Hey everyone. I have just purchased a second hand 180G to put my cichlids in which are outgrowing their current home which is a 33G. I plan on using the old tank to make a sump for the new bigger tank.
I modelled this plan to help myself figure out what I wanted and to better visualise what I needed to do.
Tank specs are 180G 6x2x2 with a 33G 4x1x1 sump
The main tank has a tempered base for some reason so I will be DIY drilling the pipe holes into side.
The plan/colours key:
[First Section] Water comes into sump and goes through drip tray(green) to spread out incoming water to all of filter pads/wool(purple). Egg crate(green) separates filter pads from bioballs (black).
[Second Section] Refugium where I will be keeping plants for my other tanks that need a break from being snacked upon. My fish eat anything even Java Fern or Anubius. Will also be a group of shrimp which i hope to breed as food.
[Third Section] Heaters(aqua) and return pump(purple).
My questions:
(1) should I put the overflow box from top to bottom and put the outflow pipes near the bottom of the tank?
(2) Do I need two outflow pipes? A lot of pics/vids I saw had multiple to ensure flow? I want to have an attachment with a tap to help with water changes.
(3) Should I put a heater into the refugium for the shrimp/plants?
(4) How do I calculate the size of the pipes I need?
(5) Height of the overflow box in relation to top of water? Enough to provide a slow continuous flow or do i want more of a "waterfall" into the box?
Any criticism or such is welcome as this is my first tank of this size or tank with a sump.
Thanks
I modelled this plan to help myself figure out what I wanted and to better visualise what I needed to do.
Tank specs are 180G 6x2x2 with a 33G 4x1x1 sump
The main tank has a tempered base for some reason so I will be DIY drilling the pipe holes into side.
The plan/colours key:
[First Section] Water comes into sump and goes through drip tray(green) to spread out incoming water to all of filter pads/wool(purple). Egg crate(green) separates filter pads from bioballs (black).
[Second Section] Refugium where I will be keeping plants for my other tanks that need a break from being snacked upon. My fish eat anything even Java Fern or Anubius. Will also be a group of shrimp which i hope to breed as food.
[Third Section] Heaters(aqua) and return pump(purple).
My questions:
(1) should I put the overflow box from top to bottom and put the outflow pipes near the bottom of the tank?
(2) Do I need two outflow pipes? A lot of pics/vids I saw had multiple to ensure flow? I want to have an attachment with a tap to help with water changes.
(3) Should I put a heater into the refugium for the shrimp/plants?
(4) How do I calculate the size of the pipes I need?
(5) Height of the overflow box in relation to top of water? Enough to provide a slow continuous flow or do i want more of a "waterfall" into the box?
Any criticism or such is welcome as this is my first tank of this size or tank with a sump.
Thanks