Filtration for fishroom

[richardc4873]

I am planning to run sponge filters for my new fishroom set up. The room will have 16 x 2ft cubes, 3x 3x2x2, 5 2x12x12, a 500 litre pond leaving room for more tanks later on. I was thinking of running two air pumps to power the sponges in case one fails.

1. Is it better to run both pumps on the same loop or should they be run on separate loops.

2. Is it better to use pvc for the loop or use black poly?

3. Can anyone suggest any good links concerning the establishment of a fishroom?

[yanke]

hi

well in my fish room i am running a resun 40 with pvc

and i am running 12 tanks in there and it 2 air line to a tank

but i can run 12 lines off it if i want or more

u get 4mm threaded adaptors drill them in to the pvc

and the air line fits them then u get air valves so u can

put in how much air u want

yanke

[CThompson]

Hey Richard,

don't know the set-up, but feel it pretty safe to say that you should reconsider sponge filters as your filtration. Go with box filters at least as they can handle larger particulate matter. Next step up if you are trying to run filtration on air alone would be side drop tanks.

A lot of things can come into it, but as a generalisation, sponges come into their own in fry tanks, or tanks with low bio-loads.

1. Is it better to run both pumps on the same loop or should they be run on separate loops.

[/quote

Single loop (=both pumps on one pvc length) - iIf one pump fails the second is there as back-up so some tanks are not left with nothing.

2. Is it better to use pvc for the loop or use black poly?

That's possibly personal choice, but I'd go with pvc as it can give a better seal (?) with airlines coming off, looks neater, and a bigger size ID = less friction = better flow.

3. Can anyone suggest any good links concerning the establishment of a fishroom?

I think that it will be a matter of researching as your particulate needs will be very individual. Ask more questions on ACE.

Craig

[richardc4873]

Hey Richard,

don't know the set-up, but feel it pretty safe to say that you should reconsider sponge filters as your filtration. Go with box filters at least as they can handle larger particulate matter. Next step up if you are trying to run filtration on air alone would be side drop tanks.

A lot of things can come into it, but as a generalisation, sponges come into their own in fry tanks, or tanks with low bio-loads.

1. Is it better to run both pumps on the same loop or should they be run on separate loops.

[/quote

Single loop (=both pumps on one pvc length) - iIf one pump fails the second is there as back-up so some tanks are not left with nothing.

2. Is it better to use pvc for the loop or use black poly?

That's possibly personal choice, but I'd go with pvc as it can give a better seal (?) with airlines coming off, looks neater, and a bigger size ID = less friction = better flow.

3. Can anyone suggest any good links concerning the establishment of a fishroom?

I think that it will be a matter of researching as your particulate needs will be very individual. Ask more questions on ACE.

Craig

Hi Craig,

Thanks for the feedback,

I should mention that the tanks are all drilled at the bottom as they were preiously running on a trickle system. I have never run a trickle before so was planning to have the tanks connected via pvc to do semi-automatic water changes.

If I wanted to set them up with a trickle what sort of size sump and pump would I need to service a water volume of approximatley 5 500 litres (this figure is 1000litres volume less than I have but allows for expansion) I am assuming that the pump would want to cycle the volume at least three times/hour. Each tanl will be heavily stocked with a combination of malawis and tangs. Any advice is apprciated

[CThompson]

To work out pump size required, is pretty much the same for a single tank as it is for tanks on a system.

A turn over rate of 4-6 x per hour is the goal. Obviously, the more water in the tanks = a bigger pump and how much you can afford comes into the decision, but the principle of what size pump is still the same. Particularly if the tanks are heavily stocked.

Sump size = overflow volume (when pump is turned off) + the rest of the filtration media area. E.g. a sump needs a configuration to do mechanical filtration (how ever that is set up), and when it is running it will have a water level. The height of the sump needs to be able to take the run-off from the whole system that will drain back to the sump when the pump is turned off. Easy to work out run-off, tank length x tank width x height of tank’s outlet (lowest point) to top of tank (water level when tank is running).

Hope that makes sense.

[Matthew]

G'day

Run two PVC Loops (Black Poly Can leak). If a pump fails then the other will keep some bacteria and your tank of fish alive. Two pumps on one loop, unfortunately not all of your airstones will work when one of the pumps fails and those tanks will suffer. Note that back pressure kills air pumps!

Sponge filters are not the best for heavily stocked systems.

Trickle filters are great for multiple tanks, they are cheaper to heat and waterchange, however if the pump fails then you may have a problem. If you get a disease in one tank you have a disease in every connected tank.

I decided to go for side drop filtration and this waterchange solution, have a look here for what I did.

Cya

Matthew

[dogboy]

hi

i wouldnt use 2 pumps on a single loop, mainly as id be worried about backpressure so 2 pumps 2 loops

i used PVC, cost more but leaks less, you also need a bleeder valve in the system to reduce back pressure.

concider an UPS in case the power goes out

and go the trickle filter, you will be glad you did. i have 13 tanks running off a single sump, 10,000 LPH pump. they all have air powered corner/box filters in case the pump fails. its great to strip fry from one tank and throw them straight into another knowing its the same water!