I think if you want to use a large sump you could put it on the floor behind the tank and build a platform with access panels over it . This would give you a nice elevated area to service the tank and easy access to the sump.
Newbie + 1000 gallon - help!
- Thread starter wallskm
- Start date
Fish Tank Travis
Thank you for the information. I have company at the house right now but will post more pictures of the tank when able. Last night when googling the ultima II filters I added an extra zero and was looking at the 10,000 model. The 1000 model is much easier on the pocket book and is potentially doable. Are the ultima filters in lieu of a sump or in addition to one?Secondly, is it better to have two 1000 models or one 2000 model. The optimal gph through a ultima II 1000 model is 1000 gph per their specs. So if I have 2 that would be 2000 of your recommended 5-6000 gph. Would the rest come from a regular sump and return pump?
I will try to also take some pictures of the return lines when I am able so you have a better idea of how things are set up. The tank has been painted on the back and sides which makes it hard for me to see its entire setup. I will see what I can do.
Next, the drip system. I will continue to do more research into this. I had read some about this but had originally been thinking of doing manual changes. My main concern was making sure the water coming in had been properly treated for hardness and pH necessary for cichlids. Automatic would be nice but I want to make sure it is safe for the fish.
As for plants I have been doing quite a bit of reading on it and how cichlids like to tear them up. This seems to be more of an issue with mbuna compared to haps/peacocks though they can do it as well. I have seen enough examples in my research to know its doable though. Additionally, people seem to have better luck introducing juveniles into an already planted tank than planting one after the fact. This is what I would be doing.
Finally, I am definitely taking this very slow. I am only in the information-gathering stage. I don't plan on even working on the aquarium for several months. Once I do start the work it will be in stages. First, getting things set up appropriately and cycling it. Next, planting and becoming comfortable with caring for the tank. Once I am confident that I can maintain the proper parameters I will add fish. This will also help spread out the costs of this endeavor too. I am currently just trying to get a plan together in my head and written out. I would prefer to have a plan from start to finish before even jumping into something like this considering how big and expensive a project this is. Thank you for the advice!
I agree. How will you access your tank to do tank maintenance such cleaning the front viewing panel? Will you use just that ladder? And a planted tank.....are you planning on climbing in the tank every time you deal with your plants? 5' tall is fabulous, but that height compounds accessing the tank for tank maintenance. We built a platform behind our 4' high tank. We have hinged floor panels so we can access the sump and filtration under the platform.
As far as Ultimas, some people have a water quality issue with their Ultimas and run additional mechanical filtration. Here is a great thread discussing filtration. If this thread had been written before I bought my two Ultima II 4000s, I would have gone with BIoWaves instead.
https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/...-evolving-with-your-fish.499111/#post-5983312
I have the longest large tank upgrade in the history of fish forums. While I will be running a large 405 gallon sump for redundant filtration (only because I can) I am confident that it will be totally redundant, and that the two Ultimas and the six Pentair Rainbow RTL-100s for mechanical filtration will be more than adequate for the filtration on the tank.
Ok, as promised here are more pictures.
The previously seen brown painted walls are the outside of the acrylic tank. The tank measures 1.25 inches thick and is currently filled with water with no leaks. There are 3 main returns back to the sump tank. One 2 inch pipe feeds the overflow weir closest to the sump. There are 2 more overflow weirs in the tank, one in the middle and one at the other corner. The second 2 inch pipe drains the other 2 weirs.
This is the middle overflow weir pictured above the rock.
Each overflow weir has 3 bulkheads at the bottom. One is attached to the 2 inch return pipe.
The other two bulkheads attach to smaller pipes leading back to the sump tank.
The 2 smaller pipes join back under the main return pipe and run back to the sump tank. This smaller pipe currently dead ends at a closed valve and simply communicates with each overflow weir box right now. It could easily be plumbed as a third pipe to the sump tank.
Another shot under the tank. There are multiple outlets wired under here.
A shot of the main area under the tank. There is plenty of space under the tank for a large sump tank but the support beams plus the pvc drain pipes block the path of anything reasonable in size.
This is a shot of the return pipe back into the aquarium. The 1.5 inch pipe empties water back into the aquarium at these smaller tubes scattered around the top of the aquarium. There is currently only one return pipe back to the aquarium.
A shot of the inside of the tank from above.
The return tubes are spread throughout the 3 sides of the aquarium.
The previously seen brown painted walls are the outside of the acrylic tank. The tank measures 1.25 inches thick and is currently filled with water with no leaks. There are 3 main returns back to the sump tank. One 2 inch pipe feeds the overflow weir closest to the sump. There are 2 more overflow weirs in the tank, one in the middle and one at the other corner. The second 2 inch pipe drains the other 2 weirs.
