Announcement

**JClarkKent2006** · 01-01-2007, 12:42 AM

Re: Starting out, already read SEVERAL ebooks..... what u th

another quick n00b question if you please....

What is a SUMP tank and why do people drill holes to and from their main 100+ gallon tank to a sump tank and return to the 100+ gallon tank?

What purpose does this have? Is it a method of filtration for larger tanks, is it required? what are the benifiits?

thanks...

**Brownsnoutuk** · 01-01-2007, 01:15 AM

Re: Starting out, already read SEVERAL ebooks..... what u th

I dont use a sump, but i know some of the benefits.
For a start you dont have to look at all the wires/hoses for filters and heaters, just a return line from the sump to the tank.
Your effectively increasing the amount of water in your fish tank(dilutes the ammonia, nitrite and nitrates more).
Using bioballs in a sump give a huge surface area for bacteria to grow on, meaning good conversion from ammonia to nitrate.
You can also add your chemicals to the sump so that they dissolve before entering your main tank.

Like i said ive never used a sump but noone else answered yet so i figured id give it a shot. im sure someone else will chip in with some other reasons.

I would think it would be better to go with a canister filter rather than 2 emperors. You can hide the canister filter in the stand just like the sump.

**JClarkKent2006** · 01-01-2007, 01:25 AM

Re: Starting out, already read SEVERAL ebooks..... what u th

k, I'm just trying to see what is the best, then shell out the cash for it, hoping the have the BEST filtration possible, keeping my water level's in check and POSSIBLY longer duration between water changes, but not sure how often would be neccesary yet, 30 percent of people have told me 25% weekly, another 30% of people tell me once every 2 weeks is still great, and another 30% tell me even ONCE a month is plenty sufficient if you have good filtration, so I'd like to have the BEST filtration possible and do something like every 2-3 weeks IF possible..... still unsure, the water testing I will do every 2-3 days will dertimine how often I change the water, I just would like to use the BEST filtration possible you know? lol.... heck, what is the BEST filtration there is?

TAKEN OFF: 2x Emperor 400 water filters.

ADDED: Eheim 2260 or Eheim2080 is best? Which one is the BEST ?

What if I got TWO of the BEST, spending like $1000+ dollars on the FILTRATION system ALONE.... lol...... what you guys think of this? And don't forget the underwater filters and sponge filters I will STILL have in addition to this.....

75-100 gallon tank ( looking to buy ) let's say upto 125-150 gallon tank.
- plus stand
- hood + light fixture
- lights ( NOT SURE WHICH KIND OF LIGHTS YET )

2x underwater filters + water pumps
1x sponge filter ( just for fun and also to make some good bacteria in it for use in a hospital aquarium ( 10 gallon tank already have )

So obviously by reading what I'm talking about spending, I am willing to shell out BIG cash on a top of the line filtration system if it saves me more time between maintenience, right? comments, ideas...?

**Brownsnoutuk** · 01-01-2007, 01:52 AM

Re: Starting out, already read SEVERAL ebooks..... what u th

The Eheim 2260 is for big tanks(upto 400gallons/1500 litres)

EHEIM GmbH & Co. KG. Leading aquarium manufacturer.

http://www.eheim.com/classic.htm

The bigger the filter the longer inbetween cleaning the filter. The more fish in the tank the more frequent the water changes are going to be.

Is this your first tank ever? Id go with a freshwater set up for a year or two first.

And if you have the money - im sure someone on this site will maintain your tank for you.

**JClarkKent2006** · 01-01-2007, 02:05 AM

Re: Starting out, already read SEVERAL ebooks..... what u th

I had freshwater fish for 5+ years before this, but this is my first time with saltwater, my freshwater tank was 10 gallons.

I can't afford to PAY someone to maintain my tank for me, that is my job, but I don't mind paying out ONE time large fee's like for one or two cannister filters, then every two months $30-50 bucks replacement parts for that cannister filter....

so what's your setup on the

55G
Angels
Platys & Guppies
FiddlerCrabs

55G
Angels
Neon Tetras
Platties
Tiger and Leopard Pleco
FiddlerCrabs

29G
Mollies and Fry
Guppies and Fry
Rubberlipped Pleco

10G
Peppered Corydoras

you have now? maybe that will give me some ideas..... like what kind of filters do you have in each and how many fish in each ( totalling to how many inches in each tank ) and how often do you clean each one of them?

