Hi there in the next few months I'll be setting up approx a 600 gallon tank my stock will be a motoro sting ray a Senegal Birchir (in grow out now) a peacock bass possibly 2 (1st in grow out now) if I can Find another one 4 tinfoil barbs(in grow out) a Saratoga leichardt and maybe a silver arowana and possible a few others I'll see what pops up question is I'm not sure on what to do about filtration how much media will be needed interested to see what other have got running on there tanks I was thinking at least a 55 gallon section with k1 media and filter socks for easy maintenence but I assume this won't be enough so how much filtration would I need this is my first tank above 180 Gallon I plan on doing a flow 5 X my tank volume so what's everybody's ideas on this and what have you got running the filter will be out side the tank not under the sand so options are wide open cheers James
How to go about filtering 600 gallon tank
- Thread starter turtles
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Ive been running a large open sump with no baffles and pond matrix in laundry bags over a year on a 540 gallon tank. Very simple and almost no maintenance. It has 4 filter socks, I change em every couple weeks. And a fresh water drip.
Matter filter was an idea I had, but I didn't even bring it up when I seen how much it would cost to fill a 55 gallon drum
What stock do you keep in your 540 tank? Not try to derail just curious as to how well it work compared to the usual sump with baffles
Man, I feel like I write the same things over and over in my posts to MFK. A sump is a sump, whether it has baffles or not. You don't need ANY baffles in a sump until you have a reason to have baffles.
If you want a skimmer in a saltwater sump, then you put baffles so you can have a chamber that the skimmer sits in with the same constant water level. If you want to have a chamber in your sump for plants to live in so they don't get sucked up into your pumps, then you put baffles. If you want a chamber with K1 media, you need a chamber. If you want bio-balls, or big filter pads for mechanical filtration, you need baffles.
If you don't want anything in your sump that requires a separate chamber, then you don't need baffles.
Only thing you really NEED in your sump for freshwater filtration is bio-filtration, mechanical filtration, and pumps. If you put the bio in laundry bags, use only filter socks, then you don't need any baffles.
So, the REAL question is, is pond matrix in laundry bags and filter socks all you need to filter your tank. I, and others who have posted their experience over the years on MFK, say yes. That is sufficient.
My tank is all fish, about 20, in a 540 gallon tank. My fish are Vieja and Amph's. No rays, no Arowana.
If you want a skimmer in a saltwater sump, then you put baffles so you can have a chamber that the skimmer sits in with the same constant water level. If you want to have a chamber in your sump for plants to live in so they don't get sucked up into your pumps, then you put baffles. If you want a chamber with K1 media, you need a chamber. If you want bio-balls, or big filter pads for mechanical filtration, you need baffles.
If you don't want anything in your sump that requires a separate chamber, then you don't need baffles.
Only thing you really NEED in your sump for freshwater filtration is bio-filtration, mechanical filtration, and pumps. If you put the bio in laundry bags, use only filter socks, then you don't need any baffles.
So, the REAL question is, is pond matrix in laundry bags and filter socks all you need to filter your tank. I, and others who have posted their experience over the years on MFK, say yes. That is sufficient.
My tank is all fish, about 20, in a 540 gallon tank. My fish are Vieja and Amph's. No rays, no Arowana.
my filtration on 480g is exactly like cajun. dripped baffleless 110g acrylic tank with 6 filter socks and lots of matrix, c rings, lava rocks and pot scrubbers. Going to add algae scrubber and built ceiling hangar for pothos above the 480g. unlike cajun, my nitrate is 30-40
I'm liking the open plan idea I'm thinking I'll go with filter socks and heaps and heaps of bio material and a small k1 section just for how good I've heard they are sounds like a plan 
thanks heaps everybody you guys are what make mfk the best!
thanks heaps everybody you guys are what make mfk the best!