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Thread: My Quasi Fish Room

  1. #1
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    Default My Quasi Fish Room

    Hi everyone, I thought it was finally time to chronicle my fish room build. I'm not sure it truly counts as a fish room because it's only going to house two tanks, maybe three at most, but it is mine and I'm happy with how things are coming along. The main tank is a 180 gallon tank I got for $300 out of a guy's basement, with a 75 gallon sump and a 75 gallon quarantine/grow out tank on a much smaller stand. First picture is the stand I had built by a friend with a welder and access to square tubing. The stand is 36" tall and I painted it with truck bed liner. I'm not entirely happy with how it turned out; I was hoping for a slightly rougher texture, but it will do just fine.
    20151213_180230.jpg
    Next we have the tank sitting on the stand with the sump below it, before starting plumbing.
    20160110_174021.jpg
    The plumbing nightmare begins. The top bulkhead is the one that feeds the sump through 1-1/2" PVC. Bottom bulkhead is utilized as the drain for water changes. I have a full set up plumbed to a drain across the floor that I'll take a picture of next time I set it up. The tank is fed through 1" PVC and a DIY PVC spraybar.
    20160214_191043.jpg
    75 gallon quarantine/grow out tank. My one lonely discus is living in there currently; story to follow.
    20160417_150802.jpg
    Tank filled with a layer of sand at the bottom. Yes I know there's a hole in the sand. That's caused by the spray bar and I just haven't fixed it.
    20160417_150818.jpg
    My two 55 gallon water holding barrels. Each houses a 300 watt Eheim heater and a MaxiJet 1200 for circulation/filling the tanks. The barrels are fed by a hard plumbed feed line in the bathroom behind the 180 gallon tank. My dad and I also ran more electrical service to the room.
    20160418_214016.jpg
    My DIY sump build out of a 75 gallon I bought for $80. I know most of you dislike socks and I might change it one day, but the water is fed through there, in to the next chamber which houses my pot scrubbers sandwiched between two pieces of egg crate held down by some pieces of slate. Turns out pot scrubbers are incredibly bouyant. Who knew. Below that is a partitioned section the bottom egg crate rests on housing three Eheim 300 watt heaters. The water flows through a bubble trap in to the return pump section which houses a Waveline DC6000 pump.
    20160418_214026.jpg

    Since I don't want to start another thread in a different sub forum, I'll talk about my lonely discus.
    20160417_150313.jpg
    Meet Fred. I bought Fred off a guy here in town who simply didn't have the time to care for his discus anymore. He had three originally, one didn't make it a few months ago, another isn't doing well that he didn't want to give to me, and Fred. He's a flamingo throwback, around 6". He's been eating well, with daily water changes in the meantime, even ate from my hand this evening. Been getting far more adventurous as the days go by, even swimming right up to me against the glass. I haven't noticed any of the health issues I've been told to look out for and I'm happy with his progress. I know discus do a million times better in groups, but I couldn't pass this guy up. In the next couple weeks, I'll be buying 12 2-3" juvies to grow out in that tank after I move Fred over to the larger tank. He won't be entirely alone, I will have some cardinals and rummynose in with him, and hopefully he continues to do well until I can move the juvies over to the big tank.

    I look forward to hearing everyone's feedback, positive and negative. I'm a first time discus owner, so have at it.

  2. #2
    Registered Member rickztahone's Avatar
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    Default Re: My Quasi Fish Room

    Great build so far. what kind of overflow system are you incorporating here?

    Click here to view my 75g Acrylic Tank w/ Bean Animal Overflow with 40g Sump Thread

    Also, click here for my 25 group of discus grow out thread


    http://i3.cpcache.com/product/162117...ht=75&width=75
    Want to look like Al did at his ACA talk with his white Simply Polo shirt?(You can catch Al's awesome Discus talk HERE)
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  3. #3
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    Default Re: My Quasi Fish Room

    I don't follow what you mean by overflow, rickztahone

  4. #4
    Registered Member rickztahone's Avatar
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    Default Re: My Quasi Fish Room

    Quote Originally Posted by HeyitsSeanT View Post
    I don't follow what you mean by overflow, rickztahone
    How is the water getting to your sump?

    Click here to view my 75g Acrylic Tank w/ Bean Animal Overflow with 40g Sump Thread

    Also, click here for my 25 group of discus grow out thread


    http://i3.cpcache.com/product/162117...ht=75&width=75
    Want to look like Al did at his ACA talk with his white Simply Polo shirt?(You can catch Al's awesome Discus talk HERE)
    You can get this and many more items such as T-shirts/Polos/hoodies/cups from our merchandise shop:
    Cafepress.com

  5. #5
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    Default Re: My Quasi Fish Room

    Oh, sorry. The top hole in the back of the tank has 1-1/2" PVC that runs down to the sump. I had a build a pipe for inside the tank to house two strainers, because one strainer couldn't flow as much as the pipe could. I'll take a picture of it tomorrow.

  6. #6
    Registered Member rickztahone's Avatar
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    Default Re: My Quasi Fish Room

    Quote Originally Posted by HeyitsSeanT View Post
    Oh, sorry. The top hole in the back of the tank has 1-1/2" PVC that runs down to the sump. I had a build a pipe for inside the tank to house two strainers, because one strainer couldn't flow as much as the pipe could. I'll take a picture of it tomorrow.
    I can picture what you mean. Just be aware, if one of the strainers clog, you are looking at a flood from DT and that would be a huge pain. Overflows usually have failsafes in place to prevent these kind of accidents. It seems you had the space for an actual overflow, is there a reason you didn't go with it?

    Click here to view my 75g Acrylic Tank w/ Bean Animal Overflow with 40g Sump Thread

    Also, click here for my 25 group of discus grow out thread


    http://i3.cpcache.com/product/162117...ht=75&width=75
    Want to look like Al did at his ACA talk with his white Simply Polo shirt?(You can catch Al's awesome Discus talk HERE)
    You can get this and many more items such as T-shirts/Polos/hoodies/cups from our merchandise shop:
    Cafepress.com

  7. #7
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    Default Re: My Quasi Fish Room

    Do you mean one of the hang on back style, or a corner overflow?

  8. #8
    Registered Member rickztahone's Avatar
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    Default Re: My Quasi Fish Room

    Quote Originally Posted by HeyitsSeanT View Post
    Do you mean one of the hang on back style, or a corner overflow?
    or an inner overflow box. There are so many on the market made out of acrylic.

    Click here to view my 75g Acrylic Tank w/ Bean Animal Overflow with 40g Sump Thread

    Also, click here for my 25 group of discus grow out thread


    http://i3.cpcache.com/product/162117...ht=75&width=75
    Want to look like Al did at his ACA talk with his white Simply Polo shirt?(You can catch Al's awesome Discus talk HERE)
    You can get this and many more items such as T-shirts/Polos/hoodies/cups from our merchandise shop:
    Cafepress.com

  9. #9
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    Default Re: My Quasi Fish Room

    The holes were there already so I wanted to utilize them. I don't like the acrylic hang on back style. I've seen then fail more.

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