Filtration for large freshwater tank (120x36x24) ?

[DThompson]

I have an Ultima II - 2000. So one size up from the one you're asking about. The heat generated is dependent on which kind of pump you connect to the Ultima. I have 2 reeflo Darts connected to mine to my system (one for the sump, one for the ultima) and they increased the tank temperature 8 or 9 degrees Fahrenheit. I also have a fully enclosed sump stand and it's very warm in there from running both these pumps. It actually helps me not have to use a heater in the tanks as much which is nice. If you had them outside of the stand they would definitely not produce as much heat because it wouldn't all be trapped in the stand.

The noise level is also dependent on the pump you choose, not the Ultima. They ultima is virtually silent. For reference, I have an alita air pump that is lower than both my reeflo pumps. So the air pump is hidden away under my staircase in a closet to make the tank room quieter. But the reeflo pumps do have a slight humm to them as well.

 

[jake37]

I don't quite understand why you have to connect a pump to the ultimate - i thought the ultimate had a built in pump. Also how tall is your unit - could it fit under a 28 inch stand and still be comfortable to manipulate as needed (i.e, to perform a backflush?)

I have an Ultima II - 2000. So one size up from the one you're asking about. The heat generated is dependent on which kind of pump you connect to the Ultima. I have 2 reeflo Darts connected to mine to my system (one for the sump, one for the ultima) and they increased the tank temperature 8 or 9 degrees Fahrenheit. I also have a fully enclosed sump stand and it's very warm in there from running both these pumps. It actually helps me not have to use a heater in the tanks as much which is nice. If you had them outside of the stand they would definitely not produce as much heat because it wouldn't all be trapped in the stand.

The noise level is also dependent on the pump you choose, not the Ultima. They ultima is virtually silent. For reference, I have an alita air pump that is lower than both my reeflo pumps. So the air pump is hidden away under my staircase in a closet to make the tank room quieter. But the reeflo pumps do have a slight humm to them as well.

 

[DThompson]

I don't quite understand why you have to connect a pump to the ultimate - i thought the ultimate had a built in pump. Also how tall is your unit - could it fit under a 28 inch stand and still be comfortable to manipulate as needed (i.e, to perform a backflush?)

The Ultima does not come with a pump, you have to buy that separately based on your tank size and requirements. Here's a diagram from the Ultima manual, The pump is circled in red (you have to buy separately), the Ultima filter is circled in purple (this is what you get when you buy the Ultima).

 

[DThompson]

I don't quite understand why you have to connect a pump to the ultimate - i thought the ultimate had a built in pump. Also how tall is your unit - could it fit under a 28 inch stand and still be comfortable to manipulate as needed (i.e, to perform a backflush?)

Also for size information, Here is a chart that shows the overall height of each sized Ultima.


I don't have an Ultima 1000 so I don't know for sure how well it would fit in your stand, but it says its 22" tall.

Here's the entire manual if you want to read through it.

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/566f4c6cd8af1045cf929178/t/59b980afb07869d96fe0b5db/1505329330294/Instruction+Manual+Ultima+II.pdf

 

[jake37]

Ok. So the ultimate is basically a large canister with some valves - it has no motor (or pump). Hum... weird.

 

[DThompson]

Ok. So the ultimate is basically a large canister with some valves - it has no motor (or pump). Hum... weird.

Yep that's exactly what it is. You have to buy the pump and hoses/pipes to connect it to your tank. But it's much better than an FX6 or similar canister filter. The volume of media and backflush ability are great.

 

[TexasMFK31]

I have an Ultima II - 2000. So one size up from the one you're asking about. The heat generated is dependent on which kind of pump you connect to the Ultima. I have 2 reeflo Darts connected to mine to my system (one for the sump, one for the ultima) and they increased the tank temperature 8 or 9 degrees Fahrenheit. I also have a fully enclosed sump stand and it's very warm in there from running both these pumps. It actually helps me not have to use a heater in the tanks as much which is nice. If you had them outside of the stand they would definitely not produce as much heat because it wouldn't all be trapped in the stand.

The noise level is also dependent on the pump you choose, not the Ultima. They ultima is virtually silent. For reference, I have an alita air pump that is lower than both my reeflo pumps. So the air pump is hidden away under my staircase in a closet to make the tank room quieter. But the reeflo pumps do have a slight humm to them as well.

Fully enclosed sump??? Got any pics of the setup?

 

[DThompson]

Fully enclosed sump??? Got any pics of the setup?

No the sump is just a standard 90 gallon tank with holes drilled in the sides for inlet/outlet.

You can check out the pictures from my build, https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/440g-system-setup.737877/

 

[TexasMFK31]

No the sump is just a standard 90 gallon tank with holes drilled in the sides for inlet/outlet.

You can check out the pictures from my build, https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/440g-system-setup.737877/

I hadn't thought of doing that with my ultima......wheels are a turning.......

 

[DThompson]

I hadn't thought of doing that with my ultima......wheels are a turning.......

Just for clarification, my system has 2 independent filtering systems. The sump and Ultima have their own plumbing and pumps. So I can turn one off for maintenance for a day or a week or as long as necessary. Just redundancy to keep the tank clean and healthy. The Ultima sucks water from the bottom corner of my display tank, while the sump skims water off the top of the tank through the overflow in the back. Then they both push water back into the tank in separate locations/directions.