# 30gal sump build (start to finish)



## Koteckn

06/12/2012

Today, I am finally starting my DIY 30gallon sump filter for my future 75gallon tank. This sump/tank project will most likely take a few months but I would love for everyone to follow me with my progress and chime in with any constructive criticism or input to the project. Below is the link to my sump plan so I guess we can start there. Do you think it will work? and what do you think of the order of the baffels? The only question so far that I am asking advice on is the (?) in the first baffel, I'm still not sure what will be going there.

https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/11NB ... ba1GY/edit

Pictures will be uploaded as progress is made.

I hope everyone who decides to follow is as excited as I am!

Howie :thumb:


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## lilscoots

Seems overly complicated but it's your sump and build it how you want. The baffles that are 1 and 2 inches apart will be a real bugger to silicone in place unless you use a long brush or similar shaped stick to get the backsides of them. Depending on the flow, you may have a hard time keeping water out of the bio-ball area to make them effective. Sorry, this sounds very critical, it's not meant to be, just having built a few of these I'm trying to point out a few things that may give you problems.


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## Koteckn

no I totally understand and am thankful for your help. I just started painting the sump tank and drawing out where the baffels will be. Tonight I plan to finish painting and order my glass baffels and media that I plan to put in it.

1. How do you think I should fix it, leaving everything that I currently have in there?

2. Where exactly do you get the egg crate? I haven't come across any yet...

Thanks again lilscoots, and anyone can answer the second question haha

H


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## MonkTong

homedepot - eggcrate / light diffuser


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## Koteckn

Thanks a lot MonkTong! I appreciate it.


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## The King Crabb

I think it looks great, even better the help lilscoots offered. I just have one suggestion that goes somewhat in line with lilsoots: If you lower the final baffle (the one furthest right) then you will get the bulk of the bioballs above the surface and therefore giving them a better effect. Bioballs still work very well submerged in water but they are better if they are dripped over


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## Koteckn

Well, the sump is painted the way I want it, and after talking with *lilscoots* and *the king crabb* i've decided to take their advice in the design of my sump. My aunt actually works at a glass manufacturing company so I placed the order for my baffels and theyre at home waiting for me haha :thumb: . I've decided to use 1/4" glass rather than plexi/acrylic because the silicon will bond better with glass even though it may be heavier. Ill upload the pictures of the painting process this weekend and hopefully will have a baffel of two installed by the beginning of next week.

If anyone has installed a diy overflow in a tank/knows how I should design it, please leave me some comments/ideas. I have a brand new aqueon 75 gal that I plan to drill and install an overflow for gravity to my sump filter. I think I would like to have the overflow in the back left corner of the tank at an angle? because I do plan to add a 3d background.

Any input is greatly appreciated.

Howie


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## MWS

I'm actually in the design stage of my own sump. I'm also concerned about how close you have the baffles. Maybe you can do with one chemical media chamber?

My other suggestion would be not to put filter floss under the bio balls. That's going to be tough to maintain.

I'm struggling in my own project with how to obtain glass baffles to the exact measurements. How do you obtain the glass pieces with specific dimensions?

Thanks,
Matt


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## lilscoots

If you check my post http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=246048 The album it links to has some step by step pics of how I did my overflow squared angle in the back corner the dimensions were decided by an an overflow calculator that gives total length required for desired gph http://www.aquariumpros.ca/index.php?pageid=overflow_drain_calc. To figure out what dimensions I cut a piece of cardstock to the required length and just bent it at different increments until I found a shape I liked that would facilitate the holes I needed to drill. I did mine in acrylic so I could route slots in it and bend it which you can be done with low heat on a propane torch and patience. Then siliconed it in place. See this album for some pics of the process http://s1175.photobucket.com/albums/r637/eltrafan/90 gallon start to finish/


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## Koteckn

MWS,

I actually took my sump tank to my aunts business, specializing in glass for windshields, end tables, etc. and had them measure it for me. It was a little bit of a hassle but in the end the baffles fit perfectly with maybe 1/16 of an inch on each side which the silicon fills in perfectly.

After consulting with lilscoots and The King Crabb, my finalized design is located following the link below. The final baffel will be about an inch off of the bottom of the tank.

https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1Iea ... rRs40/edit

Pictures of progress will be uploaded in the next post. :thumb:


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## Koteckn

First we taped off and painted the sump blue. I chose blue so that when I open my cabinet where my sump is sitting to show people, the water that is being filtered looks crystal clear and refreshing haha. We then painted it tan on the outside so that it looks better with the wood trim on the tank and also will match the cabinet on the outside a little better. I know this was totally unnecessary because you most likely will not even notice it, but hey all I have is time.



















I then measured, leveled out and siliconed in the first baffle. After letting it sit for 24 hours, I filled about 1/3 with water in order to test if it was leaking. I let the water sit for 24 hours, no leaks so we moved onto the second baffle.

We again measured, leveled out and siliconed in the second baffle. This one was a little trickier because we had less room to work with. I had to tape the baffle where I wanted it, and only silicon the right side of it. I let it sit for 12 hours and then siliconed the left side of it this morning before I left for work. The gap between these two, if you remember, is 3". The next baffle is only 2" so it is even going to be more difficult...



















I know the pictures aren't the best, given i'm taking them with my iPhone, but you get the idea.

I will post more as progress is made,

Howie :thumb:


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## lilscoots

So far it looks really good.

I find that in tight spots, it's worth it to get a small squeezable thing of aquarium silicone that you can get into the space. The alternative, (what I do) is squeeze some silicone onto your finger and push it to fill the filet, This works but to look nice you should put some tape where you want the edges of your filet and remove the tape as soon as you're done putting the silicone on. Doing one side at a time is fine as well, though if you wanted to save time...you can cut a notch in scrap pieces of wood to hold the glass laterally in position and clamp these at an angle to the trim so you can still get your finger in to smooth the filet at the top.


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## Koteckn

Third baffle is in. I decided that instead of fighting the 2" gap, I'll just move it to 3" and everything went flawlessly. Instead of having 10" of bioballs, i'll just have 9" which should be more than sufficient. I added water to it before I went to work and everything seemed to hold. Here's some picture updates.










holding water









Howie


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## lilscoots

It's so pretty, I'd never have the patience to make a sump look this nice.


