# Got a new 125 long, not sure what to do!! PICS!!



## PoloGreenMachine (May 18, 2010)

Just got this the other day, brand new never used. I currently own a 46 bowfront with your tradiaional filters, not 100% familiar with the filtration setup in my new 125gallon. He explained that the water flows into the back part of the tank, goes through several layers of filters and bioballs, then gets pumped back into the main tank.

How effective is this filtration system with two pumps?

How often do i have to change the filters?

Is there any submersible filters i can stick somewhere near the bottom of the tank to clean up waste? I remember seeing a bunch of cool jet systems when i was a member of this forum a long time ago.

Heres the pictures...


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## PoloGreenMachine (May 18, 2010)

Oh yea as far as stocking, i will be moving my 1 year olds from my 46 into them

i have

4x Venustus (1 show male)
5x yellow labs
2 or 3 various haps
1 Socolofi

i want to add some more aceis and not sure what else...always wanted a blue dolphin


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

it's essentially an integrated sump system, it's a decent way to filter a tank

how wide is the tank inside? from the front pane to the blue.


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## rgr4475 (Mar 19, 2008)

If you are talking about a wet/dry sump system for your filtration, then yes they are very effective and preferred for the larger tanks. I haven't used one myself but from everyone on here to friends, they are very good. And as far as the jets, do a search for UGJ (Under gravel jets) A lot of people use them on here with great success.

The Cyrtocara Moorii are my tank favorite.


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## PoloGreenMachine (May 18, 2010)

^nice Mooris, i definately want to add a few of those.
the tank is about a foot and a half wide


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

not including the filter? even so, 18 inches does not give venustus much room


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## PoloGreenMachine (May 18, 2010)

A couple things confuse me about the filtration system. How exactly is water going from the tank into the back? theres only two small slits on the top, so the tank would need to be filled to the top all the time. how does the waste get into the filter? im envisioning alot of waste collecting on the bottom.

also...do yall think it is enough? should i add an underwater filter or undergravel system

cja- yea the width is not too big but the length is nice, il try and clear out the middle so they got enogh room. its only one show male and a bunch of little females. hes still about 3 inches long but already has a nice blue face.


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## PoloGreenMachine (May 18, 2010)

I read the faq on Sumps, or attempted too, and im still not understanding how this works..









he said the gated slot on the left was for the protein skimmers, and that water was supposed to flow into the back via that tiny slot..HOW?? do i gotta buy some kind of pump to put in there?


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## PoloGreenMachine (May 18, 2010)

also *** been reading some stuff about having to put styrofoam under the tank? is there any risks with my plexiglass tank that i should be aware of?

thanks.


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## shaguars7 (Apr 12, 2009)

well what happens is the water will overflow into and through those slits.. it will fall through the media and get cleaned and then will get pumped back in to the tank with a submersible pump. the trick is that you get a pump that will run water back into the tank as fast as the overflows take water away...therefore making a circle.


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

i'd get a few well place koralia powerheads to keep waste suspended until it goes into the overflow

put the floss pads over the bioballs, i assume that's where they go


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

water flows in, fills the first empty chamber, once the chamber is filled it overflows into the next chamber with the bioballs, it then flows down through the bioballs and under the next wall into the pump chamber where its pumped back into the tank, i had a system like this in a biocube, i liked it a lot, water was clean. you can put your heater into the first chamber to hide it, there is no need for a protein skimmer in freshwater really


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## PoloGreenMachine (May 18, 2010)

^thanjks yall...so basically the gravity of the water getting pumped back into the tank causes some kind of pull that keeps water flowing into the overflows...

is it tricky to dial it all in? im expection serious headaches lol.

also what about the stability of plexiglass...do i need to use cushioning under the tank? im hoping i dont have to....do these things crack easy? i believe its a truview


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## cbbub (Dec 27, 2009)

I have an acrylic tank like this with a similar built in wet/dry filtration. It is great. You absolutely need a pump in last chamber to bring the water back if you don't already have it. My water stays super clean and I have a large fish load right now. Don't worry about the intakes being a the top of the tank. These tanks are designed to great a good current and your water will circulate just fine. Very happy with mine. Is it Clear-for-Life brand?


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

does it not come with a pump? if not, i'd try to find an adjustable flow pump if they have one, the big thing is if the pump is too fast, the water level in the tank stays high and will almost overflow into the back, in my biocube the only thing that really caused the water to be slow was the thickness of the floss, too much floss and the pump worked faster than the water flowed so the water level rose about a cm, but was consistent and the pump chamber never ran dry

also in a system like this, if it's balanced, the pump chamber water level will drop while the rest of the tank stays at the proper level when you have evaporation, so you have to watch the pump chamber, and not the tank to determine when to top off, if the water level in the pump chamber gets too low it will start to spit lots of air out, and the pump can burn out if it runs too dry


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## riccvicious (Apr 30, 2010)

i think u should hold out on stocking im diggin the cat fishes u have in there :thumb:


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## PoloGreenMachine (May 18, 2010)

hey so the pumps are 40 watts and do 2600 LPH....and theres two of them...is that enough flow?>

what should i put in the protein skimmer area besides heater.


