So I got this little 150 gallon over the weekend.

Hey, picked up another big tank this weekend. Shot a few videos, but I need wifi to upload them. So since I'm at work, I will just show the few pics I took this mourning on my way out the door. This tank had beed sitting for 15 years and all I had to do was take apart the return pump and get new gaskets for the bulheads. Then it was good to go. Right now its sitting full of water and running, so I can adjust the temp and let all the chlorine disapate. Tonight I will be seeding the filter with hopes to have a "test" fish in there tomorow. Here's a few pics, there will be a few videos later tonight. Thanks, and enjoy.

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I really like the stand. The tank looks like a 'built in' type furniture piece. This is a nice show tank for the living room for sure. Cant wait to see the video and stock you have for it.

Thanks, I'm very happy with it. I got the whole system for pretty cheap. 350$ plus the 100$ uhaul. As for stock, I'm still trying to figure out what I'm going to shuffle about. I can't buy more fish because I have so many already. But I'm thinking about the 7 isletes, and the 8 nics. And maybe find some F0 loisellei, maybe 6 so I can get a pair.

Beautiful setup!

Too bad you can't buy any more fish. You're missing Malawi cichlids! There are some awesome, large species that would love that tank.

Thanks betty, you know, most of the africans I have are really starting to become very boring to me. I am actually planning on getting rid of most of them. They just don't do it for me.

Have you kept any from Lake Malawi before? Most of mine are Malawi and they are fun to keep after you get the aggression figured out. I do like the behaviors of the Tangs, but for me they are nowhere near the action that the Malawis are, with the exception of Tropheus.

I kept acei at one point, but they dident really do it for me either. There attractive, but I just don't think there for me.

A big colony of Tropheus would look awsome in that tank. I also like the tank nice trim and what not!!

Thanks. And tropheus are cool. But I already have the fish I'm putting in.

Home for the Bocourti as a centerpiece?

Nope, in that last video I did of my 110, there was isletes and nics in there. I plan on putting them in the 150, along with some loisellei, if I can source some that I know are loisellei. There 8 nics and 7 isletes, I'm just gonna let them grow out there. And grab a pair or two of each and leave them in and sell all the others. I really like isletes and nics for there colors and I think there body shapes contrast eachother very nicely. The loisellei, will also have a nice contrasting body shape and color. It should be a really good looking tank. And its all lake nicaragua. I will keep the bocourti, aureus, and robertsoni in the 110 as originally planned. And move out the "invaders" as soon as I am confident the 150 can handle the bio load.

That's a great looking plan actually. I'm anticipating the video. The commentating is pretty funny to me, since we can hear your child in the background for most. Have three all under the age of 8, so I can relate.

Mine are 10,8,3 and one in the oven. And yeah, you here my kids, my bird etc. I think its funny, and it dosent bother me much.

Yeah, congrats on the tank and the new oven!

Thanks.

Hey VW, I know you like to keep fish that normally occur together in nature. Here is one of my alltime favorites that I want to put together but now with my SA stock wont happen.

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This is the section that I liked and quoted from:

"Thorichthys pasionis is found together with two other Thorichthys species. As mentioned, Thorichthys meeki, but also with T. helleri. This latter species differs in that it seems to prefer riverine habitats and it is found in small densities in the yellow meeki company. Other cichlid species include the substrate sifter Amphilophus robertsoni, also known as the "mojarra zacatera", Paratheraps bifasciatus and P. synspilus. 'Cichlasoma' octofaciatus (which will be probably assigned to the genus Archocentrus). Parachromis friedrichsthali, P. managuensis and Petenia splendida include the cichlid predators also found together with the yellow meeki, and which probably prey on its young. Other cichlid species are 'Cichlasoma' salvini and 'Cichlasoma' urophthalmus, which are found in good numbers, and 'Cichlasoma' heterospilum and 'Cichlasoma' pearsei, which also seem to prefer riverine habitats.

