i need help from expert pbass owner's about monster tank set up

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bassinmike85

bassinmike85

Goliath Tigerfish
MFK Member
Jul 10, 2010
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California
i'm bought a house and i want to get a monster tank set up..i got a 470,180,2x135, 4x55,2x20,3x10,4x55 plus more but i want bigger..so i'm going to buy a tank thats (LxWxH) 10x6x4 and want to know the best filtration set up i can possibly do..i dont want to make all the plumbing looking like i just threw it all together you know?

so my question is,

if you had a peacock bass tank this big how would you set it up?

break it down from plumbing to substrate to power heads to plants,driftwood etc everything as much as possible..i am wanting to order the tank and everything asap..but want a blueprint of everything so its all planned out..

thanks to everybody who helps me out..

i also ordered a few pumps for the sumps that do 2000gph and a few other pumps that do a little less..

i know i could post this in filtration section but i want advace from feollow cichla addicts..

mods please dont move this thread..thank you..
 
If it were my tank, I'd run a closed loop system using several canisters for filtration (like the Ocean Clear type) then feed it into a pressurized bead filter for biological. I'd then run some sort of auto-top off system to keep the water level always full.
 
you already know that i'm a sponge filter fanatic. i would hide at least 8 ATI hydro V sponge filters, at least 2 on powerheads to create or control current. and the others on a couple good air pumps.

after much discussion, and some over the top sales push by some who shall remain nameless, i decided on getting the pump that pacu mom recommended.

here is a copy paste, of my response after i compared it to several other pumps that i found and had recommended to me:
thank you pacu mom, it looks good.. the reeflo hammerhead uses a Baldor motor, and uses less watts than any of the pumps i've looked at so far. and it's half the price of the wave pump. figuring it the way i figured the others yesterday, it'll only cost me an average of $60 to run that pump. the gph @ 9' of head is very acceptable.. maybe i can afford to have the big tank after all.


the tank i'm buying.. is 10' x 4' x 3' it says 800 gallons in the ad, but if you do the conversion it comes a lot closer to 900 gallons. and i want to turn over all of the water in the tank and the sump at least 4 times an hour with the pump, and the sponge filters will be the added kick that makes it all work. i also plan on dividing the tank and using silk plants and bubble walls to cover up the egg crate that i use for the dividers.
 
hillbilly;4673276; said:
I don't claim to be a cichlid expert, but I did work at 2 different public aquariums for over 15 years. I would go no less than a commerical quality system, a large bead filter system would be great....http://www.aquaticeco.com/subcategories/1189/Commercial-Filtration-Packages
A large in line heater to go with it will be needed....http://www.aquaticeco.com/subcategories/3925/Aqua-Logic-In-Line-Heaters/in line heater/0
Pool filter sand and driftwood for decor.
Click to expand...

thx hillbilly..i got those links saved in my fav..i am def buying those inline heaters..any specific model i should get?
 
Morledzep;4673279; said:
you already know that i'm a sponge filter fanatic. i would hide at least 8 ATI hydro V sponge filters, at least 2 on powerheads to create or control current. and the others on a couple good air pumps.

after much discussion, and some over the top sales push by some who shall remain nameless, i decided on getting the pump that pacu mom recommended.

here is a copy paste, of my response after i compared it to several other pumps that i found and had recommended to me:
thank you pacu mom, it looks good.. the reeflo hammerhead uses a Baldor motor, and uses less watts than any of the pumps i've looked at so far. and it's half the price of the wave pump. figuring it the way i figured the others yesterday, it'll only cost me an average of $60 to run that pump. the gph @ 9' of head is very acceptable.. maybe i can afford to have the big tank after all.


the tank i'm buying.. is 10' x 4' x 3' it says 800 gallons in the ad, but if you do the conversion it comes a lot closer to 900 gallons. and i want to turn over all of the water in the tank and the sump at least 4 times an hour with the pump, and the sponge filters will be the added kick that makes it all work. i also plan on dividing the tank and using silk plants and bubble walls to cover up the egg crate that i use for the dividers.
Click to expand...

cool tanks for the advice..i bought power heads but i totally bought the wrong ones for this monster tank..

which powerheads would you recomend? also one of my concerns is debri/poop catching on the bottom of the tank..
 
As far as filtration it looks like your covered ...Probably with circulation also but i'm just going to add it again just to say how important i think it is ..I;m gonna check Hillbilly's link to be sure but you should have at least 15000 gph of flow if not more but not in jet form returns at least 2 inch for a bad boy that big you have yo have flow!!!!!!.I'm also about in conjuntion with a bead filter A BIO REACTOR thats what i am building myself Right now for my 675 ...They use it in Aquaculture and in big koi ponds if you go big check it out on the net I am sold on it and was going to wait untilthe tank was done to show everybody but hey I'm all for sharing with you guys all the info i can to better the Hobby..AS far as i am concerned If they use it to farm fish to sell at market it's the best and easiest to keep clean because in aqua culture it's about makin $$$$$$ and puting out a great product that consumers want RIGHT!!!!! thats my .02 cents mike Hugh.....
 
bassinmike85;4673310; said:
thx hillbilly..i got those links saved in my fav..i am def buying those inline heaters..any specific model i should get?
Click to expand...

When you know for sure the exact dimensions of the tank, I would give them a call. These guys really know their stuff, and have designed systems for major public aquariums. They can give all the info you need for getting the right equipment. Also, remember if your main pump is properly sized on a large system, you shouldn't need additional circulation, because these big pumps do some serious turnover.
 
If you can't find it at AES, you won't find it anywhere. Make sure to request the free catalog, it's like 2000 pages of aquatic goodness.
 
bassinmike85;4673320; said:
cool tanks for the advice..i bought power heads but i totally bought the wrong ones for this monster tank..

which powerheads would you recomend? also one of my concerns is debri/poop catching on the bottom of the tank..
Click to expand...
No power heads mike check out my thread in set up and filtration don't muck up the inside of a big tank that way you figure out how much flow and where then drill the tank and run a pump in a closed loop thats my opion and i did it to my tank two 1 1/2 Bulkheads 5 inches off the bottom with 1 1/2 22.5 slip ABS
elbows so its fully ajustable to scoot the poop:headbang2 My 675 will have 9000 gph a hammerhead and a wave pump :naughty:
 
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