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

if they came with the system then they're fine, all i would really do it put a heater, nothing else you could really do about it, unless you ever want to add a canister or something for extra filtration


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## Dj823cichild (Mar 30, 2009)

riccvicious said:


> i think u should hold out on stocking im diggin the cat fishes u have in there :thumb:


I was going to say something similar lol! That's the first tank I seen that came with cats included :lol:


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## PoloGreenMachine (May 18, 2010)

I went out and grabbed a riot 180 powerhead submeersible....other than that i think im gonna just run things they way they are...dude at the store was saying UGFs are a pain in the arse sometimes.

so now its time to break out the crushed coral and get errr started!


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## Dj823cichild (Mar 30, 2009)

Good luck polo. I've been reading this thread and you really seem to be asking the right questions and getting the right responses from fellow Cf friends. Just take your time research, reman patient and you will do fine. And of course post pics of your progress please :thumb:


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## kkbward (Jan 1, 2007)

i just built my first sump and i took my time to make sure i understood exactly how it works. essentially your tank puts the sump in the tank, but otherwise all the same concepts apply. read everything on here (there is quite a bit) and then do some google searches on sumps. most of the hits you get will assume you understand how it works, but i found some good info - eventually.

bottom line - you CAN flood your house - don't underestimate this fact. Also - you can burn out a pump if you let the water level get too low or if the siphon breaks. when you are working with this thing, don't forget about water siphoning back through the pump if the power goes out. i am guessing the tank has the proper controls, but dont assume anything. test it like crazy.

a sump is by far and away the best possible method to filter a tank - i am now totally convinced, but it takes a while to figure it out....


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## bremz8 (Apr 9, 2010)

i have a 1700 gallon per hour pump in my basement that detects water id suggest looking into one


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## PoloGreenMachine (May 18, 2010)

^how does it flood? what are the common problems..definately dont want to flood anything since its on 2nd floor.


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## Dj823cichild (Mar 30, 2009)

:-? not saying a word^


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## PoloGreenMachine (May 18, 2010)

I filled it up today and got the pumps running, everything is working nice, the pumps are super quiet and water is flowing nicely.

Im still concerned about what some of you guys are saying about the tank possibly flooding? how can i avoid this, the water level is pretty close to the top should i let the water level drop a little bit.


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## Dj823cichild (Mar 30, 2009)

I really hope it doesn't happen to you bro!!!!!


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

you can't flood this system unless you over fill it, don't listen to him, it's not like a sump system in that aspect, everything is controlled in a closed system if a pump dies the water just levels off within the system and will actually drop lower than when it's running.
kkbward, is giving you bad information quite frankly. it filters like a sump, but does not function like a sump, this system is built into the tank, and came with pumps designed for the system, it's already all set up and is plug and play, you don't have to do research, you don't have to tinker. don't freak out and get all worried

and where did UGF come from? why would the store even mention a UGF, you're not running one


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## PoloGreenMachine (May 18, 2010)

yea i dont see how it would flood, if the filters stopped the water would just level off.

i mentioned UGF filters because i thought there wouldnt be enough circulation on the bottom. however after running it the past few days and putting a couple fish in there, there is LOTS of current the pumps must be pretty strong.

Il have pics in a couple days when i finally finish everything.


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

putting fish already? you really should do a fishless cycle first


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## fan311 (May 22, 2010)

looks like a great setup coming along.


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## PoloGreenMachine (May 18, 2010)

i used soil from the established tank, waited like three days, then i put a couple of the ones i didnt really care for in there.

they are gravitating towards the surface, i think it might be low oxyugen. i did two water tests and theres no signs of nitrites/nitrates/ammo.

Theres not alot of surface movement, plenty of currents under the water but no surface agitation, im going to have to install something to get that figured out.


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

you need something to direct the flow coming out towards the surface

http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+10090+4090&pcatid=4090

or something simple like a clip on flow diffuser from a powerhead like this one
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+10090+4090&pcatid=4090


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## PoloGreenMachine (May 18, 2010)

Welp, had a mass death today. Fish in my 46 were starting to die, i figured because when i did a soil/water change i turned off the biofilters for too long. So i started swapping them to the 125 since i figured there was more water = more ability to handle the new bioload of approx 6 fish.

Last night did a water check, all signs were normal. Except some of the fish were headed to the surface, ammo nitrate nitrite all very low levels. went to bed at 130 AM they were all alive.

By 4AM this morning EVERYTHING was dead.

Did a water check, nitrates were between 5.0 and 10.0 holy ****. Nitrites were around .30....so i had a crucial spike last night. I dumped a whole bottle of Amquel in there but it still spiked.

How should i fishless cycle a 125....in my 46 i just dropped like 2 or 3 cichlids in there and it established fine...

Do yall think it had to do with the lack of surface agitation, or just your standard New Tank Syndrome...


