canister backup with sump filter?

[loaches r cool]

I am debating on getting another larger tank (240G). I just dont think the 150 will cut it for everthing I want (clown loaches, plus others). I'll use the 150G I have perhaps for goldfish. This 240 would more than likely have 2 built in overflows (if not three?). I would do a complete DIY sump so that I can run CO2 injection (not trickle or wet/dry).

From a safety/redundancy standpoint, would a tank this large be ok with a diy sump alone? I am guessing I'd have 2 return pumps each with thier own plumbing, would that suffice for redundancy?

I was figuring the other choice for redundancy would be a canister, but one of the features of the sump is that I dont have any external hoses/wiring. So I was thinking, can I have an extra hole drilled (or two) with a pipe comming up above the waterline (so no water would flow into it) and feed the canister hoses through these and into the tank? Has that been done before succesfully?

 

[darebren]

help me too

i have a big black custom made acrylic stand with a solid table top, a 10" tall black acrylic canopy, and a 100 gallon 24" tall custom made acrylic corner pentagon tank with a large top opening and a 6x10" internal overflow in the rear corner. i have a 1.5" drain bulkhead through a hole that drops a hose in my sump through a hang on sump filter sock which removes any microbubbles (see www marinedepot com for the hang on filter sock, look under filter media, it works!

then i have a 3/4" bulkhead on the ruten side of the sump. in between the baffles in the sump i have differening sizes of filter pads. Inside my over flow i have a 8" strainer stand pipe for the drain, and 2, 1/2" return line bulkheads and 2, 1/2" return bulkheads with loc-line coming from the top of the overflow back into the main tank, these are connected by 1/2 hose. I plan to fill my whole internal overflow with tons of bioballs, and then build a piece of filter pad sandwiched between 2 pieces of 6x10 eggcrate.. this should create an even drip plate so water flows evenly over the bio balls on the way down to the drain line.

the 3/4" return bulkhead out of the sump is mated with some PVC plumbing, a union, and a ball valve to a GENx 40pcx external pump, and the pump outlet is also 3/4" pvc going up to a union, a ball valve, a then a check valve, then to a 3/4 tee with 1/2" ends where I put 2 1/2" elbows pointing up and put 1/2" barbedr fittings on each side of the tee for a dual retun line setup using 1/2" hose runnign up to the two 1/2" return bulkheads in the bottom of the overflow chamber. Then these 2 lines run up to 2 more 1/2" bulkheads with 1/2" loc-line return spray nozzles on each side of the overflow box.

I also use a 18W UV turbo twist sterilzer that simply runs within the sump. In the sump is my heater, as well as a phosban canister system plumbed to a little powerhead in order to run some water through nitrate, phosphte zorb, and carbon media.

I drilled bulkheads in the top of the tank to fit an inlet filter stand pipe and an outlet spray bar for a Rena XP2 system where i can run corse and fine filter pads, and more carbon media.

This is my filter system. It has great water turnover, and uses enough filter media, bio balls, and canister filters to keep the water clean as a whistle.

I have a 36" T5 light with 4 39W midday bulbs, 6500k i think, as well as a 10k halide with 2 65W actinic bulbs (or i could hange them to midday or fullday bulbs. I am coming from salt water, so i do not know if actinic bulbs are need with frehwater plants? nut i did hear that my old 10k daylight bulbs are too white, i need the lower spectrum.

I plan to have a well planted angel/discus tank, maybe 8-10 engels, an d 5-6 discus, plus some kind of smaller schooling fish as well.

we want alot of angel/discus safe plants, and i will have to research what will work best, but m open to suggestions.

I since the overflow with trickle down bio balls, and then splshing into an open sump should cause enough air to mix with that water, i wasn't planning on running any supplemental airpumps inside the tank, i hope this is a decent idea.

Also, i will need some kind of CO2 injection system. I am not worried about buying something expensive, so long as it works, so i need ideas on what to hook up to a 10lb CO2 tank to make it work. I guess a need valves, and bubble counters, and then do you run airline tubing up to a diffuser (rhinox 5000) inside the tank?? not sure how this is all suppsed to be setup, alot of theads on it, with no real good diagrams or explanations on how or where the CO2 gets to the tank, if i need to drill another bulkhead in the top of the tank to run a hose through it, or if you can use airline tubing which i have plenty of room for..

For an angel/discus/planted tank, i need to look for the right kind of substrate, and decorations, I hear driftwood works, and would dead, once live rock from my saltwater tank. I will also make sure I have the right water paramters to acheive when i am ready to get strated.

Please offer comments and suggestions for me too..

thanks

 

[loaches r cool]

darebren - welcom to AC... sorry you didnt get any responses. However you should start your own thread with your own questions. But looking at your post a few things I'll mention... the jury is out on the actinic bulbs but it is safe to say they arent the best choice, and may or may not do anything for the plants. As far as CO2 injection, if your using a wet/dry your probably not going to be able to achieve very high co2 levels. Whenever there is splashing, or any gas exchange for that matter, co2 will outgass out of the water, much like it does to a can of soda left out (think of how much faster soda will go flat if you continously shake it). You may have to rethink your co2 plans or your filtration plans.