Other fish families and species found in good numbers in the lagoons where Thorichthys pasionis inhabit include: Poecilidae: represented at least by Belonesox belicianus, Poecilia petenense, Carlhubbsia kidderi, Phallichthys fairweatheri (In the Petén Area), Gambusia yucatana and Gambusia sexradiata. Clupeidae: Dorosoma petensisis and Dorosoma anale. Characidae; Astyanax aeneus and Hyphessobrycon compressus. Lepisosteidae; Lepisosteus tropicus, Pimelodidae; Rhamdia guatemalensis and Rhamdia laticauda. Ariidae; Arius aguadulce. Atherinidae; Atherinella alvarezi and Symbranchidae: Ophisternon aenigmaticum. Riverine habitats include several more species."

Very good read. I have to many tanks though D... why would you do this to me? Man how much fun would that tank be. So many options. Well, I bookmarked it. Will have to go back and reread and take notes into one of my dozens of notebooks when I get home. Thanks.

I really liked it because I could have a pearsei in that mix.

Speaking of Loisellei. Cichlids of the Americas has one available that I have never heard of, he calls it a Panama Loisellei, with more orange coloring. Hmmmmmmmm.

And the tank looks sweet.

I had seen those listed, sounds interesting.... so who's the first one here to get them? Do I smell a group buy?

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Video one. Before it was set up and running. It was dry at this point and we had just "finished" the plumbing. There will be another posted later tonight as the tank clears up. Enjoy.

Cool! Will be nice to be able to hide heaters in the sump. Will give it a nice clean show tank appearance when done. Cant wait to see it with fish!

nice pickup. whats going in it?

fish_n_vw wrote:As for stock, I'm still trying to figure out what I'm going to shuffle about. I can't buy more fish because I have so many already. But I'm thinking about the 7 isletes, and the 8 nics. And maybe find some F0 loisellei, maybe 6 so I can get a pair.

Maybe we should have a fishbox contest and help VW with what we want to see in there.
Jumbo Betta gets my vote!

For the price thats a sweet set up! And yes that overflow is bit strange where it's located.

Thanks guys, I am very happy with it. Why is the overflow there???? Lol, how strange. But like ii said not enough to make me not want it.

My 3 year old told me to put fish in it now. But I don't think he knows what he's talking about. I tried to explain that the temp isent right yet. But he insisted. I think I'm going to ground him for it.

Your 3 year old knows fish, better listen to him!

Lol

lol VW awesome new tank. i really love the overall look of it. bummer that the africans arent doing it for ya.. but to each his own. man 100$ on a uhaul.. i told ya i coulda helped lol. anyways grats on the new setup and new oven again. also i should have some logs u can have when im done sinking my new ones.. anyways grats again and keep those videos coming.

You don't have to worry about the video thing. I'm gonna go nuts!!! And thanks.

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PT 2 water, gravel, system running. Nothing to special. Enjoy.

The second one is alright but we need the third one to wrap up the trilogy. We want fish in it!

I know... these things take time. I just seeded the filter half hour ago and the temp is not at 80. It will probably be tomorow.

And yes that overflow is bit strange where it's located.

In retrospect to those who may think this at first glance. Is the top overflow slotted 360 degrees? If it is, the person who pre-drilled it away from the left side/back wall and implemented the box was thinking ahead. Reasoning, eliminating a overflow on each corner side and had a HIGH water TURNOVER RATIO in mind. Plus. it's only viewable from side rather than the long portion. I dig it and a large sump below was there on purpose.

vancouver_98683 wrote:

And yes that overflow is bit strange where it's located.

In retrospect to those who may think this at first glance. Is the top overflow slotted 360 degrees? If it is, the person who pre-drilled it away from the left side/back wall and implemented the box was thinking ahead. Reasoning, eliminating a overflow on each corner side and had a HIGH water TURNOVER RATIO in mind. Plus. it's only viewable from side rather than the long portion. I dig it and a large sump below was there on purpose.

