hidden filtration on 315 gallon tank room divider

[intonativefishes]

I am a lifelong aquarist, but considering a project on a scale I have never undertaken. My previous big tank was an 80 gallons saltwater. I currently have 5 tanks: four 30 gallons and a 55 gallons.  They are stocked with native species, mostly colorful minnows out of my creek (Southern Redbelly Dace, Rosyside Dace, Sculpins, various Darters, etc.), but also have turtles in a separate tank, one Hieroglyphic River Cooter now 10 years old.

I am considering investing in a 315 gallon acrylic tank to display freestanding and see-through as a room divider between dining and living areas. I do not want any externally visible filtration. I am wondering about having holes drilled in the bottom of the tank, and placing two Sunsun 404b cannister filters in the enclosed stand underneath. Is this doable? How about advisable? If not, are there any effective options for completely concealing the filtration system for a large freestanding see-through tank?


I plan to stock the aquarium with native sunfishes, like Longear Sunfish, Redear, Bluegill, Green Sunfish, Warmouth, etc.


Thanks!  

[Carl]

I've built many a custom aquarium for clients using canister filter via bulkheads coming up from the bottom.
I've used a strainer for the pickups and a pvc pipe with an elbow that rises to the top for the returns.

I always make sure to used good ball valves and check valves as a security measure.
See plumbing parts:
www.americanaquariumproducts.com/PlumbingParts.html

This picture from my "Aquarium Filtration" article shows this:


Carl

[intonativefishes]

Carl,

That is brilliant! Thanks much! I had thought to use two identically set-up filters, but your idea of dedicating each one to a specific task is a much better approach. I saw the link for purchasing bulkheads, etc.
Question: am I able to use a conventional hole saw or bit to make the designated diameter holes in a current tank? Or is it necessary to order a new tank with holes pre-drilled by manufacturer? Thanks again!

[devonjohnsgard]

That would be a great set-up.

I would consider the Filstar over the SunSun canisters. They're the nicer build.

Here's a good source.
www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Filstar.html

Or you could even go with a well designed Refugium!
www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquarium_Filtration.html#algae

You can drill the drill the tank, it would just take a certain drill bit. I've never done it on a tank so big though.

[Carl]

May 2, 2019 14:45:05 GMT -5 intonativefishes said:

Question: am I able to use a conventional hole saw or bit to make the designated diameter holes in a current tank? Or is it necessary to order a new tank with holes pre-drilled by manufacturer? Thanks again!

For acrylic tanks, these are easily done with a circular bit designed for this by anyone with just a little bit of DIY talents (a glass tank takes an expert IMO)

Carl

[intonativefishes]

I have obviously been living in the aquarium “dark ages”, and have spent some of my discretional time the past couple of weeks reading your various threads (excellent!) and trying to get caught up on current aquarium designs and equipment. Mind-boggling are the advancements since I began keeping Zebra Danios, Guppies, and Neon Tetras with a Corydoras as a kid in 5 gallon metal-framed glass tanks with corner tank glass wool and charcoal filters with bubbles!

My last purchases and setups were about 25 years ago, tanks that I still have: a 55 gal with undergravel filter and two powerheads, and four 30 gallon tanks with external side-mounted filter boxes, and all with fluorescent tube hoods. My, how thing have changed—and improved!

I am in the process of designing and building a new house and, as my first thread submission explained, I am wanting to use a see-through tank of approx 315 gal (give or take) as a divider between the living and dining areas in the vaulted great room. Your excellent information and links to design really got the wheels turning in my mind, and I got hungry for more and more info, and additional plans.

Since the house is in the design stages (final; foundation/basement excavation will begin soon), I still have some flexibility to incorporate some custom tweaks related to my fish hobby.

Besides the main floor large (315) tank, I had already thought of dedicating one basement wall to a tank display setup. Besides fish, I also have 3 turtles (2 large Hieroglyphic River Cooters and 1 Ouachita Map Turtle), and am wanting to house them in a tank that will feature their display. I also am planning to have a bank of tanks displaying the various and gorgeous minnows that reside in my local creeks. My two sons and I have also kept various Skinks, Fence Lizards, and snakes, and even successfully bred some in tanks, so terrarium setups are also planned.

My thought is to, while under construction, run a drain pipe from the location under the 315 gal main floor tank, through the 18 inch trusses to the outer wall where the basement tanks display, and behind a door on the wall fabricate some type of manifold that would allow for selection of individual tanks to drain for water changes. I live out in the country, and could have it tied into my septic drain, or maybe even its own discharge into a French drain outside to flow down the hill from the house into the pasture. Have you heard of anyone doing this? I thought it might make water changes easier.

I have a large stock tank that I use for cultivating bloodworms for my darters. With one exception, I have been unable to train darters over to prepared foods, and they love both daphnia and bloodworms. I have successfully bred Crown Darters (Ethiostoma corona) in one of my tanks dedicated solely to them. Darters, despite their hardiness, have not done well for me in community tanks because of the live food requirement. Other fish will eat prepared foods, but any live food I put in is like candy to them, and they out-compete the darters for the daphnia and bloodworms, so a wall of dedicated tanks in the basement would allow me to continue enjoying these jewels of my and other local creeks. I'll also be wanting some advice on a wall setup of multiple tanks, expandable.

I have also successfully bred Southern Redbelly Dace in one of my tanks, another spectacular jewel of my creek. I have had one pair since Feb of 2016, and both male and female are still in excellent shape.

One concern is having adequate aged water for water changes. I've looked at video of some large tank setups, and some require something warehouse sized with massive pools or stock tanks and pumps and filters that don't even have fish in them, just to supply adequate filtered water. I can't do that. I'm wondering about using the stock tank in some way as a satellite storage for water for changes. Any ideas or advice as I'm planning this ahead of time is much appreciated. Thanks!

[devonjohnsgard]

The drain system right into a french drain sounds good to me.

Why would you need aged water? When the tank is done right, your doing 20% water changes to minimize tank swings with little adjustments. Large changes can make temp and parameter swings. I would think filling right from the well would be fine. If your using a softener, I would remineralize with GH right in the tank. A softener stripes the electrical charge of the water the aquarium really needs.

[Carl]

May 16, 2019 11:13:07 GMT -5 devonjohnsgard said:

The drain system right into a french drain sounds good to me.

Why would you need aged water? When the tank is done right, your doing 20% water changes to minimize tank swings with little adjustments. Large changes can make temp and parameter swings. I would think filling right from the well would be fine. If your using a softener, I would remineralize with GH right in the tank. A softener stripes the electrical charge of the water the aquarium really needs.

I agree here.

I like the idea of a french drain. I've not used this for an aquarium but I have with a few ponds, but I do not see why this would not work with an aquarium

Carl

[intonativefishes]

Thanks for the good input! Though we live 23 miles out of town, we are on a treated county water system, so my water supply is the same as city water.

[devonjohnsgard]

May 17, 2019 4:39:52 GMT -5 intonativefishes said:

Thanks for the good input! Though we live 23 miles out of town, we are on a treated county water system, so my water supply is the same as city water.

You can treat city water right in the tank without having an aged water tank if your doing small changes.

[intonativefishes]

Thx! I've used water conditioners and de-chlorinators for years in adding/changing tank water, but I have always pre-mixed the tap water and conditioner in 5 gal buckets before adding to tanks. Did not know it was safe to add tap water right to tank and treat there. That'll be a lot easier!