Setting up 125 gallon tank

[Mattgrizzlybear]

I am doing my first discus tank for 8, 2.5" checkerboards that i am getting from an importer who gets them from stendker through hans, and just wanted people's input on my ideas. I am getting a 125g aquarium off craigslist this weekend and i plan to have dual PVC overflows which would drain into either two 3-drawer storage containers or two buckets (idea from The King of DIY on Youtube) both which would be trickle towers with filter floss for mechanical and pot scrubbies for biological. Whichever i decide to do would all be in a 55g tank and one pump back to the main tank. This tank will be bare bottom and most likely have some potted aquarium plants like java fern, amazon sword plant, etc. The back will be spray painted black. The person who i am purchasing the tank from said he may have 2 canister filters, what he believes are a fluval and a marineland which i would most likely use one or both of them on this tank. pH is around 7 in Cleveland and i would do twice a week water changes on the weekend and wednesdays. One question i do have, though, is what size pvc should i use to get a good flow (i have heard turning the tank over 6 times in an hour) and has anyone had success with this sort of setup? Any suggestions or constructive criticism would be much appreciated as i haven't done discus before, only Mbuna and once i grow the 8 of them out, want to breed them. Thank you! P.S sorry if it's in the wrong section, im new here :p

[Mattgrizzlybear]

For food i was thinking of using Cobalt flake food over beefheart mix because beefheart mix seems rather dirty from what i hear. Below is a pic of the diy pvc overflow. Also maybe some neon tetras would look nice to fill up some space in the tank. Any tips?

[Filip]

Wellcome to SD forum and keeping discus Matt.
Maybe its better to grow them a couple of months in 40 g tank with daily WC , and then put them in your desired display community tank with 2 WCs per week.
I would also restrain from getting tetras , and plants at least for first couple of months , since your discus are still too small, and you are a first timer.
frequent Wc s are crucial for their growth when they are young.

I would add something else besides the flakes also .
FDWB , shrimps , salmon are option if you don't want to go wit BH.
But consider BH as a very good and cheap option for fast growth.

Good luck.

[FishFanMan]

I would drill the tank just so you can minimize all that tubing in the tank. Also would do away with DSB. It's harder to keep it clean and looks odd in a display tank imho.

[Akili]

If drilling is not an option go with Eshopps overflow box or one from lifereef.I have heard many stories of failures of DIY pvc overflow.Spend a bit now and save a headache later. Links below

http://www.eshopps.com/products/overflowboxes/

http://www.lifereef.com/siphon.html

[Cosmo]

If drilling is an option, you can get the diamond edged hole cutters from Jehmco.com. Since you are just starting out with Discus, I would keep the setup as simple and as bulletproof as possible. Oh, and sponge is probably better than filter floss or pot scrubbers for both screaning and for setting up bacterial colonies - just don't buy sponges that are treated like the ones at the grocery store.

[Mattgrizzlybear]

I have an extra 55g that i could set up for now for them. How much % for the wc's should i do daily in there then? For food i would feed Black Worms as well, just forgot to mention that.

[DJW]

With that type of overflow, you should connect an aqualifter to the check valve to keep air from accumulating at the top of the siphon. If the pipe diameter is too large the flow will be slow, which allows air to stay in the siphon.

I will never use one of those DIY overflows again. Drilling is better.

There are overflows you can buy that use clear tubes that are more reliable. I can't remember the name right now, but maybe Farebox will chime in, he uses the kind that work well.

Dan

[Mattgrizzlybear]

I could look into drilling, i have never driled a tank before but since it looks like i'll be growing them out for a few months in a 55g i could use that time for drilling. Do you reccomend any of those things that golds the drill to keep it straight or any tips? Thanks if i decide to drill it but im trying to avoid the extra work and risk of breaking it.

[Mattgrizzlybear]

Also, i have heard that the overflow boxes create a siphon so if your power goes out, the siphon continues but your pump remains off causing your sump to overflow. Is this true?

[Akili]

Also, i have heard that the overflow boxes create a siphon so if your power goes out, the siphon continues but your pump remains off causing your sump to overflow. Is this true?I use Eshopps overflow box PF-1000, it has never broken siphon through countless power outages.

[Cosmo]

I could look into drilling, i have never driled a tank before but since it looks like i'll be growing them out for a few months in a 55g i could use that time for drilling. Do you reccomend any of those things that golds the drill to keep it straight or any tips? Thanks if i decide to drill it but im trying to avoid the extra work and risk of breaking it.

A drill press is recommended, though I did my glass tanks using my eyeballs and the weight of the drill to push the hole cutter through. I made a template out of wood to place the hole and hold the bit in place, then flooded it with water the etire time the bit was moving. There is no guarantee the glass won't break so there is a risk - heat is a major enemy which is why the water flow is so important. I checked with some local glass shops and NONE of them would gurantee they wouldn't crack the glass :( and that is the ONLY reason I tried it myself :p Did 4 tanks w/o any cracks :)

I believe you can buy clear pvc pipe from Jehmco (I know he USED to sell it), there is a place to buy just about anything in clear pvc but I can't recall the name, plus, they only sold 8ft sections, Jehmco will cut to order. I've been thinking of using this with one of the bulkheads and a 90 fitting in my acrylic 90gal as an overflow if I ever set the tank up again.

[farebox]

If you don't drill your tank, go with the pre-filter siphon from Lifereef. I have an 125G tank with an 20G long DIY sump. First did the Eshopps box PF-1000, (I broke a part of the box during installation, my fault), so did urjoey pvc overflow thing, one day after an WC, flood happened. Went and installed Tom's aqualifter for added safety. Online research came across info about Lifereef pre filter system. I sent them an email explaining what had happen and my current setup. Jeff emailed me back with the correct system/water pump I would needed to ensure "no flooding". Also all needed pluming material comes with it and very easy to use instructions for installing. Been up and running since Aug 2014 without an hitch. I turn off my return pump 3 x daily during feeding. Check out video: https://youtu.be/5KrnCbZgNxk

[Mattgrizzlybear]

Ok it looks like drilling is not an option, i just got the tank and the sticker says clearly "do not drill glass enclosure"

[Mattgrizzlybear]

The guy also gave me 2 stealth brand heaters and his own diy overflow box but it's not in the best shape and is missing the U piece. Maybe i could look into building my own hang on the back overflow or something else. Maybe i could try the pvc one and use an aqualifter to prevent it from breaking siphon. I am trying to stay low on budget. Thanks

[DJW]

Ok it looks like drilling is not an option, i just got the tank and the sticker says clearly "do not drill glass enclosure"

Probably it is only the bottom of the tank that is tempered glass, you should be able to drill the sides. There is a way to tell if glass is tempered if you have polarized sunglasses.
Dan

[Filip]

I have an extra 55g that i could set up for now for them. How much % for the wc's should i do daily in there then? For food i would feed Black Worms as well, just forgot to mention that.

That's better option for fast growing them.
As long as you siphon out uneaten food leftovers and poop regularly and wipe the glass and sponges, 50 % a day would suffice for optimal growth.
Live worms such as black worms, blood worms, tubifex Etc. carry parasites and diseases, try to stay away from them.