Thanks, happy new years~

**guppymax** · 01-01-2007, 06:50 AM

Re: Starting out, already read SEVERAL ebooks..... what u th

Have you talked to these people?:

http://www.marshreef.com/

max

**Brownsnoutuk** · 01-01-2007, 11:24 AM

Re: Starting out, already read SEVERAL ebooks..... what u th

Why do you want a saltwater tank? Just for a nemo tank?

Going from a 10gallon freshwater to a 100+ saltwater means your going to miss out on all the possible freshwater fish you could have kept.

If you were to buy several smaller tanks, then you could keep a bunch of different fish.
You could always buy a big tank and run it as a freshwater, and then if you still wanted a saltwater tank just buy the extra parts. If i
had a big tank id go with some frontosas, but take a look at what else you could have, maybe you'll change your mind(And it'll cost a lot less to buy/maintain a freshwater tank).

**Brownsnoutuk** · 01-01-2007, 11:29 AM

Re: Starting out, already read SEVERAL ebooks..... what u th

My tanks have maybe .5"/gallon. On a saltwater i think it has to be a lot more gallons. like 1"/7 gallons.
I have overrated biowheel filters. Aslong as i dont overfeed my fish, then my filters really dont get dirty. i havent changed the filter pads in any tanks in the last 6 weeks.I just waterchange about 20% every month.

**daisymac** · 01-01-2007, 11:34 AM

Re: Starting out, already read SEVERAL ebooks..... what u th

I think you need to find a saltwater forum. This forum is for freshwater. I'm sure there are folks here that know all about saltwater, but the forum isn't geared towards that.

**JClarkKent2006** · 01-01-2007, 12:07 PM

Re: Starting out, already read SEVERAL ebooks..... what u th

Originally posted by Brownsnoutuk";p="

My tanks have maybe .5"/gallon. On a saltwater i think it has to be a lot more gallons. like 1"/7 gallons.
I have overrated biowheel filters. Aslong as i dont overfeed my fish, then my filters really dont get dirty. i havent changed the filter pads in any tanks in the last 6 weeks.I just waterchange about 20% every month.

lol, wow, sounds like your overrating saltwater tank too, but maybe that's just hopeful thinking. I have not ever heard ANYONE say for saltwater fish, 1" per 7 gallons on a saltwater tank, with that little fish, I would think a water change every 6 months would be effective with a good filter, lol...

Reason behind a saltwater tank is simply I like how beautiful the saltwater fishes are, I mean common, you have probably kept both or still do, compare a clown fish to a gold fish or something equivalent, the clown fish is 200x more beautiful and docile, compare this one, a freshwater angelfish vs a saltwater angelfish, the freshwater one looks like a retarded hybrid of a fish no one wanted to keep, at least the ones I've seen, the saltwater angelfish is this magnificently beautiful creature ... I could go on and on, the only real freshwater fish I see that I like at all is a betta, but the betta alone isn't worth doing freshwater...

I did freshwater for 5+ years, and ended several years ago before I started college, I went on vacation back then and didn't have a mechanical automatic feeder, and didn't really think about it since the 5 GOLDFISH I kept in there were not too important to me, I came back they were dead, I was like, bummer, I like a $4.83 investment, lol.........

now with my research on saltwater and how beautiful they are and different types and looks, that would never happen again, the fish cost much more and this hobby is way more important to me, it's fun where as the goldfish was just so ordinary and plain, EVERYONE had them, lol, I bought them from walmart for screaming out loud, hehe.....

You mentioned you OVERRATED biofilters, what does that mean, you say you change your freshwater 20% once a month, what WERE you saying when you overrated them ? lol....

See, I am willing to change the water every week or every two weeks IF it allows me to keep the number and types of fish I want, for instance somewhere between 1-2" per gallon is cool with me, 7" per gallon is a joke, that water would be so pure on it's own it would hardly need a filter and then hardly need changing if you put a good filter.... I want to put SEVERAL top of the line multiple filters, to keep the water 2x,3x, 4x as clean of pollutants, I clean up the fish food every 5 minutes after feeding, have algae eaters to help control the algae and scrape the rest every week if necessary is cool.... just to have some super clean water that I test every 2-3 days and make sure it's still safe and clean, test every day for the first month/3 water changes, and then schedule water changes based on what kind of results I'm seeing of water level toxicity, I would just like some REAL honest opinions, I've read some people being smart alec's in here just last night and I was a little disrupted by just how smart alec's they were, I mean someone was planning on doing 2 emperor 400 filters on a 75 gallon tank or something, alot like the setup I was planning to do, and then someone came and replied I would do that only if you plan to change the water EVERY DAY, or get some canister filters and actually have time to sit and watch your fish.....