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## PoloGreenMachine (May 18, 2010)

GOd im so freakin angry about this..how does this little fish spike a 125 that mcuh>?>!!>>! after i used a whole bottle of nitrate/nitrite killer...AND used a fishless cycle bottle 3 days prior with the old substrate??

I lost my 3 year old Socolofi..thats the one i mostly cared about...the rest were juvies but ****...my freakin socolofi and my show venustus male...all because im a ******* IDIOT.

Seriously....i almost kicked down my fridge this morning because i was so angry about this...so please dont think im some newb novice who doesnt care about his fish..*** had my 46 for 3 years and the only time i had a mass death was due to a fungal invasion.

Please tell me how to properly cycle this freakin tank so this doesnt happen again thanks...


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

i'd buy some ammonia at the hardware store, pure with no surfactants. add enough to get up to 2ppm, then check it daily until it drops to 0

once it drops to 0, add the amount to get back to 2ppm ammonia until it drops to 0 within 24 hours, once this happens, continue to add the ammonia and test nitrite, then once nitrite and ammonia both reach 0 within 24 hours do a water change and you're ready for fish.

if you do have some bacteria then the process may be shorter than normal, and you you may ever skip ammonia all together if you're not seeing any right now but are seeing nitrites


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## PoloGreenMachine (May 18, 2010)

i went to the LFS and bought some goldfish and Nutrafin Cycle...guy said i gotta wait 3-5 days....im dropping the goldfish into the tank in increments of 2 each..and holding the rest in my 46 bowfront for "testing"

next week if everything balances out im gonna add some Yellow Labs to see how they fare.


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## PoloGreenMachine (May 18, 2010)

[quote="cjacob316"

if you do have some bacteria then the process may be shorter than normal, and you you may ever skip ammonia all together if you're not seeing any right now but are seeing nitrites[/quote]

my Ammo levels have always been very low.....after the mass death ammo level was stil very low...baby blue.

it was my nitrites and nitrates that spiked...i hear nitrates doesnt kill fish that quick so im assuming it was the nitrites.

do you think the lack of surface agitation was culprit, or was this simply a new tank syndrome NEWB mistake?


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

ammonia isn't blue in any test kit i ever used, ammonia is yellow to green, nitrite blue and purple, nitrate yellow orange and red


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## Dj823cichild (Mar 30, 2009)

:thumb: What he said!


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## fox (Jun 11, 2009)

PoloGreenMachine said:


> do you think the lack of surface agitation was culprit, or was this simply a new tank syndrome NEWB mistake?


Sounds like an ammonia spike kill.

Cut yer losses and add some SafeStart :roll:


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## PoloGreenMachine (May 18, 2010)

yea im using fishless cycle....but i also threw a couple large goldfish in there for kicks to test the water.

im gonna make sure this doesnt happen again....int he meantime i can plan my new stocking list from scratch...i want to go with a malawi predator with compressicepps and venustus, not sure what else. and a squad of yellow labs.


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## PoloGreenMachine (May 18, 2010)

So its been a couple days and the levels are all still very high

i have

NITRITE .50ppm
AMMO .25 PPM
NITRATE 10ppm

so still super high...never seen my test kits so colorful.

im surprised the feeder goldfish are still alive.

HOW LONG DO YOU ESTIMATE UNTIL MY TANK IS READY?
thanks.


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

do a 50% water change

have your levels been consistent? has the nitrate climbed at all?

what test kit are you using? have you tested your tap water? what is the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate of your tap water?


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## Raschael (May 8, 2009)

When doing a fishless cycle, unless you have substantial media from a well established tank (and I mean a lot) it will probably take around 2-4 weeks. If you don't want to lose more fish, patience is the key. :thumb:


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## nicfo25 (Mar 27, 2010)

Those levels are not that high.. Expect them to shoot off the chart before you are finished cycling. Don't do a water change as this will slow things down. Be patient.... Nothing in this hobby is quick! It will save you money to wait it out


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## nicfo25 (Mar 27, 2010)

Oh yeah I wish I had that tank!!!!!!!!!!!!! Perfect


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## PoloGreenMachine (May 18, 2010)

well the good news is that the water check is showing low low ppm of all the dangerous three....the feeder goldfish are doing really good too....im thinking about adding some yellow labs.

*** also been dosing the tank with cichlid buffer to make it the right PH.

heres the latest pics....using african cliff rock mixed with other random rocks...


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

do you have the actual numbers?


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## PoloGreenMachine (May 18, 2010)

very low if not close to zero...ammo tested light yellow, nitrite light blue (instead of purple like it was)...and nitrates tested light yellow instead of orange like they were.


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

well you want the nitrates to test a bit orange

did you check right after a big wc?


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## JennKS (Jul 12, 2009)

PoloGreenMachine said:


>


Nice cat fish!


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## jimmie (Oct 23, 2002)

:lol:


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## PoloGreenMachine (May 18, 2010)

new pic with the lights on....still gotta rig up the other side...gotta do some custom fabricating to hold all the power strips..it took three power strips to power all the equipment!


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