125 gallon filtration

Is this enogh filtration for my tank, I have 2 whisper 60s and 1 marineland 350 canister,1 marineland 350 bio wheel so I have about 1,200 gph bc the whisper are kinda old otherwise I would have 1,380 gph

 

That should be fine.

 

I think it depends on what you are going to stock it with.

GPH aren't all equal. I have just about 1000 gph on my 125, but from 2 canisters. I'm sure they hold 3-4 times as much biomedia as your 4 filters combined. The filters you have just don't hold much media, and that is the limitation of your filtration system. Volume of biomedia is more important than the GPH.

 

Good morning,

If you ever want to upgrade your filtration, I would recommend the Eshops Wet/Dry system powered by a Mag Drive pump.



Mag Drive Pumps:


I'm running Wet/Dry filters on both my 265g and my 33g long. Love 'em! Best filters I have used in the past 40 years.

Ken

 

I'm looking to buy a 125 gallon tank, but most of the tanks listed on Craigslist are either currently or have been used for saltwater setups. The tanks are usually already drilled, but I intend to use this tank for a freshwater set-up which leads me to my question: How can I use a drilled tank without a sump filtration system?

I have never dealt with a filtration system other than HOB filters. I know that a sump can be used for freshwater, but I do not want to purchase even more equipment than I need to. There are a few particular posts on Craigslist that are 125 gallon, but they are all pre-drilled and none of them include the filtration system. I feel that once I bought all the other equipment necessary for a sump filtration system, it wouldn't really be a deal to buy used anymore.

This tank will be the new home for my Senegal bichir and fire eel that currently reside in my 55 gallon, so that's the main reason I don't want to just go ahead and get all the equipment I would need to eventually convert the tank to saltwater. For the record, the bichir and fire eel are both juveniles that are still plenty small to be in the 55, but obviously that's too small to be a life-long home for the fellas.

Just to reiterate the point of this post... How, if possible, can I use a pre-drilled tank without using a sump? I would be willing to set up that kind of system if it's truly a much better and convenient means of maintenance and filtration, but I would prefer to use a HOB since this tank will always be used for freshwater.

Thanks!

 

I have a sump on my 55, 75, and 150 freshwater tanks. I love the extra water volume and all the room for a ton of biomedia. It is not necessary but it is a great way to go IMO. There are a lot of cheap DIY options (wet/dry filter for example) because the sump is usually tucked away out of site. On my mbuna tank I use a spare 20 gallon I picked up at the $1/gallon sale and have it packed with plants to help control nitrates because plants won't last in with the fish.

I guess what I'm saying is don't rule it out. I like to tinker with stuff so I love sumps. As for using it without a sump I've seen some people pipe up a canister filter to the predrilled holes.

 

If the tank is drilled but you don't want to use the the holes you can install a bulkhead (the fitting installed on the hole to allow piping to attach at the tank wall penetration) and cap it, if it already has bulkheads then you just need pvc caps of the correct size.

Alternatively I have heard of people siliconing a piece of glass over the hole, personally I have never used this method though.

I do agree with Chris99 though, sumps and the flexibility they provide can't be beat.

 

You can also use a canister, I happen to really like sun sun but it is up to you, I run 2 HW-304 B on my 125 gal Planted. You can attach canisters to the bulkheads and run them just fine!

 

If the tank is drilled but you don't want to use the the holes you can install a bulkhead (the fitting installed on the hole to allow piping to attach at the tank wall penetration) and cap it, if it already has bulkheads then you just need pvc caps of the correct size.

Alternatively I have heard of people siliconing a piece of glass over the hole, personally I have never used this method though.

I do agree with Chris99 though, sumps and the flexibility they provide can't be beat.

I agree, but may I suggest not doing anything that involves glue so that you have options in the future if you so choose.

 

Bulkheads do not glue in they are compression

 

I appreciate all your responses. I definitely need a better grasp on the setups y'all have recommended though.. (for example attaching canisters, bulkheads, etc.)

