Freshwater build advice

[Hillage]

Hello all! It look like I may be starting a freshwater tank soon... So I need some advice. I've only dealt with a 10g and 2g FW tank, so I know most stuff, but I have some questions...

So I currently own a 55g and stand. The stand can actually hold the tank underneath, as I planned on having it as my sump. I may have a free 55g tank on the way too.
Assuming I have 2 55g tanks, what should I do with them? Use one as a sump? If I did, could I separate part of the sump and use it as a quarantine?

What is your advice on RO/DI water in freshwater tanks? My tap water isn't really the best, I've had some ph problems as well as some bad algae problems.

I have no idea on what I want to stock right now, so don't ask lol

I think that's it for now. I'll probably get into plants, but we'll see...

 

[GodFan]

Hello all! It look like I may be starting a freshwater tank soon... So I need some advice. I've only dealt with a 10g and 2g FW tank, so I know most stuff, but I have some questions...

So I currently own a 55g and stand. The stand can actually hold the tank underneath, as I planned on having it as my sump. I may have a free 55g tank on the way too.

Assuming I have 2 55g tanks, what should I do with them? Use one as a sump? If I did, could I separate part of the sump and use it as a quarantine?
You could either use it as a beastmode sump or have 2 tanks. You could split it into a quarantine/grow out tank.
What is your advice on RO/DI water in freshwater tanks? My tap water isn't really the best, I've had some ph problems as well as some bad algae problems.
I do not have experience with ro water but I dont think it is necessary. Live plants will help with algae and if you have prime it will help with contaminants. If your ph is just to high or low then most fish will adjust or you can add rocks, driftwood, peat moss, or aragonite to adjust the way you need to.
I have no idea on what I want to stock right now, so don't ask lol
Resisting......
I think that's it for now. I'll probably get into plants, but we'll see...
I totally recommend live plants!

My replies are in red

 

[Hillage]

My replies are in red

Thanks. I think my mind is already set on sump tank. Also, my tap comes out below 7 ph, after a few days it's 6 or slightly below, with a tad bit of ammonia and nitrates. Barely anything, but I can't remember what I had tested.

I'd love to hear some opinions on RO/DI water. I've heard multiple opinions about it.

 

[GodFan]

Thanks. I think my mind is already set on sump tank. Also, my tap comes out below 7 ph, after a few days it's 6 or slightly below, with a tad bit of ammonia and nitrates. Barely anything, but I can't remember what I had tested.

I'd love to hear some opinions on RO/DI water. I've heard multiple opinions about it.

Well hopefully somebody will chime in but I think you are gold with your tap and prime.

 

[Terrance]

Its a PITA to use rodi in FW. After you strip the water, then you have to add some kind of powdered product to reconstruct the water. Its not worth the money and time to be doing all of that unless your tap is terrible.

IMO you have many options to keep your water cleaner in between water changes.

 

[librarygirl]

Hi and welcome. There's a link below in my signature: guide to starting a freshwater aquarium. It addresses a lot of your questions so you might want to give it a read. Good luck!

 

[Hillage]

Thanks for the guide, helped me touch up on some freshwater stuff.

Right now I'm trying to figure out how I want to set up a sump tank. For fresh, is it just used for hiding equipment? I'll probably throw an algae scrubber in there to help combat algae problems...

 

[Terrance]

Yeah ATS will help a lot, but it has to be built correctly to work effectively. The sump can hide whatever you want.

 

[Hillage]

Cool. I'm assuming it would be easiest for me to just make the sump a giant filter... What would be some recommended filter media?

I'll probably make a little sketch later of what I'm planning.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Terrance]

Pond matrix is good media. Then get some filter socks to catch debris. It doesn't get easier to clean than that. If you get socks, then you will have to change out the socks every 2-4 days (depending on your stock and sock size). You could also build some kind of filter pad at the inflow of the sump (similar to the ones you see on a bioball trickle filter).

If you keep fish inside the sump, then you will have to clean it every week or every other week. Its hard to clean at floor level since the water is difficult to siphon out and the stand limits your ability to maneuver around the sump.

 

[Hillage]

The only fish I plan on keeping in the tank in the stand is any new fish being acclimated, or any fish in qt.

Thanks for the sump advice. I'll get sketching soon.

 

[Hillage]

So how does this design look? Kinda playing with designs in my head...

 

[GodFan]

What is the ATS? For freshwater you dont really need baffles. You could use a bucket to hold some bio material and then let it overflow into the tank.

 

[Terrance]

The ATS need a certain amount of flow. With the split of inflow, you can't control the flow for the algae.

The media will not get water flowing through it.

 

[Hillage]

Alright... So maybe ATS first, then have it go through filter media?

 

[Terrance]

That could work. Redraw it.
You could also have a seperate pump specifically for the ATS.

edit: ATS is algae turf scrubber

 

[Hillage]

How about something like this? Water goes down the ATS, gets pumped up so it can flow through media, them gets pumped to DT.

Pipe below the ATS is for support only.


After thinking about it more, I'd like a system that has only one pump, in case something fails... I'll get to thinking. But what do you think of the general idea?

 

[Terrance]

The ATS doesn't need support. It will be hanging above the water with 1-2inches of the bottom dipping into the water. The screen won't be very large. Probably 6"x6", give or take a few inches. From your picture, the ATS would be submerged.

When the water flows from the DT to the sump, the water level will flow up to as high as the first vertical wall of your sump and over the wall. So you don't need a pump to push the water over. The extra pump would be ideal to pump water inside the sump to an algae scrubber. This way, you can take out the algae scrubber and pump without disturbing the sump.

How would the water get to the QT area? Or do you intend to keep a separate filter for that section?

 

[Hillage]

I intend to keep the qt separate and just move over some filter media for qt or acclimation purposes.

So, ATS just hanging freely into water, and the water would go over the wall into filter media? Wouldn't the filter media be submerged then?

I'll think of something and sketch a design soon.

 

[Hillage]

Alright, how bout this one? Water goes through media, then into pumping section. ATS is separate from the sump system, so it can be removed, and won't harm anything if one of the pumps go out.

QT will have an old filter on standby, ready to use some media from the sump if needed.