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Time for an equipment upgrade... *cha ching*

4K views 27 replies 11 participants last post by  GDominy 
#1 ·
I did some calculations last night, and I realized that I am already stressing the limit of my filtration system on the 135 Gallon. That coupled with the obvious need for better cooling and CO2 has prompted me to invest in some better equipment.

First on the list of priorities is to get my CO2 system built. I'm going to go with the Aqualine/Aquamedic stuff as I have read only good things about it, I'm already spending more then I can afford so whats a little bit extra :) I should have this finished by this time next month.

Second on the list is a whole new filtration system. I'm sick and tired of "consumer grade" canister filters. If this were for a tank 55 Gallons then I would stick to the traditional canisters, but for a tank this big its a ridiculous hassle. I am investing in a Rainbow Lifeguard Filtration system (Mechanical Modules, Chemical Modules, Heater module, UV Sterilizer, Fluidized Bed Filter). Its going to cost around $1500 but it will be worth it in the end. This should be finished in August when I get my raise.

Third on the list is better fans for the canopy, and an air conditioner for the house, its just too damn hot already. That being said, remving a lot of the cheaper equipment from the tank will also keep the temperature down.
 
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#2 ·
Well this isnt going to be as bad as I thought! The new Filtration system is going to be around $1100 after tax (sometimes I hate living in this province).

I have decided to pick up the following Pentair Aquatics modules (Rainbow Lifeguard)

1 - Mechanical Filtration Module (Double Size)
2 - Chemical Filtration Module (Double Size)
3 - Heater Module (Double Size)

http://www.pentairaquatics.com/pdfs/R175149_AF_SERIES.pdf

4 - 25 Watt UV Module

http://www.pentairaquatics.com/pdfs/R175184_uv_sterilizers.pdf

5 - Fluidized Sand Bed

http://www.pentairaquatics.com/pdfs/R270246_fluidize_bed.pdf


I'll draw up the plan later tonight so I can figure out how it will all hook together but I think I have a pretty clear picture.
 
#8 ·
I've given this some thought and I have changed a few things.

I'm going to use the standard sized modules except for the Heating module and the UV sterilizer. But the sand filter still remains.

And I actually have a reason for it!

1.) I keep many loaches,some of which are very sensitive and prone to parasitic infections. I I have priced an oversize UV to perform this job, I have it matched properly to the rate of flow. Many avid loach keepers use them for this very purpose.

2.) Again, I keep many loaches. They love to taste plants and reguularly prune certain plants to sticks. If I'm not as carefull in my cleaning regime my filters are overwhelmed by the added Bioload. I want the DSB to help with my biological capacity. The loaches eat a lot of protein rich foods as well, so water can get polluted very quickly. The FSB doesnt cost too much more then a standard module so I don't mind having it there.
 
#9 ·
Hmmm, so the UV is to eliminate diseases for the loaches... I would maybe run it for a day or two before water change/fertalization then since UV can do some stuff to nutrients in the water... This way, since you are doing it before fertalizing, you won't be wasting lots of nutrients, and you still get the benefit of the UV. Another thing you could do is run it a day or two after water change and then fertalize, but I wouldn't reccomend running it all the time.

-Tim
 
#10 ·
I wasnt planning on running it all the time, there is a part of this sytem I havent actually discussed yet. I have placed an order for a bunch of x10 controlled outlets, wireless camera's and various other goodies. The 135 Gallon will be completely controlled by my computer.

So CO2, Ph monitoring, temperature monitoring, webcam, UV, heaters, and lights will be controlled by one of my PC's. A friend of mine is a robotics engineer so we're going to try and create some custom x10 modules for aquarium use.

I'm going to post many pics as pieces start coming in :)
 
#14 ·
That is slightly confusing... Is the water to the CO2 reactor coming from the bottom or the top? If it is coming from the bottom, then you might be running into troubel. Also, what are you planning on putting in the chemical filtration part? Looks awesome though!

-Tim
 
#16 ·
SNPiccolo5 said:
That is slightly confusing... Is the water to the CO2 reactor coming from the bottom or the top? If it is coming from the bottom, then you might be running into troubel. Also, what are you planning on putting in the chemical filtration part? Looks awesome though!

-Tim
Yeah I realized that after I posted it, the diagram is incorrect for the CO2 reactor as the water is fed from the top. If you switch the pipes from the CO2 reactor so the intake is fed from the "T" fitting near the bottom of the diagram, and the return hose is running to the "T" near hte op by the check valve it will make sense.

I'll fix that diagram tonight ;-)
 
#20 ·
Believe it or not, Microsoft Paint.

Well not entirely, I used Adobe Photshop to copy images from the equipment manuals in PDF format into Paint where I created the image. I made the CO2 bottle by hand, and "borrowed" the guage image from teh mechanical filter module for the regulator and flow guage images. The CO2 reactor is something I made from copied bits of the other modules and cleaned up a bit. All of the text labels were done in photoshop.
 
#21 ·
There's a guy over on the AquaBotanic board who is looking to do something similar to you and I swear, this guy has the whole thing mapped out on his computer just like you! But he's getting a little more in-depth. Unfortunately, due to the massive amount of...well...stuff...posted on that board, I can't find the link right now. Perhaps I'll stumble across it later...
 
