# 110 Gallon Discus Tank Sump w/eheims & HOTs



## DiabloCanine

I had been wanting to do a journal on my sump for some time. I was asked to submit one on another forum and since it is now just a copy and paste I will post it here too. This is a 30 gallon sump on my 110 gallon planted discus tank. I started out with an oversize wet/dry system which outgassed the CO2 more than I wanted. This sump has evolved with me spending a lot of time and money experimenting. I now have the sump tweaked where I want it. I will try to add why I used and did what I did with the various changes I made. A wet/dry filter came with my acrylic 110 tank, the tank/stand/canopy/sump was made by Ostrom Manufacturing in Ohio. I specified an oversize wet/dry filter and you will see it leaves very little room for hardware. The first thing I did was pitch the bio balls, drip tray and egg crate.

A disclaimer, everything that follows is my opinion and I do not wish to debate my opinion. If you like something you see below, try it, that is how I got my sump where it is. It may work for you, it may not. 










Here is the pipe that sits in the sump and connects to the overflow. I installed the ball valves to assist me with water changes. I also extended the pipe so it goes all the way to the bottom of the sump and put a 90 degree fitting, this cuts down on the surface turbulence which can cause CO2 outgassing.










Here is another pic on the overflow pipe showing better detail of the ball valves used for water changes.










This is how I do water changes, hook a garden hose to the fitting, turn the ball valves and the sump drains. How does this happen? The ball valve on the left allows the water to go from the overflow to the sump, when it is closed no water enters the sump. When the ball valve on the right is opened, it allows the water to go from the overflow out the garden hose to a drain. The pump in the sump keeps pumping the water out of the sump, into the main tank, into the overflow, down the standpipe and out the garden hose. Piece of cake water changes, all I have to do is turn the pump off when the sump is empty. Notice in the pictures that contain plumbing that all plumbing is located over the sump, get a plumbing leak, water falls into the sump.










This is the return pipe, the piece closet to you hooks to the pump. Notice the flex tubing. I used this to ensure pump vibrations are not transfered to the main tank through the hard plumbing. This will happen with hard plumbing, you may not see the results, but the fish do.










The side closest to you is where the return connects to the main tank. Notice the check valve which keeps water from back siphoning through the return line during pump failure or power loss. The result? Allows me to keep the water level in the sump higher, more water is considered a bonus by me. The next 2 photos illustrate my sump water level.










Water level with pump running.










Water level with pump off, sump can hold 30 gallons, I keep 25 gallons in it, when pump is off about 3 gallons drain from the main tank.










Ever looked into an overflow? Looks pretty nasty doesn't it? It is full of beneficial bacteria.










Durso standpipe. This was made for me by Richard Durso. Notice it is oversized (bigger than the overflow opening). Richard has done many tests and knows what will work best for different size tanks. Using a Durso standpipe eliminates the toilet flushing sound that overflows create. Ever heard it? Can be very annoying and will draw quick negative comments from family/viewers.

Next I will show some pics of the equipment in the sump and try to explain why I use what I use:










Mag Drive 7 pump. I tried to use a Mag 5 pump to lower the flow, lowered it too much for me. I get close to 600 gph with the Mag 7. I have about 8 feet of plumbing on the return and a lot of turns which takes a lot of power away from the pump.










Powered CO2 reactor. I have found it is very effective if kept vertical and very ineffective if kept horizontal. I had this horizontal at first to keep the pump under the water line. When I raised the water level I was able to set this vertical and was amazed with the difference, very noticeable.










Milwaukee SMS122 PH monitor/controller. You should know what this does.










My 5 pound CO2 cylinder and regulator. Only size that will fit, you will see later. I use a Milwaukee regulator with a JBJ bubble counter (has a built in check valve, the Milwaukee bubble counter does not). I bought 4 CO2 cylinders at once and got kinda a price break for doing so online. At first I was going to use 2 cylinders on 2 tanks and keep 2 filled spares. Well this evolved into me using all the cylinders on different tanks with no spares. No spares, no worry. I was driving about 30 minutes and paying close to $30 for cylinder refills. On day I discovered a gas company right down the street from my house. They swap out your cylinder for one of theirs that is filled. Well I just purchased brand new aluminum cylinders and was not about to swap one of my brand new shiny cylinders for a steel one that had been beat around for years and probably had a hydrostat inspection due soon. Well I learned from this guy that all 5 pound cylinders are aluminum and he had new ones too. He would take my cylinder and give me a new one filled for $10. Guess what I did? BTW, a 5 pound cylinder lasts me at least 6 months, so why the need for a spare?