I wouldn't consider myself a newbie to fish keeping anymore but like I said earlier my only experience thus far has been with HOB filters. As far as a sump setup goes, how large does a sump need to be for a 125? I currently have a spare 10 gallon tank that I would be willing to use as a sump if that's possible..

 

I appreciate all your responses. I definitely need a better grasp on the setups y'all have recommended though.. (for example attaching canisters, bulkheads, etc.)

I wouldn't consider myself a newbie to fish keeping anymore but like I said earlier my only experience thus far has been with HOB filters. As far as a sump setup goes, how large does a sump need to be for a 125? I currently have a spare 10 gallon tank that I would be willing to use as a sump if that's possible..

A 10 gallon would be too small. I have a 10 gallon sump for my 60 gallon. The 10 gallon is 75% full when in operation. When I turn off the pump the water settles in the sump very close to overflowing. Maybe a 20 gallon minimum would be better for your 125 gallon. When calculating what size sump can be used, width and length of the display tank is what matters. Not how tall. I only got away with a 10 gallon because although my tank is 4 ft long it's only a foot wide.

 

my tank has two 1.5" ports on the same side about 6" apart. Im split on sump tank or canister, Its for a single Oscar. This is my first "big" tank all my others have hang on back filters. What are pros/cons or recommendations not sure whats the best route for me

 

Sump it. If it's drilled already. Or atleast I would you can hide heaters and all filter media in the sump. Plus maybe if the sump has room you could add some fast growing plants to help with nutrients since I believe Oscars are rough on plants but I'm not 100% sure about that.

 

I agree. I am having a 40 gallon breeder made for me (should be ready soon) that's rimless and I am going sump.

However look at all your options. On my 90 gallon I have an Oase filter with the heater built in, as well as an external Hydor heater running. So that solves the heating issue of equipment being seen. You can get glass intake and return tubes which look sick. I have them on my 90 and 25 cube. **** you can even add co2 on the very same return, although for a 125gallon id def run dual canisters. But yes, you can have a cannister with everything in line (although multiple points of failure significantly rise this way).
Is a sump more complicated? Yes. Is it more expensive? Yes. Is it necessary? No. But you can have more bio media and even a refugium, which canisters really can't unless its a hob. You learn a lot about nutrients, flow and can see everything in real time. Water changes are easier and you can even add an AUTOMATIC TOP OFF to fill your tank when water evaporates.

 

I've been researching this path for a while now. This is what I've found.

Canisters : Quiet. Great mechanical filtration. Pretty good bio filtration. A bit of a pain to service.

Sump: The king of bio filtration. Pretty good mechanical filtration. You can hide all of your equipment in them (like the heater your oscar wants to smash). Really easy to service. Can be a little noisy.

I am going with sump. My tank is pre-drilled as well. Also, I want African cichlids. I need to be able to cover a huge bio-load.

Are you planning on just the one oscar?

By all accounts, there is no one right answer

 

With a long enough sump you can do some really wicked mechanical and biological filtration that will have that water crystal clear. It'll also give you a place to hide the heater, and all of your evaporation will show up outside of the display tank.

I'm actually really regretting that I didn't drill my 65G. Once you have a good sump system, it's hard to go back to canister or HOB.

My 73G reef has an absolutely silent sump even though it's got a 4,000GPH return pump. The trick is having a multi-stage overflow and having a ball valve on the intake plumbing to prevent it from sucking air (which is where the noise comes from). It can take a little fiddling to get that right but it's worth it in the end. Most folks who complain of noisy sumps either don't have or don't use a valve on their intake plumbing.

 

With a long enough sump you can do some really wicked mechanical and biological filtration that will have that water crystal clear. It'll also give you a place to hide the heater, and all of your evaporation will show up outside of the display tank.

I'm actually really regretting that I didn't drill my 65G. Once you have a good sump system, it's hard to go back to canister or HOB.

My 73G reef has an absolutely silent sump even though it's got a 4,000GPH return pump. The trick is having a multi-stage overflow and having a ball valve on the intake plumbing to prevent it from sucking air (which is where the noise comes from). It can take a little fiddling to get that right but it's worth it in the end. Most folks who complain of noisy sumps either don't have or don't use a valve on their intake plumbing.