I was given the impression emperor 400 were pretty good filter biowheel, but this guy says it's crap and you'll have to change the water every day. NO one changes the water every day unless they have NO filter at all, and even then I have read it will be ok for 2 days maybe with no filter, but I think that's crazy.....

My plan/idea, was to do MULTIPLE filters, for one, have enough sponge filters for the amount of gallons in the tank, this is my backup plan but those filters will be on 24/7, then have UNDERWATER filtration under the live rock for the amount of gallons I will have, THEN have DOUBLE the amount of gallons filtration on either BIOWHEEL filter, or Canister filter, if it's a 75 gallon tank and the canister is rated for upto 100 gallons, put TWO cannisters, see what I'm talking about? stack up the filters, keep the water SERIOUSLY cleaned, and do water changes a LITTLE less frequently, I mean if the double filtration will even buy me 20% more time between water changes, I'm down for spending the cash, and I'll probably do the water changes more frequentely just to KNOW for sure the water is seriously healthier than anyone else could imagine, and the fish will live long lives.... I've never heard of people trying this method, people go one way or the other, they never do underwater if they do a biowheel or cannister, I want to take no chances, lol.......

**szidlon** · 01-01-2007, 12:31 PM

Re: Starting out, already read SEVERAL ebooks..... what u th

Originally posted by JClarkKent2006";p="

Reason behind a saltwater tank is simply I like how beautiful the saltwater fishes are, I mean common, you have probably kept both or still do, compare a clown fish to a gold fish or something equivalent, the clown fish is 200x more beautiful and docile, compare this one, a freshwater angelfish vs a saltwater angelfish, the freshwater one looks like a retarded hybrid of a fish no one wanted to keep, at least the ones I've seen, the saltwater angelfish is this magnificently beautiful creature ... I could go on and on, the only real freshwater fish I see that I like at all is a betta, but the betta alone isn't worth doing freshwater...

I did freshwater for 5+ years, and ended several years ago before I started college, I went on vacation back then and didn't have a mechanical automatic feeder, and didn't really think about it since the 5 GOLDFISH I kept in there were not too important to me, I came back they were dead, I was like, bummer, I like a $4.83 investment, lol.........

I'm not going to respond to your entire post as I'm not a saltwater fishkeeper, but you should keep in mind you are posting on a freshwater forum. I personally think my freshwater fish are beautiful, especially my Angels and found your comment on their looking like a retarded hybrid offensive. And, I don't think the loss of any fish, regardless as to how unimportant you may think they are, is a laughing matter.

Your needs would most likely be better served on a saltwater forum.

**JClarkKent2006** · 01-01-2007, 12:53 PM

Re: Starting out, already read SEVERAL ebooks..... what u th

lol, sorry mate, I didn't mean it to be offensive and I apologize to you and everyone else that may take it the wrong way, it was simply my prefrence, who knows, maybe if I saw your angels pictures I might love them, I just already have seen alot of saltwater fish pictures and freshwater ones, I simply like the saltwater ones, that is all.

Sorry dude, again, please don't take it the wrong way, you have a tendency towards freshwater since that's what you already have and you love your fish, I'm happy for you.

**Ellen** · 01-01-2007, 01:58 PM

Re: Starting out, already read SEVERAL ebooks..... what u th

It was a very offensive comment, esp. on a freshwater board where I know of at least 2 (probably more) people who are members of TAS! We certainly don't think our fish look like "a retarded hybrid of a fish".

People don't have a tendency toward freshwater because they already have it, they have it because they have a tendency for it. Most of the people on this board have experience measured in years and could easily set up a saltwater tank, but they choose not to. They like their retarded hybrid looking fish that they can breed.

You should go to marshreef.com if you want to get out of the retarded hybrid looking fish.

Has your only fishkeeping experience been keeping a 10 gallon tank grossly overstocked with 5 comets?

Ellen

**HFBfounder** · 01-01-2007, 06:59 PM

Re: Starting out, already read SEVERAL ebooks..... what u th

OK, that's enough. Let's get back on track here. He apologized for his comments.

JClarkKent2006, We appreciate your having joined us here, but this is a freshwater site. While there are many people here that know much about marine tanks, myself included, that topic is not the purpose of this particular site. There is another site that is just as good and is geared to marine fishkeeping here in Houston called www.Marshreef.com . You will find much more information, as well as the experts that provide it, over there. Again, I'm glad you found us and hope you'll be back. If nothing else, perhaps you'll have some equipment to trade. Thanks for your participation! :wink:

Announcement

Starting out, already read SEVERAL ebooks..... what u think?

Starting out, already read SEVERAL ebooks..... what u think?

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment