Ready? New 955g tank

Well I did it. Purchased a used 955g on eBay, I will be driving to St.
Louis this weekend to pick it up.

Size: Tank 10'3" long 3'10" wide 3'3" tall Fluidized Bed 6' tall 6" wide
(cylinder) Reservoir Bed 7' long 2' wide 2' tall.
Pictures and description on ebay at
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...e=STRK:MEWA:IT

I really don't have enough room for the 250 Gallon Reservoir Tank/Sump that
comes with the tank, and want to compact the sump/filter.

1) I really don't know much about "Fluidized Beds". I have searched google,
and found some general discussion but most of the topics were comparing
other kinds of filters. I am a picture kind of guy, does anyone have a link
to a website with drawings and an actual description of the process?

2) I read that sand is the media of choice for the Fluidized Bed. What
kind? Silica, Beach Sand w/quarts? My minnow tanks use crushed lava rock
and support thousands of fish in 120 gallons of water. Might this make a
good filter material?

3) NetMax, will the Reservoir Bed described here work for your idea of an
undergravel space to suck up the detritus? (Continuous Gravel Filter)

4) What will I need for a pump to circulate & operate this filter? I read
one article that used a 100 gph pump but that seems way to small, I was
thinking about 1000 to 1200 gph, am I headed in the right direction?

5) I read that fluidized beds deplete the oxygen in the water, will I have
to circulate the water and use spray bars at the top to keep the surface
moving? Will this be enough or will I need to add an air pump and a LARGE
airstone?

6) This is a game fish aquarium, so the fish are used to a wide variety of
water temps. In the winter I can keep the water temp in a 120g tank around
66 to 68 degrees, but in the summer the temp rises to the HIGH 70's. Will
1000g react the same? I know it will take longer to heat up, but any idea
if I will need a chiller for this tank?

7) 10,000# of tank, gravel and water. Stands? Concrete Blocks? Lumber?
How will I need to support this tank?

8) Using the gravel and filter media from the old 120g tank, how long do
you think it will take to cycle this much water?

More questions later THANKS for your input.
JOhn

Congrats on that monster tank. Wow. I don't have a clue on most of your
questions except perhaps the temps. I think you can expect pretty much the
same as a smaller tank in the same conditions. The water will just heat and
cool slower.
Bill

"John " wrote in message
...
Well I did it. Purchased a used 955g on eBay, I will be driving to St.
Louis this weekend to pick it up.

Size: Tank 10'3" long 3'10" wide 3'3" tall Fluidized Bed 6' tall 6" wide
(cylinder) Reservoir Bed 7' long 2' wide 2' tall.
Pictures and description on ebay at
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...e=STRK:MEWA:IT

I really don't have enough room for the 250 Gallon Reservoir Tank/Sump
that comes with the tank, and want to compact the sump/filter.

1) I really don't know much about "Fluidized Beds". I have searched
google, and found some general discussion but most of the topics were
comparing other kinds of filters. I am a picture kind of guy, does anyone
have a link to a website with drawings and an actual description of the
process?

2) I read that sand is the media of choice for the Fluidized Bed. What
kind? Silica, Beach Sand w/quarts? My minnow tanks use crushed lava rock
and support thousands of fish in 120 gallons of water. Might this make a
good filter material?

3) NetMax, will the Reservoir Bed described here work for your idea of an
undergravel space to suck up the detritus? (Continuous Gravel Filter)

4) What will I need for a pump to circulate & operate this filter? I read
one article that used a 100 gph pump but that seems way to small, I was
thinking about 1000 to 1200 gph, am I headed in the right direction?

5) I read that fluidized beds deplete the oxygen in the water, will I have
to circulate the water and use spray bars at the top to keep the surface
moving? Will this be enough or will I need to add an air pump and a LARGE
airstone?

6) This is a game fish aquarium, so the fish are used to a wide variety of
water temps. In the winter I can keep the water temp in a 120g tank
around 66 to 68 degrees, but in the summer the temp rises to the HIGH
70's. Will 1000g react the same? I know it will take longer to heat up,
but any idea if I will need a chiller for this tank?

7) 10,000# of tank, gravel and water. Stands? Concrete Blocks? Lumber?
How will I need to support this tank?

8) Using the gravel and filter media from the old 120g tank, how long do
you think it will take to cycle this much water?

More questions later THANKS for your input.
JOhn

http://honors.montana.edu/~weif/firs...luidized.phtml
http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/...d_Filters.html

Here are a couple of good sites explaining the FBF & how it works. It is
basically a SUPER biological filter. It uses grains of sand to provide a
space for the beneficial bacteria to grow on. The surface area provided by
millions of individual grains of media in constant suspension, allows
virtually complete nitrification in one pass.
--
Craig
________________________________
www.CanadianCray.tk
www.Bluecrayfish.com
"John " wrote in message
...
Well I did it. Purchased a used 955g on eBay, I will be driving to St.
Louis this weekend to pick it up.

Size: Tank 10'3" long 3'10" wide 3'3" tall Fluidized Bed 6' tall 6" wide
(cylinder) Reservoir Bed 7' long 2' wide 2' tall.
Pictures and description on ebay at
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...e=STRK:MEWA:IT

I really don't have enough room for the 250 Gallon Reservoir Tank/Sump
that comes with the tank, and want to compact the sump/filter.

1) I really don't know much about "Fluidized Beds". I have searched
google, and found some general discussion but most of the topics were
comparing other kinds of filters. I am a picture kind of guy, does anyone
have a link to a website with drawings and an actual description of the
process?

2) I read that sand is the media of choice for the Fluidized Bed. What
kind? Silica, Beach Sand w/quarts? My minnow tanks use crushed lava rock
and support thousands of fish in 120 gallons of water. Might this make a
good filter material?

3) NetMax, will the Reservoir Bed described here work for your idea of an
undergravel space to suck up the detritus? (Continuous Gravel Filter)

4) What will I need for a pump to circulate & operate this filter? I read
one article that used a 100 gph pump but that seems way to small, I was
thinking about 1000 to 1200 gph, am I headed in the right direction?

5) I read that fluidized beds deplete the oxygen in the water, will I have
to circulate the water and use spray bars at the top to keep the surface
moving? Will this be enough or will I need to add an air pump and a LARGE
airstone?

6) This is a game fish aquarium, so the fish are used to a wide variety of
water temps. In the winter I can keep the water temp in a 120g tank
around 66 to 68 degrees, but in the summer the temp rises to the HIGH
70's. Will 1000g react the same? I know it will take longer to heat up,
but any idea if I will need a chiller for this tank?

7) 10,000# of tank, gravel and water. Stands? Concrete Blocks? Lumber?
How will I need to support this tank?

8) Using the gravel and filter media from the old 120g tank, how long do
you think it will take to cycle this much water?

More questions later THANKS for your input.
JOhn

"John " wrote in
message ...
Well I did it. Purchased a used 955g on eBay, I will be driving to St.
Louis this weekend to pick it up.

Size: Tank 10'3" long 3'10" wide 3'3" tall Fluidized Bed 6' tall 6"
wide (cylinder) Reservoir Bed 7' long 2' wide 2' tall.
Pictures and description on ebay at
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...e=STRK:MEWA:IT

Interesting that the ad says 995g, but the dimensions yield 955g and the
actual water capacity after the thickness is 875g (if filled to the
top) - but that's still one tank of a tank ;~). If you ever need to
medicate or do any calculations, I would use 850g (accounting for the
substrate and rock work) and add the sump capacity if being used.

I really don't have enough room for the 250 Gallon Reservoir Tank/Sump
that comes with the tank, and want to compact the sump/filter.

1) I really don't know much about "Fluidized Beds". I have searched
google, and found some general discussion but most of the topics were
comparing other kinds of filters. I am a picture kind of guy, does
anyone have a link to a website with drawings and an actual description
of the process?

Water is pumped up through the tube, and the sand grains lift up to allow
the water to go through. The end result is that there is a tiny gap
between most of the grains of sand allowing the water to pass between
them. You can modify it in a number of ways, keeping a few principles in
mind i) that the tube should be relatively narrow (relative to flow, so
you don't have dead spots in the sand becoming compressed and anaerobic),
ii) the flow is not so great to cause sand to significantly exit the
tube, iii) the flow must be even and uninterrupted, and iv) do not let it
get choked with any debris (must be at the output of a mechanical
filter). The surface area of the sand grains becomes coated in bacteria,
so you have a tremendous biological capacity in a FBF.

2) I read that sand is the media of choice for the Fluidized Bed. What
kind? Silica, Beach Sand w/quarts? My minnow tanks use crushed lava
rock and support thousands of fish in 120 gallons of water. Might this
make a good filter material?

