New Setup-Need Help

[CCivic2]

ok so I need some help. I'll give the basics. I moved recently, about 2 1/2 hours away and will be moving my fish as well. I have three tanks setup right now. I have a 38 gallon with an emperor 400 on it with two Blood Parrots. My next setup is a 55 corner drilled with a Sealife systems wet/dry 2 chamber rated at 75 gallons with a mag 7.5 as a return pump. My third setup is a 90g drilled with a megaflow overflow. I have a 3 chamber sealife systems wet/dry rated at 150 gallons using a mag 9.5 as a return pump. Now we had a baby last year and I am finding that maintaining 3 aquariums plus a 40g breeder with a red eared slider in it has become very difficult. So I decided to do away with the three aquariums and bought a 125 gallon AGA with dual overflows. I also have a sealife systems 2 chamber wet/dry rated at 200 gallons to go with it. The Wet/dry's will be under the tank and the top of the tank with stand is right at 5ft. Now having said all that my problem is this.




1. Do I just use the wet/dry rated at 200g which has 2 drain lines going into it and run one mag 9.5 and put a T on the return to go to both overflows?




2. Do I use the 3 chamber wet/dry rated at 150g which also has 2 drains lines going into it and run the mag 9.5 with a T going to both overflows?




3. This is what I was considering. Using the 2 chamber rated at 200g on the left overflow using only one drain line and using a mag 9.5 to return the water only to the left overflow and then using either the wet/dry rated at 75g with a mag 7.5 on the right overflow or the 3 chamber wet/dry rated at 150g with either a mag 7.5 or a 9.5 as a return pump going only to the right overflow. Can I use two different return pumps rated at different GPH?




Also I will have two Phosban Media reactors with mostly carbon on each wet/dry to help with filtration.




I am leaning towards using two wet/dry's as it will maximize my mechanical filtration considering I have some very large Blood Parrots and let's face it they aren't the cleanest fish out there. I want to use the 200g and the 150g wet/dry's but don't know if I can use a mag 7.5 and a 9.5 as return pumps. I am trying to avoid having to buy another mag 9.5. If I have to I will. Please let me know if this is possible and or recommended.




4. Next on the list is the return pipe. On my 90g the return pipe is on the right side of the overflow. Now the 125 both return pipes will have the returns pointing towards the outside of each side of the tank and nothing going towards the center. I am not sure if that is normal but it just seems a bit weird that it doesn't at least have one return pointing towards the middle to make sure that the whole tank has sort of a current I guess. I figured I would use a koralia powerhead to circulate water in the center of the tank. I also will be adding air and some live plants as well.




I am really stuck on what to do with the filtration as I need to have this running before this weekend because I have to move all my fish this weekend because I am closing on that house Monday or Tuesday.




5. I know this should be posted somewhere else but instead of creating two posts I figured I would just add it on. I have a 48" Coralife Lunar Aqualife T5HO (54W x 4) on my 90 gallon anda 48" Coralife Lunar Aqualife CF (65W x 4) on my 55 gallon and a 36" Wavepoint T5HO (39W x 4) on the 38g. I also have a 36" Coralife Aqualight T5HO (39W x 2) as a spare just in case one of my current lights fail. I would love to go to LED on the 125 but I really could use some suggestions on that. Do I try to find a 72" fixture (which I am finding impossible) or use 2 36" fixtures? I want to stay away from MH because the tank is only freshwater and just a few plants and I think a MH would be overkill but I am open to suggestions. I will spend what I have to in order to do it right but at the same time I would really like to not break the bank so to speak. I would really appreciate any suggestions on which way to turn here. The lighting I can figure out later but the filtration is something I need to get going like yesterday. Thanks in advance for any help and sorry for the novel.

 

[coralbandit]

2 sumps with "equal" pumps on the same tank is always difficult to balance.
Different sized pumps spells DOOM IMO.
The overflow will feed water to slower tank do to larger pump on other sump IMO causing issues.
I use mags on tanks I haven't replaced them on yet(they are pretty loud!).
I would just upgrade to a DC pump that will be electronically adjustable and can run both returns from a T.

