Converting from salt- equipment questions

[[email protected]]

Well, after enjoying my sal****er tank for quite some time, I've
decided to convert to freshwater. I was successful in the salt realm
but have grown tired of the demands on my wallet and free time (plus I
honestly like the looks of a freshwater tank better). I am seeking some
advice from the experts on utilizing my tank and sump for freshwater. I
have a 75Gal. all-glass with built in overflow chamber going into a 45
gal sump. What are your opinions on using a sump for a freshwater
setup? should I sell the tank and replace it with one without the
overflow and use an UGF? I am uncertain at this point whether I will
do a planted tank or not. Please point me in the right
direction.....TIA

[Richard Sexton]

In article . com>,
> wrote:
>Well, after enjoying my sal****er tank for quite some time, I've
>decided to convert to freshwater. I was successful in the salt realm
>but have grown tired of the demands on my wallet and free time (plus I
>honestly like the looks of a freshwater tank better). I am seeking some
>advice from the experts on utilizing my tank and sump for freshwater. I
>have a 75Gal. all-glass with built in overflow chamber going into a 45
>gal sump. What are your opinions on using a sump for a freshwater
>setup? should I sell the tank and replace it with one without the
>overflow and use an UGF? I am uncertain at this point whether I will
>do a planted tank or not. Please point me in the right
>direction.....TIA
>

See if you cn find a copy of "The Optimum Aquarium: by Hort and
Kipper. These guys invented the modern planted tank and pretty
much everything we do today is stuff they figured out.

They're big on large tanks, overflows and sumps. They claim
you can't do a planted tank without out.


--
Need Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org
Richard Sexton | Mercedes stuff: http://mbz.org
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Home page: http://rs79.vrx.net
633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | http://aquaria.net http://killi.net

[Richard Sexton]

In article >,
Richard Sexton <See http://rs79.vrx.net for address> wrote:
>See if you cn find a copy of "The Optimum Aquarium: by Hort and
>Kipper. These guys invented the modern planted tank and pretty
>much everything we do today is stuff they figured out.

Once more, in English:

See if you can find a copy of "The Optimum Aquarium: by Horst and
Kipper. These guys invented the modern planted tank and pretty
much everything we do today is stuff they figured out.
--
Need Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org
Richard Sexton | Mercedes stuff: http://mbz.org
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Home page: http://rs79.vrx.net
633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | http://aquaria.net http://killi.net

[Altum]

Sumps are great for FW. UGF have all the problems they have in
sal****er.

Planted tanks are much like reef tanks. They requre bright lights,
CO2, fertilizers, a bit more fiddling, and limit your fish choice a
bit. In return, you get a more complete ecosystem, healthy fish, and
lush, green plants.

[Richard Sexton]

In article . com>,
Altum > wrote:
>Sumps are great for FW. UGF have all the problems they have in
>sal****er.
>
>Planted tanks are much like reef tanks. They requre bright lights,
>CO2, fertilizers, a bit more fiddling, and limit your fish choice a
>bit. In return, you get a more complete ecosystem, healthy fish, and
>lush, green plants.

You don't HAVE to have CO2 - or bright lights. You DO have to fertilize
though, or you'll have algae, not plants.

The biggest thing in the way of a decent planted tank is the damn fish. They're
right messy buggers and that's as if snails and shrimp didn't leave enough waste
lying around to fuel an algae biodiesel plant. Puffers are right out.

But there's a reason you see understocked, not overstocked planted tanks as a rule.

You get up to a 4% increasse in CO2 in heavily agitated water. You DO want
an overflow/trickle/sump.

--
Need Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org
Richard Sexton | Mercedes stuff: http://mbz.org
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Home page: http://rs79.vrx.net
633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | http://aquaria.net http://killi.net

[[email protected]]

Thanks for all the great info so far. Let me ask this, what kind of
water movement are we shooting for in a FW setup? I had some serious
movement on the SW. 4 Maxijet 900's on a wavemaker and a Mag9.5 for a
return pump. If I keep the 9.5 as a return and hang a couple of power
filters (recommendations welcome) on the 75, will this be enough? Sorry
for the newbie sounding questions, just trying to get my FW legs again.
Also can someone point me to the "top dog" website for the best FW info
and discussion groups? Let's say the Reef Central in the Freshwater
world.