#22 ·
Hmm...I recently read an article in Aquarium Fish on UV sterilizers. It was in last month's issue. It went over the benefits and downsides to it. It does break down parasites and bacteria DNA molecules. This is good and bad. The good is that you will have minimal parasites in your water if at all, the bad side is that your fish get used to that water and lower their immune system. The author wrote of his experiences and said the only time his fish showed signs of disease or sickness was when the thing was accidently turned off or unplugged.

I would get the right size UV sterilizer for your tank and not go too big or too small, because they can have adverse effects. Also, I would run it ALL THE TIME :shock: . You don't want to keep changing the amount of bacteria in your tank. If you do decide to go with a UV sterilizer, I would make sure to change the bulb often and try to get a hold of that article...I will see if I can find the old mag at work and "borrow" it :roll: to scan... A UV sterilizer is a good idea since you have lots of "scaleless" fish, which meds are too strong for.

I tend to shy away from meds if at all possible, unless something is extreme. Many people try to treat their tanks for the wrong disease or like Ich that has untreatable stages. Med's are usually harsh and stress fish out more than help them. Aquarists need to understand why their fish got sick before an effective treatment can be had. Most of disease is due to poor water quality which is due to overfeeding or lack of maintenance. Most diseases can be helped by water changes, some aquarium salt and a natural slime coat using melafix or at least some extra water conditioner. There is an article in this month's issue that goes into detail about preventing disaster and disease by water quality and other natural solutions, which is essential to a large tank when meds are too expense to treat the whole tank. (WHICH IS WHY WE ALL NEED A HOSPITAL/QUARINTEE TANK :!: )

Sorry got a little off-topic :eek:
 
#23 ·
I am well aware of the Pro's and Con's of the UV :) I've been planning this out for over a year, but only really seriously considered it after this week. I now have some very expensive loaches and would like to keep them parasite free. Technically speaking I could get away with an 8 watt UV for this tank, but I would need a very low flow rate (too low for the Fluidized sand bed). FOr this reason I am stepping up to the 25 watt. Many people don't realize that the wattage of the UV sterilizer only affects the rate of flow that has to be run through it, nothing else. You can't really pick an undersized or an oversized UV, you just have to pick one that fits your other equipment.

I'm at a point now where I dont think I'm going to be adding any more fish, so this equipment is going to be for keeping the fish I have, healthy. As a side note, the local water plant is finally installing a massive UV sterilizer for the city water supply too!

I actually have 3 QT tanks now, but even with a strict QT regime I still have problems with the occassional parasite. I'm pretty sure I have latent infections present in the 135 gallon that flare up when the fish are bothered. I have not been able to eradicate some of these, the tank is heavily stocked, and I am trying to reduce bioload and increase filtration to compensate.
 
#24 ·
Well there you go...sounds like you're taking the right steps..good to hear and good point on the flow rate and wattage for the UV...never gave that much thought. I'm just concerned about running it only sometimes??? Just don't want you to lose some expensive loaches. Have you looked into people only running them on occasion. I know if you use a UV sterilizer for sometime your fish adjust to the minute bacteria levels and lower their immune systems, then if you quit using it, and the bacteria level begins to creep up and your fish are more suspectible to disease, but you might be ok running it every few days just to keep the levels lower, but not letting them creep back up...but here is some fair warning... http://www.ohio-water-purifiers.com/uvinstall.html

"Replace the UV lamp with a new lamp after one year of continuous use to ensure a high bacteria and virus kill rate. It should be noted that the UV lamp should be ON continuously as repeatedly turning the lamp on and off will severely shorten the lamp life and allow bacteria to pass through without being affected by the UV. "

Water quality is extremely important for the optimum performance of your UV system. Only install the sterilizer when the following have a ppm count less than:


Total Iron less than 0.3
Hydrogen Sulphide less than 0.05
Suspended Solids less than 10.0
Manganese less than 0.05

Where Total Hardness is less than 7 grains per gallon, the UV unit should operate efficiently provided the lamp/quartz sleeve is cleaned periodically. If total hardness is over 7 gpg, the water should be softened.


NOTE: As the system requires time to reach its full operating capacity, please allow the sterilizer to operate 3-5 minutes prior to using the water from the unit.

hehe fun with colors...
 
#25 ·
What a timely topic. I was considering adding a UV sterilizer to my set up this weekend. I plan on a fairly large school of Espe's pencilfish, and wanted to add UV to protect my investment. I am thinking twice about it know. The idea of reduced immunities is a logical point. The UV sterilizer, if not used properly, or scheduled strictly, seems capable of undermining it's own usefulness. thanks for the info RXTrev! I don't think I'll be installing a UV sterilizer unless it becomes a necessity. It may prove to be too expensive an insurance policy.

Mike
 
#26 ·
I think you might have misunderstood me a bit...UV sterilizers work wonderfully and are a good investment for disease control and extreme health of your fish. I would recommend using one. If you are going to be the only one owning your fish then it doesn't matter if they have a lower immune system, because your water will be safe from disease anyway. The only reason I don't run them is b/c I have a reef set-up and planted set-ups. I'm not sure what a UVS would do to plant nutrients, so I don't use one. I did use a 8W UVS on my reef tank when it was a fish only system. I never had any major disease problems.

I just don't know how safe it is running it occassionally.

But if your looking for the best protection for your fish investment than a UVS is the way to go.
 
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