Magnus919 Can you describe the overflow and ball valve a little more? How do you set yours up?

 

Magnus919 Can you describe the overflow and ball valve a little more? How do you set yours up?

View from above the aquarium into the overflow box. On the left is the return plumbing. In the middle is the emergency overflow. Usually that one is above the waterline unless I've got the ball valve choked down too much or a big snail clogs up the primary overflow (in theory... never actually happened to me). The big pipe on the far right is the primary overflow. It's always partially submerged.



Here's a view of the intake plumbing. The primary overflow has a valve on it to control the flow rate. The secondary overflow is more of an emergency straight pipe without any valves and is normally dry inside.




Closeup view of the valve. Very small adjustments to this valve turn into bigger changes in the overflow box.




View of the overall sump system. Yes, it needs way more bio material. But the live rock in the display does most of that. The smaller tank above the sump is ATO reservoir. There are additional chambers in the back.

 

Yeah I thought about sumping my 40 g but didn't. One day maybe I upgrade my reef and I will use the 120g for freshwater. So much you can do with a sump. Idk why they aren't bigger in freshwater. Loudest thing on my reef is surface agitation and skimmer. I move 900gph give or take through the sup and it's all practically silent

 

I used to have a tank with sump and solved the noise issue by making my own Durso standpipe. There is a small vent hole drilled in the top of the end cap.




I think that the biggest plus with a sump is the ease of maintenance as well as the massive amount of bio-filtration. Getting really good mechanical filtration can be a bit trickier, given the height of the overflow.

 

In my sump, I am using filter floss for mechanical filtration. Water goes into section one and then flows up into section two via the circle hole on top. I am using a DIY reactor for the "refugium" and dual Aqueon heaters. The middle chamber will be filled with bio media and the third chamber will have Chemi Pure Elite. The little purple topped acrylic reservoir is for my Tunze ATO. I wish I had a little more room for mechanical filtration. The return pump is an Ecotech Vectra S. Not sure if I am going to be using it.

 

Wow, very nice!

 

Should the sump have a cover to reduce evaporation/ noise?

 

if you have an ATO you don't have to worry about evaporation

 

ATO?

 

I

my tank has two 1.5" ports on the same side about 6" apart. Im split on sump tank or canister, Its for a single Oscar. This is my first "big" tank all my others have hang on back filters. What are pros/cons or recommendations not sure whats the best route for me

I'm sorry, I think I've hijacked your thread. Gonna start a new one

 

ATO?

Automatic Top-Off

 

Automatic Top-Off

Ah, yeah, that makes sense

 

I just bought a new 125 gallon tank. I am planning on putting plants, some cichlids, loaches, and maybe a small Arowana for a little. For my filtration I currently have 2 fluval aquaclear 110s. I cam currently debating getting a fx4 canister filter in additions to this. However, I would like an experienced opinion on the matter.

 

More filtration the better in my opinion, do the fx4 as well if you can. Cichlids are quite messy, high bioload. Can't say on the young arrowana.

 

More filtration the better in my opinion, do the fx4 as well if you can. Cichlids are quite messy, high bioload. Can't say on the young arrowana.

From what ive read they have a large bioload too. So i think my safest bet is to get the extra filtration.

 

I have 3-125 gallon and I use (3 of each) - 1-FX6, 1-Fluval 405 and 1-Emperor 400, In each tank

 

I’ve got 2 125s and I’m using a fx6 on one and a wet/dry on the other. The w/d is much better filtration. Fx6 is 2 yrs old and slowing down! Have added a smaller wet/dry to that tank.

 

I have 3-125 gallon and I use (3 of each) - 1-FX6, 1-Fluval 405 and 1-Emperor 400, In each tank

Im not an expert but i don’t think you need that mich unless you are keeping the most sensitive fish.

 

Im not an expert but i don’t think you need that mich unless you are keeping the most sensitive fish.

Not sensitive fish, but way over stocked