My idea for a DIY plywood aquarium

[Big Fish Freak]

So, another component to this build is filtration, and I think I want to do a fluidized bed filter using k1 media..I liked "the king of diy" design and it looked to work well, but does anyone have any other ideas on how to do it? And just how much am I gonna need for an 900gal tank? I know it's more dependent on the bio load but I really won't have that many fish in there to start at least..I will probably be moving my RTC in there once it's up and running, and he will add a significant bio load to the tank.

I will do some more research and find out what I will need to get it done..just wanted to keep everyone updated on my progress

 

[flukekiller]

heres a good chart. http://www.koiphen.com/forums/showt...lculating-Amount-of-K1-in-MB&highlight=amount
none of it is 100% but it shows what most people say. k1 is also based on what your fish will eat when its an adult so plan on the amount
of K1 for the adult fish you will have in there

 

[Big Fish Freak]

heres a good chart. http://www.koiphen.com/forums/showt...lculating-Amount-of-K1-in-MB&highlight=amount
none of it is 100% but it shows what most people say. k1 is also based on what your fish will eat when its an adult so plan on the amount
of K1 for the adult fish you will have in there

Great link! lots of good info on there..
I wonder if a rounder bed is better than a rectangular bed? I suppose as long as you make sure no media gets stuck in a corner you will be fine. I plan on doing a Beananimal overflow on this tank, and I think that the amount of flow I will have coming from the tank should be enough to keep the k1 moving pretty well..only one way to tell for sure though..

What about adding a trickle tower before the k1? Is that just overkill or would it be a good thing to have?

Guess I gotta start building

 

[coolkeith]

There are better moving bed bio-media's than K1 these days. May want to look into WaterTek MB3 Moving Bed Media. It costs less ($29.50 per sq ft vs $45 per sq ft for K1) and has a better wheel design with more inner protected surface area.

Link to MB3: http://www.w-m-t.com/Products/WaterTek_MB3_Moving_Bed_Media.php

 

[Big Fish Freak]

There are better moving bed bio-media's than K1 these days. May want to look into WaterTek MB3 Moving Bed Media. It costs less ($29.50 per sq ft vs $45 per sq ft for K1) and has a better wheel design with more inner protected surface area.

Link to MB3: http://www.w-m-t.com/Products/WaterTek_MB3_Moving_Bed_Media.php

Keith, where can I buy this ^ I couldn't find it anywhere on the site..

 

[coolkeith]

Keith, where can I buy this ^ I couldn't find it anywhere on the site..

You need to call them to order it.

 

[Big Fish Freak]

Sounds like I'll be making a phone call when I get a lull in business today then

 

[Big Fish Freak]

I have also been seeing some oddly negative input on wood-gluing and screwing the box together..I thought this was pretty standard? Someone even said don't use screws as it is just gonna make it more likely to leak?? I can't imagine the wood glue alone supporting against the pressure of the water..I have seen several builds that use wood glue and screws and they are not leaking...

Would glue and screws be better than epoxy and screws? I have been tossing that idea around too..using epoxy rather than wood glue so that there's a waterproofing agent between the sheets of plywood. Or does it really matter? I know wood glue is some pretty strong stuff, is epoxy just as strong in this application?

 

[sashimimaster]

Glue, screw AND Epoxy.

 

[Big Fish Freak]

Glue, screw AND Epoxy.

After reading that screws were a bad idea, that was my first thought of what to do! Must be the rebel in me
But what goes first the wood glue or epoxy?