I'm new to the forum and want to tell interested members about my aquarium and pond set-up. I have three 55 gallon tanks, one 29 gallon tank and one 90 gallon fish pond which is operating as an aqua-ponic system for growing herbs and vegetables. My fish stock consist of goldfish and Koi. My goldfish are in the pond outside and are rotated from the outside pond to a 29 gallon tank which I have indoors. I only keep two goldfish in the 29 gallon tank at a time and rotate them every week. My Koi are presently being kept in three of my 55 gallon tanks two of which are set up together and are set upon light weight cinder blocks caped with 3/4" plywood. I simply stacked three sets of three blocks on each end and two sets of three in the middle and set a single piece of 1 foot 5" x 8' x 3/4" plywood on top. I screwed 1 & 1/2" x 1/2" oak molding all around the plywood with brass screws and centered it so it would act as a secure cap to the cinder block foundation as well as a retaining lip for the aquariums. Once placed over the blocks the lower portion of the molding which extends below the plywood acts as a cap keeping the plywood plank in place and the upper portion of the molding which extends above the plywood plank acts as a cup keeping the aquariums from moving off the edges. I operate two of my 55 gallon aquariums as a single 110 gallon tank and they are placed against the wall in my dining room. I wanted to have a 100 plus gallon tank but the cost was way too high. I settled for two 55's which I purchased on sale for $60.00 each and saved hundreds of dollars off the cost of a larger tank. Actually I have gained some versatility with this arrangement because both tanks act and look like one but preform like two with the added benefit of segregation and control for my fish stock. I use a single 10 gallon sump for the twin 55's with one 950 gallon per hour pump to drive the water circulation and filtration. I use the same arrangement with different pumps for my other two aquariums. I'm using two stacked baskets of bio-balls in one half of the sump configured and acting as a trickle or drip wet-dry biological filtration system. The sump is always kept two thirds full of water and also has a heater and air-stone in it for temperature control and extra aeration. A single 950 gph pump pumps water through a 3/4" PVC pipe which splits into twin 1/2" PVC pipes up to a manifold feeding two sets of PVC elbows which hang over the top edges of both aquariums. The output elbows face down into the tanks and have short pieces of 1/2" PVC pipes stuffed in the output elbows with short pieces of vinyl tubing stuffed into each output to increase water pressure and are positioned 1/2" above the water level in both tanks. 500 gallons an hour cumming out of both 1/2" pipes is actually quiet with this arrangement and provides outstanding aeration and water circulation within both tanks with silent operation except for a slight humming from the pump. The return is constructed of a twin manifold of 1 & 3/4" PVC piping configured as two DIY PVC overflows running in tandem for both tanks. I used the larger PVC for the returns to cut down on noise and the results are very good with no noticeable gurgling or splashing. My fish like it as much as I do. Any ideas, questions or comments are welcomed.
Frank.
Frank.