I don't think an FBF is an FBF unless you use sand. The water causes the
sand bed to become 'fluid' hence the name. Substituting other media just
makes it into a regular biological filter.

3) NetMax, will the Reservoir Bed described here work for your idea of
an undergravel space to suck up the detritus? (Continuous Gravel
Filter)

I don't think so. Their reservoir bed appears to be a sump.

4) What will I need for a pump to circulate & operate this filter? I
read one article that used a 100 gph pump but that seems way to small,
I was thinking about 1000 to 1200 gph, am I headed in the right
direction?

It's going to depend on your fishload, but 1000 to 2000 gph is the
ballpark. Game fish are more carniverous, so with the extra food given
you will need more than the usual filtration. The FBF does the
biological, but you will need serious mechanical filtration and a good
flow to pick up their waste.

5) I read that fluidized beds deplete the oxygen in the water, will I
have to circulate the water and use spray bars at the top to keep the
surface moving? Will this be enough or will I need to add an air pump
and a LARGE airstone?

With cool water, your O2 levels will be higher to start with. I would
speculate that the O2 use would entirely depend on fish-load and the
quantity of fish food you are using, so I think you should be able to
adjust this as you go along.

6) This is a game fish aquarium, so the fish are used to a wide variety
of water temps. In the winter I can keep the water temp in a 120g tank
around 66 to 68 degrees, but in the summer the temp rises to the HIGH
70's. Will 1000g react the same? I know it will take longer to heat
up, but any idea if I will need a chiller for this tank?

I suspect that on a daily basis, you will not see this tank change
temperature significantly. It will settle on the average temperature
(per 24 hours) with a significant lag time spread over a few days
(especially if you insulate unseen sides). I hope you don't need a
chiller, and if you do, design it for your application, so if all you
need is something for a few weeks, there are other ways (ie: stainless
steel lines and a circulating pump between a coil in your sump and your
meat freezer ;~).

7) 10,000# of tank, gravel and water. Stands? Concrete Blocks?
Lumber? How will I need to support this tank?

Beer cases, start drinking. Seriously, tank weight (750lbs?) plus 875g x
8.75lbs/gal (7,665) plus rockwork (250lbs) = 3.9 tons. Stands are easy,
make sure the floor will take it. Personally I would not use concrete or
cinder blocks as they can crumble too easily if the weight is poorly
distributed. Lumber works fine, making several box frames (ie:4x4) and
fastening them together, and then a layer of plywood and expanded
polystyrene on top. I would get quotes on a welded steel frame stand.
Not pretty (add some wood, aluminium or stainless steel sides), but they
leave a lot of usable space underneath. Holding it up is not really the
problem, it's holding it up uniformly that's the challenge. You want the
10' length evenly supported (so if using beer cases, make sure the
bottles are all the same size ;~).

8) Using the gravel and filter media from the old 120g tank, how long
do you think it will take to cycle this much water?

If the fish load of the new tank is the same as the 120g (ie: you moved
the fish over), then the cycle might not be of any significance. I'd do
test measurements for a few days while feeding a little less.

More questions later THANKS for your input.
JOhn

No problem John, lots of us have tanks that size (NOT) and we would be
glad to share our experience. For reference though, the only comparably
sized tank I've worked on is here
http://www.2cah.com/netmax/about/mytanks/POND2.jpg at around 800g, and it
used a pool pump and pool sand filter. The waterfall added lots of O2.

hint: Peek into the pond newsgroup. They have lots of experience with
that size. Just don't ask them about lighting, or they'll catch on that
your tank is not a pond ;~). Seriously though, a lot of pond folks do
overwinter their Koi in basement tanks which are in the 700-2000g range,
so some really do have experience & advice on temperature stability,
pumps, filter media in bulk, food in bulk etc.

ps: I am sooooo jealous.
--
www.NetMax.tk

I calculated it to be even smaller. I got 121"L X 44"W X 37.25"H interior
dimensions. Taking into account 1" thick on sides & bottom & 3/4" thick on
lid. I calculated tank dimensions to be this. Your aquarium can hold
gallons of Water. If we assume the water level in your aquarium is 1 inch
below the top then the total gallons would be . This however doesn't take
into account sump & FBF.


--
Craig
________________________________
www.CanadianCray.tk
www.Bluecrayfish.com
"NetMax" wrote in message
...
"John " wrote in
message ...
Well I did it. Purchased a used 955g on eBay, I will be driving to St.
Louis this weekend to pick it up.

