Filtration???

[Morphine]

Again i'm reaching out to the Aquatica Community Cough cough (Jason)

I've finally trouble shot my power/powerheads and plumbing for this in light canopy filtration system, now I've got 4 - approx 8'' by 7'' boxes where my water is being pumped into, how should I set up these filters i've got some sorta of white spongey material, that I'm assuming he was using for filtration in these boxes, he also gave me fluval clearmax bags and a tub of carbon I was thinking if I set up the material with the carbon on top with the bag of clearmax for a 3 layer. I'm not sure if that will do the trick or anything just taking a shot in the dark here of how i'm assuming he had it set up, I haven't done very much research into filtration. If anyone knows how I can better set this up I would appreciate it! I would have asked the guy all this before hand but I was trying to make outta there like a bandit.

(While awaiting a reply i'm going to research into this filtration, try to find a better option/way)

Thanks,

Jordan

[Morphine]

Here is the tank

Carbon?

How I plumbed it to the filters.

Filter box/Material

Sorry for the pics I took them with my Iphone.

[SourceAquatics]

in order from furthest from the return water to tank:

Tray #1: Bio media (bio-max, bio-rings, etc)

Tray #2: Bio Media Sponges

Tray #3: Filter floss (for all the small particules

Tray #4: Chemical media (carbon)

[jvision]

Looks good. Just make sure you change your carbon regularly - it will start leaching back into your water after a while.

[BettaFishMommy]

i'd be putting the sponge in the first compartment the water hits when it's coming from the tank, to filter out the larger particles. if your bio-media (ceramic rings) is in the first chamber it will gunk up really quickly and the beneficial bacteria will not be able to function as well.

all my filters run with sponge first, then bio-media, then filter floss. i don't use carbon unless i'm removing meds from the tank.

[SourceAquatics]

looks like he has a spray bar for the filter

[BettaFishMommy]

so if water is going into the filter from the tank via a spray bar, i would consider a sponge pre-filter on the intake to keep the spray bar from getting full of crud.

[Morphine]

hey thanks for the replies. I paid a little visit down to aqua giant, I like the place it's pretty sweet and inexpensive. I guess I did similar to what you guys suggested - I took the poly white and actually put it on top of all the cartridges then I put 2 with the cermanic rings and 2 with the carbon. I think that will be enough filtration in the tank - everything is running good and I'll cycle the tank and take some water testings in a day or 2 to see where I'm sitting. The 2nd powerhead I have unfortunetly the motor is burnt out I'm pretty sure that it's a write off unless anyone has any insight on whether I should try to repair it myself but I figure I'll just keep it around just incase I need a part or something.

Do you guys think I should have 2 trays carbon?? How often should I change it monthly?

This tank has 3 - 39w T5 bulbs I've taken my plants out of my 77g with just a single T8 bulb, (Just a test to see if I had enough for just simple Anubias, after 2 days of being in a photo period of 8 hours a day they look 120% better and living it's crazy what a little light can do

I plan to turn it into a planted tank after I move in July (Who wants to help haha joking) Hopefully by then my CO2 supplies will be in and it will be smooth sailing!

Edited May 29, 2010 by Morphine

[jvision]

In the beginning, the carbon will be extracting a lot of gunk. Depending on what you use to dechlorinate, it could be absorbing chlorine, ammonia and a host of organic compounds. I'd probably change it every other week for the first few months. Personally, I don't use carbon because of the potential for harm - BFM is right, it's best used to remove meds after they're needed. A sponge on the powerhead intake isn't a bad idea, either. It'll save you from having to rinse out the spray bars every week.

3x39W on a 120 isn't a lot of light, relatively; so don't worry too much about that. You'll probably want to upgrade when you start planting it. You'll also want to revisit your filtration system, as that spraybar will gas-out all of your CO2.

I'll help you with the planted tank, but probably not with the moving

[Morphine]

Haha, figured that moving part was a shot in the dark!

Jason, I don't think it's 120gal - I'm thinking it's around 60gal - The dimensions are 18 width 18 height - 40 length I think I might of typo'd the 120gal for a grossly wrong 120 litres lol either way I was still very wrong. I measured the dimensions and plugged it into a calc and it is 56.1gal.

I would definetly really appreciate the help with the planted tank, because I'm basically just taking a shot in the dark taking all the information that I have read online and trying to put it together and make something of it, because it seems every time I ask someone at the LFS they have no clue or no idea what i'm talking about.

I was thinking when it comes time for this planted tank to happen, most likely after all the moving pains are compeltely sorted out (middle of July) to maybe upgrade to a canister filter?

As for lighting I have a hud that's 36' w/ 3 - T5 6700k's also 39watts that is currently on order. So I guess if it's only a 56G - 120WPG that would make me sit a little above 2WPG.

Jason do you have any good references/websites/books that you suggest I read about planted tanks - I have cruised through the articles in the forums section already and changed a few things but I guess I just need to learn from a pro

[jvision]

There's a decent planted forum out there somewhere, but I'm not on it I was a part of the Aquatic Plants Digest (maybe archived at thekrib.com?) for about 12yrs and learned a lot from those guys. Tom Barr has his own website, now; and, I'm sure a lot of those other guys are out there. ACE has a lot of great plant guys, too.

[BettaFishMommy]

there's an international fishy forum at www.aquariacentral.com and it is wonderful for planted tank advice. I'm a member over there (same screen name as here) and spend as much time there as i do here (shhhh! don't tell the mods! lol)