As you guys see I'm an average joe in fish keeping. I dont mind using sump filteration just the problem is that i don't know how to build a sump filter. And about the tank that will be made by the local aquarium guy. How and where should i have the overflow for the sump ?? Also will one sump and 1 fx6 will be able to handle all the bio load ??
please help
- Thread starter Lucifer_420
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As you guys see I'm an average joe in fish keeping. I dont mind using sump filteration just the problem is that i don't know how to build a sump filter. And about the tank that will be made by the local aquarium guy. How and where should i have the overflow for the sump ?? Also will one sump and 1 fx6 will be able to handle all the bio load ??
Ah i see. Well the problem im seeing is that arowanas, gars, and rays are not for "average joes". They are pets for experienced, well-equipped fishkeepers. If i may ask, what was your goal when you began buying these fish?
An overflow can be configured in numerous ways depending on what your needs are. If your aquarium maker is competent at all, they should know how to build and install a basic overflow and a sump tank as well.
As far as handling the bioload, thats kind of subjective. No matter how much filtration you install, you will have to do heavy, routine water changes and maintenance to keep these fish healthy. When you get into keeping fish like you have, i would afraid its more of a lifestyle than a passive hobby.
Start a thread in this section on sumps, read anything on mfk related to sumps. Theres now way around this. Research on the subject is a must. Like bottomfeeder said allot of ways to plumb them.
As far as the bioload man thats a tough question. You have a huge bioload that is only going to grow as these fish grow this is the main reason we are telling you to go with a sump. A decent sized tank will hold a ton of bio where as your cans at some point have a finite amount of room for media. In the long run you will have to continually test your water for ammonia and nitrite to make sure you have sufficient bio media. Its a hell of allot easier to add bio to a sump than having to add MORE canisters. At some point the maintenance on the canisters will catch up to you and in the end your fish will suffer.
Op i would consider the advice everyone is giving you. Some of those fish will get massive if you dont have a longterm plan for them then i would consider rehoming
Easiest would be to rehome the gar. If not he will more than likely help you reduce this bioload regardless of your plans.
This may sound evil and or cruel but if you can’t find a home to rehome the gar to then you could potentially eat it. It may sound horrific but it’s better than releasing it into the wild.
This is all so true! The guy building your tank should know and understand sump set up and filtration. And that the fish you chose are not easy first timer type of fish.
What J jaws7777 said is also true and great advise go to the setup and filtration section and read.
This may sound harsh in the advise we are giving but really we want you and your fish to grow and survive and be happy. Vendors and lfs will tell you anything to make a sale some times, some dont care or have a good moral compass. If they tell you that a fish will only grow to its surroundings it's true, because it will die when it cant move in its enclosure any more. Or the terrible water conditions kill it.
My advise in all honesty is this
1 read all you can about filtration and filtration for large tanks.
2 talk to your tank builder and find out what he knows about sumps and overflows. Get a second opinion on what he says.
3 if you are still interested in keeping those large fish and a large tank maybe dial it back to a large easier to care for fish first and a slightly less large large tank. You said oscars. Good choice. Get your 300, oscars would love that tank. Its not going to big enough fir the arowanas or the rays in the long run though.
3 rehome everything but the oscars and the bichir. Those would do well in the 300. You may be able to add a couple more fish but it really depends on the Oscars maybe a few more Bichirs depending on what kind they or it is.
Once youve kept these for a good while you'll see what keeping relativly easy large fish is like and can upsize tanks and get some of the more difficult ones like arowana. Id say rays are for the expert. If I had a tank large enough I might try fresh water rays but after reading alot about them and their care I'm not sure I would yet.
So here I'm with my new tank. Dimensions 8l 2b 2.5h. So after setting the tank and adding the fishes one night suddenly BOOM!! There is water everywhere all the fishes out.the tank broke open from one side. Before this incident the tank was running just fine then to circulate the water and have a good flow rate in the tank i installed 2 wave makers ( approx 2000l per hour flow rate) is it because of the wave makers the pressure in the tank increased? Or the tank is week? After this i patched up the tank with some silicon. And again BOOM!!!!!!! same thing. What can i do now ?
Sounds like tour tank builder isnt so good. Id take it up with him in all honesty. Sounds like something wasnt done right.