Size: Tank 10'3" long 3'10" wide 3'3" tall Fluidized Bed 6' tall 6" wide
(cylinder) Reservoir Bed 7' long 2' wide 2' tall.
Pictures and description on ebay at
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...e=STRK:MEWA:IT

Interesting that the ad says 995g, but the dimensions yield 955g and the
actual water capacity after the thickness is 875g (if filled to the top) -
but that's still one tank of a tank ;~). If you ever need to medicate or
do any calculations, I would use 850g (accounting for the substrate and
rock work) and add the sump capacity if being used.

I really don't have enough room for the 250 Gallon Reservoir Tank/Sump
that comes with the tank, and want to compact the sump/filter.

1) I really don't know much about "Fluidized Beds". I have searched
google, and found some general discussion but most of the topics were
comparing other kinds of filters. I am a picture kind of guy, does
anyone have a link to a website with drawings and an actual description
of the process?

Water is pumped up through the tube, and the sand grains lift up to allow
the water to go through. The end result is that there is a tiny gap
between most of the grains of sand allowing the water to pass between
them. You can modify it in a number of ways, keeping a few principles in
mind i) that the tube should be relatively narrow (relative to flow, so
you don't have dead spots in the sand becoming compressed and anaerobic),
ii) the flow is not so great to cause sand to significantly exit the tube,
iii) the flow must be even and uninterrupted, and iv) do not let it get
choked with any debris (must be at the output of a mechanical filter).
The surface area of the sand grains becomes coated in bacteria, so you
have a tremendous biological capacity in a FBF.

2) I read that sand is the media of choice for the Fluidized Bed. What
kind? Silica, Beach Sand w/quarts? My minnow tanks use crushed lava rock
and support thousands of fish in 120 gallons of water. Might this make a
good filter material?

I don't think an FBF is an FBF unless you use sand. The water causes the
sand bed to become 'fluid' hence the name. Substituting other media just
makes it into a regular biological filter.

3) NetMax, will the Reservoir Bed described here work for your idea of an
undergravel space to suck up the detritus? (Continuous Gravel Filter)

I don't think so. Their reservoir bed appears to be a sump.

4) What will I need for a pump to circulate & operate this filter? I
read one article that used a 100 gph pump but that seems way to small, I
was thinking about 1000 to 1200 gph, am I headed in the right direction?

It's going to depend on your fishload, but 1000 to 2000 gph is the
ballpark. Game fish are more carniverous, so with the extra food given
you will need more than the usual filtration. The FBF does the
biological, but you will need serious mechanical filtration and a good
flow to pick up their waste.

5) I read that fluidized beds deplete the oxygen in the water, will I
have to circulate the water and use spray bars at the top to keep the
surface moving? Will this be enough or will I need to add an air pump
and a LARGE airstone?

With cool water, your O2 levels will be higher to start with. I would
speculate that the O2 use would entirely depend on fish-load and the
quantity of fish food you are using, so I think you should be able to
adjust this as you go along.

6) This is a game fish aquarium, so the fish are used to a wide variety
of water temps. In the winter I can keep the water temp in a 120g tank
around 66 to 68 degrees, but in the summer the temp rises to the HIGH
70's. Will 1000g react the same? I know it will take longer to heat up,
but any idea if I will need a chiller for this tank?

I suspect that on a daily basis, you will not see this tank change
temperature significantly. It will settle on the average temperature (per
24 hours) with a significant lag time spread over a few days (especially
if you insulate unseen sides). I hope you don't need a chiller, and if
you do, design it for your application, so if all you need is something
for a few weeks, there are other ways (ie: stainless steel lines and a
circulating pump between a coil in your sump and your meat freezer ;~).

7) 10,000# of tank, gravel and water. Stands? Concrete Blocks? Lumber?
How will I need to support this tank?

Beer cases, start drinking. Seriously, tank weight (750lbs?) plus 875g x
8.75lbs/gal (7,665) plus rockwork (250lbs) = 3.9 tons. Stands are easy,
make sure the floor will take it. Personally I would not use concrete or
cinder blocks as they can crumble too easily if the weight is poorly
distributed. Lumber works fine, making several box frames (ie:4x4) and
fastening them together, and then a layer of plywood and expanded
polystyrene on top. I would get quotes on a welded steel frame stand. Not
pretty (add some wood, aluminium or stainless steel sides), but they leave
a lot of usable space underneath. Holding it up is not really the
problem, it's holding it up uniformly that's the challenge. You want the
10' length evenly supported (so if using beer cases, make sure the bottles
are all the same size ;~).

