225G Goldfish Tank / Filtration and Plumbing

[kayte]

Good day All -

I get paid tomorrow. Yippie!  So it is time to buy the hard plumbing and extra canister filter I need.  I already have a sunsun hw-304b canister filter that came with the aquarium.  I plan on buying the the sunsun hw-404b.  Now, I need to know the plumbing parts I need to hook the two canister filters to the bottom bulkheads of my aquarium. I recently coverd the bottom of the aquarium with black acyrlic to repair a crack at on of the drill holes.  I have drilled holes through the black acyrlic.  I use to have six holes.  I decided to take Carls advice and just have four drilled holes.  Two for intake and two for outtake.  I do plan to buy a TMC FSB Filter #1000 pairing it with the sunsun hw-304b and the vecton 25 watt uv paring it with the hw-404b.  My friend is a plumber and will be helping me put together the hard plumbing for the two canisters.  Is there a way to set up the hard plumbing now with just the two canisters that will allow me to easily incorporate these addition filtration add-ons without the help of my friend?  Please be aware that I do not have the plumbing tools nor am I very good at DIY plumbing solutions.  That is why my friend is helping set up the hard plumbing. 

What hard plumbing "stuff" will I need to buy to make a two canister filtration system work?  Can someone post a diagram how this should go together that includes the plumbing pieces that will easily allow for me to add the extra filtration later?  @carl... please forgive me.  I think you directed me somewhere on the internet to a diagram but I just cannot find the email or post. 

I encourage all with knowledge of this to reply.  I am itching to buy all that I need as soon as possible so I can get my new aquarium up and running. 

Cheers,
Kayte

[kayte]

I think I may be overthinking this. I knew going into this that this would be a monster project that would take me awhile given my income. But I can't help wanting to get this tank set up and have fish in it as soon as possible. Do know that I do plan to overstock this tank a bit with 28 goldfish. What can I say... 28 is a lucky number. The fancy goldfish I intend to buy is from buygoldfishonline.com. I want to buy them as small juveniles so they will be about 1 to 2 inches. I have read that it takes a year for fancy goldfish to get to their full growth of 5 to 6 inches. My long term stocking plan is to keep the best of 9 of the 28 fancy goldfish. The ones I don't want I will give away. So would I be okay to say buy the TMC FSB Filter #1000 and pair it with filter I currently have the SunSun HW-304B and start my aquarium with my intended stocking load of 28 juveniles? I am thinking it would be better to start off with the FSB Filter to help with nitrates as I want ot keep water changes down to a minimum. For you must understand I also need to save up to replace the faucet in my bathroom so I can hookup the Python Fish Tank Vaccuum for easy water changes. Until I get that done, I will be doing water changes with buckets. Ugh! So the less water changes I have to do during this time would be nice.

Or should I just go with two canisters and hook up the additional filteration devices as I save up for them. I am so confused and don't know what to do here. I need lots and lots of advice. LOL

Cheers,
Kayte

[devonjohnsgard]

I'd take one intake and plumb it to a canister with the sand filter, then the other intake with the canister to the UV. Should look something like this:





I'd also add NPX bio to the sand filter. It help keep the nitrates lower with all those Goldfish!

[Carl]

Yes, I agree with Devon

Just sub out one of the UV Sterilizers for a #1500 FSB Filter

You already have the bulkheads, so you would just need the male hose-barbs (and likely couplings to step down from 1" to 3/4" tubing) to connect from the bulk head to the filters, along with some good ball valves just below each bulk head. A quick disconnect union should be placed just above the inlet & outlet of each canister filter
Just above the FSB filter, you should place a Swing Check valve to prevent water back-up into the FSB filter.

Make sure the water returns are just above the water line

Please note that I embedded the links to much of what I am talking about withing my reply

Carl

[kayte]

Should I go for an extra canister filter right now and start the aquarium? Then add the FSB filter and UV sterilizer? Or should I buy the FBS filter hook it up to the canister I have and start the aquarium? Then add a UV sterilizer next paycheck? Then the next paycheck add an extra canister filter? I bought from marine depot some bulkhead plugs just in case I need them. I plan on only drilling four holes out of the six that I covered. The previous owner had four bulkheads take water out of the tank into the canister filters and two bulkheads that returned the water from the canister filters. Does it really matter? Can I do it either way? Will the fish be okay? Or should I radically accept that this will just take me a while to get all the supplies and just wait to start my tank when I have all the equipment?

Cheers,
Kayte

[Carl]

My suggestion for budgeting would be to set up both canister filters as well as the FSB filter since it will end up being the main bio filter.

Then wait about 4 weeks for the uV Sterilizer since you do not want to run it anyway while the bio filter is getting established.
Be careful though with fish introduction during this time, since you will not have a working UV; follow the fish introduction steps in this article:
www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquarium_Disease.html#quarantine

As for the holes/bulkheads.
I generally would use one or two inlets with two filters and two returns. Unless your filters were really powerful, thus creating a lot of suction, having 4 holes for intake is not at all needed (only with large pond pumps would I have more than one inlet)

Carl