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## Koteckn

haha, I'm not in a huge hurry because I'm in the process of moving out of my parents house, just graduated college last May, and would rather not set up my tank and have to rip it down when I end up moving. So I decided to take my good old time and if I have everything done, Ill just wait until I find a house, or set it up and save my money for awhile haha.


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## Koteckn

Finally have all of the baffles siliconed in place. Now we were ready to start the UGF for my nuisance/acclimation tank, first eggcrate stand for my mechanical filtration, and start cutting the sponges for the first shelf.









Just a quick picture of the sponges and bio balls that I ordered to work with.









Below, we cut two pieces of 1/4" pvc 3" long. We used a hacksaw to cut a cross into the top of the pvc and then a file to widen the gap. We did this in order for the pipe to slide into the eggcrate. 









After we made sure it fit, we used silicon to put the 1/4" cap on the other side of the pipe, and then filled with rocks and also siliconed the rocks into the pipe to give it a little extra weight (these were the rocks that I sifted out of the 3$ bag of multipurpose sand, that I also plan to use as my substrate).

















we then were ready to silicon the legs to the eggcrate. All we did was fill the gaps with a heavy amount of silicone, turn upside down and place them were we wanted, made sure everything was level and square and then added a weight to the top to keep it in place (a old log splitting wedge in this case haha).
















after about an hour, we turned them over and filled in all of the remaining areas where water could go with silicon and left it sit for another hour to dry. I know you're supposed to wait 24hrs before you move forward, but with it being close to 100 degrees the past few days, it was drying very fast and I couldn't wait.









While we were waiting on that to dry, we decided to get the 30gal UGF cut in order to fit into the nuisance/acclimation tank. I thought this was a great idea because it will filter a lot of the gunk before it gets to my sponges, saving me money from not having to buy tons of sponges all of the time and also time because I wont have to clean the sponges as much. We also cut down the extra tube to the right so it would be easier to hide in the gravel, and siliconed the cap onto it because i never plan to use it.









After this, still waiting on the stand to dry, we determined the order of the sponges and got two cut before it was time to sit back and relax for the rest of the night.

















The final result before work this morning. :thumb: 

















I hope everyone is enjoying the progression, and I also hope this helps additional people with building a successful sump filter. After looking online for a step by step guide and not having much luck, I've decided to take extra time documenting everything we are doing to help you all in the future.


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## Succinimide

everything looks good, cant wait watch the read and see the process


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## Koteckn

Well, more progress has been made. The second baffle stand is now finished, all the sponges are cut, the gravel and powerhead were installed in the nuisance/quarentine tank, the bioball chamber was built, and the air stone and polishing sponge were placed. A lot of progress has been made over the past few days, remembering I only get a few hours a few nights a week because of work.

the second baffle stand was built the same exact way as the first one. The legs do not have to be filled completely with gravel as the first one was. These legs are also longer at 7" because I didnt think 9 or so inches of carbon etc. was necessary. 

















The next thing we did is the adding of gravel (sifted from multipurpose sand/$3 for 60lbs) on top of the UGF and added the UGF pipe and powerhead.









We then cut the remainder of sponges to fit in with the others. Its not the neatest now but this is still a dry run so im not too worried about it.
order - floss, micro, biological micro, floss, 30 ppi, 15 ppi, 20 ppi, 10 ppi








and while we were at it we also placed the polishing sponge into place that will be under the bio balls.

















Next, we built the bioball cage out of eggcrate that was cut to fit and fastened together with clear zip ties. I was skeptical at first, but it actually came out very nice clean and surprisingly is very sturdy. Two gallons of bio balls wasn't quiet enough so I need to order/but one more gallon to top off the cage.
















































We did cut the excess zip ties off with wire snips to make it as clean as can be. The bioball chamber will also be level once the ceramic rings are placed underneath it.

We then added the 10 inch bubble wand, siliconing it and the air line into place.

















we used tape just to hold it into place. water was added to the holding tank on the left, the power head was turned on, and everything seemed to work pretty flawlessly so far. Of course, that's only a minute part of the project... :thumb: 

























The last few things that need finished in order to complete the sump:
1. Purchase the correct return pump.
2. Purchase the ceramic rings for under the bioballs.
3. Purchase one more gallon of bioballs.
4. Figure out what to put into the second baffle if anything as of now.
5. Measure the top and get a piece of acrylic/plastic cut to fit the top in order to reduce as much evaporation as possible.
6. purchase a new light because the 4 foot one is just a temporary thing to be able to see.

Once the sump is done, I will either move on to the stand or 75gallon. I'm leaning towards the stand because I can foresee that taking more time than drilling the 75, adding the overflow, plumbing and 3d background.

I plan to make the left holding tank a planted part of the main tank. Anyone with input on that would be wonderful. Im just going to have plants in small terra cotta pots because of the UGF. I would just like hardy plants that can deal with a lot of current.

Hope you all are enjoying the progress.

Howie


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## iwade4fish

:dancing: :dancing: :dancing: :dancing: 
opcorn: 
:thumb: 
:fish: 
=D> 
 
 
:dancing: 
:fish: 
opcorn: 
:thumb:


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## Koteckn

Well today after work I plan to add the ceramic disks, insert the completed second shelf, and measure the top of the tank and bioball chamber in order to get the acrylic cut. Ill upload as progress is made.

Howie


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## zquattrucci

java furn java moss you want fast growing plants they seem to be best for that type of system and good cover the furn best to attach to your rock or drift work the moss is a free floater it is looking good so far


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## newone757

this is awesome


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## Koteckn

Well everyone, sorry for the delay. My parents were on a 2-week vacation so I had to take care of the house and pets so really haven't had much time to work on my project. I'm hoping I have some time tonight though so I will upload any progress that is made. I did however get a friend for the remainder of my sump build (as well as my stand, plumbing, and 75gal set-up).


















haha

Also, Please let me know what you all think of the substrate that is in there with the koi. I plan to use this as my 75gal substrate unless the forum suggests otherwise. I like it b/c the pebbles are smaller, for the most part, than gravel you would purchase from your lfs and the rocks are round/smooth. I also like that the main color is a brownish sand that you would find at the bottom of lakes, but is made up of 100's of different color stones if you look closely.

