Tenacor LARGE Acrylic tanks???

[John >]

Phase One: Before I go whole hog and have the floor ripped out for the 8'
diameter 2800g tank I eventually want, I think I should go easy for a while.

Anyone using Tenacor's LARGE Acrylic tanks with the with Simplicity Plus
Filter built in?

I am looking at a 535 gallon 96"X48"X30" tank
http://www.tenecor.com/ultraquarium.php to replace our 120G fresh water
display tank. The filter looks like this
http://www.tenecor.com/ultraquariumsimplicity.php and baring creating a fist
fight over the pro's and con's of bio balls, anyone have an educated opinion
of this tank & filtering system?

Tank Load will be LARGE with several species of North American Game Fish. I
would guess somewhere around 300 to 600 cubic inches of fish.

Any suggestions to increase the bio filter capacity without external
plumbing? Coral or crushed lava rock in the substrate? UGF?

I was also thinking of using fake (Cultured Stone) concrete rock for the
back wall of the tank http://www.culturedstone.com/products/carolina.html
"Vintage Sand" to simulate the sandstone cliffs of the Wisconsin River. I
contacted Owens Corning and they said the only reason why they would not
recommend it is because after years of prolonged direct exposure to water
the color may fade.

I think that after a few years of submersion, a nice layer of algae and yuck
will create a very natural look and easy to create a few rock ledges in.
Some driftwood branches for the crappies to hide around, sand pockets in the
bottom for the bluegills to spawn in and we have a biosphere with a natural
food supply.

Thanks for your opinions
JOhn ><>

[Amateur Cichlids]

"John ><>" > wrote in message
...
> Phase One: Before I go whole hog and have the floor ripped out for the 8'
> diameter 2800g tank I eventually want, I think I should go easy for a
> while.
>
> Anyone using Tenacor's LARGE Acrylic tanks with the with Simplicity Plus
> Filter built in?
>
<snip>
>
> Thanks for your opinions
> JOhn ><>
>
>
>

I've got a small Tenecor 90 gallon with the filter built in. The filter
takes up 1/4 of the space that could be used for fish. I found that I'd
rather have had that space for fish. Also, with the filter in the back, and
the tank was a high tank, I could never see when the water level in the back
was low. I was constantly climbing up on a chair to try and look down into
the overflow/sump section to see where the water level was at. With a tank
the size you're talking about, maybe a float switch hooked up to an auto-top
off may be in order.
Tim
www.fishaholics.org