8) Using the gravel and filter media from the old 120g tank, how long do
you think it will take to cycle this much water?

If the fish load of the new tank is the same as the 120g (ie: you moved
the fish over), then the cycle might not be of any significance. I'd do
test measurements for a few days while feeding a little less.

More questions later THANKS for your input.
JOhn

No problem John, lots of us have tanks that size (NOT) and we would be
glad to share our experience. For reference though, the only comparably
sized tank I've worked on is here
http://www.2cah.com/netmax/about/mytanks/POND2.jpg at around 800g, and it
used a pool pump and pool sand filter. The waterfall added lots of O2.

hint: Peek into the pond newsgroup. They have lots of experience with
that size. Just don't ask them about lighting, or they'll catch on that
your tank is not a pond ;~). Seriously though, a lot of pond folks do
overwinter their Koi in basement tanks which are in the 700-2000g range,
so some really do have experience & advice on temperature stability,
pumps, filter media in bulk, food in bulk etc.

ps: I am sooooo jealous.
--
www.NetMax.tk

Lets try that again....

I calculated it to be even smaller. I got 121"L X 44"W X 37.25"H interior
dimensions. Taking into account 1" thick on sides & bottom & 3/4" thick on
lid. I calculated tank dimensions to be this. Your aquarium can hold
858.52 gallons of Water. If we assume the water level in your aquarium is 1
inch
below the top then the total gallons would be 809.74. This however doesn't
take
into account sump & FBF.



--
Craig
________________________________
www.CanadianCray.tk
www.Bluecrayfish.com
"CanadianCray" wrote in message
news
I calculated it to be even smaller. I got 121"L X 44"W X 37.25"H interior
dimensions. Taking into account 1" thick on sides & bottom & 3/4" thick on
lid. I calculated tank dimensions to be this. Your aquarium can hold
gallons of Water. If we assume the water level in your aquarium is 1 inch
below the top then the total gallons would be . This however doesn't take
into account sump & FBF.


--
Craig
________________________________
www.CanadianCray.tk
www.Bluecrayfish.com
"NetMax" wrote in message
...
"John " wrote in
message ...
Well I did it. Purchased a used 955g on eBay, I will be driving to St.
Louis this weekend to pick it up.

Size: Tank 10'3" long 3'10" wide 3'3" tall Fluidized Bed 6' tall 6" wide
(cylinder) Reservoir Bed 7' long 2' wide 2' tall.
Pictures and description on ebay at
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...e=STRK:MEWA:IT

Interesting that the ad says 995g, but the dimensions yield 955g and the
actual water capacity after the thickness is 875g (if filled to the
top) - but that's still one tank of a tank ;~). If you ever need to
medicate or do any calculations, I would use 850g (accounting for the
substrate and rock work) and add the sump capacity if being used.

I really don't have enough room for the 250 Gallon Reservoir Tank/Sump
that comes with the tank, and want to compact the sump/filter.

1) I really don't know much about "Fluidized Beds". I have searched
google, and found some general discussion but most of the topics were
comparing other kinds of filters. I am a picture kind of guy, does
anyone have a link to a website with drawings and an actual description
of the process?

Water is pumped up through the tube, and the sand grains lift up to allow
the water to go through. The end result is that there is a tiny gap
between most of the grains of sand allowing the water to pass between
them. You can modify it in a number of ways, keeping a few principles in
mind i) that the tube should be relatively narrow (relative to flow, so
you don't have dead spots in the sand becoming compressed and anaerobic),
ii) the flow is not so great to cause sand to significantly exit the
tube, iii) the flow must be even and uninterrupted, and iv) do not let it
get choked with any debris (must be at the output of a mechanical
filter). The surface area of the sand grains becomes coated in bacteria,
so you have a tremendous biological capacity in a FBF.

2) I read that sand is the media of choice for the Fluidized Bed. What
kind? Silica, Beach Sand w/quarts? My minnow tanks use crushed lava
rock and support thousands of fish in 120 gallons of water. Might this
make a good filter material?

I don't think an FBF is an FBF unless you use sand. The water causes the
sand bed to become 'fluid' hence the name. Substituting other media just
makes it into a regular biological filter.