Eheim liquidoser. I use it to dose my micro/macro trace elements. I use the PMDD formula that can be purchased online from Greg Watson. I highly recommend anyone serious about planted tanks take some time and look into the PMDD method and explore Greg's site. Why do I use the liquidoser? Because if I do not have to manually put ferts in my tank, guess what I'm doing? I bet you guessed watching my discus instead!










Powered dual sponge filter. This sits in my sump and provides biological filtration. If you would like one call John at JEHMCO. You may need to show him this pic, he custom made it for me after spending a lot of time discussing my setup with me (hopefully he will say, Oh yea, I remember that). If he sells it, he gets my business, John was very helpful and spent a lot of time on the phone helping me with this sponge filter which cost me less than $50. How many places do you find customer service like that over the phone anymore? I love this sponge filter!










Temp alarm. Put this in the sump for obvious reasons. Oh yea, did I mention that one day I woke up and found my tank temp close to 98 degrees?










Two 400 watt Theo heaters. I used to have two 250 watt jager heaters but they just would not cut the mustard during water changes. I no longer have problems getting the water heated during water changes now that I have 800 watts available.










Heater controller. No way to synchronize two heaters without a heater controller. Again, I purchased this from JEHMCO. And yes John spent a lot of time on the phone with me discussing my needs to make sure he sold me the best product for my needs. The heater controller provides power to a GFCI outlet that both heaters are plugged into. The heaters turn on and off together, neither one works harder than the other. Note: set the heater thermostats to 4 degrees over your desired temps. This is a precaution in case the heater controller sticks on, your fish will not be cooked if the heater thermostats are set. Most people just crank the heater thermostats to the limit and let the heater controller turn them on and off. As a review, what happens if the heater controller sticks on and your heaters are set to the max? And how much did you invest in those discus? I'm not going to tell you what this setup costs, go look on JEHMCOs website or better yet call John, I bet you get one!










Two Magnum HOT filters. I use these for chemical filtration and they hang on the sump. They are charged with Seachem Renew. Why did I chose Magnum HOT? Easy, they were the only thing that would fit and believe me they just barely do.










This would be my UPS and once again I picked this kind because it was the only one that would fit. This will keep your pump going if a power failure hits you. Do not plug heaters in these. They will last up to 8 hours running a pump and will be drained in about an hour if connected to heaters. If you have a power failure you need the pump way more than the heaters for your fish's welfare.










My GFCI bank. I decided to do this one day after getting frustrated with the wire nest I had under my tank. Starting from the left:

Bank one: Top is the digital timer for my moon lights. Only one way to describe moon lights, Bitchin! If you haven't seen a tank lit by moonlights at night, you do not know what you are missing. Ever watch your nocturnal fish? I sit in front of this tank just as much with the moon lights on as I do with the day lights on. Bottom is the power adapter for my Milwaukee PH monitor controller.

Bank two: Top is for the pump on the powered sponge filter. Bottom is to provide power to the CO2 solenoid and the powered reactor. The black plug underneath the beige plug goes to the ph monitor/controller, it acts as a switch and is turned on/off by the ph monitor/controller.

Bank three: This is the GFCI that is powered by the heater controller. Each receptacle has one Theo 400 watt heater plugged into it.

Bank four: Top is the digital timer for my Icecap ballast that powers the 4x95 watt T-12 bulbs. Bottom is connected to a power strip that powers the Magnum HOTs.

Banks one, two, and four are plugged into the always on receptacles of the UPS. The heater controller and UPS are plugged into the wall. The Mag Drive pump is the only thing plugged into the battery side of the UPS. So during water changes, I trip banks one and two. No need to trip 4, doesn't matter if the lights are on during water changes and I turn the Magnum HOTs off at their power strip. Bank three is left on to power the heaters, heaters are placed in the bottom of the sump and are never dry unless I am vacuuming the sump, then I turn Bank three off also. I turn the pump off at the front panel of the UPS when the sump is drained.










