Setting up a 180 gallon Troph tank - advise

[Lawsman]

3 to 4 turn over rate? Can you expand please? Are you saying if I have a 180 gallon tank, the W/d needs to move 180 X 3= 540 GPH? How do I know if my w/d tray can handle this w/o bypass to pump sump? Can I just drill out the holes to make them bigger to handle the flow?

..and yes I have a korilia I can use and ordered the aquaclear110

Oh yeah, thanks to David at City Pets for getting the matching mission canopy.

I just email David at City Pets telling him what I'm looking for and he emails back $ and availability. I give him the okay w/o any $ down and he orders it. How cool is that? Bought my 156 Oceanic same way two months ago and the PM wet/dry. Now that is customer service!

[geoff_tropheus]

I dont know how I missed your post, sorry about the delay.

In a sump with enough bio-balls rated for a 180 gallon aquarium you need about 3 to 4 turnover rate to optimize the bacteria in that sump. So if you are going with Danner Mag Drive's, your MAG 5 is undersized, and I would go and get a MAG 9.5

So you need to have a pump 540-700 gph at about 4.5-5ft of head.

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem.aspx?category=Danner_Mag_Drive_Supreme _9.5_950_GPH_Water_Pump_500_to_1000_Gallons_Per_Ho ur_Submersible_Water_Pumps&vendor=Danner_Mfg.&idPr oduct=DN1111&IdCategory=FIWPSBFT&child=DN1127&tab= 1&size=9.5%20(950%20gph)

What size are your overflow tubes right now? a single 1" box will flow max 800gph

[newb]

Bought my 156 Oceanic same way two months ago and the PM wet/dry.

If you ever decide to sell your 156 gallon Oceanic...please let me know. I love this size tank.

[Lawsman]

Okay. Thanks everyone. Mag 9.5 is on the way with the CPR Overflow. Canopy is on its way and so is the rest of my substrate.

So, now I just need lights and the freakin colony


...And no, the 156 will not be for sale anytime soon, sorry. Have my newly aquired colony of 30 red rainbows in there and are doing great! But, yeah, the tank is a good size-the freakers are building all kinds of caves under the rocks into the substrate.

I walk into my room where the 156 is kept and they all come to the front of tank? Amazing how they see me from 25ft. away and associate it with food. I feed them "Ken's flakes" and they nip at my hand when I slowly distribute the food.

We have some LED moonlights on the tank and at night it is nice to fall asleep to. Although, for some reason I have this increased urge to urinate more frequently-not sure why:confused:

[myjohnson]

+1 on jesper's post.

I have two eshopps overflows. Looks clean when algae sets in.

CPR is what I would get if I didn't get the eshopps ones.

Do post pictures when you set-up your filter.

[algarciajr]

I am using the CPR overflow with a Taam Rio Plus 800 Pump / Powerhead with Venturi, love these overflows. No u-tubes to mess with.

[Lawsman]

She's up and running!! Thanks for all the input. Here's what I got for filtration.

1) FX5 - Love it. Never had one before and it works great. Easy to install and does a good job at moving water.

2). Aquaclear 110- Love it too. First time with one of these too. I see why so many like it.

3). W/D with 5 gallons of bioballs with a Mag 9.5. Went with the Big single outlet CPR with autoprime pump. Took a little tweaking, but I like it so far. Thanks City Pets!

Pics to follow tomorrow. Too tired to load them now.

Now I just need that freakin colony. Still debating on Troph variant? Should be cycled by the time of group purchase next month. Used the good old Seachem Stability and the subsrate with active live bacteria.

[cichlid1409]

[myjohnson]

Basically....

[newb]

on your aquaclear 110 you can use it as a polisher for your water. you can put a couple fine pads at the top of you 110 and just rinse them out every week when you water change. this way they are constantly sucking up and real small particals in your water.

[geoff_tropheus]

This tank is really nice. I cannot wait to see your pics and to hear which colony you decide to go after.

[Lawsman]

Okay, here are the pictures finally. Only one broken bulb in Aquatic Life (user error) and one narrowly avoided collapse of stand and we are ready for colony. All we need to do is decide on variant of Cichlid to put in it. Suggestions welcome.

[geoff_tropheus]

Looks good man.

I would put the heater next to the overflow or to the AC 110 so all the background equipment is in one area.

My personal opinion is that with the wet dry and the circulation of the Mag9.5, and the capacity of the AC 110 and Fluval FX5, you could ditch the airstones, unless you prefer that look. I think it would make for a cleaner setup without them, but that's a matter of opinion.

Looks good...

[Lawsman]

Geoff,

Understood. Thanks!!

[myjohnson]

I love the stand man!