# New 90gal setup -



## Manifest (Mar 8, 2015)

Greetings, I am new to the forums in terms of registered, I have shadowed for a while. I have a silly question, but for my setup, pics to come. I am setting up a new 90g (48x18x24), 20 gal sump with floss, sponge, bio balls and chem pure. 2 1" holes, durso drain and return. (corner overflow kit and holes in bottom) I considered 2 drains, durso and herbie.

My plumbing is elementary at best I believe. 1" piping, back check valve on drain so I can shut it off, two little fishies check valve on pump return. (pretty basic) Using hosing between connections to cut vibration.

Anyhow- I am planning for future here and will probably introduce a canister filter to this as I don't think the 1 1" drain will suffice. I will get whatever I can fit under my tank w/sump, fluval or eheim. Here's the silly question- How much room behind the tank do I need for hoses etc. for the canister??


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## Manifest (Mar 8, 2015)

I went ahead and moved the setup out 1 1/4 from the wall to allow for hoses. I will post pictures once I crop them to a reasonable size.

Marineland 48x18x24 Glass Lid w/plastic strip on back to allow cut-outs
Marineland 400watt heater
Corner overflow with 2 1"holes (in/out, almost went with two drains)
20gal Acrylic sump- Floss, sponge, bioballs and chem pure
Aqueon QuietFlow AQ4500 (1189 gph - lucky to hit 500 with this plumbing)
48" Led light w/night option
Stand/Canopy
Cichlid Substrate (white/black)
3 pieces of driftwood
Asorted fake plants
Black background

Tank is setup, plumbing finished. Substrate in the tank. Waiting until tomorrow to fill it and crank it on. This is my first build, sorry I didn't log pictures as I went. I am still waiting on my return check valve. : /


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## rgr4475 (Mar 19, 2008)

I was going to suggest to set the tank up dry and place the hoses back there so you get an idea of how much room you have. This way you can move the tank if necessary.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I always leave 18" behind tanks so I can physically fit behind the tank to work back there.


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## Manifest (Mar 8, 2015)

This is setting in my front room, smaller house w/cement floor. I would love to be able to keep it further away from the wall, girlfriend agro may keep me from that. I've learned many do's and do not's already and I don't even have water in the blasted thing.

#1 thing- plenty of space UNDER the tank for plumbing.

This is a must for sumps and under-tank plumbing, I took the space for granted. I had to revisit my setup and go with check valves on hoses versus hard plumbing. I am not happy about this but I understand there's a perk of keeping vibration down. I found some nice rocks on the way home from work, small flat. Boiled and scrubbed with a wire brush. Now boiling again. Hope this doesn't hurt anything.


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## Manifest (Mar 8, 2015)

I have filled the tank, added substrate. (using Caribsea African Cichlid Mix Sahara Sand)

I am not sure I like my aqua-scape too much. I have a solid black (or reverse to blue) sheet for the back, I will use black. A mistake is NOT placing it properly before placing the tank. I thought it was more of a friction setup, I will make do. I plan on more plants and rocks though, as the tank seems empty with no fish.

Filling. I used packing filler to keep the substrate in place, worked like a charm. 









Filled, everything cranked up.









Hour later w/prime, stability. Adding salt later.


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## Manifest (Mar 8, 2015)

Question:

If I divide the tank a bit, i.e.. placing drift on one side with grass, then rock piles on the other- will this cause more aggression / territorial issues? Is it better to keep the frags mixed up a little?


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## jw85 (Dec 24, 2013)

Nice looking setup. Is there not room for the heater in the sump?

Back to one of your original questions, I doubt you'd need a canister in addition to the sump.


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## Manifest (Mar 8, 2015)

jw85 said:


> Nice looking setup. Is there not room for the heater in the sump?
> 
> Back to one of your original questions, I doubt you'd need a canister in addition to the sump.


I could possibly get away with corner to corner, the proflex 3 is 26.3" x 14.8" x 17.4". The heater is 18" (400watt). Unsure where I read this, I heard it's better to keep the heater in the display in case if pump failure. I have / am considering a smaller heater for the sump, and keeping the 18 for backup. I am moving the heater to the corner though, to make it less visible, hoping to pile rock in front of it too. I also have a black background, which should help it be less visible too.

I bought more rock today, I wont place it until tomorrow night though.


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## jw85 (Dec 24, 2013)

Nice, I love buying new rock, haha.

I keep my heater in the sump at an angle (it is too long to lay flat n the water level is too shallow for it to stand up). Obviously your call, but I'm not sure how often pumps just fail and stop working when you still have power.


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## Manifest (Mar 8, 2015)

One of my concerns is the over-turn of water in the sump, not getting warm enough and keeping the heater working harder and needing to dial it up some. Although many here do this, so it probably isn't an issue. I do not care for it in the DT though, it's an eye-sore for sure.

I changed my plumbing a little bit, I took the check valve out of the drain and ran straight hose. I think this helped a little as my water level in the sump is higher. I haven't done anything with airflow in the durso (already had a hose in it), however I modified my overflow chamber cutting some teeth half off- this should allow me to tinkering with the airflow to the drain allowing a better siphon. (in turn high gph)

I will probably end up buying a canister, with this setup I wouldn't need anything to special. Maybe another 200-300gph turn over.


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## Manifest (Mar 8, 2015)

Painted the back, added a couple of local rocks. I will be looking to purchase some texas holey or slate, I like how slate offers a more secure cave, but like the looks of the white holey.


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## Manifest (Mar 8, 2015)

Better light w/no HDR filter. lol


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## jw85 (Dec 24, 2013)

Looks really nice. When are you getting fish? Know what you are getting?


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## Manifest (Mar 8, 2015)

Thanks.
Hoping to order this Friday, maybe Saturday if I don't get home in time Friday after work. I am looking for some slate for more cave, there are more hiding spots behind the wood but you can't really see them. Wanting to pile the wood in the center and wall up some slate. 

x1 Bristlenose Pleco Albino
1m:4f Pseudotropheus flavus 
1m:4f Metriaclima sp Msobo Magunga 
1m:4f Cynotilapia afra Jalo Reef 
1m:7f Pseudotropheus cyaneorhabdos maingano


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## Manifest (Mar 8, 2015)

8 days.
PH 8.3
Ammo 0ppm 
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 1ppm

Getting there!!


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## TriLamb13 (Jan 15, 2015)

I have a 90 that I will be starting soon too! Hoping to order filtration and lights this weekend.


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## Manifest (Mar 8, 2015)

My babies arrived today!

1 leucistic bristlenose
5 P flavus (received 6, 1 parished tho boo)
5 M sp. "Msobo" Magunga (received 6!)
5 C zebroides Jalo Reef
8 P cyaneorhabdos Maingano

Their new home.










The babies. They're still shy. Sorry the pics aren't great, using my phone.


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## Manifest (Mar 8, 2015)

FYI- Aside of the sump / corner overflow, I cycled in a FX6 with it, rather be safe than sorry. The canister is running the media that came with it- and floss pads on top, purigen in The Bag on bottom.


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## fltekdiver (Sep 27, 2015)

Nice job! Beautiful tank

I'm starting up a 90 also

Can I ask you, who made the stand and canopy?

What height is it?

Can you take a pic of your sump and plumbing, the pics came out sideways

I'm not sure if you took the valves out or not, but their not needed

Just make sure you have the siphon break correctly set up

As far as hose, I just use a few inches of hose coming off the return pump for vibration, then hard plumb from their

Nice set up!


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