The right side of my stand, look a little crowded? Believe me there is no room to spare in my stand!










Picture of the sump put all together minus the Magnum HOTs that hang on the front of the sump.










Pic of my wilds munching, pigs with fins!










Cruisin around in their younger days.










Recent rescape of the tank, has grown out a lot since this photo was taken (my discus are pouting behind the forest on the right, got mad at me for changing the scenery!).

Hope you enjoyed, I'm ready for questions......DC


----------



## Jackfrost

This is incredible planning and workmanship.
I cant belive no one else has commented on your work.

Excellent !

Do you have a picture of how the Eheim Liquidoser is set up in your system ?

Thanks


----------



## DiabloCanine

Jackfrost said:


> This is incredible planning and workmanship.
> I cant belive no one else has commented on your work.
> 
> Excellent !
> 
> Do you have a picture of how the Eheim Liquidoser is set up in your system ?
> 
> Thanks


I had to resurrect and repost all my DIY projects, the site they were stored on got hacked. Most of my projects have lots of views, few comments. No biggee, I post them to give other folks ideas anyway. I had the Liquid Doser setting on top of the sump. The piece on the left of the Liquid Doser is off a Turbo Twist and attaches the Liquid Doser to the rim of the sump. I do not use it anymore, since I am doing 50% water changes (60 gallons) 3 times a week I just dump 25ml of TMG after each water change.......DC


----------



## Betowess

Very nice DC, but no surprise there! If I ever run a sump, I hope this thread is around to review. PS, I'll probably send that JBJ all in one on Monday.


----------



## fish_lover0591

wow thats really nice and well explained i need to remember this once i decide to get a bigger tank and setup a sump. I like your work alot DC !


----------



## DiabloCanine

*No sorcery; merely the precaution of a Universal Drug Antidote PILL!*

Holy atomic pile, Batman! What happened to the Discus tank? I was simply going to rescape this tank with Manzanita wood. RMC is babysitting the fish until next week to give me time to get it done. I pulled the sump out and had a 20 gallon close and tried a fit check. Hmmm, that idea to put a smaller sump with 2 cannister filters in the stand is looking good. Sooooo, my old sump setup is history. I will be drilling this tank on both ends for 2 Eheim 2215 filters. The 30 gallon sump is being replaced with a 20 high sump. All the equipment will still fit in the 20 gallon sump but I will have added cannister filtration to remove particulate matter off the bottom of the tank. Here are pics of the mess so far. Hmmm, wonder if I am the first to do this? More to come.......DC


----------



## distrbd

I only have one wish : I wish you were my neighbour .


----------



## Betowess

GO DC GO! You're cracking us up... So are those ceramic tiles you attached the M wood to? Did you drill and screw or just glue?


----------



## ZeroChalk

Hi,

Nice setup you have there. Just becareful with check valves or anything mechanical preventing water from siphoning back in to the sump during a power outage. Murphy's law might happen and you could come home to a wet carpet.


----------



## DiabloCanine

Betowess said:


> Very nice DC, but no surprise there! If I ever run a sump, I hope this thread is around to review. PS, I'll probably send that JBJ all in one on Monday.


Kewl, it will go on one of the new racks in work; four 20 highs with a 55 gallon sump.



fish_lover0591 said:


> wow thats really nice and well explained i need to remember this once i decide to get a bigger tank and setup a sump. I like your work alot DC !


Thanks....DC


----------



## DiabloCanine

distrbd said:


> I only have one wish : I wish you were my neighbour .


The best part about being my neighbor is being down the street from RMC.



Betowess said:


> GO DC GO! You're cracking us up... So are those ceramic tiles you attached the M wood to? Did you drill and screw or just glue?


The tiles are drilled and siliconed. RMC drilled them for me, used a drill press and kept them underwater. Not too sure about the bit, think it was a spade.



ZeroChalk said:


> Hi,
> 
> Nice setup you have there. Just becareful with check valves or anything mechanical preventing water from siphoning back in to the sump during a power outage. Murphy's law might happen and you could come home to a wet carpet.


Already have check valves, etc., see above......DC


----------



## DiabloCanine

I have everything shoehorned back into the stand. The eheim 2215s were a breeze to hook up. Currently, the tank is being leak checked.

