# 300 Gallon Malawi Build



## KempDesign (Feb 27, 2014)

Hey guys. The wife has given the ok for the first of 2 dream tanks! I am planning to order a 300 gallon tank from Glass Cages (96x24x31). I am going to build my own stand as well as make a sump out of a used 75 gallon tank. My first question is, how many GPH do you think my sump will be able to handle? Can I get good filtration while still turning 1500 GPH? In addition to the sump, I am probably going to run 2-3 cannister filters. I am thinking SunSun 304s as they are inexpensive and I already have several of them running on other tanks. In a tank this size, should I add powerheads or HOT filters to get more water turnover or should that be good? I'm open to all suggestions. How would you filter this monster?


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## firefighter5 (Nov 25, 2014)

Wow,good luck...Thats a huge tank..post some picks as you progress.. I am no help..*** had a 180 in the past with a 55 gal sump and had a couple wave makers to move water more..If I did it again I would use cannisters cuz I had it in living room and got tired of hearing the water movement through the sump.But thats my problem.Others enjoy that noise.


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## guyute (Oct 13, 2002)

Wow, that's a monster! a 75 gal sump with a good pump should move some serious water. But in a tank that big, you may want to consider a closed loop for additional movement. When I had my 125 setup as a reef tank, that's what I did. Very simple pvc setup to do an intake, back to a pump, and out to a couple of outputs. Ended up being cleaner and cheaper than adding a bunch of powerheads. Though if you want a wavemaker setup, that's a different story.


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## chopsteeks (Jul 23, 2013)

KempDesign said:


> Hey guys. The wife has given the ok for the first of 2 dream tanks! I am planning to order a 300 gallon tank from Glass Cages (96x24x31). I am going to build my own stand as well as make a sump out of a used 75 gallon tank. My first question is, how many GPH do you think my sump will be able to handle? Can I get good filtration while still turning 1500 GPH? In addition to the sump, I am probably going to run 2-3 cannister filters. I am thinking SunSun 304s as they are inexpensive and I already have several of them running on other tanks. In a tank this size, should I add powerheads or HOT filters to get more water turnover or should that be good? I'm open to all suggestions. How would you filter this monster?


Your 75 gallon sump is plenty. I would use 2 pumps pumps for return for redundancy in case one of them fails. As to the power heads, I might add 1 or 2 to stir the bottom a bit more. Depending on the return pump you decide and how much gph, these might be sufficient to stir the bottom.


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## KempDesign (Feb 27, 2014)

chopsteeks said:


> KempDesign said:
> 
> 
> > Hey guys. The wife has given the ok for the first of 2 dream tanks! I am planning to order a 300 gallon tank from Glass Cages (96x24x31). I am going to build my own stand as well as make a sump out of a used 75 gallon tank. My first question is, how many GPH do you think my sump will be able to handle? Can I get good filtration while still turning 1500 GPH? In addition to the sump, I am probably going to run 2-3 cannister filters. I am thinking SunSun 304s as they are inexpensive and I already have several of them running on other tanks. In a tank this size, should I add powerheads or HOT filters to get more water turnover or should that be good? I'm open to all suggestions. How would you filter this monster?
> ...


That's good to hear. How much flow should I plan for through the sump?


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## chopsteeks (Jul 23, 2013)

KempDesign said:


> chopsteeks said:
> 
> 
> > KempDesign said:
> ...


Probably shoot for 1500gph. A friend runs a combo of Eheim 1262 + Eheim 1260 for his 300 gallon stocked with large predator cichlids with no issues.

Check out the Jebao series of pumps such as Jebao DC3000. Low wattage use for the amount of power it supplies. This is rated at 800gph (have to do the math for head loss). If you have extra cash, might want to look at the next model up --- DC 6000. These are adjustable or you can plumb a control valve to have better control of the output flow.

Exciting days ahead !!


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## chopsteeks (Jul 23, 2013)

Oh forgot to mention ---- look into spray bars to stir up the bottom. Again my friend who has the 300 gallons made a DIY spray bars and placed a spray bar on each end. He also has a Koralia Hydor power head pumps (not sure which one) that he has on a timer. These 2 pumps are turned on once a day for 15 minutes .

Just offering ideas.....


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## KempDesign (Feb 27, 2014)

Thanks for the help. I will figure out a dual pump solution that gets me 1500 gph. Stirring up the bottom is a good idea, I might use the same idea for this tank as I am planning to use on a 180 gallon reef tank that is going right next to this tank. I'll use 3 Marineland Maxi-Jet 1200 powerheads on a timer to simulate current.


