Restarting Aquarium after 8 years....

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browns4x

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Aug 11, 2012
Messages
2
Location
Lee's Summit, MO
I have a 100 gallon aquarium (tall 90) that I custom-built about 10 years ago, that I want to restart. It hasn't been filled for about 6 years because we didn't have room where we were living. When it was going, I had a fluval canister system, which I loved. Now that I'm considering redoing it, I was researching the benefits of the sump system vs. the canister. Any suggestions?

My tank is not drilled for a sump system. However, I really like the idea of not seeing a bunch of equipment in the back of the tank. Is it possible to have a sump system without drilling? What issues might I run into? Should I have the tank drilled? I'm not opposed to going back to a fluval canister, but I'm open to suggestions. In my research, it seems the canisters have improved even more. I got rid of a lot of my equipment when I took the tank down. I need to pick up lighting, a python, a heater, gravel/sand.

I'm open to all suggestions on filtration, lighting, and whether gravel or sand is better. Previously, I had only freshwater fish and no live plants. I never had any issues with ammonia spikes or dying fish. I had a MONSTER gold fish, angel fish, neon tetras, bala sharks, and a pleco. I'd consider using live plants this time, but I know absolutely nothing about them.

Also, I will be water testing the tank, possibly this weekend, to make sure there are no issues with the silicone.

Any help is greatly appreciated.
 
Hi there, there are options for you if you would like to use a sump filter, one you can drill the tank like you said and get some overflows in there, or you can purchase an external overflow that hangs on the back of the tank where it will pull the extra water from the tank and send it to what ever sump system you choose. there are various ones available so you may want to do your homework on them. It sounds like you still would like to do freshwater which is fine with a sump but if you decide to do marine that's OK too. There are also a few different set ups of sumps such as a wet/dry trickle filter or you could do something like a refugium although the refugium would be kinda pointless if you decided to have a planted tank. As for a sump and a planted tank, some people have success with them some don't, so only thing I can say is do your homework about plants and just give it a try. Now for your substrate question, if you do decide to do a planted tank I would recommend using a plant substrate for the bottom layer and you can put something like sand on top if you like, some good plant substrates are eco-complete or flourite will work out great. If you don't use a planted tank I guess it would be up to you what substrate to keep although some fish do prefer some types over others so again do your homework regarding the livestock you would like to keep and figure out what would possibly be best while making you happy at the same time.
 
Hello there! Welcome to AA!

I can't speak about the canister versus sump situation. 100 gallons is larger than anything I've owned before. Sadly. So I stick with HOBS to meet my needs

But I think I can offer you some other advice. Gravel versus sand depends on a few things. Personal preference plays a big roll but the type of fish can sometimes impact your choice. Some bottom dwellers will prefer sand as the gravel can be rough on the barbels.

I personally switched my main tank to silica sand because I love the more natural look and it's far easier to clean. It's much cheaper too. Wish I would have gone this route before buying the gravel. Silica sand is basically what is called pool filter sand or sand blasting sand. It's a light colored sand and can be bought at many places. I got mine at an auto parts store and it was about 10 bucks for a 25kg bag. Did my 30 and 20 gallon and still have more than half a bag. lol. I have plants in my 30. It's inert so you do need to add root tabs. There are a lot of different types of sand too but this is just what I've done. Some people go organic soil or eco complete capped with sand. There are really a lot of options depending on what you want for your tank. I had it in a tank with platy and quickly realized it wasn't a great choice. They are little poop factories and the sand really makes any waste super noticeable. Even the same day as my water changes my sand was looking grubby from the little poop monsters.

Lighting will depend on if you want plants and what types and how much you want to spend. Low tech is pretty easy to achieve for a planted tank. Once you get into higher light plants you start to need things like C02 and such. I have a few low light plants(amazon sword and java fern) and I basically just add root tabs every few months and some liquid ferts weekly and have my low light grow light that I picked up on sale for about 75 bucks. If you want some plant recommendations we can certainly help you out with that.

Do you know what type of fish you want? I would recommend perhaps checking out your local pet stores and seeing what interests you and then researching their needs and comparability. A gold fish really shouldn't be in a tropical community tank in most cases. They are cold water and will usually do best on their own with a proper temp. 100 gallons gives you a ton of choices though. endless really.

Are you planning a fish in or fishless cycle? There are some great articles in the article section that might help you out if you aren't sure what you would prefer or should do. I really recommend checking them out and seeing what fits your wants best. They both have pros and cons.

These are some greta ones on cycling

The (almost) Complete Guide and FAQ to Fishless Cycling - Aquarium Advice
Fish-in Cycling: Step over into the dark side - Aquarium Advice

and this is just a general overview on starting a tank. You prob know most of it but it might be helpful.

Guide to Starting a Freshwater Aquarium - Aquarium Advice

anyways. I'm rambling now. Hope this helps you out some.
 
It sounds like a planted tank may be more work than I`m able to handle right now . I`m leaning towards sand over gravel. I think it looks better . When it comes to the filtration, are there any issues with HOB overflows? Do they work well?
 
I have a canister and it works well. Put a background on the tank and you won't see any hoses behind the tank that way.
 
It sounds like a planted tank may be more work than I`m able to handle right now . I`m leaning towards sand over gravel. I think it looks better . When it comes to the filtration, are there any issues with HOB overflows? Do they work well?

Definitely go sand! Especially if you plan on having bottom dwellers. I just made the switch a few days ago and I couldn't be happier, neither could my cories for that matter! If you want to pay for the expensive sand it's completely up to you, but there are cheaper options. I got play sand from my local lowes; you can also find it at
home depot, or you can use pool filter sand if you can find it. If you go with the play sand or pool filter sand be sure and rinse rinse rinse that sand! I thought I rinsed mine enough (did 10x per bucket) and I didn't, still had cloudy water after I filled my tank back up.
 
It sounds like a planted tank may be more work than I`m able to handle right now . I`m leaning towards sand over gravel. I think it looks better . When it comes to the filtration, are there any issues with HOB overflows? Do they work well?

They work great just prime the system and go, a good one should never lose its siphon even in the event of a power failure so you shouldn't have to start the over flow over again. Like I said before make sure you do your research before you decide you want an overflow system as there are a few things that could go wrong and cause some flooding which you don't want. Just make sure your sump stays at at average level do some testing such as a power failure test so that you don't overflow your sump and also drill a siphon break in your return line so again you don't overflow your sump. Sometimes both of these are not required but I say its better to be safe than sorry.
 
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