3) NetMax, will the Reservoir Bed described here work for your idea of
an undergravel space to suck up the detritus? (Continuous Gravel Filter)

I don't think so. Their reservoir bed appears to be a sump.

4) What will I need for a pump to circulate & operate this filter? I
read one article that used a 100 gph pump but that seems way to small, I
was thinking about 1000 to 1200 gph, am I headed in the right direction?

It's going to depend on your fishload, but 1000 to 2000 gph is the
ballpark. Game fish are more carniverous, so with the extra food given
you will need more than the usual filtration. The FBF does the
biological, but you will need serious mechanical filtration and a good
flow to pick up their waste.

5) I read that fluidized beds deplete the oxygen in the water, will I
have to circulate the water and use spray bars at the top to keep the
surface moving? Will this be enough or will I need to add an air pump
and a LARGE airstone?

With cool water, your O2 levels will be higher to start with. I would
speculate that the O2 use would entirely depend on fish-load and the
quantity of fish food you are using, so I think you should be able to
adjust this as you go along.

6) This is a game fish aquarium, so the fish are used to a wide variety
of water temps. In the winter I can keep the water temp in a 120g tank
around 66 to 68 degrees, but in the summer the temp rises to the HIGH
70's. Will 1000g react the same? I know it will take longer to heat
up, but any idea if I will need a chiller for this tank?

I suspect that on a daily basis, you will not see this tank change
temperature significantly. It will settle on the average temperature
(per 24 hours) with a significant lag time spread over a few days
(especially if you insulate unseen sides). I hope you don't need a
chiller, and if you do, design it for your application, so if all you
need is something for a few weeks, there are other ways (ie: stainless
steel lines and a circulating pump between a coil in your sump and your
meat freezer ;~).

7) 10,000# of tank, gravel and water. Stands? Concrete Blocks? Lumber?
How will I need to support this tank?

Beer cases, start drinking. Seriously, tank weight (750lbs?) plus 875g x
8.75lbs/gal (7,665) plus rockwork (250lbs) = 3.9 tons. Stands are easy,
make sure the floor will take it. Personally I would not use concrete or
cinder blocks as they can crumble too easily if the weight is poorly
distributed. Lumber works fine, making several box frames (ie:4x4) and
fastening them together, and then a layer of plywood and expanded
polystyrene on top. I would get quotes on a welded steel frame stand.
Not pretty (add some wood, aluminium or stainless steel sides), but they
leave a lot of usable space underneath. Holding it up is not really the
problem, it's holding it up uniformly that's the challenge. You want the
10' length evenly supported (so if using beer cases, make sure the
bottles are all the same size ;~).

8) Using the gravel and filter media from the old 120g tank, how long
do you think it will take to cycle this much water?

If the fish load of the new tank is the same as the 120g (ie: you moved
the fish over), then the cycle might not be of any significance. I'd do
test measurements for a few days while feeding a little less.

More questions later THANKS for your input.
JOhn

No problem John, lots of us have tanks that size (NOT) and we would be
glad to share our experience. For reference though, the only comparably
sized tank I've worked on is here
http://www.2cah.com/netmax/about/mytanks/POND2.jpg at around 800g, and it
used a pool pump and pool sand filter. The waterfall added lots of O2.

hint: Peek into the pond newsgroup. They have lots of experience with
that size. Just don't ask them about lighting, or they'll catch on that
your tank is not a pond ;~). Seriously though, a lot of pond folks do
overwinter their Koi in basement tanks which are in the 700-2000g range,
so some really do have experience & advice on temperature stability,
pumps, filter media in bulk, food in bulk etc.

ps: I am sooooo jealous.
--
www.NetMax.tk

Interesting that the ad says 995g, but the dimensions yield 955g and the
actual water capacity after the thickness is 875g (if filled to the top) -
but that's still one tank of a tank ;~). If you ever need to

Amazing you picked up on that. I saw the "995" on the title of the item,
but always (in my mind) figured it was 955

medicate or do any calculations, I would use 850g (accounting for the
substrate and rock work) and add the sump capacity if being used.

This seems like a good point to start. I just got a reality check. I went
broke treating the 120g for fungus, I cannot even imagine if I had an
outbreak in this tank. Like treating the ocean for ich.

So if I used two cups of rock salt in 120g then 850 / 120 = 7.08 14 Cups of
rock salt every month ...
Yes the largest Course Solar Water Softner Salt I can find.


