Dukeman2 Posted August 16, 2010 Report Share Posted August 16, 2010 Hi all, I am closing my marine tank and are going to start an Oscar tank. My tank is 1450mm long x 750 deep x 750 wide I have had a marine tank now for a long time and are tired of the cost of power and collecting salt water etc. Last months power bill was $485. So its time for a change.... I am going to move my sump up stairs and make a new one which will be the main filter, I will need a hand to design this. I want a low maintance tank..so it will have auto water change and water top up which my marine tank also had. I have a L7 return pump at the moment fron under the house, this might be to large for the sump under my tank.a> I have removed 2 x 250W MH and kept 4 x T5's. alright... I will post a couple of sump ideas tomorrow after i have scanned then at work. The following is after removing corals from one side ... and selling them.. only a couple of fish to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshlikesfish Posted August 16, 2010 Report Share Posted August 16, 2010 Marine tanks are nice. The oscar tank will probably be easy as compared to that tank haha. What kind of oscar where you thinking? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David R Posted August 16, 2010 Report Share Posted August 16, 2010 Have a search for sump designs, I've posted a plan of my sump countless times and can't be bothered looking through my photobucket album to find it again. Auto water changer isn't difficult, Henward has posted a good thread about his system somewhere not so long ago. 4 T5's sounds a bit overkill, 2 would be plenty (obviously with oscars this isn't going to be a planted tank...) What are you planning to stock it with? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dukeman2 Posted August 16, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2010 My current tank is controlled by a PLC so automation is easy. Not sure what to stock it with yet.... I want an easy tank to look after with minimal cleaning.... oscars are good for that. Will look at upir sump design david.. cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted August 16, 2010 Report Share Posted August 16, 2010 viewtopic.php?f=3&t=45185&p=490909&hilit=sump+design#p490909 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David R Posted August 16, 2010 Report Share Posted August 16, 2010 Thats the thread for my 1400L tank sump, probably a little overkill for an 800L. This is the one I was talking about, pretty standard wet/dry sump for fresh water. Just needs an overflow for a continuous drip/auto water changer. http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k186/ ... /Sump2.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dukeman2 Posted August 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 David, Thanks for your post. Seems like the best way to go is wet and dry... the dude at Hollywood suggested that I would still need a $600 canister filter to run this tank. I am hoping that I do not need to do this, I would think a sump filter properly built will do the job. The area under my tank is about 700mm high. The sump can be 900 long 490 high 550 deep This leave enough space to access the sump and have a tower above it such as david has in his drawing. I like the tower and then some removable spounges before the return pump... would also like to include a live food breading area... Any ideas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dukeman2 Posted August 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 This design looks basic and looks commercial... I like this but it would be nice to add some more finer filter media. But it looks easy to clean. Founds this http://www.sealifesystems.com/index.php ... 812d622e95 Where can you buy the plastic stuff with holes in it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted August 17, 2010 Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 What a shame to pull your marine tank down But can easily see why. A sump will do a great job of filtering the tank, and the oscars should be really easy care, although it would be an awesome sized tank for a whole heap of africans I agree the lighting will be alot and will probably just grow algae if you have no plants in the tank.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dukeman2 Posted August 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 Time will tell regarding the light but I have the T5's and will run 4 to begin with. Tank looks so dark after running the 2 x 250W MH. Found a sump design that looks interesting, it has a sloped bottom where all the crap will fall and a drain... how cool. This looks perfct... I have drawn up my version and will now need to draw it to scale and get it priced... will scan and post tomorrow. Where do yo buy the egg crate / plastic stuff with holes in it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted August 17, 2010 Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 Keep the MH lighting. Algae should not be that much of an issue, apart from when you get your nitrate spike. All you'll need to do is change the spectrum of light if the bulbs are above 14000K. 6500K and 10000K is good for a halide. Let the T5s handle higher spectra. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David R Posted August 17, 2010 Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 Found a sump design that looks interesting, it has a sloped bottom where all the crud will fall and a drain... how cool. Only problem with that is it has to get thru all the noodles first and clog them up. I've been experimenting with settling chambers before my sump on my 800L 6' tank, currently running a 3' tank with a few baffles and it certainly catches a lot of crud. Still need filter wool though. Not sure why you'd still need a canister with a well designed sump, would be nice to help polish the water, but not necessary... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dukeman2 Posted August 18, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 David, that is one serious tank.... hows it going... looked at your thread and know what you mean about all the unexpected things that can happen. Howz the sump now? Common senese tells me to buy an FX5 Fluvel or Eheim 2080 and be done with it... But no... I want more water flow... The Fluvel FX5 has 25l of foam and 6l of bio media and 1991L flow through media The Eheim 2080 has 12l Bio and 2l foam and 1207L flow through media I have a laguna L7 which has been replaced with a new maxi flow pump... same insides as i have just replaced the impala.. and flow rate is about 7000L per hour... obviously less through the media... lets say half.. at 3500lph. My sump will have 30L foam and 45l BIO... Should be enough. http://www.discusforums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7080 a review on the above canister filters Here is what I am thinking and its in scale... Anything I should change? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted August 18, 2010 Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 Wish i had some photos knocking around of the new sumps used at animates, they are actually very very well designed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David R Posted August 18, 2010 Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 Howz the sump now? .... Anything I should change? I had a centre baffle crack because of insufficient bracing (the tank makers mistake, not mine!), then that stressed a corner seam and it started leaking, and now I'm certain that how I've designed the mechanical filtration isn't going to work as the wool etc will be too restrictive. Could use a big canister as mechanical to bypass that stage, but that will also be more money. Kind of ignoring it for now, the whole thing is a bit depressing really, scared that if I fill it up and it leaks for a third time I'll drown myself in it.... I'll be interested to see how the settling bit works. Only flaw I can see is that all the media is underwater, ideally a mix of wet and "dry" media would be best, will still work though. And the baffles between the heaters and pump don't really seem necessary, other than that it looks good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted August 18, 2010 Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 the refugium or settling bit works well with one i have, having the wet/dry and just a thin layer of media in sections seems to keep the media cleaner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dukeman2 Posted August 18, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 No where is the best place to buy egg create and get a sump built? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshlikesfish Posted August 18, 2010 Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 Hollywood fish farm sells egg grate i believe. viewtopic.php?f=24&t=42159 that is a link to a bunch of tank makers =D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted August 18, 2010 Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 No where is the best place to buy egg create and get a sump built? hff have a listing on trademe foregg crate also was used as a light diffuser on flouros so some lighting suppliers still have it available Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David R Posted August 18, 2010 Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 I haven't been able to find any plastic "light diffuser" stuff, only aluminium, phoned most of the big air conditioning places in Auckland, they only have the alu stuff. The hollywood stuff is good, but not cost effective for the amount I would need for a big sump. Thin strips of glass are probably the best option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted August 18, 2010 Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 Thin strips of glass are probably the best option. been using those for years some of those cutlery plastic trays work as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dukeman2 Posted August 19, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2010 Thanks i will need to do some thinking on this. Only a few things to organise and it will be order sump time. Oh... and i am planning to build a 3D back ground out of polystyrene like this.. As my tank is 750mm deep I have the room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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