Adamcore: you can get quickrete play sand at Home depot for $2.89 for a 50 pound bag :-) Just wash it, wash it, wash it and wash it again!
I redid all my tanks to that. Make sure your filter intakes are a few inches up from the floor so the sand does not get sucked in. Especially is you get cichlids who like to dig, like african Mbuna's! I see sand flying everywhere all day long! My filter intakes are about 5 inches above the sand and I have never found any sand in them. When I clean I will swish the vacuum intake around to get the poop moving so I can suck it up. Also, I will take a turkey baster and squirt into the rock crevices to dislodge any poop or food in there. What is nice about sand is nothing sinks down and comes up real easy.
starting a new 75g tank
21 posts • Page 2 of 3
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doomydarkdoom - Posts: 167
- Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2007 4:00 am
HOB = Hang On Back filter.
Chemical filtration is the activated carbon that absorbs chemicals from the water so the fish don't have to breathe them. Mechanical is for particles in the water, and filter floss or foam takes care of all that. Biological filtration is not only the beneficial bacteria colony in your substrate (gravel or sand), but why you would want the ceramic rings in one of your filters - it gives the bacteria more places to live so they can eat more ammonia.
There are some good articles on all this if you want to google it... sounds like you might want to read up on it all a bit more. I also have "Freshwater Aquariums for Dummies", and it is really helpful in explaining all this.
Chemical filtration is the activated carbon that absorbs chemicals from the water so the fish don't have to breathe them. Mechanical is for particles in the water, and filter floss or foam takes care of all that. Biological filtration is not only the beneficial bacteria colony in your substrate (gravel or sand), but why you would want the ceramic rings in one of your filters - it gives the bacteria more places to live so they can eat more ammonia.
There are some good articles on all this if you want to google it... sounds like you might want to read up on it all a bit more. I also have "Freshwater Aquariums for Dummies", and it is really helpful in explaining all this.
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a1k8t31524 - Posts: 939
- Joined: Sat May 26, 2007 5:10 am
ok first off you need to read up on the "cycle"
http://www.ratemyfishtank.com/articles/53
many newbs dont know or know very little about this
HOB is Hang on Back or the standard power filter that you see on most tanks
mecanical/chemical filtration is just was it sounds like it removes any free floating debris in the tank and carbon removes any odors and the also have certin products that hepl remove ammonia and all of that
Biological has to do with the cycle and what you read about in that artical above. the second filter set up as your "biological" filter just gives more spaces for the "good" bacteria to grow i.e in the bio balls or the ceramic rings
all in all just helps keep that peramiters of you water more stable, along with water chanes and gravel cleaning and normal tank maintiance
hope that helps
http://www.ratemyfishtank.com/articles/53
many newbs dont know or know very little about this
HOB is Hang on Back or the standard power filter that you see on most tanks
mecanical/chemical filtration is just was it sounds like it removes any free floating debris in the tank and carbon removes any odors and the also have certin products that hepl remove ammonia and all of that
Biological has to do with the cycle and what you read about in that artical above. the second filter set up as your "biological" filter just gives more spaces for the "good" bacteria to grow i.e in the bio balls or the ceramic rings
all in all just helps keep that peramiters of you water more stable, along with water chanes and gravel cleaning and normal tank maintiance
hope that helps
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adamcore - Posts: 45
- Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2008 10:15 pm
I use a HOB and a sandshark on my current tank
For awhile there I thought I had my tank cycled correctly
Because my tank has been set up for quite awhile and was usually really clear until last week when i changed my filter. And again its foggy again and I really don't know whats going on...just did my 30% water change yesterday and didnt do anything....bleh. Went right back to being kinda cloudy. All the fish are fine and healthy (how they seem anyway) and continue to swim around doing their own thing eating off the floor and doing whatever....so not really sure whats wrong.
For awhile there I thought I had my tank cycled correctly
Because my tank has been set up for quite awhile and was usually really clear until last week when i changed my filter. And again its foggy again and I really don't know whats going on...just did my 30% water change yesterday and didnt do anything....bleh. Went right back to being kinda cloudy. All the fish are fine and healthy (how they seem anyway) and continue to swim around doing their own thing eating off the floor and doing whatever....so not really sure whats wrong.
