# Upgrade!!!



## timbo6684 (Aug 29, 2010)

Here's my new 150 with corner overflows...well rechnically it's like 167gallons. Just needs a little cleaning and I need to figure out how to setup a trickle filter large enough to be the only filter. Couldn't pass this up for $200.


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## CjCichlid (Sep 14, 2005)

Great pickup for $200! What's going in it?.. Please don't say Africans!


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## timbo6684 (Aug 29, 2010)

Currently I have
2 OBs of different color variants
Firefish
German Red
Red Shoulder
Albino Peacock
Bi Color 500

Looking to add
Ngara Flametail
Sulphurhead Peacock
Lemon Jake
Star Sapphire
Blue Dolphin
Venustus
Deep Water Hap

I feel like a kid in a candy store trying to figure out what I want.


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## chiroken (Sep 25, 2007)

$200??? Wow, call the authorities! Great steal.


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## joehorse20 (Mar 11, 2013)

Great deal, but love the red baron kite, almost bought it today in Barnes and Noble!


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## amulletman (Mar 6, 2013)

That's going to look great. Congrats


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## JimA (Nov 7, 2009)

Good deal man!


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## ozman (Sep 7, 2012)

wow what a bargain, i should be so lucky! thats going to look awesome


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## fishing12 (Dec 15, 2012)

timbo6684 said:


> Currently I have
> 2 OBs of different color variants
> Firefish
> German Red
> ...


I have a lot of that stock in my 180 and I'm loving it and sure you will as well! Congrats on the great deal and make sure you keep the pictures updated. Good luck!


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## timbo6684 (Aug 29, 2010)

It's becoming very clear that finding a used trickle filter large enough to accommodate this tank will be very difficult. I do not have enough time or knowhow to diy a sump so I've been looking at the eshopps 300. Anyone have experience using these?


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## timbo6684 (Aug 29, 2010)

joehorse20 said:


> Great deal, but love the red baron kite, almost bought it today in Barnes and Noble!


Almost lost the kite today lol. I added 500 more feet of string and the wind was so strong it tore apart my knot. Luckily the kite came down a few feet short of the local quarry.


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## b3w4r3 (Dec 14, 2012)

timbo6684 said:


> It's becoming very clear that finding a used trickle filter large enough to accommodate this tank will be very difficult. I do not have enough time or knowhow to diy a sump so I've been looking at the eshopps 300. Anyone have experience using these?


I'm using a 5 gallon bucket for my wet/dry. It's easy to set up and pretty inexpensive. For yours 2 buckets would probably be best to ensure there is enough bio area (and you have two overflows so perfect). Here's a link on how to set it up. http://www.aquariumlife.net/projects/diy-filter/111.asp Just make sure that the buckets sit above the water line in the sump. Actually having the bottom inch or so below the water doesn't hurt and makes less noise.

As far as the eshopps go they seem to be ok filters. There really isn't much to a wet dry so as long as it has enough bio area, and doesn't leak it's good.


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## fishing12 (Dec 15, 2012)

timbo6684 said:


> It's becoming very clear that finding a used trickle filter large enough to accommodate this tank will be very difficult. I do not have enough time or knowhow to diy a sump so I've been looking at the eshopps 300. Anyone have experience using these?


I just purchased and eshopps WD-150CS and will be setting it up today. Spoke with another customer at the LFS who had one and he loves it. It seems well made except for the return nozzle, its a little cheeply made but everything else seems pretty good. Going to be using a 700 gph pump with this unit. Wished I could tell you more but its not running yet.


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## timbo6684 (Aug 29, 2010)

b3w4r3 said:


> timbo6684 said:
> 
> 
> > It's becoming very clear that finding a used trickle filter large enough to accommodate this tank will be very difficult. I do not have enough time or knowhow to diy a sump so I've been looking at the eshopps 300. Anyone have experience using these?
> ...


With that five gallon bucket design how do you clean or replace the filter floss?


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## b3w4r3 (Dec 14, 2012)

timbo6684 said:


> With that five gallon bucket design how do you clean or replace the filter floss?


Just take off the top and lift out the drip tray. I used a different style lid that snaps on, Home Depot has them in the paint section. I just snap two sides so it's easier to get off. I only have about 2 inches of clearance at the top.

You could also just cut off most of the tabs of the normal tops to make it easier. Leave one on each side would be enough to hold it in place.


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## timbo6684 (Aug 29, 2010)

b3w4r3 said:


> timbo6684 said:
> 
> 
> > With that five gallon bucket design how do you clean or replace the filter floss?
> ...


Do you do this during water changes when water wouldn't be going through the system or did you use some type of valve around the bulkhead to stop the flow of water?


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## b3w4r3 (Dec 14, 2012)

I actually clean mine the day after the water change, after it has had time to catch all the gunk stirred up. I also used an elbow on top instead of the straight bulkhead in the picture, but that's because I don't have room for the hose to go straight up. All you do is turn off the return pump. Once the water level in the tank drops to the bottom of the grooves in the overflow water will not be flowing through the bucket (unless your overflows have a hole in them below the slots).


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## timbo6684 (Aug 29, 2010)

b3w4r3 said:


> timbo6684 said:
> 
> 
> > It's becoming very clear that finding a used trickle filter large enough to accommodate this tank will be very difficult. I do not have enough time or knowhow to diy a sump so I've been looking at the eshopps 300. Anyone have experience using these?
> ...


I think I'm gonna try this diy setup...still debating though and trying to figure out the whole system first. I'm thinking of using a 55 gal sump with two of 5 gallon buckets. I like the idea of having a larger sump to battle the water loss issue. The things I'm not sure about 1-the part where it says to drill just enough holes in the drip tray, is that difficult to figure out? 2-what kind of bulkhead did you use for the lid? 3-do I have to use rigid pvc or can I use flexible tubing for the intakes and returns? 4-what size pump would you recommend for dual returns, and along the same line how do I split the pump to the two returns? Thanks for your advice and help in advance!


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## b3w4r3 (Dec 14, 2012)

The drip pan doesn't need as many holes as he drilled in the example. I drilled 1/4 inch holes in mine about 1 inch apart.

I did not use a bulkhead, but you could use one if you like. I used a holesaw to drill an 1 1/4 inch hole in the center of the top. Then I used an 1 1/4 elbow connected to a short piece of pvp pipe about 2 1/2 inches long. The hole is very snug so I just stuck the pipe in it and it stays there just fine. You could add another fitting to the inside to make sure it can't pull out if you wanted. Flexible hose is what you want to connect to the overflow, and you can get an 1 1/4 NPT to hose connection for the elbow. If you used PVC you wouldn't be able to take the top off.

For the pump you could go a few different ways. One way would be to use a 5/8 return hose, and use a Y splitter to make the one line into two near the top. Another option would be to use two pumps, one for each return. You could also get away with only one return and block one of the return holes if you wanted. The pump you need should be able to maintain around 800 gph+ at whatever height your tank is. Probably a mag 12 or similar would do.

I just did my water change today, and plan to replace the filter media tomorrow so I'll snap some pics of how I have it set up, and how the holes are drilled.


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## fishing12 (Dec 15, 2012)

b3w4r3 what are you using for your drip tray filter material and can it be purchased in bulk on Ebay or somewhere?


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## b3w4r3 (Dec 14, 2012)

fishing12 said:


> b3w4r3 what are you using for your drip tray filter material and can it be purchased in bulk on Ebay or somewhere?


I'm just using an unwoven 100 micron pad on the bottom. I bought enough to cut two pieces out of it so I can swap them and clean the dirty one for use the next week. I have tried different things on top of the micron pad, filter floss, quilt batting, but currently use a blue and white bonded pad. Same thing I have two and swap them, but it doesn't really trap much. Poret foam would probably be better for the top layer, and I may try some soon.

Both can be cleaned using a pressure attachment on a garden hose, and should last a very long time before needing replacement.


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## timbo6684 (Aug 29, 2010)

b3w4r3 said:


> I just did my water change today, and plan to replace the filter media tomorrow so I'll snap some pics of how I have it set up, and how the holes are drilled.


Thanks opcorn:


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## timbo6684 (Aug 29, 2010)

I've been using a razor blade to remove hard water and nerite eggs from this tank...anyone have tips or tricks to make this easier? The problem with the nerite eggs is they are on the corner overflows which are plastic and I can't go too crazy with the blade. Thanks


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## b3w4r3 (Dec 14, 2012)

As promised here are the pics. These first two show how I have the elbow set up. It's 1 1/4 inch pvc, but you want to match whatever your bulkhead drains are. You can see the nylon hose barb fitting screwed into the elbow with the hose attached. The elbow has threads on that side and slip fitting on the other. Like I said I just pushed the pipe into the hole I drilled and it stays put, but you could add a coupling to hold it better if you wanted. Might have to cut the coupling a bit so that it doesn't stick down too far and hit the drip pan.



















This is how I have the pads set up. It's important to let the micron pad stick up on the sides like this to prevent it from flowing over the pad and down the side. You can see the bonded pad on top is all but useless, need to try something else, maybe poret foam.










This is a shot of how I drilled the holes. You can see the eggcrate which sits a little off of the bottom. This ensures that the whole pad is used for filtration, and not just the part above the holes.










This last one is what the micron pad looks like after one week when I change it. Removing this much solid waste every week goes a long way toward keeping nitrates low, and water quality high.










Hope this helps, let me know if you have any more questions.


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## fishing12 (Dec 15, 2012)

Nice improvising! That sure is a dirty filter pad for a week! Seeing this is making me check mine as it has been running a week, thanks!


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## timbo6684 (Aug 29, 2010)

Thanks, I really appreciate your help. I'm starting to clean and paint the stand and tank so once I get to the actual point of setting up my wet dry I'm sure I'll have more questions. Do the upper ribs on the outside of the bucket prop the bucket up or did you have to build some type of stand to hold the bucket out of the water in the sump?


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## theoryguru (Oct 11, 2011)

awesome score, congrats!!! :thumb:


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## b3w4r3 (Dec 14, 2012)

timbo6684 said:


> Thanks, I really appreciate your help. I'm starting to clean and paint the stand and tank so once I get to the actual point of setting up my wet dry I'm sure I'll have more questions. Do the upper ribs on the outside of the bucket prop the bucket up or did you have to build some type of stand to hold the bucket out of the water in the sump?


No problem, glad I can help. I'm using a 20 gallon high and the front to back is 12.5 inches so the ribs on the bucket sit right on the tank trim holding it up off the bottom about 5 inches which works great for me. If the tank you are using is wider you will have to use something to raise the bucket. You want it so that the bucket sits in the water only 1 to 2 inches. You can raise the bucket higher, but having it a little in the water cuts the noise from the water falling. I also drilled 4 holes in the side of the bucket with my 1.5 inch hole saw about 1/2 way up to let air in and out.


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## timbo6684 (Aug 29, 2010)

when I set up the sump do the pipes running to each five gallon bucket need to be the same length on each side? and along the same idea does the return tubing need to be equal on both sides? Also should I put both five gallon buckets on one side and the return pump on the other or can I put the buckets on each end with the pump in the middle?


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## b3w4r3 (Dec 14, 2012)

Any of those options will work. It's not critical to have everything perfectly balanced. If one bucket flows a little more water than the other it won't be a problem. Returns of different length might make one side flow a little faster than the other, but that's ok really. If you wanted you could use a valve to choke the faster line and balance things out, but again it's not really a problem. Ease of maintenance is more important to me. Make sure you can remove the lids, and remove the drip pans without having to fight with hoses.

When you remove the lids you want to be able to have something to catch any water that might sit in the drain lines. That's why in the one picture you see the pipe sitting in the soda bottle. Also if you have the lids off and put your arm, or anything, into the tank the water will rise a bit and more water will come through the drain line, so be prepared for that.


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## timbo6684 (Aug 29, 2010)

b3w4r3 can you help me figure out how tall my durso standpipe should be? *** seen plenty of diagrams and it looks simple to put together I'm just not sure how tall it should be. My original 55gal idea isn't going to work for the diy wet dry because there isn't enough room but I found a 40 long which was perfect but as many criagslist deals go it didn't work out. So as I'm waiting to find another tank I found a cpr 3000 wet dry for dirt cheap. My question is do i have to use the recommended gph or can I use less? For this filter the recommended flow rate is 2400gph but i only need something in the 1200 range.


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## b3w4r3 (Dec 14, 2012)

I don't think the height on the stand pipe is too critical. You want it to be high enough that the water in the overflow doesn't drop too far which will create excess noise. I would say try setting the center of the T about 2 inches below the grooves in your overflows. You can test everything running without gluing the stand pipes and make adjustments as necessary, but 2 inches should be fine.

You can run the 3000 with the smaller pump and it won't be an issue. The bulkheads on the wet dry are 1-3/4 inches so you may need to get a reducer to accept your drain hoses.


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## timbo6684 (Aug 29, 2010)

I bought schedule 40, should I have gone with the thinner stuff for my durso and the return?


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## timbo6684 (Aug 29, 2010)

Just a few pics since I finally got it up and running.


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## timbo6684 (Aug 29, 2010)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pw1ncbL ... ata_player

The noisy ac110 will hopefully be off in a couple weeks.


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## cichlid-gal (Apr 27, 2012)

Looks good and lots of room for more fishes


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