# Tank set up ???'s



## Fish Grandma (Dec 27, 2009)

[/IMG]

I have a 150 gallon tank. No water. It came with or petsmart sold it to hubby, a perfecta flow undergravel filter 47"x24", 2 plates. I also have Fluval 405. I bought two large heaters, one for each end, two air pumps, again, one for each end. My ? is should the plates have a gap? Well and how the heck do I hook up the filter to this thing..

How do I post a picture?


----------



## uglyfishyay (Jan 16, 2010)

upload the pictures you want to photo bucket. then click the icon that says add attachment in the post box and put in your photo bucket link!


----------



## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

The plates will have a gap, yes. Most folks like to leave the gap fairly uniform in width around all sides. With gravel in the tank, it will be invisible.

The way you hook it up is to put it on the tank's bottom and cover it with gravel, about 3 inches deep. The riser tubes should reach to the top of the tank, right about even with the water level. The airlines go down the riser tubes to the bottom, where they should have an airstone attached if the filter itself doesn't have a diffuser thingy built-in to which the hose attaches. Small bubbles wok way better than big ones, you see, so you have to make them small by either method. The nozzles on top of the tubes should point to the opposite front corner of the tank, that is, the riser tube in the right-rear should point it's exhaust toward the front-left corner. This will give you good water flow throughout the tank.

Eventually you might want to replace the air tubes with little pumps called powerheads. These are mounted on top of the riser tubes, and move a LOT more water than air bubbles ever could.


----------



## Guest (Jan 31, 2010)

Good explanation TOS, but she said that she also has a Fluval 405, so I think that the filtration would be sufficient without additional powerheads... but then again I've only used an UG filter once.

The idea with the undergravel filters (UG = under gravel) is that the bubbles in the tubes create an upward flow of water, and suck water through the gravel, through the slits in the plates, up through the tubes, out the end of the tube and into the tank, so your gravel filters the water.

The Fluval 405 is what is called a canister filter, for obvious reasons. What kind of filter media does it come with? If you don't know just post some pictures and we'll help you set it up correctly.

You will also need to read an article on how to cycle your tank. I very highly recommend doing a fishless cycle by adding pure ammonia. Many people promote using gold fish to cycle the tank, but it is VERY bad for the fish. The idea is that the fish by nature produce ammonia, which is toxic. beneficial bacteria, or BB, breaks the ammonia into nitrite, and then more BB breaks the nitrite into nitrate, which is much less toxic than ammonia and nitrite. Although nitrate is still toxic, it is not nearly as toxic, but you need to get rid of it by changing some of the tank water every week.

So, to start your cycle, you buy an Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate test kit. Add ammonia to the tank to get it to around 3PPM (parts per million). Then add a product like BioZyme or Stability by Seachem to introduce the bacteria. Once you see the ammonia drop down to 0, add some more and try to maintain it at 3PPM. You should then see the nitrite levels rise as the ammonia drops. Then you will see a drop in nitrite, or at least see it stop increasing as the ammonia is broken down. The nitrates will then increase. Once this has happened, you do a %100 water change and then you can add fish.

The BB is contained in the gravel and your Fluval 405 filter media.


----------



## Fish Grandma (Dec 27, 2009)

So far so good. Sometimes you think, well, I did, why would these gaps be here? Anyway, got all the lines, stones, eveything y'all mentioned. Got the filtration lined up, size out and connected. Now I just need to get the air line adaptor so I can get all the ships and all the fun stuff hooked up to air now that the stress over the mechanics is done. Rocks are soaking, later I will add those and start placing the fun stuff. Then fill and let cycle probably thru the week. I know this is going to be great once all done. I appreciate all the input.


----------



## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Although all that information is helpful I think the OP was confused about how the UG filters work and didnt realize they were separate from the canister filter.