[URBANFLAGE]

I'm lookin to buy...............
Brad

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Well, after enjoying my sal****er tank for quite some time, I've
> decided to convert to freshwater. I was successful in the salt realm
> but have grown tired of the demands on my wallet and free time (plus I
> honestly like the looks of a freshwater tank better). I am seeking some
> advice from the experts on utilizing my tank and sump for freshwater. I
> have a 75Gal. all-glass with built in overflow chamber going into a 45
> gal sump. What are your opinions on using a sump for a freshwater
> setup? should I sell the tank and replace it with one without the
> overflow and use an UGF? I am uncertain at this point whether I will
> do a planted tank or not. Please point me in the right
> direction.....TIA
>

[NetMax]

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Thanks for all the great info so far. Let me ask this, what kind of
> water movement are we shooting for in a FW setup? I had some serious
> movement on the SW. 4 Maxijet 900's on a wavemaker and a Mag9.5 for a
> return pump. If I keep the 9.5 as a return and hang a couple of power
> filters (recommendations welcome) on the 75, will this be enough? Sorry
> for the newbie sounding questions, just trying to get my FW legs again.

At the low end x1 to x2 tank volumes per hour, usually through
high-efficiency canister filters.

At the high end, x4 to x5 tank volumes per hour, typically through lower
efficiency powerfilters (HOB, HOT) or UGF and RUGF set-ups.

The low end is more applicable for light fish-load, short tall fish,
heavy planted set-ups, CO2 injection.

The high end (and you can go higher, like x10) is more applicable to high
fish-load, long thin active fish or where there is a lot of rockwork or
driftwood, and you need the extra turbulence for the mechanical pick-up
power, and to push detritus from around the obstacles in the tank.

> Also can someone point me to the "top dog" website for the best FW info
> and discussion groups? Let's say the Reef Central in the Freshwater
> world.

For discussion, right here :o).
For information : http://www.thekrib.com/
and there are *many* more..
for FAQ : http://faq.thekrib.com/begin.html
--
www.NetMax.tk

[Richard Sexton]

In article . com>,
> wrote:
>Thanks for all the great info so far. Let me ask this, what kind of
>water movement are we shooting for in a FW setup? I had some serious
>movement on the SW. 4 Maxijet 900's on a wavemaker and a Mag9.5 for a
>return pump. If I keep the 9.5 as a return and hang a couple of power
>filters (recommendations welcome) on the 75, will this be enough? Sorry
>for the newbie sounding questions, just trying to get my FW legs again.
>Also can someone point me to the "top dog" website for the best FW info
>and discussion groups? Let's say the Reef Central in the Freshwater
>world.

That kind of water movement is good, but you don't actually need
it.

The APD or Aquatic Plants digest is probably what you want. Archives
are on in FINS on actwin.com. It's a mailing list that stayed that
way. There are web bbs things too.

These links are probably usefull:

http://planted.aquaria.net/toolbars/plants/

--
Need Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org
Richard Sexton | Mercedes stuff: http://mbz.org
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Home page: http://rs79.vrx.net
633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | http://aquaria.net http://killi.net

[Fishman]

My 240 gal FW tank was originally designed for a marine system. Finances
with school put me in a position to convert to FW.

My set up uses the overflow and sump with a custom made canister filter
cycling through the sump. I have done a lot of work to reduce the noise
generated with flow and air getting in the lines. There was an increase in
noise from SW to FW.

I also have MH lighting and a few live plants which are not performing as
well as I am acustomed to in more traditional FW setups.

For my second FW large tank (in the planning stages) I will continue to use
the overflow/sump idea. I like the idea of minimal (practically no)
aquarium equipment in the display portion of the tank. All the equipment
can be housed in the sump and out of view.

Fishman

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Well, after enjoying my sal****er tank for quite some time, I've
> decided to convert to freshwater. I was successful in the salt realm
> but have grown tired of the demands on my wallet and free time (plus I
> honestly like the looks of a freshwater tank better). I am seeking some
> advice from the experts on utilizing my tank and sump for freshwater. I
> have a 75Gal. all-glass with built in overflow chamber going into a 45
> gal sump. What are your opinions on using a sump for a freshwater
> setup? should I sell the tank and replace it with one without the
> overflow and use an UGF? I am uncertain at this point whether I will
> do a planted tank or not. Please point me in the right
> direction.....TIA
>