Economical Filtration for my 600 gallon

[Fish Tank Travis]

I would do a few bags of lava rock (3-4 50lb bags) as the bio media. This will be quite cheap.

For mechanical, I would go with filter socks. If you have room, try to put six large filter socks in so that they will last longer before needing changed. Then, buy a bunch extra so that you easily change them out, let them bunch up and then wash them all at once.

For pumps, I recommend 2-3 Jebao DCP 15000’s or 18000’s. These are powerful, but very efficient pumps. I believe that they 15000’s only use 130W at max power. For return sizes with these pumps, I would not go less than 1.5”. This will allow very little resistance as the pump is pushing water up to the main tank.

What size are the drains that are in the overflow box?

 

[skjl47]

Hello; Let me say up front my question is likely out of place. How heavy do you plan to stock the tank? It might make a difference.
For example lets say you do light stocking of not so big and messy fish in the 500 gallon. Say stocking that would fill a 100 gallon just right. Then you should need filtration enough for a 100 gallon. The extra 400 gallons is just water. The bio-load of the filter is in a sense only 100 gallons worth.

Of course if the goal is to max out the 500 gallons then you may need lots of filtration. The point is you may be able to match the filtration to the bio-load rather than the size of the tank.

Does this make sense?

 

[HardBodyBullies1]

I would do a few bags of lava rock (3-4 50lb bags) as the bio media. This will be quite cheap.

For mechanical, I would go with filter socks. If you have room, try to put six large filter socks in so that they will last longer before needing changed. Then, buy a bunch extra so that you easily change them out, let them bunch up and then wash them all at once.

For pumps, I recommend 2-3 Jebao DCP 15000’s or 18000’s. These are powerful, but very efficient pumps. I believe that they 15000’s only use 130W at max power. For return sizes with these pumps, I would not go less than 1.5”. This will allow very little resistance as the pump is pushing water up to the main tank.

What size are the drains that are in the overflow box?

Thank you.
I will be going with the Jebo pumps, from what I have read on them and your the 3rd person that recommended that pump. Will external or internal matter pump matter? I was going with internal.
I will measure the drains in the overflow in the morning

 

[JK47]

Thank you.
I will be going with the Jebo pumps, from what I have read on them and your the 3rd person that recommended that pump. Will external or internal matter pump matter? I was going with internal.
I will measure the drains in the overflow in the morning

User preference really. Internal are great for simplicity in plumbing. The draw back is most are not pressure rated so ever bend/head height impacts flow rate more heavily. I’ve never owned a Jeabo pump so I can’t comment but have experience with Laguna pumps. They last for years and are affordable. I like mine a lot.

External pumps like Reeflo are great for pressure rating. You are getting much more actual flow for the watts. The draw back being more complex plumbing and higher cost. They last for years though so a Craigslist score can land you the cheapest and best option if in good shape.

 

[duanes]

Other than the head pressure, submergible pumps can add some heat to the water, whereas external pumps vent heat into the air.
If you live in an area where its colder part of the year, a little extra heat going to the tank water from the pump "can" be useful, especially in winter.
On some of my cichlid tanks, where species came from northern Mexico, or live in rivers that flow dow from near by snow cap mountains, even while in Wisconsin, I didn't need heaters, the excess pump heat was sufficient.
Where I am now, any extra heat could be problematic.
Both style pumps can be noisy.
It is sometimes advisable (depending on your tolerance (or that of your spouse)
to attached an external pump to a solid, heavy object to reduce vibration noise.
With submergible pumps, I usually placed them on a sponge to absorb vibration, and even placed sponges against plumbing where it makes contact with the tank or sump, especially when I lived with my now X-wife, any hum or vibration noise was well.......


above is a submerged Laguna pond pump in its protective housing, in one of my sumps.
Beside being an inexpensive, low power usage pump, the housing helps keep out snails, and other debris that can damage impellers and volutes.
I also like the idea that if a leak occurs on the plumbing to a submerged pump, the leak ends up in the water in the sump,

 

[HardBodyBullies1]

Hello; Let me say up front my question is likely out of place. How heavy do you plan to stock the tank? It might make a difference.
For example lets say you do light stocking of not so big and messy fish in the 500 gallon. Say stocking that would fill a 100 gallon just right. Then you should need filtration enough for a 100 gallon. The extra 400 gallons is just water. The bio-load of the filter is in a sense only 100 gallons worth.

Of course if the goal is to max out the 500 gallons then you may need lots of filtration. The point is you may be able to match the filtration to the bio-load rather than the size of the tank.

Does this make sense?

Hello; Let me say up front my question is likely out of place. How heavy do you plan to stock the tank? It might make a difference.
For example lets say you do light stocking of not so big and messy fish in the 500 gallon. Say stocking that would fill a 100 gallon just right. Then you should need filtration enough for a 100 gallon. The extra 400 gallons is just water. The bio-load of the filter is in a sense only 100 gallons worth.

Of course if the goal is to max out the 500 gallons then you may need lots of filtration. The point is you may be able to match the filtration to the bio-load rather than the size of the tank.

Does this make sense?

Hello. I do plan on a pretty heavy stock. I had in mind to also either do 2 FX6 or make 2 canister filters to run on it also.

 

[skjl47]

Hello. I do plan on a pretty heavy stock. I had in mind to also either do 2 FX6 or make 2 canister filters to run on it also.

Hello; I was using the term "economical" as a guide in my response. Say you have a tank of 500 gallons of water and no fish or other living things in it. Do you need any filtration at all?
(This is leaving aside that a large tank open to the air will have stuff fall into it over time and only talking in relation to fish and water.)

Say I had a lone male betta splendens in a five gallon tank with a small HOB running. This HOB is more than enough for the one fish. Say I put that same fish in a 500 gallon tank, seems to me I can run that big tank on the same small HOB as far as the fish goes. Plenty of mechanical and biological filtration.

So if you can match the filtration to the stocking levels that should be plenty. Once you get past adequate mechanical filtration then the biological filtration will match thee bio-load. By that I mean the beneficial bacteria (bb) colonies will only have population numbers that can thrive on the amount of ammonia and nitrites in the water given off by the fish. Extra available surfaces in more filtration than is needed will not do any harm they will just not be occupied.
Pretty much the same for filter flow and detritus catching capacity. Once you have enough then the extra capacity does no harm other than to the budget.

A possible plan is that if the bio-load grows over time you can add more filtration later. Much depends on the funds are available. Many on this forum appear to have lots of "aquarium money" and do not have to think of less expensive ways to go about things. Others may not be so fortunate.

Good luck

 

[ragin_cajun]

if you want to be economical, then do a sump with filter socks and some pumps. If you add canister filters to the sump, you're paying twice for more filtration than you need.

So pick one....canisters or a sump with socks and pumps....not both. if you want to choose between the two options based on cost, then you'd come out cheaper with a sump.