Thanks for your input,

Howie


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## lilscoots

sand vs gravel aesthetically is more of a personal choice. Logistically, with gravel you've got to vacuum the **** out because it settles in the gravel. You don't notice the tank getting so dirty (until you vacuum). With sand the **** just sits on top of the sand so you notice it getting dirty. It vacuums up easily. I've done both, but prefer sand, I didn't think I'd like the look of it until I did my 90 in it. Also, most of these haps/peacocks will sift the sand which is interesting to watch. If you want your substrate in a particular order it could be aggravating as they will move it around quite a bit, but I've heard they'll move stones too. (Ugh, this reminds me I should do a water change)


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## Koteckn

The thing is, I think I want to do a few CA/SA's in the 75. So no Malawi will be present to sift. I have a few JD's that I am growing out with some congo tetras, and plan to add a few more fish that I haven't made my mind up on yet. I'm buying a 3d background, and just want to use whatever substrate that makes the tank look as aesthetically real as possible.

So which makes more sense for me? sand (white or black)? gravel (from pictures above)?

In the end it is my choice, but hearing different opinions will help out greatly.

Howie


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## Koteckn

Well everyone, the sump is basically finished and ready to go as soon as I get my main tank finished (overflow, plumbing, and 3d background) and the stand either build or bought. I'm guessing it will be complete over the next few months. Hopefully less than 2 because I have 3 juvenile JD's and 2 juvenile green terrors in a 26 bow which I know will end up as a death match in the next few months. To speed up the process, I was thinking of buying a tank/stand combo from craigslist and just sand the older stand and either paint or stain it so that it'll end up looking brand new. The plus side to this is that I would acquire another 75gal to either start as another project or give to my little brother as his fish will need a larger tank shortly as well. I will keep the thread up to date as More is completed.

Ps: wait until you guys see the paint job we just completed for the 10gal hospital tank haha (had some fun with it since it will almost never be seen). I will upload the pic of it sometime early next week as I have a bachelor party to attend all weekend :dancing: .

Howie


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## slyons93

CANT WAIT. Great job so far.


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## Koteckn

Well not much progress has been made over the past week or so but I did want to upload some things that have been completed. Nothing major but some necessary steps were made.

I will first upload the progress made with my 75gal project and also some other little things I've been up to.

The next thing I did for the sump was order a piece of 1/8" fiberglass for the top the tank (fits right on the inner lip) and this is to prevent as much evaporation as possible. I will need to cut it up in order for my airlines/wires/and pipes to go into and out of the sump but I think this will end up helping some. We bought cheap handles and 5lb. double sided tape in order to easily be able to take the top off. I think it turned out pretty good for a total of about $12.






















































I also completed my hospital/quarentine tank over the past week. The paint job was done by my good friend, sifted rocks from the multipurpose sand was used with a 100w heater and biowheel 200. All that are needed is one small piece of driftwood and a plant of two. Tell me what you guys think haha.









And finally I'm working on this 75gal project for a reason so I've decided to show you my current growout tank that has been up and running for 6-8 months. (Had some trouble with my EBJD's that were only 1/2" when I got them as some of you might remember). So my plan is to grow out a JD and a GT and then have a few EBJD's shipped to acquire a male. I may have to change my stock at that point as we all know EBJD's are much more docile than normal JD's. Im open for suggestions. I also wanted to point out that the $35 led light fixture that I just bought yesterday is well worth the money for a small tank. This is a 26gal bowfront and both the white light and moon light look great. Shimmer effect and all.























































Well, I look forward to what you all have to say and hopefully I make more progress in the next few weeks. I've decided to order my stand (should be to my house in a week or so), and also have a company drill my tank (as of now), I need to find some good oak branches and rocks, and still find the right background to purchase. I want to make the tank look like a riverbed of the natural habitat of CA/SA.

Howie.


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## Storiwyr

I LOVE the hospital tank with the first aid symbol in it! That's adorable!


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## Koteckn

Well, progress is about to take off I believe. Dad and I were debating on building or buying a stand and we decided to buy one because after material cost and labor, it ended up being cheaper going to a kitchen warehouse that my dad is a customer at for his business. $200 for the stand and countertop. The countertop was also reinforced to be solid wood with a laminate coating because of all of the weight that will be on top. Let me know what you think. I'm having trouble finding someone to drill my tank after lilscoots hooked me up with all of the schematics so I may actually have to buy a HOB overflow :? , which sucks, but will speed up the process of this tank. The only reason I am considering this is because this is my first tank project. After this one, I will drill the tank myself haha










The back is thin so it will be easy to drill and plumb the way i'd like to.









The small shelf will be removed and then the middle of the stand, front and back, will be reinforced.









The color of the top is also pretty sweet...









Well thats all for now, hopefully there is a lot of progress made over the next week or so. My dad is making a few more phone calls to see if someone is comfortable with drilling the tank, and if not I will be ordering all of the supplies so there may be a bit of a delay waiting on my supplies to arrive.

One last thing, what do you guys think of this background? Like I said, Im going for the bottom of a river/lake look.









Hopefully Ill talk to you all soon!

Howie


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## Koteckn

We'll, Here is what were working with starting tonight. Nothing on the actual tank yet but the drip tray will be completed for the sump as well as the hospital tank lid. I just wanted to give you all some updated pictures of what the stand/tank look like as well as the hospital tank that my girlfriend finished up decorating.














































Howie :thumb:


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## Koteckn

Well everyone... I just placed my order for my overflow, return pump and 3d background. Tank should be up and running in no time.

Like I've been saying, I plan to make it look like a river/pond bed with slow currents (spray bar up top from right to left and two hydor 425gph wave makers pushing water from left to right).

If anyone has any ideas/tips/thoughts to what I should add/include, please throw your ideas out there. I want a sand substrate, just haven't made my mind up with what color and type... I plan to use one tree branch from the top right of the tank draping in to the water and one 10-12" tree stump off set on the left side of the tank. Other than that, Im not sure what else I want to add. The biggest thing i'm debating is to add greenery or not to my biotope.

Any input is greatly appreciated now that the tank should hopefully be up and running in no time!