Everything fit, I now have 2 eheim 2215s, 2 Magnum HOTs, and a 20 gallon sump for filtration.










Here is the plumbing feeding the eheims. Drilling 1/2" acrylic is time consuming.










Tomorrow I will drain the tank, finish tidying up the electrical, and take some better pics.....DC


----------



## jt20194

DC,

I am somewhat new to this forum or for that matter any forum. I have been doing fish on and off for sometime now and have always been partial to discus. I have taken a similar approach with my tank since it is also acrylic and has an overflow. Like you I have a sump but from the beginning always thought that a good canister filter needed to be a part of the filtration setup. I like your disclaimer in the beginning of this thread that your approach is what works for you and everything presented is just your opinion. There are any number of ways which one can arrive at a solution that works and I thank you for sharing your ideas. We differ slightly in our implementation but have the same goals in mind. 

I have thought about doing exactly what you just did with respect the particulates on the bottom of the tank but always worried about whether or not I would introduce stress points where the holes are drilled that could lead to the acrylic cracking after the tank is filled with water. Also, correct me if I am wrong but I assume that your statement regarding the plumping (inlet) that feeds your eheims is with respect to the outside plumping and the returns are the lower inside pipes. Or is it a closed system with the inside lines feeding your eheims and the outside lines being the returns. When I think about it, the latter makes more sense if you had ball values on the inlet lines (bottom pipes) that you could close when cleaning the filters. Also easy to prime the filters. Anyway, look forward to seeing more. 

JT


----------



## mahamotorworks

This quite the set up you have going. I really like the way it is layed out. When Iget my big tank I will be asking you some questions.

MAHA


----------



## DiabloCanine

Leak checks were good. Worked on tidying up the electrical today. Here is a pic of the new RH side. All these pics are taken from the back of the stand.










I modified it from the origional setup. Both eheims are now plugged into this bank so I moved the CO2 to the LH side.










The portable UV Sterilizer is kinda permanant now, is a PITA to get out.










The sump plumbing has turned into a chore, still working on it, should be done by tomorrow.










Here is a pic of the feed and return for the eheim 2215 on the RH side.










LH side.










Need to finish up the sump plumbing and make a new back fit, will be ready for manzanita wood and substrate next......DC


----------



## Betowess

Kind of a dumb question. But first looking great. On your GFCI bank, couldn't you have just put a GFCI on the first one from the power and all following would be GFCI protected?


----------



## DiabloCanine

Betowess said:


> Kind of a dumb question. But first looking great. On your GFCI bank, couldn't you have just put a GFCI on the first one from the power and all following would be GFCI protected?


Yes, one would have been sufficient, I was thinking about changing 2 of them out, but did not mainly because it was too much work and I was already overwhelmed. I do like the flexibility to trip them when it is convenient. It seems I have tripped #2 which disables #3 also several times since putting this together. The last outlet is powered by the heater controller. They now operate in this fashion:

Bank #1 top is the timer and power for the blue LED night lights, bottom is for the stand lights.

Bank #2 both outlets have eheims connected to them.

Bank #3 top is the timer and power for the tank lights, bottom is for a 300 watt jager POS heater.

Bank #4 powered by heater controller, two 400 Theo heaters.

Pretty much took the CO2 off that circuit. I installed power strips on the other side of the stand. It was a hassle turning stuff off for water changes anyway, i.e, PH controller, 2 Magnum HOTs, dual powererd sponge filters (these were removed when the 2 eheims were installed), UV pump (if it was installed), and sump pump. Now I will turn off the power strip which deenergizes the PH controller, 2 Magnum HOTs, and UV sterilizer (gonna stay on the sump cause it is now a PITA to get off the sump and out of the stand). The sump pump is connected to the battery of the UPS and gets turned off when the sump has drained. When I completely drain the sump (vacum once a month or so), I need to trip the heater GFCIs.

I also needed to move the Icecap ballast, the eheim feed lines were going there. On 2 other tanks I put it on the back of the canopy. Couldn't do it here because I lift the canopy and set it on its back to farm the tank. I secured the ballast to a board and mounted it above the heater controller. If you look closely you can see that it slides in and out like a drawer.

