Check my plan before I spend money please

[chatfouz]

I have a I think 150 gal. About 6x3x3. It came drilled with three holes, one down and 2 return. It has a fake wall cutting off the back 5”. I think it was a reef tank before.

I plan to put 5-7 discus in it. It will be my first discus tank and first sump. I’ve kept other stuff before.

The plan is to use a Durso pipe for the down. It is drilled to take 3/4” pvc.

I have a plastic 30 gal tote below. I acquired from a friend 2x giant Swiss tropical sponge filters. The idea is the at one end, the “left” of the sump is the water from tank. Then the two filters about 3” apart, each flowing toward the right. The goal is all water will basically passs through both sponges. Each is about 4”x20”x20” with three air risers.

Then a pump that splits to the two return pipes. The pipes will line both ends of the main tank with spreader bars.

What I am
Confused on is the return pump. I search for pumps and I can’t figure out what I need. Is this correct? https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/quiet...-lifegard.html

Is 4x turn over ok at my stock load?

I am also looking at a UV sterilizer behind the back.

[Red Eye.]

Would be nice to see ...I,m doing the same.

[Second Hand Pat]

Hi chatfouz, can you post pictures of the tank.
Pat

[chatfouz]

IMG_3806.jpg - A view of the weir and return. also I hope the back wall I described makes more sense
IMG_3803.jpg - the tank as a whole. It was a giant paludarium for vampire crabs. I downsized them to another tank. So I haven't finished cleaning it out.
IMG_3804.jpg- The sump. I will cut the filters down to fit in the tote. I can't find any taller sump option to accommodate the entire sponge filter.

[jwcarlson]

6x3x3 would probably be like 400 gallons, but I think your volume estimate might be more accurate. Looks more like 4x2x2, which I think would be ~120 gallons? It looks almost like a 90, but it seems quite deep (front to back).

I don't really have any other input other than that tank looks like a nightmare to try to keep clean for discus.

[Iminit]

Lol Jacob that tank is 3’ high and looks 3’ deep. May be 4’ wide but that’s still 270g. Big tank.
Op your looking for something like this fr a return pumphttps://www.amazon.com/Jebao-Display...13&sr=8-4&th=1 or the next one up the 13000. Sorry but I’ve got no clue as to what the first pic is? Is that under the tank? Like a sump? Will those sponges be added to that?

[chatfouz]

You are right. I was wildly wrong with my memory. It is 4x2x2

[chatfouz]

It is supposed to be the dump I have available. It has 2 giant sponge matter filters. The idea is two big sponges will be easy to maintain filters.

[chatfouz]

I had dimensions wrong. It is 4x2x2 a 150 gal. Is this still the right size pump?

[danotaylor]

4x2x2 = 120gal
It is better to have a slightly over powered return pump as the head height, the height the water has to he lifted from the sump to the main tank, reduces the actual flow stated on the pump. For example a 700gph pump will move 700gph at its outlet but perhaps only 500gph at the outlet in the tank due to the opposing force of gravity it is pushing against.

[jwcarlson]

Lol Jacob that tank is 3’ high and looks 3’ deep. May be 4’ wide but that’s still 270g. Big tank.

Dangit, Tom, we should have bet.

[chatfouz]

This Jebao MDP Smart DC Pump with LCD Display Controller for Saltwater Tank (MDP-5000) https://a.co/d/1s6YQ2Q

1400 gal 13ft head will have it running at 50% or less. The pump does fine running at lower power.

As a sump is it ok to use a galvanized horse trough? I might have access to a free one that should fit under the stand

[danotaylor]

That is a DC power supply pump. Are you running it off a battery pack?
It’s not 1400gph at 13’. 13’ is the max it will lift vertically, beyond 13’ it is 0gph. 1400gph coming right off the pump and it decreases with every foot of vertical height to 0gph beyond 13’.

[jwcarlson]

That is a DC power supply pump. Are you running it off a battery pack?
It’s not 1400gph at 13’. 13’ is the max it will lift vertically, beyond 13’ it is 0gph. 1400gph coming right off the pump and it decreases with every foot of vertical height to 0gph beyond 13’.

It has a DC supply (so it just plugs into the wall). Allows you to vary the output to the DC pump, so that you can change speeds.

[Iminit]

That is a DC power supply pump. Are you running it off a battery pack?
It’s not 1400gph at 13’. 13’ is the max it will lift vertically, beyond 13’ it is 0gph. 1400gph coming right off the pump and it decreases with every foot of vertical height to 0gph beyond 13’.

Yes inverter is in the pump. 110 feed changing to i think 24v dc. These are very nice pumps. Been using jebao for a few years now. Chatfouz the one you put up should work fine for a 150. One thing is the output will be 1” not 3/4 or smaller. I’m using a smaller one on my 180. Also a different model. This model is pretty new. I do have it as a backup. Never used it yet.

Jacob I’m glad I didn’t bet! But it does look high and deep to me.

Chatfouz in your first picture what are we looking down at? Looks like a sump.