PS: if you'd like to give me some input/ideas, please do so asap because as i'm spending all of this money, I might as well buy everything else so then I can forget about it haha

Howie


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## Koteckn

Sponge and airstone installed.









drip tray drilled and notched in the corner for the airline.









8 bag of aquaclear 110 biomax on top of the airstone.









bioballs and drip tray installed. Had to place a layer of eggcrate ontop of the sponge in order for the bioballs to be level.









Everything in place other than the powerhead, substrate, and chemical filtration between the sponges and bioballs (still not sure what I will have in there) so whenever the pump, background and overflow come in everything should quickly be pieced together. I'm guessing the holes in the drip tray will need to be a little bigger as they are 1/8" now and some fine tuning will have to be done once I figure out how many gph is passing through the sump once the pump is turned on. Should be interesting. Well see what happens.

Howie


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## Koteckn

CPR100 overflow, driftwood and rio3100 all came in a few days ago. I am waiting on the 3d background which finally shipped today and should be to my house within a week. The driftwood is soaking but I will take a picture of it tonight for all of you. It is surprisingly from an online arts/crafts store and I received awesome pieces. I ordered 6 8-12" pieces of normal driftwood (3 are really cool), a 10-12" tree stump (perfect, exactly what I hoped for) and 2 tree branches to drape into my tank. Very satisfied. PM me if you'd like the website.

Howie


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## Koteckn

The pictures as I said I would upload:

soaking









everything









driftwood

















stump with the branches in the background









Tell me what you all think

Howie :thumb:


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## PaNiK

Looks like some nice pieces. I hope you get a lot of work done this weekend, I want to to see it completed


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## Koteckn

Well *** been super bust lately but I just wanted to give everyone an update. My background came in yesterday, and I also got all of the plumbing fitting/pipe that I need to plumb the tank to sump. I hope to get the background installed and tank plumbed this weekend. The last thing I need to do is figure out what substrate would look best.

designs by nature background









tank and sump









fittings and the primer and glue that I will use after calling multiply LFS in the area to make sure it would be safe once it was cured.

















Ill update as progress is made.

Howie :thumb:


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## Koteckn

Well, the tank backbround is siliconed in and the plumbing is complete. The tank is filled with water and the sump/spraybar works perfectly. I figured on 2 hours of figuring out the correct flow, and had the ball valve installed to do this, but upon priming the overflow and sump and plugging the Rio3100 and aqualift in, everything worked flawlessly. Below are some pictures of installing the background, the plumbing and the spray bar. I plan to let the tank run for a week in order to get all of the toxins out of the pipes from the glue and spray painted spray bar and then I will drain and move it into the house. This is when I will add the substrate and decor and add fish hopefully by the end of next weekend. Tell me what you guys think.






















































































































I hope you guys like the outcome so far. I am really impressed with the turn out so far. I will update as progress is made as usual.

Howie :thumb:


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## austings

The surface agitation is incredible from that spray bar. Its agitating it across the entire tank! great job. I still think you have one of the nicest sump builds ever,

That background is also very nice. Could you PM me a link where you bought it from?

I will be looking for more updates!


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## Floridagirl

Nice work. I'm looking forward to pics of the finished product!


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## Koteckn

Im just glad it went flawlessly because I was ready for the build to be complete haha now the fun part begins. Just found some salvini's at a new LFS I went to today as well so Im excited to complete it next weekend


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## Koteckn

Tonight, the tank will make the movie into the basement. I plan to clean it all very well before re-priming. The substrate and some of the driftwood will also be added tonight. Most of the decor/sponge filter from my 26gal will also be placed into the sump in order to speed up the cycling process.

Howie


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## Koteckn

The tanks set up inside. Still a little cloudy as the picture was taken as soon as it was filled and turned on. Driftwood is also in temporary positions. I plan to aquascape throughout the week as I find some rocks id like to use. Not sure of which color rocks to use if anyone has suggestions...?

Let me know what you think.

the salvinis I bought a few days ago showing great color









the tank in its final position


















Howie :dancing:


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## austings

I followed this entire build. I still think your sump is the best. I really like the stand as well. As for rocks, I would try to find some that match the background color. So, Maybe a brown-ish colored rock?

Also, is 75 gallons big enough for 3 JD and a GT?


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## Koteckn

I am only keeping 1 GT, 1 JD, 1 salvini, 1 green texas, and 1 nic as juveniles/sub adults until I decide on 1 - 3 of them to end up keeping and re-homing the others as aggression starts to rise. I just wanted to buy 2-3 fish of each to keep the most colorful of the bunch.

well see what happens now in the next few months to a year...

And thanks for the compliments, if you decide to build one and have questions, feel free to contact me.

Howie


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## fusion

Great job, im in the process of setting up a 83 gal with a sump, if it turns out half as good as yours ill be happy


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## austings

Koteckn said:


> I am only keeping 1 GT, 1 JD, 1 salvini, 1 green texas, and 1 nic as juveniles/sub adults until I decide on 1 - 3 of them to end up keeping and re-homing the others as aggression starts to rise. I just wanted to buy 2-3 fish of each to keep the most colorful of the bunch.
> 
> well see what happens now in the next few months to a year...
> 
> And thanks for the compliments, if you decide to build one and have questions, feel free to contact me.
> 
> Howie


Your design, has made me decide to build one. Haha. *** been working on a 65 gallon bow front that I recently got. I've been browsing craigslist like a motha trying to find a tank for a sump.

Another quick question, and I apologize for asking so many. But, what kind of foam did you use in the sump? Are those just foam sponges for scrubbin dishes?


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## Koteckn

I actually used sites like amazon.com and ebay.com and bought rolls/length (whatever I could find in the ppi that I wanted) of different ppi foam for ponds and tanks and cut it to size once the baffels were siliconed in and platforms were made. Just search pond media and aquarium media... multiple searches were done in order to find something I wanted or at least close to what I wanted. Hours of research were done in order to complete the darn thing haha. Good luck and no worries, Ill answer any questions that I can.


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## fusion

austings said:


> Koteckn said:
> 
> 
> 
> I am only keeping 1 GT, 1 JD, 1 salvini, 1 green texas, and 1 nic as juveniles/sub adults until I decide on 1 - 3 of them to end up keeping and re-homing the others as aggression starts to rise. I just wanted to buy 2-3 fish of each to keep the most colorful of the bunch.
> 
> well see what happens now in the next few months to a year...
> 
> And thanks for the compliments, if you decide to build one and have questions, feel free to contact me.
> 
> Howie
> 
> 
> 
> Your design, has made me decide to build one. Haha. I've been working on a 65 gallon bow front that I recently got. I've been browsing craigslist like a motha trying to find a tank for a sump.
> 
> Another quick question, and I apologize for asking so many. But, what kind of foam did you use in the sump? Are those just foam sponges for scrubbin dishes?
Click to expand...

Dont forget that $1/gal sale is on right now, great time to buy a tank for a sump :thumb:


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## Koteckn

starting to clear up after 24 hours. I'm guessing itll take about a week or so to get the water to where I want it and up to 2 weeks to get it aquascaped the way id like it.


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## PaNiK

Looks really nice man, how is the flow with the rio? Mine should be delivered tomorrow.


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## Koteckn

The pump is very powerful. I didn't think it would be able to do what it does. It just takes some play with the spray-bar to get the current that you want. Good luck and I can answer any other questions that you'd have as I told austings. I think you'll be just as impressed as I was with the rio. The only thing that could be different is the suction cups, they are awkwardly tall..? You'll see what I mean.


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## PaNiK

I was looking over your sump and noticed that your baffles are pretty high, have you power failure tested it to see if there is enough space for the continued overflow and siphoning?


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## Koteckn

Yep, everything works as i've tested by shutting everything off at once. I have a ball valve to add to the output (to prime my overflow so theres no sound) and a check valve to add to the input (so no siphon occurs) just to be certain in the future as well.

Tonight I added a geo Tapajos II, male nic, and green texas, as my LFS had everything that I wanted during one visit. ,Everything is getting along well now butI know aggression/death is inevitable . I plan to make the decision to what to keep in the future as they grow out and show color. A LFS will take the fish that I decide to not keep.

My salvinis and green terrors are in my now 'quarantine tank" being treated with melafix for open sores (from the LFS) and nipped fins from having too many fish in a smaller tank. I plan to add them to the 75 as well and monitor closely in the next week or two. Im not positive on what few fish I want to keep in the end but I have some choices that will fill my tank nicely. Any experience/thoughts are greatly appreciated.

Howie


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## Koteckn

You can't really see much, but here's a tank shot with some of the juvies in there. I plan to add some rock-work tonight and will take some closer pictures of them. Most aren't showing color yet as I said they are still young, but I will most likely update less often now that the build is basically done, maybe every 2 weeks to a month so growth shows.


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## austings

Looks good. Time to start your next project! I enjoyed following this thread. Keep us updated!


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## PaNiK

Can you post a close up of your rio plumbing? I think mine is missing a part I can't quite figure it out


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## PaNiK

me again, nevermind the plumbing, i worked that out, I would however like to see the sump while operating to see how the water level in the bio balls worked out. thanks!


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## austings

I would also like to see the sump operating.


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## Koteckn

Here is the sump in operation. It isnt the best video because of the glare and also I had to use my phone. If you have any questions please ask. In the first chamber I have my seeded sponge filter that I plan to leave in there to seed other tanks in the future. I also have a submersible UV sterilizer in there as well, running for the first week of set up non-stop and then for 24 hours a week after that. Sponges in the second chamber. Carbon, seeded biomax and 300w heater in the third chamber. Two strips of filter floss (reduced flow too much in the second chamber) on top of my drip tray, 3 gallons of bio balls, 8 bags of biomax (ac110), 10" bubble bar under the biomax and polishing sponge in the fourth chamber. Finally my rio 3100 in the last chamber. I added a union on the return pipe so that I can easily take the plumbing apart if maintenance needs to be done.





Here is the first video of the fish as well, that I plan to update either bi-weekly or monthly depending on how busy I am with work, their growth rate and other activities.





If you would like a video of the entire tank/overflow plumbing/return plumbing. Please just let me know.

I wasnt sure how to embed the videos into my thread so if someone would like to explain that, Id appreciate it.

Howie


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## Koteckn

So, last night I noticed my aqualift clogged up and my siphon for the overflow was only half as efficient and making a gurgling noise every 5 minutes or so. I fixed it by shutting my system off, running vinegar/hot water through the tubes, and then taking apart to make sure all of the gunk was out. Does anyone have any experience with CRP overflows/aqualifts? I tried to insert a cut sponge into the output of the tank where the water enters the overflow and it reduced the flow way too much. Does anyone have additional ideas to filter the water (some) before it gets to the aqualift tubing?

Thanks in advance,

Howie


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## austings

I have read about people using the gutter guards, that are used to keep leafs's and other debris out of gutters. I was also thinking maybe you could DIY a drip plate, that would sit on top of the drain? *** never built a sump, as you know im in the process of working on mine. But thats a couple ideas *** had.


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## PaNiK

I was looking into your type do overflow because they look cool, my searches turned up your problem, and I mostly found a lot of griping, and pro u tube style talk. So I do not have one, but if I did the first thing I would try would be rigging up some pantyhose


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## Koteckn

I like the idea of panty hose. I will either try that or some cheese cloth. Tonight I will be doing the first water change and adding my stone to the mix so the aquascaping will be, lets say, 80% done. The last thing i need to do is add some fake plants. Id like some floating and some wedged behind some of my rocks/driftwood. Does anyone have some good sites/recommendations on the realest looking fake plants. The previous plants I've had just look too fake for my show tank in the living room. Any recommendations are greatly appreciated as I'm excited to finish the build completely.

Howie


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## Koteckn

Well the rocks are in as a temporary set up until my fish start to get larger. Please tell me what you think of the set up. I personally think it looks pretty natural. I have to take out to add the 10" tree stump whenever it finally sinks (been soaking for a month), and figure out some type of plants to use.

This is my dusk/dawn light and also makes the tank look more like a blackwater biotope.









This is when both my lights are on and really brightens the tank up drastically. I normally put both lights on mid-day with the dusk light on a few hours before and after.









And heres a video with both lights on so depth etc. can be seen.





I hope everyone enjoys.

Howie :thumb:


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## austings

Nice tank! I enjoyed following your build. Looking forward to your next project and up coming updates


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## PaNiK

Oh cool, I dont recall you mentioning the power heads. What type are they? Are you happy with them? I've been trying to decide whether or not to go with undergravel jets, or with some koralia nanos.


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## Koteckn

mine are hydor nano 425s? or 450s I cant remember. Very happy with them as I wanted slow current in my tank like a slow moving stream. They do a pretty good job for being as small as they are.


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## Koteckn

Well, everything is going good so far and since a lot of people have looked through and commented on this post, I am just going to update all of my progress with everything in here. I made some progress this weekend with my tanks and I wanted to share with you all. First, I have my 26 gallon recycling, with seeded media in one AC 50 and bought another AC 50 for this tank. I plan to let my gf stock it and hope she chooses tangs as I would like to have some smaller shellies etc. To the right is my quarantine/hospital tank. This is also being cycled but without seeded media as of now. I plan to add some biomax from the 75 gallon in a week or two.










I also added the last fish to the 75gal. Now the pecking order/personal taste has to happen. This tank is way overstocked as they grow, but is fine right now as they are all juvies. There is hardly no fighting and when there is, the aggression is spread so much that it's not a problem at all. To this point, fish have only lip locked once (JD and Geo lol). The new fish is a 2.5" black striped pike. He was very timid at first but now is a blast to watch.









Sorry for the glare.

If anyone would like to see better pics/videos please let me know. Also, if anyone has any questions I check here often so should answer them within 24 hours.

Howie :thumb:


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## Koteckn

Added my tree branches so it looks like they are hanging into the water from above. Tell me what you think.

Full Lighting (both lights)









Dusk/dawn Lights









Right side looking in









Left side









Close-up of the pike and one of the GTs. Notice how the $3 per bag sifted gravel looks.









Howie


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## lilscoots

Very nice.


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## Koteckn

I just wanted to update how I placed my branches in the tank. Also, as you can see my fish are much more comfortable and using the entire tank for swimming.


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## PaNiK

How is your sump working? Have you made any adjustments?


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## Koteckn

No adjustments really at all. I just took out one of the filter floss layers in my mech filtration baffle. Other than that, everything is exactly the same. I went on vacation for the past week and my dad took care of my fish. Untreated water was added 2 days ago, about a gallon so nothing happened and I made sure to treat it and am doing a scrub and 40% water change today. He also left the lights on from morning to night, so needless to say, I have a ton of algae to work with now. My tree stump finally sank after about ~6 weeks so I think I will be adding that today and taking out some rockwork.

Ill also add some pictures once i'm finished.

Here we go Steelers!

Howie


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## Koteckn

Well, I wanted to give everyone an update. The tank was re-scaped over the past few days and today some of the fish are going back to the LFS. I plan on taking out a total of 4 fish (2 JDs, 1 GT and 1 Salvini). I am going to add a severum tonight as well, please give me some ideas of which one to shoot for since I have no experience with them.

I also plan to order 2 plecos tonight, any awesome pleco websites would be greatly appreciated. Im going to order a blue phantom and a gold nugget and then rehome my bristlenose. Would this be ok? and will the new plecos keep algae under control? or should I add some snails tonight to the mix? If snails is a good idea, could someone give me some examples of snails that wont breed like rabbits? Thanks

So here's how my tank looks and some of the fish that I will be keeping in the mix as of 10/10/12.

The new scape at feeding time.










Stump finally added on the right side.










2 close-ups



















and some close ups of specific fish

Salvini that is staying










Green Terror (staying)










and the Green Texas, also staying until he starts to become the bruiser, which is inevitable.










I was told it was a Green Texas, and I know its young at 1"-1.5", but can anyone confirm this or is it just a normal texas?

Thanks

Howie :thumb:


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## Koteckn

Well I guess everyone was busy or just didn't feel like popping in. Anyways, tonight I purchased a, what I believe to be, green severum for my main 75gal. I also purchased a 3" yellow regal for my brothers all male tank that he's starting. I also purchased a 3.5" royal pleco thats currently in the quarantine tank, that will end up first in the 75gal before the gold nugget and blue phantom. The royal will end up being re-homed in the end.

I, of course, took back the 4 fish from my previous post (2 JDs, 1 GT and ! Salvini).

Pics will be up, hopefully, in the morning.

Howie.


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## Koteckn

Well as I said, I wanted to show the additions.

Could someone confirm that this is, what I was told, a Green Severum? Thanks

Also, most of my fish have eaten right away for the most part upon adding them to the tank, its been ~12 hours, I've fed twice in the time, and the Sev still hasn't eaten... This can be normal in most cases, right?



















and this is the Royal Pleco, thats in the quarantine tank for the next few weeks.



















Howie


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## Koteckn

And finally, probably the last future addition to my 75gal. A Blue phantom (L128), about 2.5" currently, being quarantined with the royal. I hope this time around, it is healthy and not sick as my first one was when i brought it home.

Does anyone know the best way to spot if a pleco is unhealthy? I know its common for them to take a few days to eat properly, I also know to keep an eye out on its stomach. Any other tips or tricks?

Also, what are some ways to treat a pleco with a sunken belly/other illness just for future reference?










Thanks!

Howie


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## austings

Isnt the sunken belly usually a sign of worms? If Im correct, then i would get a deworming product and keep it on hand.

Side note, that pleco is awesome looking. I have been thinking about getting a L102 snowball pleco.


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## Koteckn

two more pictures:


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## UNIDEKE

Looks like a Severum, and I would say yes that it's a Green. The blue highlights might be more intense because of your lights or picture.


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## PaNiK

any updates?


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## Koteckn

Well, there were a few updates. First, I took my Pike and Green Texas back to my LFS as they were beginning to pick at a few of my less aggressive fish. I added my L-191 into my main tank. It was picked at a little in the first few days and now there are no problems associated with it.

The 6 multis are doing wonderfully. The amount of substrate they move is so shocking to me. I added ~12-15 more shells for them to claim and this has drastically increased their activity level. Awesome fish to watch.

My quarantine tank is now only housing my L-128 as I've let nature take its course with the mollie parents/fry that I had. They ended up in my 75 gal a few nights ago where they didn't last for more than 2 minutes. The L-128 is about 3" and is still very skinny. He doesn't have a sunken stomach or anything like that, just seems pretty skinny to me. Any ideas on how to bulk up a pleco quickly? I'd really like to add him to my main tank but don't want to take the risk of him being chewed up as I drop him in.

Thanks in advance and I will upload some pictures/videos of the progress of my tank and fish in the next few nights.

Howie


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## Koteckn

Well, I promised an update so here you go.

First is a tank shot, took some rock/drift out to add some more swimming space and moved the powerheads on the left side of the tank (not shown in pic). I also took out the fake looking floating plants and added more realistic ones. I like the change and I'm happy with the new appearance of them.









Next is a few pics of my fish as they have grown a bit since the last upload.



























I'm so surprised that this congo tetra in the background hasn't been made dinner yet (the other was chewed to shreds within 48 hours of moving all the fish to this tank).









He was still sleeping when I took this one.









Let me know what you think.

Howie :thumb:


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## Koteckn

I just wanted to update my transfer of my Blue Phantom this weekend from quarantine to the show tank. The transition went smooth and he is very active.

I'm not sure if my 3 plecos will work out in the long run (3" bushynose male, 4" royal, 3" blue phantom) as I have little to no experience in keeping multiple plecos in the same tank. I'm not too sure if they become aggressive/territorial so any input on that would be greatly appreciated.


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## Dexter.

Nice tank. Love the plecos. I've been looking around for some different plecos, I just find them very interesting. I have three in a 20L right now while I re-do my 75...a large 4" bushy nose, a rubbernose, and clown pleco both about 2.5". They don't really seem to bother eachother. So long as they have some spots to get into and cover up they do fine. I almost never see my clown pleco, the rubbernose doesn't get off the glass, and the bushynose just lurks about and eats nearly everything on the floor of the tank lol. I've only ever seen them get aggressive when they accidentally came into contact while eating some wafers off the bottom of the tank. I'm sure you'll be fine with them in a large tank.


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## Koteckn

haha My bristlenose does the exact same thing...


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## Koteckn

No update on the 75gal as of now but everything is going well and all the fish are eating great and healthy. Here is the last addition that will be placed into the 75 once it grows out a bit. I'm not sure it will make it with my 3-4" SA/CAs and 4-5" green severum as of now (it's 2"). If it would work now, maybe they'll get along since the red spot gold severum isn't a threat to any of them? Let me know if that's the case.

Here it is (mind the dirty glass, it's just my quarantine tank)









Also, here are some pics of my 20L shellie tank that has 6 multis and 4 nerite snails. Let me know what you think and any input is appreciated.





































Thanks,

-H


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## Koteckn

Well, my multis are starting to breed now as there are some fry near the one shell. Also, the gf bought me a led fixture for christmas so I will update my photos of my tank and inhabitants tonight or over the weekend. The glimmer of the led's on a deeper, larger tank looks spectacular... especially with the spray bar.

Thanks to everyone for following my build and updates to my 75gal.  It's been an awesome journey so far and hopefully it stays that way in the future.

I also may take back my nic and geo tonight and possibly purchase something a little different (recommendations are welcome). I'm also adding my half-dollar size red spot gold severum tonight as he's healed from ick and seems to be much happier and healthy. He's not nearly as shy as he used to be and now greets me every morning and evening at feeding time. I plan to add the new sev and additional fish I buy at the same time in order to spread aggression if there is any.

Thanks again!

- H


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## Koteckn

Well, I just wanted to update whats going on with the tank. First full clean of the sump and 50% water change a week later, water is crystal clear again with no debris coming back from the sump. I added a filter sock on the input side which really helps collect the debris before entering the sump mechanical filtration. The sump has also been flawless incase anyone was thinking about a design like mine.

Another nice change is the led light that took the place of the 20 year old tube light. Just a marineland 36" but it really helps add depth and shadows in the corners which I happen to like. I also use a colormax t8 when company comes over to accent their color and make their colors pop.

I also bought a nikon dslr for the gf so the pictures Ill be uploading will be better than the normal phone shots I was uploading before. I hope you enjoy and Ill also be updating the shellie tank as well.

*Input/recommendations are always welcome.*

-H





































the two 'more exotic' plecos of the three









couldn't get a very good pic of any of the plecos and the salvini wouldn't leave his cave. Ill update more in the future.


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## lilscoots

Very nice, glad to hear the sump works well. Someday I'll have to set up a shell-dweller tank, they look entertaining.


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## thatbb6

The tank and sump look amazing. Do you have high-res pics?


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## Koteckn

I can try to update the tank and sump pictures (maybe tomorrow). Is there anything specific you're looking for or would just like to see better quality images of the set-up?

- H


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## Koteckn

I haven't had a chance to take higher res pictures of my set-up yet but hopefully will get to that once my gf brings her camera back over.

I do have a question however...

I found a 4" Green Terror (what I want to be my centerpiece fish) that was only $12. The catch is that it was in a mixed CA/SA tank and wasn't getting any food during feeding time. It does have pretty severe sunken belly but I believe that this is from not getting to the food in time.

He is starting to eat, and I'm feeding him the same diet as my main tank but after ~5 days he's not eating ferociously and still has a slight sunken stomach. I added an additional scoop of salt and did a 50% water change on my 10gal quarantine tank Sunday.

Is there anything else I should be doing or still just monitoring him to see if his stomach starts to get better over the next couple of days.

Any ideas or input would be wonderful as I've never had to deal with sunken belly before and I'm not sure if this is the eating problem or something greater (parasite/sickness).

Thanks!

- H


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## Koteckn

Any ideas/recommendations from my previous post? Ill try to upload a picture of the fish later today or tomorrow but it's stomach seems to be getting a little better but like i said, Its stomach is still a bit sunken.

It is starting to eat a little better but isn't eating everything I drop in. My smaller JD is eating more than him which worries me as the GT is close to 4.5-5" now which is larger than my JD.

Is there anything that this fish may pass on to my other fish if I were to add him to my main 75gallon? My 75 has perfect water chemistry and BB and all my fish are strong, healthy and eat very well.