I really don't have enough room for the 250 Gallon Reservoir Tank/Sump
that comes with the tank, and want to compact the sump/filter.

What about a 55g wet/dry filter with 3" of foam at eh top and 15 to 30
gallons of bio balls?


Water is pumped up through the tube, and the sand grains lift up to allow
the water to go through. The end result is that there is a tiny gap

I did do some more research and found this info, but your description is
short and easier to understand.

3) NetMax, will the Reservoir Bed described here work for your idea of an
undergravel space to suck up the detritus? (Continuous Gravel Filter)

I don't think so. Their reservoir bed appears to be a sump.

Duh - for some reason I was reading it as 7' X 2' X 2" Thinking it was 2"
high.

It's going to depend on your fishload, but 1000 to 2000 gph is the

My guess too

biological, but you will need serious mechanical filtration and a good
flow to pick up their waste.

This I can get away using the sump without the FBF?


Beer cases, start drinking.

Starting to wish I still drink bear

Seriously, tank weight (750lbs?) plus 875g x
8.75lbs/gal (7,665) plus rockwork (250lbs) = 3.9 tons. Stands are easy,
make sure the floor will take it.

6" reinforced concrete

Lumber works fine, making several box frames (ie:4x4) and fastening them
together,

Are 4 X 4's structually sounder that 2 X 6's and the uprights spaced 2'
apart would only have to support 800# each and 16' apart at 550#

OK - 4 X 4 uprights and 2 X 6 cross members. I was more concerned with
holding up the middle of the tank then the edges.

and then a layer of plywood and expanded polystyrene on top.

What is the purpose of the styro layer?

10' length evenly supported (so if using beer cases, make sure the bottles
are all the same size ;~).

The I better use full strength beer, not light beer. What about a dark
lager?


If the fish load of the new tank is the same as the 120g (ie: you moved
the fish over), then the cycle might not be of any significance. I'd do
test measurements for a few days while feeding a little less.

The nice think about game fish is that I don't FEED them, they help
themselves to the other inhabitants of the tank.

http://www.2cah.com/netmax/about/mytanks/POND2.jpg at around 800g, and it

Cool, would yo uhelp me build one of those in my next project?

used a pool pump and pool sand filter. The waterfall added lots of O2.

hint: Peek into the pond newsgroup. They have lots of experience with

Not a bad idea.
TANKS for the idea's, I will be back.

JOhn

"John " wrote in
message ...

Interesting that the ad says 995g, but the dimensions yield 955g and
the actual water capacity after the thickness is 875g (if filled to
the top) - but that's still one tank of a tank ;~). If you ever need
to

Amazing you picked up on that. I saw the "995" on the title of the
item, but always (in my mind) figured it was 955

Everyone rounds up, so I always check. Next someone might go and call it
a 1000g tank ;~), (actually with sump, it would be bigger than 1000g).

medicate or do any calculations, I would use 850g (accounting for the
substrate and rock work) and add the sump capacity if being used.

This seems like a good point to start. I just got a reality check. I
went broke treating the 120g for fungus, I cannot even imagine if I had
an outbreak in this tank. Like treating the ocean for ich.

Actually Ich is easy to treat for in large tanks. You can buy the
medicine by the gallon. Even the sulphur based drugs are manageable (try
not to think about the money too long), but it's the antibiotics that
will kill you. If you figure 25 cents a gallon, a typical three
treatment dosage will cost you $640 dollars. Recreational fish
wholesalers in the US have access to bulk quantites of antibiotics which
you then keep in your freezer, but the best is to follow a quarantine
program religiously so you don't have to medicate the tank, ever.

So if I used two cups of rock salt in 120g then 850 / 120 = 7.08 14
Cups of rock salt every month ...
Yes the largest Course Solar Water Softner Salt I can find.


I really don't have enough room for the 250 Gallon Reservoir
Tank/Sump that comes with the tank, and want to compact the
sump/filter.

What about a 55g wet/dry filter with 3" of foam at eh top and 15 to 30
gallons of bio balls?

That sounds like something I would do, so that doesn't mean that it would
actually work ;~). I think the challenge would be to spread the flow
uniformly across the top, and provide a 1st stage mechanical filtration
which would be easy to clean.

Water is pumped up through the tube, and the sand grains lift up to
allow the water to go through. The end result is that there is a tiny
gap

I did do some more research and found this info, but your description
is short and easier to understand.

