Upgrading to a 125 Gallon Tank

[1midniterider]

It's been a few days, no leaks. The cabinet modifications worked like a charm. Everything is solid. Next up... Drain the tank in preparation for the substrate. It took about 30 minutes to drain the tank with my portable sump pump. The plexiglass squares arrived today. I brought extras just in case the first version of the wall doesn't work out.

With the wall built, now I wait for the glue to completely cure. I plan on having the 40 lbs of GloFish Gravel on one side of the tank and the 100 lbs CaribSea Super Natural Aquarium white sand on the other side. The Family wants to layer in multiple colors of sand. I think it start off with distinct layers, but over time blend together. Has anyone used multiple layers of sand in an aquarium?

I could see using black diamond sand blasting sand as a good contrast to the white sand. Flow it in beneath white sand and possibly beneath the gravel as well.

I need to make a decision soon of the filter... The Fluval FX4 or FX6 on the high end, the SunSun 304B on the low end and plenty of others in between. Decisions, decisions...

 

[1midniterider]

Ok so, going back and forth on the vast selections of filters, I decided to go with Fuval FX4. I hop onto the Petsmart website... To get the 5% discount to pick up in store plus my member rebates... My cost before taxes was $248

I head off to the store to pick it up and low and behold there was a deeper discount. The FX4 had a member's price of $199 and the FX6 was $249... The friendly store manager allowed me to swap for the FX6 for a $1 more!!! I am a happy camper!

 

[King Fisher]

Good deal man. Get a spray bar if you need more surface agitation than what the stock heads put out.

 

[1midniterider]

Good deal man. Get a spray bar if you need more surface agitation than what the stock heads put out.

Thanks... I am looking into doing just that...

 

[1midniterider]

Finally I was able to get the FX6 installed... I had practiced using the disconnects in the limited space. No problems, initially. So I get the inlet and outlet plumbing installed and connected to an empty canister.

Next up, disconnect the quick releases to I stall the baskets... Uh oh... The releases are stuck... And not budging. After a few intense minutes I finally get the inlet disconnected. No such luck on the outlet. I had to loosen the hose clamp and pull the entire unit out... After a tussling with it and even attempting to pry it loose... I finally got it free... The O rings are a bit dry... A quick Google confirmed my suspicion... Silicone grease should be used on the quick release to allow to release easily. This would have been disastrous if I had a tank full of water. Tomorrow I'll drop by Home Depot to pick some up... You would think for the cost of this unit that it would come with the necessary lubricant.

 

[1midniterider]

Another note on the FX6... I am going to cover the inlet strainer with some kind of netting. Just like my circulation pump, the slots would allow small inhabitants to slip in... I first noted this on my 38G tank, when an Amano Shrimp went inside to explore when the pump was off. I cycle the pump on and off twice a day... This may have lead to the demise of one my shrimps... When I found half of the shrimp stuck on my filter inlet.

 

[King Fisher]

Finally I was able to get the FX6 installed... I had practiced using the disconnects in the limited space. No problems, initially. So I get the inlet and outlet plumbing installed and connected to an empty canister.View attachment 313267View attachment 313268View attachment 313269View attachment 313270

Next up, disconnect the quick releases to I stall the baskets... Uh oh... The releases are stuck... And not budging. After a few intense minutes I finally get the inlet disconnected. No such luck on the outlet. I had to loosen the hose clamp and pull the entire unit out... After a tussling with it and even attempting to pry it loose... I finally got it free... The O rings are a bit dry... A quick Google confirmed my suspicion... Silicone grease should be used on the quick release to allow to release easily. This would have been disastrous if I had a tank full of water. Tomorrow I'll drop by Home Depot to pick some up... You would think for the cost of this unit that it would come with the necessary lubricant.

If you shove the quick disconnects on to far they'll be a mother to get off.

 

[1midniterider]

If you shove the quick disconnects on to far they'll be a mother to get off.

Thanks for the heads up. I'm guessing you had a similar issue.

 

[King Fisher]

I've shoved them down too far when I first got my FX4's. It took quite a bit of pull to get them off. I thought I was doing something wrong they were on so tight. Lol. I never have used silicone on them. I just put them on the way they should be and it was fine. I don't mind them being on fairly snug. Peace of mind.

 

[1midniterider]

I've shoved them down too far when I first got my FX4's. It took quite a bit of pull to get them off. I thought I was doing something wrong they were on so tight. Lol. I never have used silicone on them. I just put them on the way they should be and it was fine. I don't mind them being on fairly snug. Peace of mind.

Ok, cool beans! I'll set that info into my memory banks!

 

[King Fisher]

One more thing......it's worth getting a polishing pad and sticking it above your carbon pad on the lower basket. It'll make the water look great.

 

[1midniterider]

One more thing......it's worth getting a polishing pad and sticking it above your carbon pad on the lower basket. It'll make the water look great.

Ok... Sounds like a plan... Is there a link to the flow direction for the FX6?

 

[1midniterider]

Making the final preparations to put this project together... Looks like I'm going to need a few bags of each substrate and I'm need exchange one of my new heaters. The temperature selector switch is cracked. It should be an easy exchange... I attached the smart switches to the back of the stand above the water tubes... Almost ready to cycle this puppy!

 

[King Fisher]

Ok... Sounds like a plan... Is there a link to the flow direction for the FX6?

I believe it's through the top and out the bottom. No difference between fx4 and fx6. You can usually tell the flow pattern as it starts from the more course media to the finer media then back into the tank.

 

[1midniterider]

I believe it's through the top and out the bottom. No difference between fx4 and fx6. You can usually tell the flow pattern as it starts from the more course media to the finer media then back into the tank.

Yes, you are correct... I had read a few posts and got confused. I think I got it now...

 

[1midniterider]

Now for the filter setup. The FX6 has a flow path unlike my current canister filter, where the intake flows to the bottom and works it's upwards and out. The intake on the FX6 flows down to the bottom then up and through the outer coarse set of filters. Then flows from the top stage of medium coarse filters to the bottom stage of finer filters, with bio filters in the middle... Then is pumped from the bottom back to the tank.



So from left to right final stage, finer filters, biofilter in the middle, top stage. The empty cup is reserved for some biomedia from my current tank to help speed up the cycle process.

 

[1midniterider]

Time for the substrate. The heaters are in place, as are the air stones.The wall to separate the gravel from sand is in place. I picked up a few more bags of gravel and sand. Bringing the total to 65 lbs of gravel and 120 lbs of sand. Hopefully it will be enough. The gravel was relatively easy, rinse hot, drain, rinse cold, drain and scoop into the tank. The Granddaughter lent me hand... She scooped and I dumped. The sand, which is my first time using it, is a bit more tedious. Fill bucket half way, dump in sand, slowly fill the bucket and let the water overflow until the water is mostly clear. Then drain and repeat the process. Then scoop out, dump in the tank, and spread with spatula. The latter is very time consuming and tiring.



A few more bags of sand and then add some water, a few inches above the substrate should be sufficient initially.

 

[1midniterider]

Sand all in, except for one bag held in reserve. The air stone bubbles are working as I had hoped. Lots of air pockets in the sand. I guess over time they will collapse. Now to wait for everything to settle....

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

If you don’t mind me asking , why go half and half with the gravel? I suspect there’s a little one involved?

 

[1midniterider]

If you don’t mind me asking , why go half and half with the gravel? I suspect there’s a little one involved?

Why yes... My Granddaughter and I "share" the aquarium... [emoji4]