setting up a planted discus tank

[dima]

i just bought a used setup from somebody, its a 75 gallon bow tank with a sump system, it is a pre-drilled tank with 3 holes, two on each corner of the tank to siphon water to the sump and the middle is the return line, the over flow is siphoned by flexible tubing into a t-shaped pvc pipe that branches out into two pipes right in the middle of the sump tank, this doesnt give much room to setup a normal filtration system in there, i did buy the following media : marineland bonded filter pad. for the large dirt particles. a poly filter to get rid of the water change from the fluval peat granular that i bought. bioballs, and fluval bio max to aid in bio filration, any tips or diagrams for how to set up the sump would be a lot of help. the pump that i bought is also messed up to pump the water back in the tank so could you guys reccomend a good pump



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another thing, the guy at the lfs showed me a product called carbo plus for co2 in the tank, its timed released co2 instead of pressurized. what do you think is better and more cost effective, keeping in mind that i want to set up a planted discus tank

[nacra99]

Hi Dima, and Welcome!

You might get more replies if you post in the "showtanks" section of the forum.

I don't use a sump (wet/dry) for my planted tank because i find that my injected CO2 tends to escape because of the water agitation in the sump. I have had good results both with the eheim and fluval canisters with in line heaters.

I have never used carbo - plus, but from the reviews that i have read, it is not worth the money and is rather unreliable. I personally like pressurized CO2 systems. It's a little more expensive to start with, but the reliability and results of a good set-up is very worth it.

cheers
Marc

[Dood Lee]

Definitely a "NO" on the carbo plus system and any of the cheap knockoffs of it that you can find.

[dima]

thanks guys for that info, anyone else would like to give me suggestions. im very receptive at this point, lol

[diablocanine]

IMO the best pump is a danner mag drive, since it runs 24/7 do not skimp here get the best! Sump setup, no diagram but heres pics of mine:

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c50/DiabloCanine/Sump/Picture005.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c50/DiabloCanine/Sump/Picture004.jpg

I do not think you would be happy with the carbo plus in the long run, refills would pay for a pressurized system pretty quick. I have no problems with outgassing of CO2 in my sump, need to set the sump up correctly though. Throw out the bio balls, I found they cause more harm than good. If plants are not providing enough bio filtration get a couple of powered sponge filters (bottom picture) from http://www.jehmco.com/ (call and talk to John). The two best reasons to use a sump in a freshwater planted tank are the extra water capacity (I have 20% more water due to the sump capacity) and the ability to hide all hardware. Initial setup can be a PITA though, but once tweaked and running it requires very little maintenance. My sump has changed a little, let me know if you need more/better pics and I will break out the camera. It would help to see a pic of your sump to see what you are starting with.

[onin2]

have u thought about going low tech & not using co2. i have been keeping fish for 30 yrs, planted tanks for 15 yrs & have never used co2. i currently have a 125 & a 90 gallon both planted & full of discus. i have amazon swords, ruffeled swords, ozelot swords, grandifolia swords, & crypt retrospirillis. everything is healthy & growing great. i used florite gravel, flourish plant tabs every few months pushed in the gravel, & something by marc wiess called natural aquarium vital, its a liquid. co2 might make the plants grow so fast u wont be able to see the discus. just wanted u to know a nice planted tank can be done without co2. good luck jim from queens

[Willie]

Wow, that explains diablocanine's beautiful planted tank. Hard to imagine dropping money on anything other than the fish, but that's probably just me.

I'm impressed! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Willie

[Kindredspirit]

Welcome Dima!

I agree with Marc to post in the 'showtanks' section~

You have quite a set up there, whatever it is, lol.....I know not one iota of anything you said! But you certainly seem very knowledgeable and you have come to the right place to share and learn~


sump pump? poly filter? http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_12_1.gif


There are some pretty smart people here, Im thinking you will fit in quite nice~


Don't forget to show us your tank!


Marie~

[dima]

thanks man im def gonna check out that danner mag drive to use, i was leaning towards replacing the busted sen700 that came with the setup but if u recomend it ill pick it up, i have pics on cameraphone of the setup, cant load it onto the comp though, ill try to get those up as quickly as possible, i also bought bio-balls already, lol, but ill check out the sponge filters instead as the general opinion on here seems to be that bio-balls are a hassle,

[Dood Lee]

Wow, that explains diablocanine's beautiful planted tank. Hard to imagine dropping money on anything other than the fish, but that's probably just me.

I'm impressed! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Willie

A 10 lb. co2 tank with a decent regulator will only set you back around $150 U.S. A 10 lb tank can last about 3-4 months (maybe more) and refills only cost about $10. You actually don't need a pH monitor if you have a good regulator, which will save you money. All in all, it isn't actually that expensive of a set-up.

Diablocanine: That is really an impressive setup. I really like the layout of your sump and co2 system. I'm really nitpicky about cleanliness, and I must say, I really applaud your organization skills.

[diablocanine]

thanks man im def gonna check out that danner mag drive to use, i was leaning towards replacing the busted sen700 that came with the setup but if u recomend it ill pick it up, i have pics on cameraphone of the setup, cant load it onto the comp though, ill try to get those up as quickly as possible, i also bought bio-balls already, lol, but ill check out the sponge filters instead as the general opinion on here seems to be that bio-balls are a hassle,

Here is where I got my mag drive, prices are competetive and local for me:

http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=MAG

Give them a call or do their chat, very knowledgeable group about sumps. They will help you select the pump with the correct flow for your tank/sump. Make sure you tell them it is a planted freshwater, they are reefers.

If you already have the bio balls, might as well try them if they cannot be returned. My hunch though is they will do more harm than good. I'll wait for a pic of your setup.

[diablocanine]

A 10 lb. co2 tank with a decent regulator will only set you back around $150 U.S. A 10 lb tank can last about 3-4 months (maybe more) and refills only cost about $10. You actually don't need a pH monitor if you have a good regulator, which will save you money. All in all, it isn't actually that expensive of a set-up.

Diablocanine: That is really an impressive setup. I really like the layout of your sump and co2 system. I'm really nitpicky about cleanliness, and I must say, I really applaud your organization skills.

Thanks for the kind words. I have moded and tidyied up the sump since that pic, need to stop messing with it and diagram the setup. I really believe a pressurized CO2 system requires a PH monitor, risking a cylinder dump that wipes out a tank is enough to get me to spend $80. My CO2 cylinder is a 5lb, 10 lb would not fit, it lasts about 6 months. I have over $2500 in this tank, not including fish. I thought I did a really good job shopping, but it still added up quick.