3) NetMax, will the Reservoir Bed described here work for your idea
of an undergravel space to suck up the detritus? (Continuous Gravel
Filter)

I don't think so. Their reservoir bed appears to be a sump.

Duh - for some reason I was reading it as 7' X 2' X 2" Thinking it was
2" high.

It's going to depend on your fishload, but 1000 to 2000 gph is the

My guess too

biological, but you will need serious mechanical filtration and a good
flow to pick up their waste.

This I can get away using the sump without the FBF?

I'm not a particular fan of the FBF as it requires a little bit of
tweaking to get working just right and keep it working just right (ie:
the need to stay within a range of flow rates). I also don't like the
idea of centralizing so much biological functionality in a single
location (leaving the system more exposed to failure in my way of
thinking), but I'm also not a user so my opinion might not be that
worthwhile. Personally, if I was going to use FBF, I would design a
system just for it, using 2 tubes, 2 pumps and a large pre-filter with a
progressive overflow and a visual status indicator that even I wouldn't
miss.

The original 250g sump was about 30% of the fish-tank, which jives with
typical ratios I often see of around 20-30%. I don't know what science
was ever used to get to this ratio (a 20 or 30g is the right size to fit
in the stand of a 100g tank?), but I want to point out that your proposed
55g sump is around 6.5% of the fish tank. You might be pushing your
biological/mechanical limit in that direction, and with your carniverous
game fish, you might be pushing your waste production in the opposite
direction. While it's hard to imagine that a 55g filter would be too
small ;~), if it is, then you will need to service it more frequently, so
design and locate it for easy access.

Beer cases, start drinking.

Starting to wish I still drink bear

Seriously, tank weight (750lbs?) plus 875g x
8.75lbs/gal (7,665) plus rockwork (250lbs) = 3.9 tons. Stands are
easy, make sure the floor will take it.

6" reinforced concrete

Rebar is great stuff : )

Lumber works fine, making several box frames (ie:4x4) and fastening
them together,

Are 4 X 4's structually sounder that 2 X 6's and the uprights spaced 2'
apart would only have to support 800# each and 16' apart at 550#

OK - 4 X 4 uprights and 2 X 6 cross members. I was more concerned with
holding up the middle of the tank then the edges.

and then a layer of plywood and expanded polystyrene on top.

What is the purpose of the styro layer?

To compensate for surface irregularities between the stand and the bottom
of the tank, due to pre-existing interferers (variation in stand and tank
flatness, bolt heads, bottom tank trim etc), and irregularities due to
uneven expansion (ie: thermal expansion of materials, swelling of wood
from water ingress etc). It also provides a thermal insulation
increasing the isolation between the water and the ambient air
fluctuations.

10' length evenly supported (so if using beer cases, make sure the
bottles are all the same size ;~).

The I better use full strength beer, not light beer. What about a dark
lager?

Drink the beer first, the tank is held up with empties. This also helps
pay for the move (when you have to switch apartments or homes, you cash
in the bottles, and have one less thing to move too ;~).


If the fish load of the new tank is the same as the 120g (ie: you
moved the fish over), then the cycle might not be of any significance.
I'd do test measurements for a few days while feeding a little less.

The nice think about game fish is that I don't FEED them, they help
themselves to the other inhabitants of the tank.

That sounds cruel, so I'm hoping the other 'inhabitants' are shrimps,
worms, minnows, grocery seafood etc.

http://www.2cah.com/netmax/about/mytanks/POND2.jpg at around 800g, and
it

Cool, would yo uhelp me build one of those in my next project?

Ha, I want to build one for myself first. I actually have one under
construction, but it's tiny, only 4' high and I have no live creatures
planned for it.

used a pool pump and pool sand filter. The waterfall added lots of
O2.

hint: Peek into the pond newsgroup. They have lots of experience
with

Not a bad idea.
TANKS for the idea's, I will be back.

JOhn

We know you will be )
cheers
--
www.NetMax.tk

"John " wrote in
message ...

I'm speechless. I hate you.

g

Pics, man, pics. Every step of the way if possible.

I will do pictures every step. Keep an eye on
http://www.noahs-marine.com/aquarium/ Currently there are pics of my
existing 120g. These were from last year so the Tiger Muskie is about 20%
larger (currently about 28" long) and the Bluegills are about 10% larger.

JOhn


"Billy" wrote in message
...


"John " wrote in
message ...

I'm speechless. I hate you.

g

Pics, man, pics. Every step of the way if possible.