This is my 210g tank converted from reef. It used to be a bar, so there is running water and a waste pipe just adjacent to it.
I have had saltwater, reef, and most freshwater inhabitants over the years. I decided to finally discus!!!!
the tank
simple off the shelf 210g AGA aquarium 6 ft long with dual mega flows and converted to durso standpipes.
Stand built custom using plywood and 4x4's.
Ample room behind for the messy work. Wish I had a basement under this room, but don't.
Room has a bathroom fan for venting outside and an exit to outside behind.
Bare bottom. 2 holey rock resin inserts from Universal Rocks. Need to decorate some more, but trying to keep it simple right now.
Currently only 6 fish. Just picked up some beauties from Winnie's discus here in New York. Niice guy, very knowledgeable, and beautiful fish. He has a facebook page if you are interested.
The equipment
Currently have a Bashsea 48" sump with 3 filter sock compartments, a media section, and return section. The sump is drilled and bulkheaded into my waster pipe at a little over 1/2 full to drain out the water input. I use cermedia marinepure biofilter balls...wayyyy too many of em.
The lighting was Maxspect Mazzara with 3 modules. However, they are powerful and full spectrum. So i took them down and ATM running two fluval Aquasky fixtures. They are good, but I might revisit this at some time down the road.
2 DC adjustable pumps (Jabao) as returns, one for each megaflow and in case on breaks (not the best quality pump). However, I have been quite happy with them.
2 Fluval 300 watt e heaters in tank, one eheim 300 in sump.
40 watt 3ft aqua UV sterilizer carried over from correctly sized saltwater setup. Flow through is a dedicated loop to sump powered by a RIO 1800 - 400g an hour approx. AQUA uv rates sterilization in freshwater for this at 1100gph. So I guess it is quite sterile.
2 Hagen powerheads in corners to direct all debris to back middle for easy cleaning.
5 stage RO unit 150g an hour converted to carbon block 3 stage and a 40gp day water regulator. My water has no chlorimines, just chlorine. I run a 5 micron sediment filter. 2nd stage Matrikx cto and 3rd stage cto plus .6 micron. Water drips into aquarium by one of the power heads. I felt dripping to sump would not allow enough dilution before system exit.
Picture above is before when I had Peacock Cichlids.
Well, thats all for now. Any constructive criticisms or comments appreciated.
I hope I can give them good clean homes with the knowledge I have acquired along the way.
Thanks for the confidence. It has been alot of work and still evolving. My cannon UV is plumbed. The sucker is 3ft long. It is overkill. but that was correct size for my saltwater. Here is my simple drip system as well.
Awesome setup-I would kill to have a closet with running water/sink/drain/storage space behind my tank.Your 40 watt UV is actually not oversized for a 210 gallon tank a ?? gallon sump.......it just seems that way because the majority of the cute little UV toys marketed today are grossly undersized,ineffective toys incapable of actually doing much,if anything.Cant wait to see your setup evolve! Be sure to change that uv bulb at least annually,and peek at the quartz sleeve quarterly to be sure there is no buildup inhibiting uv transmittance.Adding quick disconnects to the input/exit tubing near the sterilizer makes the above much easier...a project currently in the works for me.
Last edited by atlantadiscus; 11-04-2016 at 12:55 AM.
Starting to come along. Picked up a big piece of driftwood and a few Manzanita branches. I twist tied then together and wedged them into the corner top. They are adhered with a twist tie to one of the overflows. Still needs more work and possibly some greens, but starting to become a tank and not a box.
Definitely tagging along! Currently converting my 125 reef into a discus setup as well. Wish I had the little room setup that you do! Any pics of your sump??
Sure. It is a Bashsea 48" sump. It has a 3 filter sock section (which I regret). I wish it had the one big sock instead. A bio section, a hardware section, and 2 small box sections where I put the bulkhead to waste pipe and uv pump loop. It is very high quality, good price piont, and thick. I had a POS Eshopps before this one. It was really thin and IMO should not be allowed to be sold. It reasserted the old adage that if you buy cheap, you buy twice...or three times. The bio section uses cermedia Marinepure balls. I have way more than the box says I need, but I just had to fill that compartment!..lol. I run bubble from the bottom through the media to help keep it clean. You can see my simple waste pipe and drain for the drip system. Not sophisticated, but it works flawlessly.
One of the the best things I have done is to buy a flexible and self stick LED strip and mounted it face down under the base of the aquarium. It makes seeing the state of affairs under the tank. Whatever you do, do not buy a tap light and put that there. When the adhesive fails, which it will, you will have a battery corroding inside your sump! This happened to me when I had it set up saltwater. Not good. Battery + corrosive saltwater= BAD. Trust me.
Beautiful set up. Wish you the best
I put some lime stone coral in my tank and ph stayed too high for discus.
Not sure what the white rock is, but be careful.
It's like putting a giant TUMS in the tank.
Look from the back. It has no displacement. When algae grows on it, it looks super reaiistic. Right now it is a bit too bight. The rock is made from UniversalRocks...if it were real holey rock, it would be awful for a discus aquarium, agreed...not to mention, heavy.
On the uv.. definitely adding quick connects..That is a great idea. It isn't an all the time thing, so it never occurred to me. THANKS!
The small UV's do work well as clarifiers. The 8x does that even on my size tank. However, it is the sterilization I want here. Only way to do that is exposure time, which requires length.
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My new 210g in wall discus drip tank
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