# My 210 Gallon Mbuna Build From Start to Finish



## KempDesign (Feb 27, 2014)

Hey guys, I thought I'd share my journey to build a 210 gallon Mbuna tank. I just created a Flickr account so I could share pictures and am going to post as I go. Feel free to make suggestions and comments along the way. I don't claim to be an expert, just a guy who loves fish.

The first thing I did was buy the stand. In this case I am going with an Aqueon 210 and Aqueon stand. I wanted to buy the stand first so I could make sure my sump design would fit. Next I'll share about my sump design and how I cracked my first sump tank!

 by kevinrkemp, on Flickr


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## KempDesign (Feb 27, 2014)

I had originally planned to build a monster sump out of a 75 gallon tank but realized the tank was too tall so I decided to go with a 2 tank sump design where a 40 gallon breeder would act as the sump and a 20 gallon high would act as a refugium. Both tanks are drilled on the end so they can be connected via 1.5" bulkheads and pvc pipe.

 by kevinrkemp, on Flickr

I then had the baffles cut, ordered foam blocks, a Jebao DC9000 pump, 8 liters of SeaChem's pond matrix, and a cubic foot of Kaldness K1 media. I installed the baffles as I designed them and water tested everything on my patio with no problems. What I didn't account for was the fact that the floor of the stand needed to be reinforced to hold almost 60 gallons of water. The floor bowed as I water tested the sump tanks in the stand and I heard a loud crack. This was the result.

 by kevinrkemp, on Flickr

I used this opportunity to tweak my sump design. My baffles were too high for the amount of flow I wanted through the sump. so I cut them out and had them shortened. I just installed the baffles back in the 40 last night and I am picking up a newly drilled 20 high today. Once I get the baffles installed on the 20 I will take photos and upload them.

Obviously the cracked sump delayed my progress and I needed to buy the tank before the end of February so I could get it on sale. So here she is as I picked her up from the store. It is sitting in the garage until I have the sump complete and in the stand. I am also reinforcing the floor of the stand before I install the new sump tank. I'll post pics on that as well.

 by kevinrkemp, on Flickr


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Good stuff man! Looking forward to the project...

What's going in the tank fishwise?


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## KempDesign (Feb 27, 2014)

Iggy Newcastle said:


> Good stuff man! Looking forward to the project...
> 
> What's going in the tank fishwise?


Thanks! Here is the stocking plan so far

Pseudotropheus acei
Labidochromis caeruleus
Iodotropheus sprengerae
Pseudotropheus cyaneorhabdos
Pseudotropheus socolofi
Cyanotilapia afra
Labeotropheus fullerborni
Synodontis multipuntatus


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## KempDesign (Feb 27, 2014)

Well the 20 high wasn't ready at the local fish store so I will pick it up tomorrow. Today I reinforced the bottom of the stand. Here is a photo of the underside of the stand.

 by kevinrkemp, on Flickr

I'm not very happy with the lack of bracing on the bottom of the stand. It really isn't strong enough to hold any kind of sump. I used 1 1/4 x 6 lumber doubled up to fill the 2 inch gap. I think it will work pretty well to keep my sump tanks level and not put pressure on the bulkheads. Here is a photo of the improvements.

 by kevinrkemp, on Flickr


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## KempDesign (Feb 27, 2014)

Hey guys, here is a video I made of my 40 gallon breeder I am using as the sump for my 210. This is my first sump build. Let me know what you think!


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Nice job reinforcing the bottom of the stand to support the sump tank set ups.

If you have room between the tanks, you may want to consider using hose to connect the 2 tanks together to avoid the chance of cracking either tank again despite the reinforcement you have done.

Also, the output of the pump using PVC can be louder than using hose since it is more rigid. Just something to consider.


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## KempDesign (Feb 27, 2014)

Thanks Deeda, I just checked and I have room to turn the 20 gallon around and connect the 2 tanks by a 2' piece of flex PVC. I'm hoping that will work the way I want it too. An added benefit is that it puts the refugium section of my 20 right inside the right door of the stand.


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## Opulent (Jan 20, 2012)

It looks like you're onto the right track with the sump, but as Deeda said, put a flexible hose from the return pump to your return pipe, as this will help reduce noise from vibrations.

Also, it looks like you have some restricted flow through the baffles, as your pump is pushing water out faster than is being delivered into that chamber. You may want to look at those sponge blocks and gravel, as they appear to be causing some restriction.

For the K1 chamber, you need waaaay more media than you already have, and you may need to look at how you can get it to properly move in a fluidised motion. I use a spray bar which 'folds' the water in a circular motion, thereby fluidising the K1.

You may also want to add a filter sock to the inlet pipe to capture any debris flowing in from your weir. On that subject, I also only noticed one inlet pipe - do you have an emergency overflow pipe too? If not, you'll need one!!


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## KempDesign (Feb 27, 2014)

Opulent said:


> It looks like you're onto the right track with the sump, but as Deeda said, put a flexible hose from the return pump to your return pipe, as this will help reduce noise from vibrations.
> 
> Also, it looks like you have some restricted flow through the baffles, as your pump is pushing water out faster than is being delivered into that chamber. You may want to look at those sponge blocks and gravel, as they appear to be causing some restriction.
> 
> ...


Won't flex hose restrict flow? I was planning to run 1.5" PVC all the way to the top of the tank for the return line. I also think I'm going to pull the black 30 ppi sponge block and go for another blue 15 ppi block instead. I initially tried a 50 ppi sponge block but that thing wouldn't flow at all! It would be great for a wet dry drip sponge though.

I have a cubic foot of K1, I just didn't have it all in the sump for the video. 1 cubic foot equates to over a 5 gallon bucket worth. I am going to play with a combination of power heads and the air pump/stones in the video. I think that will take some trial and error but I'll get it figured out.

I have filter socks and a filter sock holder, I just wasn't using them for the flow test in the video. A total of 2 overflow pipes will flow into this tank with a 3rd pipe flowing into the 20 gallon refugium. This will divert 2/3rds of the flow to the 40 and 1/3rd to the 20. I could use another overflow and run 3/4 of the flow to the 40 and 1/4 to the 20. I'll play with that to get the right amount of flow to each tank. I'm not using the overflows for the return lines. Instead I'm going to run the return up over the back of the tank.


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## Opulent (Jan 20, 2012)

It sounds like you've got it all sorted in that case with the K1 and overflow plumbing.

You're absolutely right about 'playing' with the setup when it comes to sumps - I've changed and reconfigured my K1 chamber a multitude of times with lots of different 'experiments' to get the fluidised effect I was after, as well as allowing enough flow through the sump. The one thing I will say about the K1 media is you may find it too noisy, depending on where you have your tank. The loudest sound from my tank is the 'clacking' sound of the K1 hitting itself and the walls. It's not so noisy that you can't hear the TV, but for me, it's noticeable and I'm really considering ditching the K1 for more bio rings.

For the return pipe, I only have 25mm (1") PCV piping fitting into my bulkhead and then leading to the outlet nozzle. The flex pipe is only 25mm too, connected to a Jebao DC 12000 pump and there are no issues with flow (I only need it on the second speed setting). Granted, it's a more powerful pump than the DC 9000, but still, 1" flex pipe and PVC pipes don't affect my flow. Maybe you could find some 1.5" flex pipe if you're worried about the flow?


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## KempDesign (Feb 27, 2014)

Opulent said:


> It sounds like you've got it all sorted in that case with the K1 and overflow plumbing.
> 
> You're absolutely right about 'playing' with the setup when it comes to sumps - I've changed and reconfigured my K1 chamber a multitude of times with lots of different 'experiments' to get the fluidised effect I was after, as well as allowing enough flow through the sump. The one thing I will say about the K1 media is you may find it too noisy, depending on where you have your tank. The loudest sound from my tank is the 'clacking' sound of the K1 hitting itself and the walls. It's not so noisy that you can't hear the TV, but for me, it's noticeable and I'm really considering ditching the K1 for more bio rings.
> 
> For the return pipe, I only have 25mm (1") PCV piping fitting into my bulkhead and then leading to the outlet nozzle. The flex pipe is only 25mm too, connected to a Jebao DC 12000 pump and there are no issues with flow (I only need it on the second speed setting). Granted, it's a more powerful pump than the DC 9000, but still, 1" flex pipe and PVC pipes don't affect my flow. Maybe you could find some 1.5" flex pipe if you're worried about the flow?


Thanks for the input. Since this is my first sump, I'm totally guessing on most things! I just found some 1.5" flex pvc that is pretty cheap so I can give it a try if my hard pvc is too noisy. I already made my return so I am going to give it a try first. If it vibrates too much I'll get some flex and swap it out. I like to tinker anyway so this hobby is right in my wheelhouse. Thanks and keep the suggestions coming. I really appreciate it!


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## jw85 (Dec 24, 2013)

I have no idea how much hose would reduce flow, but I can't imagine it would be much. I use hose on most of my setup, with only PVC coming out of the bulkheads and a tiny bit off the pump where I have my ball valves (to reduce flow anyway). I have it pretty tight so it isn't creating a bunch of ups and downs, but it really makes maintenance easier to be able to undo it when needed.


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## KempDesign (Feb 27, 2014)

Build update - It's amazing what you don't know. Before I started this project I should have given more thought to what kind of drain system I was going to use. I made the assumption that I could put 2 durso drains in each overflow and direct each drain where I wanted (3 to the sump, 1 to the refugium). I have since learned that dual dursos in a single overflow don't work well and can be very noisy. Since I didn't want that, I decided to go with the Herbie drain system. The problem with that is that you can't split a Herbie drain.

So my solution is to bring all 1200 gph into my sump and pump 300 gph to the refugium (using a seperate pump than my return pump). This will then return to the sump through the bulkheads in each tank. I am waiting on the pump and some other parts to arrive and then I will mock everything up and test it. I'll shoot a video so everyone can see it and make suggestions.


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## KempDesign (Feb 27, 2014)

I have made some pretty significant progress on this build but haven't been able to post an update until now. Here is a photo of the tank on the stand. It is sitting next to a 125 gallon tank for size comparison. Eventually that 125 will be replaced with a second 210 that will hold a SA cichlid community. I can't wait for that build! Here is the tank.








[/URL]My 210 on the stand next to a 125 gallon tank. by kevinrkemp, on Flickr[/img]


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## KempDesign (Feb 27, 2014)

Sorry, having trouble with Flickr. Here is the tank.








by kevinrkemp, on Flickr


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## KempDesign (Feb 27, 2014)

KempDesign said:


> Build update - It's amazing what you don't know. Before I started this project I should have given more thought to what kind of drain system I was going to use. I made the assumption that I could put 2 durso drains in each overflow and direct each drain where I wanted (3 to the sump, 1 to the refugium). I have since learned that dual dursos in a single overflow don't work well and can be very noisy. Since I didn't want that, I decided to go with the Herbie drain system. The problem with that is that you can't split a Herbie drain.
> 
> So my solution is to bring all 1200 gph into my sump and pump 300 gph to the refugium (using a seperate pump than my return pump). This will then return to the sump through the bulkheads in each tank. I am waiting on the pump and some other parts to arrive and then I will mock everything up and test it. I'll shoot a video so everyone can see it and make suggestions.


I abandoned this idea and have gone back to a durso drain in each overflow. One drains directly into the sump and the other into the refugium. I am out of storage space on my phone so as soon as I download all the photos on there and make room I will shoot a video of the sump and refugium and post it here.


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## KempDesign (Feb 27, 2014)

So I was going to wait for the big reveal but I can't help it. Here she is! Let me know what you think.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Well... it's tough to tell from just a photo, but it looks like some of the base rock is on the top of the sand. This is a no-no. As fish dig around the rockwork they can move/sink and cause your whole mess of rocks to tumble.

You have created many different layers of cover which the mbuna will utilize. Looks like it took a while to assemble. Keep in mind that when you go to remove a fish you will be breaking it down and doing it all over again. Is everything stable?


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## KempDesign (Feb 27, 2014)

All rock is stacked on egg crate and the sand was added after. Everything is very stable.


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## Marconi (Oct 7, 2013)

Get some fish in there! Wicked African tank


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## KempDesign (Feb 27, 2014)

Been stocking slowly. I had a canister full of mature bio media that I put in the sump. So far I have yellow labs, rusty's, mainganos and petricolas in the tank. I'll add more next weekend.


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## Ten Tonne Tomahawk (Apr 24, 2015)

That's a great tank, a great set up and a very mature couple of tanks. In a similar situation myself, I sense the influence of a wife making sure the whole thing is neat, self contained and presentable at the conclusion?????


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## KempDesign (Feb 27, 2014)

Ten Tonne Tomahawk said:


> That's a great tank, a great set up and a very mature couple of tanks. In a similar situation myself, I sense the influence of a wife making sure the whole thing is neat, self contained and presentable at the conclusion?????


Actually I want a very clean self contained presentation, but so does the wife so it keeps me honest!


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## KempDesign (Feb 27, 2014)

Tank update - I have started stocking the tank and have been pretty excited to get some action in the tank. So far I've added

Labidochromis caeruleus -7
Iodotropheus sprengerae -7
Pseudotropheus cyaneorhabdos -7
Synodontis multipuntatus -6

I plan to add another multipunctatus but the local fish store only had six when I was there. I will add more in a week or so. All fish are juveniles so I know I will probably need to remove some males as they become apparent. I seeded the sump with a canister full of mature bio media from another tank I had and all water parameters look good. 0 Ammonia or Nitrites which is what I always worry about when I use bio media from another tank. Anyhow, I have to upload some more photos but so far I'm as happy as I can be!

The fish store told me I was buying petricolas but they turned out to be multipunctatus. Ended up being a better price than I thought!


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## KempDesign (Feb 27, 2014)

Here are some photos I took of fish in the tank. Sill working on the art of fish photography.


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## Ten Tonne Tomahawk (Apr 24, 2015)

what camera are you using?


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## KempDesign (Feb 27, 2014)

Ten Tonne Tomahawk said:


> what camera are you using?


the latest photos were just with a Sony point and shoot that I've had at least 5 years. Not sure what model. My real camera is a Nikon D5000 but I haven't tried tank shots with it yet.


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## jstrick87 (May 6, 2015)

Nice build! I hope to one day move up to a bigger tank. Somehow even the 55g isn't enough anymore. Good job! :thumb:


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## JimA (Nov 7, 2009)

Fish look great, but gotta be honest the stacking slate/rock doesn't work for me. Way to structured and long term like mentioned it will have to come out for one reason or another. Will say you have a lot of hiding places that's for sure, and if you like it that's all the matters..


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## Ten Tonne Tomahawk (Apr 24, 2015)

KempDesign said:


> Ten Tonne Tomahawk said:
> 
> 
> > what camera are you using?
> ...


The clarity of the Multis is amazing, for a basic rig, it has stood up well.


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## KempDesign (Feb 27, 2014)

Ten Tonne Tomahawk said:


> KempDesign said:
> 
> 
> > Ten Tonne Tomahawk said:
> ...


Yes, I love that camera. I can't tell you how many times I have thrown it in my back pocket to take it on hikes when I didn't want to carry the Nikon. For a point and shoot it is pretty great. It doesn't get as much use now that we have smart phones, but it's hard to argue that it doesn't still have its place for our photography needs.


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