Suggestions for New Tank Setup Needed

[dbanker]

Hello everyone,

I am new to MFK but I have been reading threads and looking at photos and am very impressed. I plan on being a part of it for a long time. I currently have a 90 gal freshwater tank with 2 Pacus, 3 Balas, a Dinosaur Bichir, Peacock Eel, Blood Parrot, Rainbow Shark, Pleco, and Goraumi (?). I am finishing my basement over the next year and will be placing about a 300 gal in the wall (72x30x36).

With the 90 I'm using 2 Bio wheel filters mounted in the tank and a 300 watt heater. I can see that with the new one it will have to be much more complex. I plan on most of it being DIY but would really like some diagrams and/or schematics of the setup that will be needed to serve as filteration heating etc. I see a lot of good instructions for building overflows filters etc but don't know what all will be needed nor the order in which everything needs to be.

Any help and suggestions to give me a starting point will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[davidtcb1]

Welcome to the forums!

I hope all those fish are still small...if not, that's a LOT of stock for a 90 gallon tank. The 300 will house them nicely, but it's going to get tight in the 90 quickly!

I suggest continuing to snoop around for schematics, ideas, etc. A great sump site is www.melevsreef.com. He talks a lot about DIY sumps for saltwater setups, but there's a ton of info, diagrams, articles and pictures on there that would apply to freshwater too. I highly suggest getting a 300 gallon tank that is already drilled with holes for connecting to a sump, and also has an internal overlow/cornerflo system. It will be much less hassle and worry than a HOB style overflow box that you have to keep a siphon going with J-tubes, etc. all the time.

 

[FSM]

6'x2.5'x3 is a silly size I think. An 8 foot tank would be a lot better.

There are numerous threads about DIY plywood tanks if you do a search on the forums.

 

[dbanker]

Thanks for the site referrel. Yes they are all small right now. The Pacus are the largest at about 8" and growing fast. They were 2-3" about a year ago.

I would love to make it an 8 footer but I only have room for 6 on the wall it will be built into and still fit a door to get behind it. I think it will still look great.

 

[davidtcb1]

Thanks for the site referrel. Yes they are all small right now. The Pacus are the largest at about 8" and growing fast. They were 2-3" about a year ago.

I would love to make it an 8 footer but I only have room for 6 on the wall it will be built into and still fit a door to get behind it. I think it will still look great.

Hey, yeah, 300 gallons is 300 gallons....cool in pretty much any dimension!

Keep us posted!

 

[dragonfish]

The pacu should easily outgrow the 90 in less than a year. Mine went from 4 to 16 inches in one year. Good luck with them.