Having 2 pumps for return in the same sump should be no problem if you choose another mag.
I would set up and run the mag to meet time line and order a DC pump and upgrade after it arrives..


Look into 'lock line to aim your returns where you want.
I use them in my mega overflows to direct return from corners to center....

If you are 'set' on two sumps you need to water bridge/syphon link them together so water enters one and returns from the other.
ALL my sumps water bridge to 29g tanks(some 2) to hold more volume...

Congrats on baby,moving, and new tank(maybe in that order..)...

 

[CCivic2]

Thanks for the reply. I have experience with wet/dry's but lets face it a tank with dual overflows is a whole different ballgame.

So run one wet/dry with two return pumps in it? If I order a dc pump just run one and us a "T" to go to both return pipes. I use Loc Line nozzles that split off into two returns and I use a wide sprayer at the end.

What dc pump would you recommend since I only have ever used Mag drives. I think I am going to use the 3 chamber wet/dry which is equipped with two drain lines instead of the 2 chamber rated at 200g because I prefer how the drain comes into a chamber with whatever I choose to have in it, I use it for my heater and I put my pump from my phosban reactor in the left chamber and run the return to that to the right chamber and that has seemed to work out pretty well as my water usually stays crystal clear and of course put the return pump in the right chamber.

I appreciate the reply as I was stuck not knowing how to set it up. And of course I was skeptical that using two filters would have been hard to balance but I figured if I was using the same size pump it would work but now thinking about it I guess even though they are the same size doesn't mean they are pumping the same amount of water.

I think the bridging idea would be a great option but I'm a little out of my depth there and lack the time to set it all up because with a new baby my free time is non existent. So if I run both drains into one wet/dry and use one mag 9.5 to return would that be sufficient or do I need a pump with higher GPH? Granted this is only temporary as I will order the DC pump once I know which one to get. Sorry I am talking in circles, I have a 1,000 things going on at once here and I am running out of time to move my fish. I really don't want to push my closing down there because I haven't moved my fish yet.

As my last question in my original post was about lighting. Any suggestions for that? I am having a hard time finding a 72" fixture that people don't complain about dead spots. Would 2 36" fixtures work? Also do I stick with T5HO or go to LED? I really appreciate the help and hope you are having a Happy Thanksgiving.
BTW the order is new puppy, baby (14 months old now), moving, new tank. I am excited to get it up and going as I have created an awesome formation of rock and will add plants as soon as its up and running. I am going to use the bio-balls from my current tanks to speed the cycling in the new tank as well. Again thanks for the help.

 

[coralbandit]

You should be fine running the 9.5 till you upgrade.
IMO all DC pumps ARE the same but the prices are not.
So I run the cheapest (I think) with very good results, and no complaints.

There are some who have had issues though?
Going to run all my sumps DC eventually(MTS>>)
I use Jeboa 12,000 on my 180 and one of my 120s that both have dual mega overflows.
http://www.amazon.com/Jebao-DC-1200...F8&qid=1448557725&sr=8-8&keywords=jebao+pumps


Link says there are 5there may soon only be 3!!

At that price no reason not to have back up IMO!
3,000 gph aprox with electronic flow control!
If you want less flow(gph) you turn it down and save even more electricity!

I run both of mine 100%

 

[CCivic2]

So I found the DCT-12000 which is the 2015 model for $104. Thank for that and the reviews r pretty good. My question is is 3100gph too much? Plus I have prime shipping so I will have it Saturday. What kind of lighting do you use on your 180g? Thanks again

 

[coralbandit]

My 180 is FW with Current True Lumen PROS...
4@4'
3@2'
combo of 12k and fusions(50/50 12k/blue)

Lights are older (3-4 years)

I run my 4x2 120g on 100% with the 12,000.
Possibly the return bulkhead size(aqueon mega overflow) is the limiting factor for this set up?