New house filtration set up

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
M

MrsOz

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 9, 2022
17
6
3
37
We have just bought this house which is a... Let's say "fixer upper"! (Understatement!)

To me that's ideal, because I have a lot less concern putting in the things I want: french drains in the floor behind the big tanks, plumbed in waste pipes for water changes, but I am also considering a constant drip system with hidden pipework.

I've never done it, haven't a clue how to do it but willing to learn on the job.

I'm happy building my own filters, I was considering building a large filter system that links to several of the tanks, I can probably run about 10 tanks on one system under the same set of parameters. Was looking at having a 600 gallon filter system, essentially just a bigger version of the ones I've been building with plastic tote boxes.

Pros/cons to this? (other than the obvious cross contamination risk)

I have considered potential storage tank failure, but I'm not too fussed as we will be waterproofing the room the water storage will be in and fitting floor drains (storage tanks will be in an empty kennel area of my dog room, so will need it able to be washed anyway)

While I have the house in pieces, what would you have added to your system/built in/ wish you had thought ahead and done prior to tank set up for big tanks?

We are currently using temporary tanks and grow outs after coming back to the hobby after a few hideous years of rental not allowing for it.

Big tanks being built in situ will hold current juvies ( bigger fish are dovii, flowerhorn, north American cichlids, half dozen Bala's,) and I would like to build something in the future (couple of years time) big enough for maybe 4-6 pacu, and my dream arowana, so my plans also need to b future proof.

Sorry for the long read, husband isn't really a fish bloke (yet) so I need some people to bounce ideas off of!

Any suggestions much appreciated!
 
French drains??? You should consider trench drains instead.

https://abtdrains.com/the-difference-between-a-french-drain-and-a-trench-drain/


4-6 pacu??? You will need at least a 2,000 gallon tank - 3,000 or 4,000 gallons would be even better. Pacu are long-lived fish and can live 30+ years when kept in appropriate conditions. Pacu are very sensitive to nitrogen products. My pacu do best with nitrates below 10ppm. If you are going to have a tank that big, consider an Ultima II 6,000 or Ultima II 10,000 for its filtration, or a massive sump. I'd prefer Ultimas with their purging feature for easy maintenance instead of dealing with maintaining a huge sump on that pacu tank.


Consider an on-demand water heater so you have unlimited hot water for the hundreds of gallons of water you will use during water changes on your thousands of gallons system.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MrsOz and jjohnwm
L
pacu mom said:
French drains??? You should consider trench drains instead.

https://abtdrains.com/the-difference-between-a-french-drain-and-a-trench-drain/


4-6 pacu??? You will need at least a 2,000 gallon tank - 3,000 or 4,000 gallons would be even better. Pacu are long-lived fish and can live 30+ years when kept in appropriate conditions. Pacu are very sensitive to nitrogen products. My pacu do best with nitrates below 10ppm. If you are going to have a tank that big, consider an Ultima II 6,000 or Ultima II 10,000 for its filtration, or a massive sump. I'd prefer Ultimas with their purging feature for easy maintenance instead of dealing with maintaining a huge sump on that pacu tank.


Consider an on-demand water heater so you have unlimited hot water for the hundreds of gallons of water you will use during water changes on your thousands of gallons system.
Click to expand...
 
pacu mom said:
Consider an on-demand water heater so you have unlimited hot water for the hundreds of gallons of water you will use during water changes on your thousands of gallons system.
Click to expand...

+1 on this idea. I recently moved to this idea and, while it was a PITA to set up...mainly because I'm a DIY fan and I just simply couldn't get this thing to work properly myself, and hate to ask for help!...it's a godsend when you get it right. :)

Should add that I like this because I can't utilize a constant-drip system, so when I change water I need a lot of it...right now!

With a constant drip system, I don't know how useful an on-demand heater would be; I guess it would depend upon the rate at which you are dripping water into your tanks. At a slow enough rate, heating the incoming water would be unnecessary.

If you are located in a rural setting, and rely upon a well for your water and some type of private septic system for waste water disposal, a drip system may or may not be practical. It's not for me, simply because of the difficulties associated with a constant slow dispersal of waste water during the cold months of the year. It's critical that you think though all those details before beginning your project.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: MrsOz
I use a constant drip, with an overflow in the sump. So that the equivalent water that drips into the tank, also drains out of the sump. If you have many tanks on one filtration system, I am not sure how that will work.

I built my own house, and planned for tanks. For each tank location, there is a waste drain, a source of unchlorinated water (I dechlorintate the whole house) and electricity points. Each tank has its own drip, and its own sump and overflow.

Do lots of infrastructure now, and get the tanks later. So much easier.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jjohnwm
Trench drains is exactly what I meant instead of trench! Thank you for link I didn't know there was a difference!

We were thinking 2000 gallons would be enough for 4/6 but judging by your response maybe just a pair or a trio would do better in that?

The constant/automatic water change system I have planned in mind holds 600 gallons of water held at the correct temperature, this is also going to be the the main filter system for the front room tanks, like a staged sump, 200 gallons for each stage. I was going to do identical for the 2000 which will be housed in the summerhouse/office (120ft x 50ft) but just add another holding tank so filter will be 800 gallons, do you think I would be better adding another 200 to that? I have the space to do it and I would rather take your advice on what's best as I have never kept pacu before purely Because of only being able to provide them with something "ok" rather than giving them the perfect home.

I will be heating the holding tank (filter system) rather than the main tank but I have put 3 stage water dechlorinator and electric showers on a different ring into both my indoor and outdoor plans just in case we have a problem with the main ring.

If there is anything else you can think of that would improve my plans please let me know, I'm not jumping into the pacu, the inside system will be done by the end of the year but the 2000 is going to be a 3 year plan I think as I don't want to risk the fish from doing a rush job!

Thank you for your reply!
 
Midwater said:
I use a constant drip, with an overflow in the sump. So that the equivalent water that drips into the tank, also drains out of the sump. If you have many tanks on one filtration system, I am not sure how that will work.

I built my own house, and planned for tanks. For each tank location, there is a waste drain, a source of unchlorinated water (I dechlorintate the whole house) and electricity points. Each tank has its own drip, and its own sump and overflow.

Do lots of infrastructure now, and get the tanks later. So much easier.
Click to expand...

This is what I was hoping to sort of combine into one easy movement: Each tank will have its own overflow leading to the external drain, but also the same amount of water that has gone out will also will return into the filter system (600 gallon mega sump essentially which will be housed in the room behind the tanks) the incoming water is dechlorinated on the way in and is flowing into the sump system rather than the tanks individually, getting heated and from there being pumped into each tank. (These 4 tanks are identical parameters)

I already have the fish that will be living in these tanks, all the tanks going on the system are upgrading in size depth and automation, if it takes me two years to build this, I can rest easy knowing I'm in no rush Because everything is already here and set up working fine on FX6s in the smaller tanks.

Anything you can recommend doing now while everything is in bits will be a gratefully received recommendation for sure!
 
I think your idea of a constant drip may be different to mine. Any maybe better. But it seems more complicated.

Over the next days or so, I might post some pictures of how I do it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MrsOz
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom