8 replies to this topic

[milky]

Hi,
I have just finished setting up my new system, here are some pics i took along the way... all feedback is welcome!!

2 stands holding 4x2x20" tanks (& one more stand for the sump to come.)


this is pretty much how it will be setup with the 2x1000L growout tubs & the 3 tier 3 foot stand at the back with another growout tank on top.

[milky]

everything is arriving now and i have been going flat out for 3 arvo/nights and i have all the tanks level and the hard plumbing in place, i just need to get a bag of coral sand, some more matrix and 2 more taps and its ready to fill.

the sump


i have set up the sump and rigged up all the inlets that run from the pump back to the tanks with irrigation piping...

[milky]

this is the hard plumbing and the spread tray in the sump, it took me hours to drill all them holes...




filling it up, i took about 1000L from my growout system and filled 3 tanks, then i filled the rest from the tap. oh and i put a few fish in there already

[milky]

the pump is now on.. i was running around like crazy here adjusting the flow on each tank, it took a while to get it right...


this is the sump running, the media is 21 rolls of gutter guard, 8L of matrix, 20kg of 20mm coral rubble and 2 layers of dacron on top.. the pump is an ocean runner 6500 and the heater is a jager 300w (another one coming soon)


then i cleaned 2 filthy fluval 405 cannisters out into the sump while it is running to seed it with bacteria...


then i marked the water levels and watched for a while and cleaned up.

[milky]

that is it. i just need to put some black backgrounds on them and i will somehow insulate them in time for next winter...




now i just gotta make sure its all sweet then i can put my fish in there.

Thanks for looking..

[dazzabozza]

Looking great! I like the idea of the large tubs being used as growouts. What filtration will you use on them?

Dazza

[Den]

Great setup, though I would be concerned about the size of your trickle filter, there may possibly not be enough media surface area to support heavy stocking of all those tanks.

If you do have problems, considering you have limited space for media in order to get some increased surface area for bactreria you could maybe go with expanded clay or something similar instead of the gutter guard or fill the other half of the trickle with bags of bioballs?.

Also that gravel you have in the centre of the trickle will cause you problems once it clogs up, it looks like its affecting your water levels already, I think you'll eventually have to move it, you could put it in mesh bags and use it with the gutter rolls.

Anyhow must be exciting to have so many tanks, so many stocking options! good luck mate!

Cheers
Den

[milky]

thanks for your input Den,

i have now got sponge filters in each tank which supposedly do a 400L tank each.

the gravel in the middle is seachem matrix. i will keep an eye on it but at the moment its not affecting the water level. if it does i will do as you said and put it into mesh bags.

i have the system fairly well stocked now, there are 100+ adult african breeders in there. water parameters are perfect, ammonia- 0 nitrite- 0 and nitrate- 5ppm ph- 8.2

more pics soon.

[werdna]

If you want a cheaper option of filter media, go to the hydroponics section in bunnings and get a bag of expanded clay from there.

It costs a 5th of the price and I dont really notice a difference