Fish Grandma, the way those work are separate additional filters for your tank. It uses the gravel in the tank as a filter media (instead of the filter cartridges in your filter). It does not hook up to your filter the way it is. They are meant to be a sort of additional filter in that size tank. As the others pointed out, you should buy clear tubes that go to the top of the tank (the ones you have go about 3/4 the way up) and either run an airline to the bottom, or put a powerhead on top of the tube. Either way, the water moves from in the tank, through the gravel, into those plastic squares, and up the tube to the top of the tank. It does help for circulation of water and it helps in keeping the tank clean. You will have to make sure to vacuum the gravel good when you clean your tank.


----------



## Fish Grandma (Dec 27, 2009)

Funny, as I was sorting through all this, I was putting all the tubing together, (the UG came complete with the tubes and stones), I was getting that the cannister was not going to hook up to the UG. I bought two large air pumps to make sure I had enough to acommodate this large of a tank. I will run one line from each pump to each sided of the UG. This is actually getting enjoyable, I was pretty stressed. I guess intimidated. I was initially going to do salt water, but after reading the dummies book twice, decided that as I already have a 25 gallon, freshwater would be far more reasonable and realistic. Buyt this forum is great and I really appreciate everyone's help..


----------



## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

how come we don't get any older gals from my area for me to hit on in here...geez;i been robbed.....lol
i am glad to se it is all coming together for you F G...it's gonna be an awesome tank..


----------



## Guest (Feb 1, 2010)

loha, your ancient. Plus its only a 20 year difference lol <3


----------



## daniel89 (Nov 28, 2009)

OMG i remember where ive seen loha before! he was in jesus 2nd grade class picture lol


----------



## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

gosh...thanks fellas...lol


----------



## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

I dont think that lemons or Daniel would be good wing men.


----------



## Guest (Feb 2, 2010)

you never leave your wingman, man.


----------



## Fish Grandma (Dec 27, 2009)

Y'all are funny. OK, here we are, we are graveled, planted and I have moved my catfish (algae eater, but as big a a small cat) into the tank. I also moved the bali shark over. You don't realize how much room a fish needs until you have moved them from a 25 gallon to a 150 gallon. I still need one more air pump. Each pump only has the ability to operate three components.


----------



## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

OMG GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

we need to talk...are you sure you aren't from west virginia..


----------



## Fish Grandma (Dec 27, 2009)

PA to TX transplant, so far so good?


----------



## Guest (Feb 5, 2010)

Wow... that's a colorful aquarium....


----------



## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Wow I have never seen a tank with so many colorful plastic decorations 

I noticed the plastic corals to the left, and they are in a freshwater aquarium lol

Maybe I'm just jealous that I dont have a 150g....


----------



## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Such a nice, bright rainbow. You need lots of plain, silver fish for contrast.

Its actually oddly appealing.

also jealous


----------



## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

FG: Hi from San Angelo.



daniel89 said:


> OMG i remember where ive seen loha before! he was in jesus 2nd grade class picture lol


d8:

Absolutely not true but the the wine server was not depicted in the Last Supper.

TR


----------



## Fish Grandma (Dec 27, 2009)

emc7 said:


> Such a nice, bright rainbow. You need lots of plain, silver fish for contrast.
> 
> Its actually oddly appealing.
> 
> also jealous


What I was thinking is some puffers?? Not sure because I read they are fin nippers and I have to guard my Bali Shark. I will post a pic of my Placostemous, it took 2 hours of wrangling to get him and put him in this tank.


----------



## br00tal_dude (Dec 26, 2009)

puffers are notoriuosly aggressive! usually recomended to be kept alone. I wouldn't keep them with anything else i liked but that is just my opinion, i have no personal experience with them though.


----------



## Fish Grandma (Dec 27, 2009)

br00tal_dude said:


> puffers are notoriuosly aggressive! usually recomended to be kept alone. I wouldn't keep them with anything else i liked but that is just my opinion, i have no personal experience with them though.


I agree, even the freshwater dwarfs are fin nippers..


----------



## br00tal_dude (Dec 26, 2009)

we had to return our dwaves cause they wer after fish that were much larger than them...


----------



## Fish Grandma (Dec 27, 2009)

br00tal_dude said:


> we had to return our dwaves cause they wer after fish that were much larger than them...


Darn little bullies..


----------

