new 130g questions

[chuby]

So I'm thinking of getting a 130g from someone on craigs list and needed a few questions answered, like:

Do I need to brace my floor, (I live in a 1 story house about 3' off the ground, it's an old farm house)?

Do I HAVE to have a sump?

Will slightly uneven floors cause the tank to crack, (like one end is higer than the other by .3")?

Is there anything else I need to take into consideration?

I have a 6"+ sun cat and want to see him through to the end, (12"+).

 

[Conner]

So I'm thinking of getting a 130g from someone on craigs list and needed a few questions answered, like:

Do I need to brace my floor, (I live in a 1 story house about 3' off the ground, it's an old farm house)?

If you can get in the crawlspace to check out the joists, that would be good. You should aim at placing the tank across (perpendicular to) the joists, crossing as many as you can, and against a supporting wall if possible.You may need to brace some of the joists, but probably not likely.

Do I HAVE to have a sump?

No, you don't have to have a sump. Is the tank drilled? If so, it will be easier to use a sump, but you could block off the drain holes and go with canister or hang on filters if you wanted.

Will slightly uneven floors cause the tank to crack, (like one end is higer than the other by .3")?

You would need to shim the stand to make the tank as level as possible. Uneven floors will put pressure on the tank, possibly leading to a cracked tank.

Is there anything else I need to take into consideration?

Not that I can think of...

I have a 6"+ sun cat and want to see him through to the end, (12"+).

Answers in red...

 

[chuby]

Thanks a lot! I'll check out my floor tomorrow.

Can sumps be used as an alternitive to filters?

 

[crisper]

A sump is really just a big filter.

 

[chuby]

Do you guys have any liks I could use to learn exactly what the function of a sump is?
Like a "sump's for dummies" hand book or somthing?

 

[Conner]

Go look over in the DIY section, there are TONS of sump designs and filtration information over there.

Basically a sump is another tank placed underneath your show tank. Water drains from the show tank to the sump, is filtered through mechanical media, biological media, and chemical media (if you want), then is pumped back up to the show tank. The media is all customizable to your particular needs and preferences, and can be any size you want. It allows you to really fine tune your filtration, increase the water volume of your show tank, and gets all that equipment hanging on/in your aquarium out of sight inside the stand.

 

[crisper]

Go look over in the DIY section, there are TONS of sump designs and filtration information over there.

Basically a sump is another tank placed underneath your show tank. Water drains from the show tank to the sump, is filtered through mechanical media, biological media, and chemical media (if you want), then is pumped back up to the show tank. The media is all customizable to your particular needs and preferences, and can be any size you want. It allows you to really fine tune your filtration, increase the water volume of your show tank, and gets all that equipment hanging on/in your aquarium out of sight inside the stand.

well said

 

[Dane]

If you're looking for the easy way out on the filtration. I ran my 125g for many years with two AC110s, you could also do a canister filter, or of course you could DIY a sump.