Every fish I've moved from my quarantine to the 75gal has done much better.

Thanks for your input,

- H


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## lilscoots

I'd start a new post in the health illness section, you'd likely get an answer then.


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## Koteckn

a little update if anyone is still interested. A little shaky and taken with my phone but you'll get the jist. Just switch it to hd.






- H


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## lilscoots

That background is nice, I like the fish as well. What's the orange fish (sorry don't know new world at all)?


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## Koteckn

Red Spot Gold Severum.


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## Captain AP

This really is a wonderful project. I believe I will be starting (attempting) my first 6 foot tank with sump soon. This has really motivated me and given me lots of ideas.

:thumb:

Thanks!


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## Koteckn

Just a little update. Not the best picture. Just finish re-aquascaping (added a lot more plants and took out the largest rock) and doing a water change which is why the water isn't crystal clear and the fish are hiding. I will update again soon with hd pictures/video. Overall, i'm happy with the added greenery and my fish seem to be healthy and growing fast.

Let me know what you think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J04cpYY ... e=youtu.be
Switch it to hd










Thanks,

- H


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## lilscoots

Very nice.


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## Koteckn

Well, I haven't updated in awhile and I just remembered. While I don't have the pictures to add right now, I do have a teaser I took yesterday of my L191 - Royal. I will further update as I take some better pictures of my livestock.










Have a great weekend everyone! Go Pens!

- Howie


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## ratbones86

You will end up taking the plant in the center down or moving it. I did with mine. Stayed to get allot of algae on it and it would fall off and go all around the tank. Just a heads up for you on that. Looks good though


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## Koteckn

Well, on 7/10/13, I did a large w/c and with that, I re-aquascaped, added my second EBJD and my Red Spot Gold Severum back into the main tank after healing him. I re-homed my 6" JD so the RSGS and juvenile EBJD's were not harassed.
My stock list is now up to date and correct in my signature (75gal)
I will add updated photos of the tank itself as well as the fish tonight or tomorrow.

*Now for a few questions*, hopefully my most aggressive fish, in the end will be a EBJD (hopefully one makes it and is rather timid), will I be able to add some dithers? I moved from a fairly aggressive tank to a, for the most part, peaceful tank for the first time.

I'd like to add some colorful rainbow fish (5 max; 5 different males) or 10 or so large colorful tetras (maybe some congo's?), to swim near the top. Any input on some colorful rainbows or tetras that are large enough to not be eaten would be awesome.

Another question I was debating is adding some bottom feeders. The problem here is I already have 3 plecos, a bristlenose, royal and blue phantom. Would I be able to add 3 or so clown loaches (juvenile as I know they grow rather large over time) or something along those lines without stressing them out? If not, how do you feel about adding one more pleco, a gold nugget or green phantom.

Any and all input is appreciated!

- H


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## Koteckn

Hopefully these will help me get some input from the previous post haha. Here are some updates as i've promised. Long overdue at that...
Sorry for the water spots.




























Spotted Green Severum - Heros severus


















Red Spot Gold Severum - Heros severus









Rotkeil Severum - Heros sp. 'rotkeil'



























The 2 Juvie EBJD's, haven't had luck with any of these yet so I'm hoping at least one makes it.



























Albino Bristlenose - L144









Royal - L191


















still don't believe this is a blue phantom... L128?









Hope you all enjoy.

- H


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## Koteckn

> Now for a few questions, hopefully my most aggressive fish, in the end will be a EBJD (hopefully one makes it and is rather timid), will I be able to add some dithers? I moved from a fairly aggressive tank to a, for the most part, peaceful tank for the first time.
> 
> I'd like to add some colorful rainbow fish (5 max; 5 different males) or 10 or so large colorful tetras (maybe some congo's?), to swim near the top. Any input on some colorful rainbows or tetras that are large enough to not be eaten would be awesome.
> 
> Another question I was debating is adding some bottom feeders. The problem here is I already have 3 plecos, a bristlenose, royal and blue phantom. Would I be able to add 3 or so clown loaches (juvenile as I know they grow rather large over time) or something along those lines without stressing them out? If not, how do you feel about adding one more pleco, a gold nugget or green phantom.


Bump.


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## austings

As far as the clown loaches go, I don't think I would add them. IME, they are easily stressed out, and they do better in larger groups. I dont see a problem with another pleco.


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## Koteckn

Just a little update.
As for the severums, the green spotted is getting rather large now but has slowed down drastically in growth. The Rotkeil is also growing rapidly and seems to be catching up to his older brother. Unfortunately, my red spotted severum would only thrive in my Q-tank. I moved him back and forth for a month or two with no success so he was rehomed to the fish store. I actually think he was a she which is why she was always showing signs of internal parasites. I believe she was being picked on when the lights were off or my back was turned.

As for the plecos, i've found out the hard way that even in a 75gal, plecos can be very territorial. My L144 went missing and was never found, even after countless water changes and re-aquascaping. A few days after I noticed the L144 was missing, I went to feed my fish to find my beautiful L191 dead right in the middle of my tank. I'm not positive what happened to these two plecos but all I know is that they were eating well, the L191 was always latched on to some driftwood and all three loved their cucumber/zucchini treats. The L128 is still alive and thriving, although the growth rate hasn't been the best (not sure if it is in-fact an L128 for this reason) so my guess is that he/she killed the other two plecos for more territory. If you guys have any other input on this dilemma i've expierenced, i'd love to hear it. My plan is to either keep the L128 (or whatever it is) or rehome it and try my luck with a gold nugget and green phantom. Not sure exactly what I want to do yet. I'd love to have some input on this as well.

The rainbows were great until I realized that as they grow larger, the produce a ton of waste. At every moment of the day, one of the seven would be defecating, or at least that's what it seemed like to me. I rehomed 5 of my rainbows and kept the two bosemani's. I plan to add one or two more in the near future.

As for the sump, it's been running for over a year now and I still have yet to have any issues with my design (knocks on wood).

Here are a few updated pics. They are with my phone and were taken in a hurry so they aren't the best. I just wanted to show you how everything's been going and get this thread out there again.




























Let me know if any of you have any questions or concerns or would just like to learn more about how my set-up functions etc.

Thanks :thumb: 
- H


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