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ChristinaBug2890 - Posts: 299
- Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2007 5:15 pm
My tank got clowdy after my last water change too...probably because i was a few days late on the change. Well i added a back-up filter (a small mechanical one with sponges in it that just suction cups to the wall of the tank) and kept swishing the water around for a few minutes then left the small back-up filter in there for apx 7 hours. And presto it was clear again.
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adamcore - Posts: 45
- Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2008 10:15 pm
Well I have two filters in there...one which has a sponge in it and I did the water change yesterday. And the Cloudiness was back when I came home from work...so I'm not really sure what I need to do :(
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prolude006 - Posts: 1
- Joined: Sat Sep 27, 2008 12:24 am
I recommend the Rena filstar xp2, xp3 or xp4, biggest one you can afford although xp2 is fine for 75g. I have had mine for 5 years and it costs almost nothing to keep clean and working great. I clean mine once a year....yes once a year, of course my tank is heavily planted. I load it with the filter pads that came with it and then just replace the fine filter pads after rinsing and reusing them multiple times, the black filters should last years of rinsing. load the other baskets full of bio media of your choice and leave it alone. As far as bio wheels it depends on your tank setup...ie do you want a planted tank or just lots of fish....planted tank no bio wheel just more cost....lots of fish, it cant hurt but more cost!!
To save you the most money at start I would just get one of the rena filstar canister filters. They are great!! If you are not sure what bio media and all the other stuff is go to www.drsfostersmith.com and look up the filter...it will show you what bio media is and explain it a bit. Hope this helps a bit on a decision....good luck.
To save you the most money at start I would just get one of the rena filstar canister filters. They are great!! If you are not sure what bio media and all the other stuff is go to www.drsfostersmith.com and look up the filter...it will show you what bio media is and explain it a bit. Hope this helps a bit on a decision....good luck.
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Zambize4899 - Posts: 499
- Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 4:35 am
I love sand, and I'm new to it. I keep the filter intake at least a couple of inches away from the sand and I've never had a problem with sand in the filter. I would never use an UGF. I have no problem vacuuming the sand, it just takes a little more care to avoid sucking up large amounts of sand, and if I do I just shake the vacuum hard and the sand will fall out.
I find that sand is far easier to keep clean than gravel. Stuff falls between pieces of gravel and turns to ick. Food and waste conveniently lays on top of the sand waiting to be vacuumed. I also find that fish and inverts are generally easier to see against the sand. I use black sand though.
I like the Marineland Penguin Bio-wheel filter system. It isn't the cheapest but I think the benefits far outweigh the extra few dollars. I use two 150's on my 37 gallon, which is many times what is necessary,.....and I never have filtration-related issues, even when I used only one of the 150s. The main benefit is the bio-wheel. The Penguin filter pads are expensive, but you can use generic pads that are 50 cents each from Drs. Foster and Smith.
For larger tanks I like to use 2 Penguins, one on each end of the tank. This allows you to use the smaller Penguins which are less noticeable and quieter, two filters helps circulate the water, and two provide a backup for when one filter goes down.
Z
I find that sand is far easier to keep clean than gravel. Stuff falls between pieces of gravel and turns to ick. Food and waste conveniently lays on top of the sand waiting to be vacuumed. I also find that fish and inverts are generally easier to see against the sand. I use black sand though.
I like the Marineland Penguin Bio-wheel filter system. It isn't the cheapest but I think the benefits far outweigh the extra few dollars. I use two 150's on my 37 gallon, which is many times what is necessary,.....and I never have filtration-related issues, even when I used only one of the 150s. The main benefit is the bio-wheel. The Penguin filter pads are expensive, but you can use generic pads that are 50 cents each from Drs. Foster and Smith.
For larger tanks I like to use 2 Penguins, one on each end of the tank. This allows you to use the smaller Penguins which are less noticeable and quieter, two filters helps circulate the water, and two provide a backup for when one filter goes down.
Z
