Doing huge upgrade, have lots of questions..

[Autumnk]

HI there my name is Autumn..

A great deal came across on a 120 gallon tank and I currented have a 29 gallon tank and it's fresh water.. I'm going to hopefully make the 120 gallon tank a fresh water tank as well...

Do I'll just name my questions and if you could please help on 1 or a few or all.. it wold be greatly appreciated... thanks In advance...

1) How should I clean it as I know that soap is not good in the tank.. but it was used previously for a lizard or quanta... some reptile...??

2) It has the set up at the bottom on the tank for a salt water filter I believe but ha's plugs in them... is it okay to be okay to just put the gravel over it?

3) What filter is preferred for such a large tank.. Trying to get the cheapest but still going to do its job..

4) The tank didn't come with any lids, will it be fine without lids?

5) in my 29 gallon tank I have all fake plants is in.. will it be okay for the 120 gallon tank as well?

6) The 29 gallon tank has some fish that I think once I get the 120 gallon tank set up I would like to move them over to it.. would that be okay for them?

 

[henningc]

First clean the tank with bleach water-wear plastic gloves. Scrub, rinse air dry.

Fill to about 6", check the plugs and they likely will hold. If so don't add the gravel until 3/4 full just in case. Then add gravel.

Filters, ask me again after you get some other replies-I'm an odd duck

Lid, eveaporation may be an issue. More a pain but at some future point get glass top and light.

Fake plants are fine, it is all in what you like and how much work you want to do. Once you have a lid and light, at least get some java moss just to help with microb growth.

The tank needs to cycle before fish and keep in mind the bigger the tank the bigger the mess. If you use Seachem Stability for 5 days, do a 50% water change on the 6th day, add a micro pinch of fish food and on the 8th day do another round of stability you should be good within 4 days after round two of Stability.

 

[Autumnk]

What do you recommend for fliters? I'm seeing a lot of different stuff.

 

[Mebbid]

What do you recommend for fliters? I'm seeing a lot of different stuff.

That all depends. Do you like canisters? Or hang on back filters?

 

[Autumnk]

That all depends. Do you like canisters? Or hang on back filters?

I currently have a 29 gallon with a hang on filter.

 

[Xandernfs]

Sounds like the tank is plumbed for sump. Typically a sump would be easier to setup for filtration. You could probably get a cheap 55 and make a few chambers for mechanical and biological filtration.

 

[Mebbid]

Sounds like the tank is plumbed for sump. Typically a sump would be easier to setup for filtration. You could probably get a cheap 55 and make a few chambers for mechanical and biological filtration.

A sump would be the most difficult and expensive to set up. However, it is the best type of filtration out there.

I currently have a 29 gallon with a hang on filter.

Both hob (hang on back) and canisters have their advantages and disadvantages.

Hang on back - They are easier to set up and much easier to do maintenance on. They are also cheaper than canisters. They tend to he slightly louder than canisters and dont have nearly as many options as far as filter media goes.

I would recommend getting either:

2x of these https://www.amazon.com/Fluval-14003A1-C4-Power-Filter/dp/B003SJXTIU

Or

2x of these https://www.amazon.com/AquaClear-50-Power-Filter-Listed/dp/B000260FUW?th=1&psc=1

Canister - Tons of room for extra types of filtration. Due to this they will tend to polish the water more efficiently. More costly and harder / more time consuming to do maintenance on.

As for canisters, i cant make a recommendation on them because its been 2 or 3 years since i was in the market for them.

 

[Xandernfs]

A sump would be the most difficult and expensive to set up. However, it is the best type of filtration out there.

Thanks for the correction. That's what I was trying to get across.

 

[max h]

For filtration I would probably go with a couple of canister filters where each is pumping 500 gph or more. The Sunsun 304b or 404b can be had for under $100 each on eBay. What you can do when you are ready to transfer your fish over is take the media out of the HOB filter and place it into one of the canister filters and move your stock. By moving the filter media you have an instant cycle. I would also add 2 heaters around 300 watts each, and also try your hand at live plants.

 

[Autumnk]

For filtration I would probably go with a couple of canister filters where each is pumping 500 gph or more. The Sunsun 304b or 404b can be had for under $100 each on eBay. What you can do when you are ready to transfer your fish over is take the media out of the HOB filter and place it into one of the canister filters and move your stock. By moving the filter media you have an instant cycle. I would also add 2 heaters around 300 watts each, and also try your hand at live plants.

Thanks so much.. I was looking at the sun sun canisters and was wondering if they would work well enough to do what I need them for. And so move the carbon over to the new tank right before I transfer them?

 

[max h]

Thanks so much.. I was looking at the sun sun canisters and was wondering if they would work well enough to do what I need them for. And so move the carbon over to the new tank right before I transfer them?

The carbon isn't the important part of the media the filter floss is where the bacteria lives. If they fit in the canister just put the whole thing in. When I upgraded from a 55 to the 110 I brought over my Marineland C-360 filter that I had on the 55 for a couple of years without problems. once you're up and running for a couple of weeks you can start adding more fish.

 

[Autumnk]

Okay got it. Thanks so much!

 

[max h]

Just let me know if you have more questions, if I don't have an answer I can find out, or point you in the right direction.

 

[Autumnk]

Just let me know if you have more questions, if I don't have an answer I can find out, or point you in the right direction.

Okay thank you soo much!

 

[max h]

Not a problem, there was no internet when I started keeping fish. But i have learned so much more about keeping them over the last 4 years that I took it up again.