The big problem I have now is the power cord reaching an outlet. I figure the tank has a maximum peak of around 2000 watts. I am feeding everything from a Fireshield power strip, only thing new is the 2 eheim 2215s. I had to move the tank further into the room so the light changes from the Plasma TV wouldn't startle the Discus (had several scramble their brains whilst we were watching a movie). Now I am about 3 feet too far from the nearest outlet. I am sure I can find something at TSC, the Depot, or Lowes tomorrow.

BTW, the regulator arrived safe and sound. Thanks again, I will make mention of it when that project is done. It will control CO2 in the 55 gallon sump for a rack of drilled 20 gallon tanks....DC


----------



## Betowess

Good, I'm glad you can use it. If you ever try one of Rex's or Aquarium.com's new regulators, you'll be impressed. You can wait till the last of the tank is empty pretty safely with them. 

Pretty funny how you started to add some Manzanita and ended up completely re-doing the tank and even moving it a few feet.roud:


----------



## DiabloCanine

Betowess said:


> Good, I'm glad you can use it. If you ever try one of Rex's or Aquarium.com's new regulators, you'll be impressed. You can wait till the last of the tank is empty pretty safely with them.
> 
> Pretty funny how you started to add some Manzanita and ended up completely re-doing the tank and even moving it a few feet.roud:


I will start building regulators soon, have too many projects going right now to track down the parts.

Yea, as if I didn't have enough projects in work. I brought a 20H RMC gave me into the house for size checks on the rack and while walking past the 110, I said hmmmm. The 110 was already empty and when the 20H fit good in the stand, the brain started envisioning an idea I had a while back of putting 2 cannister filters with a sump for the best of both worlds. Soon it will be a nice swimming pool for some Heckels......DC


----------



## DiabloCanine

700 views, wonder if it will hit 1000. WooHoo, red soilmaster and manzanita wood in the tank. Still a little cloudy, will diatom it after one more water change in a few days. Need to wash some more soilmaster, just a little bit deeper for the substrate. Really liking the red......DC


----------



## RoseHawke

DC, that is looking really cool. You know, maybe I just haven't been around long enough, but I don't think I've ever seen a 'scape using wood in quite that manner. Like a little forest? Can't wait to see the rest of it!


----------



## b3x

how come i cannot see the images?!

nevermind ... prolly the firewall blocking them ...


----------



## tazcrash69

b3x said:


> how come i cannot see the images?!
> 
> nevermind ... prolly the firewall blocking them ...


If you are browsing from work, and they have a firewall, that is excactly the reason. :angryfire


----------



## DiabloCanine

Major setback. Woke up to wet carpet. Thought the sump tank split a seam but when I pulled it out the bottom glass was cracked in the middle. Thinking the stand floor is not supported enough or in the wrong places. I get to take everything apart again to check/fix this before I want to try another tank. So much fun DIYing.


----------



## yoink

At least it happened now and not when you had it full of beautiful discus. Looking forward to seeing it when done.


----------



## Aqua Dave

Had the same thing happen to me, but luckily I saw the crack before I buttoned everything up. This was with a 29 gal tank. It was a topfin that I had gotten from PetSmart. After comparing it against a 30 gal AllGlass I had hanging around I determined that the topfin tank was a PoS. The glass was thinner and the seams weren't as clean. I found a 29 gal AllGlass at Petco and have had no problems. So it may have just been a crappy tank. If you're like me when you setup your sump, then things get banged around a bit while you try and position everything. A crappy tank may not handle the extra jostling well.

David


----------



## DiabloCanine

Well I got the tank down, was quite disappointed when I turned the stand over. 1/4" plywood and a single brace was being used for support. Apparently, this was sufficient for the 30 gallon acrylic tank I was using for a sump but for a glass tank....NOT! I cut some 3/4" plywood and more braces to fit, will install them tomorrow. Tank was a PITA to get off the stand with the bulkheads and plumbing for the eheims combined. Was just barely able to get it off the stand, something to consider if you try this setup......DC


----------



## fox

DiabloCanine said:


> Well I got the tank down, was quite disappointed when I turned the stand over. 1/4" plywood and a single brace was being used for support.


We had the same thing happen when we first set up our tank. The LFS made good on the tank. Lucily we were in the room when we noticed water coming from the stand bottom and were able to avert a soaked floor. Needed to reinforce the bottom better adding braces each foot running front to back.


----------



## yoink

Let me know if you need an extra set of hands some time. I don't work on fridays or sundays.


----------



## DiabloCanine

yoink said:


> Let me know if you need an extra set of hands some time. I don't work on fridays or sundays.


I should have the stand ready by 5:00 P.M. Friday if you want to stop by and help put the tank back on.........DC


----------



## DiabloCanine

*No matter what they tell you Mr. Bane, it is the size of your gun that matters.*

It should survive a nuclear holocaust now. In the middle you can see the plywood brace supporting a sheet of 1/4" plywood. I added 1.5" thickness of plywood and 10 more braces. Off to sleep now, will try to get the tank back on the stand tonight.










You know, Gordo and I were discussing the pros and cons of winged vigilantes. What's your stance?......DC


----------



## SCMurphy

DC,

Have you thought about using Unions in the piping to make it easier to adjust the plumbing?


----------



## fshfanatic

DC, I am always amazed with your DIY tasks. You my friend are a true craftsman. 

I am trying to figure out how I am going to drill two holes in a 55 that I am getting from a friend for free. I have a wet/dry sump rated to 100gal that I am going to use, as this is going to be a planted brackish tank. I have some serious ideas for this project, but I am lost when it comes to drilling glass and I dont want a "HOB" overflow.


----------



## Betowess

Whooo! That must have been a drag DC, after all that work. Hopefully it will all go together easier than it came out.roud:


----------



## fox

That is pretty much what we did 'cept instead of that ply brace we had two adjusting legs which made the bottom wavy. You should have no probs now. We have two canisters, a pro3 and a 2028 with a 40g resting on the base platform now and it is flat as a board.


----------



## DiabloCanine

SCMurphy said:


> DC,
> 
> Have you thought about using Unions in the piping to make it easier to adjust the plumbing?


I wanted to use unions but decided against it. The tank is sitting 3 inches out from the wall more than it did already, figured unions would add another inch. Tank looked pretty good sitting up against the wall, definitely a different look now. I am hoping to hide the equipment that is easily seen with a plant or something. I am hoping it is quite a while before I pull the tank off the stand again.



fshfanatic said:


> DC, I am always amazed with your DIY tasks. You my friend are a true craftsman.
> 
> I am trying to figure out how I am going to drill two holes in a 55 that I am getting from a friend for free. I have a wet/dry sump rated to 100gal that I am going to use, as this is going to be a planted brackish tank. I have some serious ideas for this project, but I am lost when it comes to drilling glass and I dont want a "HOB" overflow.


You have to start from somewhere my friend. How lost were you the first time you worked with acrylics? Remember then?



Betowess said:


> Whooo! That must have been a drag DC, after all that work. Hopefully it will all go together easier than it came out.roud:


Was a serious drag, already behind with my other projects due to this brainstorm. It will get together and hopefully planted this weekend......DC


----------



## DiabloCanine

fox said:


> That is pretty much what we did 'cept instead of that ply brace we had two adjusting legs which made the bottom wavy. You should have no probs now. We have two canisters, a pro3 and a 2028 with a 40g resting on the base platform now and it is flat as a board.


I have learned a lot of things to consider when I build stands next spring. I want to build three 48x24 stands with built in sumps.....DC


----------



## fshfanatic

DiabloCanine said:


> You have to start from somewhere my friend. How lost were you the first time you worked with acrylics? Remember then?


hmm, good point.


----------



## 2wheelsx2

Maybe this isn't one of the questions you are waiting for but...

This is a pretty elaborate setup. From what I understand (from a sump newbie perspective), you have:

Custom sponge filter from Jehmco for bio 
2x Magnum HOT for chemical
2x Eheim (2225?) for mechanical?

So the bulk of the sump is just for water volume? I've been considering a sump for some time now for my 125 gallon, but was recently swayed by a wicked deal (basically cost + 10%) for a Fluval FX5, but I still like the idea of a sump, so I want to look at why and how you are using the canisters in that equation.

Sorry, maybe this is obvious, but I just can't see how the whole thing works. Could you maybe show me a simple diagram as to what's doing what, when?

Thanks.