In other words, I like everything about it. Awesome tank! Technically, it does not need to be slotted all the way around for overflow. OF placement in my opinion is cool and unique. You can place a black background to kinda disguise the "overflow island" a bit.

Yeah, that is the plan. This was a reef tank, so I'm sure the high turnover rate was planned.I wish there was more info on freshwater sumps. I'm so new to it that I really don't know what I'm supposed to put and where to put it. I don't know if ots ok to use the over flow as a chamber in the system. The water goes through it so fast that its pretty loud and it irratates me, but I fear that putting something in it will cause a back up and the system will flood. I also want to put some pads to pot polish the water into that drawer above the bio ball ball chamber, but again fear that with such a small space, it will easily clog and flood. I'm kinda lost. And the tank isent clearing much because the only media it has is bio balls.

walmart has some square felt pads in the crafts section that i use that work awesome as a water polisher. great thing is that theyre only 20 cents a piece and a quick runthrough the washer without any soap gets them very clean. they clog fairly quickly but to me just means theyre awesome filters. i change or clean them about once a week. as for the noise does it fall all the way from the overflow to the bottom of the tank and a hole there? i would add some sort of valve so you can choke down the water going out to equal the pump output and add a pipe in there to raise the water level in the overflow so its not falling 2 feet to the bottom if thats whats happening

I also posted my questions on mfk, just to get several opinions. Btw thanks fishman.

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I use poly-fill from Walmart from the craft isle. I've tried the pads and they seem to clog up a little faster. Depending on load and left over pellets, a change of once a week is recommended. Personally, my changing regiment is every 4 days. SUX, I know but I also run a canister to polish the debris as well.

I use a durso pipe to cut down on the noise in my overflow boxes. Mine is a freshwater tank as well.

OK. I just looked at the pics from MFK. A few questions and suggestions below?

1.) Do you know the GPH rating for the external pump in the cabinet? I only ask as it may need to be equivalent to water coming into sump, 1 for 1 eyeballed.

2.) It appears there isn't an adjustment on the overflow island. So, top off water has to be right. In other words, can't have too much water on top by the rim. Otherwise, it floods the sump below. To determine, have you tried to cut off the electricity to see how much water comes down to sump? It needs to be a perfect top off amount from tank.

3.) Once you add a filter media whether it's pads or poly-fill. It should quiet the waterfall sounds. If it is sounds coming from the overflow island. Maybe add some bioballs or a bunch of legos w/holes drilled (ask your son first, lol ) so the water doesn't fall from a great distance. It should buffer the waterfall sounds.

4.) Someone here mentioned about adding a cut-off or adjust valve from the overflow. It's a great idea if you are in the middle of something and need to stop flow coming down to flood the sump, or when electrical outlets are unplugged. Also, great to adjust to match the GPH on external pump.

Hope this was not too much info. Just things that I've gone through when I did my DIY 30g sump. Told myself hundred times that I wouldn't flood and have water on my new hardwood floors. First 2 week, I flooded 2x and once only after that as going on 8 months. Good luck!

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are adding water into the tank during a water change. KEEP IN MIND, that the tank will never be full. It just goes to the sump and into the cabinet, then on to the floor. It's very stealthy and easily forgotten. Had to do this mistake to know and remember to cutoff with the adj. ball valve from the OF Box.

Looks like MFK is assisting with some great ideas and potential solutions. I'll track progress there as well. It's a lot fun to sump right?

Hey thanks a lot. Currently I am working with jk47 on this and so far my plan is to do the durso pipes. I also plan on putting a check valve on the return so I don't syphon from there if the power goes out or the pump fails. Then I will make a max/min water line mark on the sump, so I know that if I fill it above said mark and there is a power outage, I will not flood the system. I have also decided to go with filter floss in the "drawer" as my mechanical filtration. Again thanks a lot. I'm very happy with all the support I have gotten. I will keep everyone updated on the progress.

I'm moving this thread to the chemistry and equipment area, as it has transformed into something more suited to that.