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## Rare7 (Dec 31, 2014)

If you do get the Jebao DC pump get the 12000 or best the 15000 model. The new pumps are "DCT Series" and they have a 10 pump speed selection. With 10 speed you can pick which is best for your flow. the 12000 is $110 & the 15000 is $140.00 i believe.


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## JimA (Nov 7, 2009)

Sounds like a great build! So you going 96X 24H or 31H ? I would value more floor space for the fish than height, plus it's easier to reach in.


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## KempDesign (Feb 27, 2014)

JimA said:


> Sounds like a great build! So you going 96X 24H or 31H ? I would value more floor space for the fish than height, plus it's easier to reach in.


 31H. Unfortunately I don't have room for a tank wider than 24". I'm hoping that the height gives me plenty of space for open water swimmers like haps and peacocks.


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## KempDesign (Feb 27, 2014)

Those Jebao pumps look awesome. That's what I will go with for the sump.


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## KempDesign (Feb 27, 2014)

After looking into Glass Cages, I'm not confident they build a good tank. Too many bad reviews. Anyone have experience with the Marineland 265 gallon tanks? I'm bummed that it is a foot shorter, but I don't want to drop that kind of money on a bad tank.


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## tmzdesign (Dec 21, 2014)

I just got a 115 perfecto. from what i understand marineland bought them and all marineland tanks are really perfecto tanks. my tank was built it 1995 (didnt know that before buying) i think the quality is good. it doesnt have any leaks and the silicone is holding up well. there is one corner on the bottom that is a little sloppy

hope that helps. good luck with your tank purchase


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## KempDesign (Feb 27, 2014)

I got a good quote on an Aqueon 210. I think I'm going to go that route. I'm bummed it isn't 300 gallons but it is a great price and I'm buying it from a local store so they will back me up if I have any problems.


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## chopsteeks (Jul 23, 2013)

210 is a good size tank. Post pics soon.


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## tmzdesign (Dec 21, 2014)

just realized you live in Florida maybe you could get a tank from living color. that would be high quality but i guessing high priced as well
http://www.livingcolor.com/


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## KempDesign (Feb 27, 2014)

So I just went ahead and bought a stand for the 210. I was originally going to build it but decided to buy instead. As soon as I can figure out how to add a pic I will.


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## hisplaceresort1 (Mar 10, 2014)

...as far as flow... and I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm mistaken...  There have been some lively discussions on this topic, and every case is different.

Now that I have the required disclaimers out of the way... I can probably state without drawing the ire of anyone that the general consensus is a safe starting point is to shoot for 8 to 10x per hour for your flow/filtration rate, whether canisters or other.

Let's say you do decide to go with a 210 for example, you may want to shoot for 2100 gph. (With 3 canisters that give me about 1100 gph, I run an overstocked 75 gallon..., which makes it a little under 15x per hour. And for me, yes, it actually was necessary. I had about 10x per hour with the first 2 canisters, and it wasn't enough.)

Again, it's a little different with everyone, but in general, less is not always more...  You're making the investment to do this thing right, so I would possibly consider beefing up that aspect of your build a little.

Please keep us posted... I'm living vicariously through all of you that have bigger tanks! Your wife, by the way, is obviously awesome!


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## KempDesign (Feb 27, 2014)

Ok guys, here's the update. As I said before I bought the stand for the 210 and have been acquiring all the other associated gear. So far I have 2 Ehiem Jager 250 watt heaters, a Jebao DC900 pump, Assorted pvc fittings and pipe, and the 2 tanks I am using for my sump, a 40 gallon breeder and 20 gallon tall. The 40 gallon breeder will house all the mechanical and biological filtration, including a 20 gallon section that will be a moving bed filter. I have 1 cubic foot of K1 media and am just waiting for the glass sections to get cut for the baffles. The 20 gallon tall section will be a refugium where I will grow live plants (hopefully to consume nitrates). I am planning to use elodia or hornwort for the plants. 2/3rds of the flow will come in through the 40 gallon breeder while 1/3rd will come in through the refugium. A 1.5" pvc pipe connects the 2 tanks via bulkheads drilled into the sides of the sump tanks. I just water tested the bulkheads today and everything looks good. Once the sump tanks are in place in the stand I will order the tank. I sure don't want to move that monster more than once.


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