----------



## DiabloCanine

2wheelsx2 said:


> Maybe this isn't one of the questions you are waiting for but...
> 
> This is a pretty elaborate setup. From what I understand (from a sump newbie perspective), you have:
> 
> Custom sponge filter from Jehmco for bio
> 2x Magnum HOT for chemical
> 2x Eheim (2225?) for mechanical?
> 
> So the bulk of the sump is just for water volume? I've been considering a sump for some time now for my 125 gallon, but was recently swayed by a wicked deal (basically cost + 10%) for a Fluval FX5, but I still like the idea of a sump, so I want to look at why and how you are using the canisters in that equation.
> 
> Sorry, maybe this is obvious, but I just can't see how the whole thing works. Could you maybe show me a simple diagram as to what's doing what, when?
> 
> Thanks.


The powered sponge filter is no longer in this setup. The 2215s will do mechanical and bio, the HOTs will do chemical and bio. The 2215s pull from the bottom, the sump overflow skims the top, and the HOTs pull from the sump. All the equipment (heaters, UV, CO2, etc.) still resides in the sump. I will try to do a diagram......DC


----------



## 2wheelsx2

DiabloCanine said:


> The powered sponge filter is no longer in this setup. The 2215s will do mechanical and bio, the HOTs will do chemical and bio. The 2215s pull from the bottom, the sump overflow skims the top, and the HOTs pull from the sump. All the equipment (heaters, UV, CO2, etc.) still resides in the sump. I will try to do a diagram......DC



Ah....I see. A diagram would be great.


----------



## Betowess

It sounds like quite a bit of filtration. Will this allow you to not have to clean the various filters as often? I have read Discus require an extra clean environ, but I've never kept them.


----------



## crazy loaches

DiabloCanine said:


>


This really looks like you somehow captured he11 in a tank! Just needs a trident proped up somewhere. :icon_twis LOL!

Great work and good luck with the new setup. roud:


----------



## DiabloCanine

Betowess said:


> It sounds like quite a bit of filtration. Will this allow you to not have to clean the various filters as often? I have read Discus require an extra clean environ, but I've never kept them.


I do not know how long the eheims can go yet, I cleaned the sump and HOTs once a month and will probably continue that schedule. I run a Vortex Diatom XL every week or so in this tank. Discus do need pristine water, the Heckels going in here were swimming in the amazon not too long ago, woohoo. It is a 110 gallon tank, I have and will continue changing about 180 gallons of 100% RO water a week.



crazy loaches said:


> This really looks like you somehow captured he11 in a tank! Just needs a trident proped up somewhere. :icon_twis LOL!
> 
> Great work and good luck with the new setup. roud:


Hmmm, now that you mention it. Will probably look a lot different when planted though. I am trying to simulate the natural root structure enviroment with the Manzanita wood........DC


----------



## DiabloCanine

The stand is back together, tank is on, substrate and plants are in. Here are some current pics:

eheims will continue to run during water changes, the inlet bulkheads remain underwater.










Water level in sump during water change, when water reaches this level I shut the sump pump off.










Main tanks drains down to this level then the siphon breaks on the water changer, around 60 gallons drained between sump and main tank.










Sump level when water change is completed with sump pump off.










Sump level when water change is complete with sump pump on.










Left side of stand from the front.










Different angle.










Right side of stand from the front.










Different angle.










Old










New










Current equipment list:

Dual eheim 2215 cannister filters
Dual magnum HOT filters
MagDrive 7 sump pump
Cyberpower UPS (powers sump pump)
Milwaukee MA957 CO2 regulator
Milwaukee SMS122 PH controller
5 lb CO2 cylinder
Icecap 660 ballast
Co2 Reactor 200 With Rio Pump
Coral Life turbo twist UV sterilizer (see my DIY link)
Jager 250 watt heater
Dual Theo 400 watt heaters
JEHMCO electronic temperature controller
Rainbow Lifeguard temperature alarm
Dual Intermatic heavy duty digital timers (control main tank light & UV light)
Intermatic digital timer (controls LED moon lights)
Various power distribution equipment and accessories
Various sizes of PVC

Off to RMCs to catch fish, woohoo.......DC


----------



## DiabloCanine

I have drastically toned down the plant population, tank now contains:

Vallisneria
Tiger Lotus
Swords

First batch of fish:

11 Corydoras Sterbai
7 ALFs
8 Geophagus steindachneri F1 fry
2 Royal Farlowella

Will put 8 Heckels in the tank probably next weekend. Thinking about putting 30-40 cardinals in there also. What do you think? A bunch or cardinals, no cardinals, or something else........DC


----------



## DiabloCanine

8 Heckels went in the tank today. They settled down pretty quick and are butting each other around already. Decided on putting a half dozen or so long fin GBRs in with them; next weekend I hope to bust the 55 down and move them in with the Heckels......DC


----------



## A Hill

DiabloCanine said:


> 8 Heckels went in the tank today. They settled down pretty quick and are butting each other around already. Decided on putting a half dozen or so long fin GBRs in with them; next weekend I hope to bust the 55 down and move them in with the Heckels......DC


The tank should look awesome all done! Can't believe I missed this thread before... WOW!

-Andrew


----------



## DiabloCanine

Some quick pics of the Heckels:


----------



## jt20194

DC,

How aggressive are your Heckels? I just got two that went into my tank with 4 other domestics. I have to say, my domestics are too aggressive, although the Heckels are certainly holding their own. Also, its good to see your tank back up running so well!!! Great workmanship and layout.

JT


----------



## Betowess

Looking Good! I vote for lots of Cardinals....How are the dbs with two HOTs and the Eheims? Is it pretty quiet outside with the doors shut? It would be nice to see a full shot, DC. And I'll be in touch on the H. pantanal wavy pretty soon. It will grow to the top and is nice in current. Doesn't melt, like blown around C. balansae.


----------



## DiabloCanine

jt20194 said:


> DC,
> 
> How aggressive are your Heckels? I just got two that went into my tank with 4 other domestics. I have to say, my domestics are too aggressive, although the Heckels are certainly holding their own. Also, its good to see your tank back up running so well!!! Great workmanship and layout.
> 
> JT


They butt each other around pretty good. You would think there would be a dominate fish but they all get their licks in; even the smallest one has been t-boning the others, I love wild cichlids.



Betowess said:


> Looking Good! I vote for lots of Cardinals....How are the dbs with two HOTs and the Eheims? Is it pretty quiet outside with the doors shut? It would be nice to see a full shot, DC. And I'll be in touch on the H. pantanal wavy pretty soon. It will grow to the top and is nice in current. Doesn't melt, like blown around C. balansae.


I decided on putting the longfin GBRs that are in the 55 gallon in this tank and the Columbians in the 46 with the wild greens. The eheims and HOTs make absolutely no noise. One of the HOTs made some noise until I shortened the return tubing, for some reason that made it quiet. My MagDrive is making noise, tried a new way of mounting it and think that needs vibration dampning tweaked more. Looking forward to getting those plants, they will finish off the tank. Here are a couple quick pics so far, could definitely use some pointers on taking photos......DC


----------



## Betowess

Man that looks great! Nothing like it around, unique... Mark, PM me your address. I think I lost it already. Bob


----------



## DiabloCanine

Betowess said:


> Man that looks great! Nothing like it around, unique... Mark, PM me your address. I think I lost it already. Bob


Thanks, I PMed you my address.....DC


----------



## jt20194

*Heckels*

DC,

What size are your Heckels? Tank is looking great.

JT


----------



## DiabloCanine

jt20194 said:


> DC,
> 
> What size are your Heckels? Tank is looking great.
> 
> JT



They are 3-4"........DC


----------



## TheOtherGeoff

man you really switched that one up. what did you do with the other wilds you had in there?


----------



## kayol

an estimated amount of money for all that?


----------



## kayol

how do u vacum that substrate? don t damage the roots? and how often do u do it?


----------



## DiabloCanine

TheOtherGeoff said:


> man you really switched that one up. what did you do with the other wilds you had in there?


The other wilds went in the 46 when I redid it.....DC


----------



## DiabloCanine

kayol said:


> an estimated amount of money for all that?


I never kept track but I am sure it exceeded $3000.....DC


----------



## DiabloCanine

kayol said:


> how do u vacum that substrate? don t damage the roots? and how often do u do it?


I do not vacum. I have enough bottom fish to take care of uneaten food and substrate movement......DC


----------

