the picture of where the filter will be placed.
There is a 27inch high space in between tank and the ceiling so i would need the filter to fit in between but i am afraid that the weight of the filter when full will be too heavy for the top part of the tank. my plan is to put some sort of strong brace or bracket maybe 2 or 3 pcs and drill it to the concrete wall on the side so that the filter will be placed on a platform sitting on the braces, with the bracket placed, space for filter will be reduced to about 22 inches or so. hence i have to look for filters that are lower than 20 inches.. i will post pics also of two filters available and i hope you can give me feedback on those filters. so what do you think about my plan? other readers can also comment it would help thanks!
here are the two prospective filters that are available at my suppliers.. please tell me what you think of these filters. i showed these pics before but ill just attach it again with a few information.. first is the Matala BioSteps 10 w/ uv. it measures 20-3/16" high and i hope it would fit the space for the filter sparingly.
Next is an Atman pressurized EF-10000uv, i tried searching this brand and it led me to good reviews, but i have not seen anything on this particular unit yet. this filter is about 16 inches in height and would fit perfectly i think.
Next is an Atman pressurized EF-10000uv, i tried searching this brand and it led me to good reviews, but i have not seen anything on this particular unit yet. this filter is about 16 inches in height and would fit perfectly i think.
If you're on a tight budget I would consider an under gravel filter (UGF). Old traditional japanese koi ponds use in pond gravel filters with great success. This will allow you to get a good UV and pump without blowing the budget. The pond filter that you are considering is a nightmare to clean and with cichlas it needs to be cleaned often.
The top of the tank is strong enough to handle the weight.
wow thanks for the diagram bro really appreciate it! ive been doing undergravel filter in all my tanks (most planted tanks) i didnt know ugf's were being utilized in koi ponds! howbout the clean up of this system will i have to syphon the gravel frequently? it may be a harder task to clean.. the first plan was not to put any gravel or sand for the base, just a big driftwood and rocks to hold the thing steady. wanted no gravel so that feces and waste material from the ground would easily be sucked towards the drains located on both sides of the aquarium.
the pond filters i showed here are designed for ponds that are about 2640 galons. will it not clean efficiently a tank of 600 galons? haha i just thought that if i was to install this system, i would not have to deal with constructing an array of filters or pipes anymore
the pond filters i showed here are designed for ponds that are about 2640 galons. will it not clean efficiently a tank of 600 galons? haha i just thought that if i was to install this system, i would not have to deal with constructing an array of filters or pipes anymore
I thought the tank was not drilled. You can pull water from there then.
There are many ways to filter your tank. You just need to decide the route. Keep in mind that tropical tanks require more than a pond. Ponds have biological on the walls where as tanks don't. The reason I suggested the UGF is to have the bio off the top of the tank because of your concern. The filter sock will provide clarity. I think the feces will show up more on bare bottom than gravel.
Search the forum for 600gal tanks and you will see how much filtration is needed. Which ever way you go I'm sure you will figure it out. Good luck.
There are many ways to filter your tank. You just need to decide the route. Keep in mind that tropical tanks require more than a pond. Ponds have biological on the walls where as tanks don't. The reason I suggested the UGF is to have the bio off the top of the tank because of your concern. The filter sock will provide clarity. I think the feces will show up more on bare bottom than gravel.
Search the forum for 600gal tanks and you will see how much filtration is needed. Which ever way you go I'm sure you will figure it out. Good luck.