This is the middle overflow weir pictured above the rock.
Each overflow weir has 3 bulkheads at the bottom. One is attached to the 2 inch return pipe.
The other two bulkheads attach to smaller pipes leading back to the sump tank.
The 2 smaller pipes join back under the main return pipe and run back to the sump tank. This smaller pipe currently dead ends at a closed valve and simply communicates with each overflow weir box right now. It could easily be plumbed as a third pipe to the sump tank.
Another shot under the tank. There are multiple outlets wired under here.
A shot of the main area under the tank. There is plenty of space under the tank for a large sump tank but the support beams plus the pvc drain pipes block the path of anything reasonable in size.
This is a shot of the return pipe back into the aquarium. The 1.5 inch pipe empties water back into the aquarium at these smaller tubes scattered around the top of the aquarium. There is currently only one return pipe back to the aquarium.
A shot of the inside of the tank from above.
The return tubes are spread throughout the 3 sides of the aquarium.
Good mechanical is more the possible with Ultima filters. See below as an example (x2 Ultima 2000). Black, bare bottom with a 28" arowana and 20" ray is about as good as a test can get. The challenge is the flow rate. Most people use too much flow through the filters to achieve proper mechanical. Proper flow dictates that one needs more than one Ultima for a large tank to get adequate turn over. That typically makes Ultimas cost prohibitive.
Now the question is weather you want to spend that kind of money to achieve something that can be done for much less investment. I was willing to because I have very different goals than most so it makes sense for me but I would consider that a rare exception. In this case I think you are in the same boat OP since the plumbing and sump are not large enough to go big in regards to a sump.
Welcome to MFK by the way! Way to start out monster!!! I like your style
Now the question is weather you want to spend that kind of money to achieve something that can be done for much less investment. I was willing to because I have very different goals than most so it makes sense for me but I would consider that a rare exception. In this case I think you are in the same boat OP since the plumbing and sump are not large enough to go big in regards to a sump.
Welcome to MFK by the way! Way to start out monster!!! I like your style
I think as far as Ultimas go, you will probably need at least two of the 2000's, but possibly three. You could always start with two and add the third one later, as the fish grow and increase the bio load.
I'm not as familiar with the Ultimas as some others on here are, so they might be able to give you better advice. I'm mainly going based on JK47 using two for his 600 gallon tank, so I figure you will probably need three. Or, you might look into some larger models as well.
I'm not as familiar with the Ultimas as some others on here are, so they might be able to give you better advice. I'm mainly going based on JK47 using two for his 600 gallon tank, so I figure you will probably need three. Or, you might look into some larger models as well.
Well I have spent the day reading through the post that pacu mom linked and the more I read the more the bioglass filter plus pump seems the best way to go. It looks like it acts as both mechanical and biological filtration right? Would any other filtration be needed? What size filter do you think would be needed for a cichlid tank of this size? Does using this instead of a sump filter affect the recommend GPH turnover of the tank? I can't even find the bioglass filter online to see pricing, only the biowave.
http://wlimproducts.com/
PM kendragon. He is the expert on Wlim products. And I misstated some things in my previous post. The Biowaves are really good for mechanical filtration. I love that you can just hose the gunk out of their filter cartridges. RTL cartridges (pool/spa filters) have to be bleached out to clean them, or just thrown out and replaced with a new one which can get costly at $50+ each. So if I had known about Biowaves, I would have gone with them instead of RTLs. I probably would have kept the Ultimas.
Also, Ultimas have to be purged until the water coming out runs clear. I have read that some people can use about a third of their tank volume purging their Ultima. (I guess that would depend on how frequently purging is done/how dirty the filter is) One Ultima user recommended at least a 3" drain close by for purging....just a couple of things to keep in mind.
Big systems can definitely be run without sumps. Dual filters are great for redundancy and in case of failure of one of them. Ultimas can be purged on different days
PM kendragon. He is the expert on Wlim products. And I misstated some things in my previous post. The Biowaves are really good for mechanical filtration. I love that you can just hose the gunk out of their filter cartridges. RTL cartridges (pool/spa filters) have to be bleached out to clean them, or just thrown out and replaced with a new one which can get costly at $50+ each. So if I had known about Biowaves, I would have gone with them instead of RTLs. I probably would have kept the Ultimas.
Also, Ultimas have to be purged until the water coming out runs clear. I have read that some people can use about a third of their tank volume purging their Ultima. (I guess that would depend on how frequently purging is done/how dirty the filter is) One Ultima user recommended at least a 3" drain close by for purging....just a couple of things to keep in mind.
Big systems can definitely be run without sumps. Dual filters are great for redundancy and in case of failure of one of them. Ultimas can be purged on different days
