wet/dry filter HELP

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Llovsbarbie

New Member
So after my husband stealing my tank and now building his "predator tank" I have left corals in the past (for now) and decided to start up a sw seahorse tank. I have been doing a lot of research and figured I would go nice and slow and build from the ground up...

Wet/Dry filter...

I am clueless when it comes to them. So just tonight my husband at sper of the moment bought an over flow box (I am not even sure if that is the name of it) and I have no clue what I need next and what or how to set it up...

It measures 30x12x10 (I paid 30.00, I hope not to much, very nice guy)





1) Do I need to buy PVC pipes to fit the nozzle or do they sell certain ones?

2) Do I place live rock in the bottom (necessary?)

3) What type of filter do I get (please mention brand names so I can look them up and research)

4) How big of a tank could I use this on? Was hoping to use it possibly on a 125 gal.

5) Do I need to place it inside of another aquarium?

6) What else is there I need to get that I haven't asked about (because I don't know about) or that you would recommend?

Sorry about all the questions. I think I am making this harder than it has to be, but feel all turned around with this.

Thanks in advance!!!
 
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lilfishie

New Member
That is a sump. It should be big enough for a 125. Get rid of the bioballs. And no rock in the sump. rock and bioballs will just become a place to collect detritus and a nitrate factory. The only thing I have in all my sumps are a piece of floss filter to get the large particles, the skimmer, a heater, macro algae (a light above it for the macro) and the return pump.

The fitting on the sump you have is a hose barb. You will hook a hose up from your overflow bulkhead fitting, whether it is a built in or an overflow box, to the sump. you can either use an external skimmer or an insump skimmer. For a 125 gal tank, you will not have room in that sump for a skimmer that you will need to handle the tank.

(not to discourage you) but you mentioned a seahorse tank.......I think your going to need more flow in a large tank than a seahorse can manage, plus, unless your going to have a feeding station and train them to eat at the feeding station, feeding seahorses in a tank that big will prove difficult. They are not fast enough to chase down the food. If the tank is stocked well with live pods it would help suppliment their diet. Seahorses are demanding too. I had a pair for about a year. Unfortunately I am away from home from 5am till after 6pm. So they could not be feed as often as they should be. I set them up with a feeding station and fed them before I left for work and when I got home. Not sure what the issue was but the male became boyant. Found him friday when I got home from work. He could not submerge himself. The stress killed him by sat morning. The female went into depression that same day. Would not come out to eat and hid behind the rock. I had to take almost all the rock out of the tank to find her. She had passed away 5 days after the male. A small tank with daily maintenance in my opinion is better.
 
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Llovsbarbie

New Member
Thank you for the info. So you have a piece of floss filter placed were the bio balls would be? What type of return filter do you use or would recommend?

I just re-read what I had wrote and realized how it had sounded. I didn't mention that with the sump I had gotten a tall 56 gal tank (which would be for the sea horses alone). The 125 gal is for my husband's predator fish. I should have stated that clearer. Thanks though for that bit of info on them. I did read that and feel I found a pretty good website (seahorse.com) that had great info on it and actually considering once the time comes, ordering from them. I haven't set up the 56 yet. I am taking my time making sure that everything is ready and tip top for the ponies. Now I know who to ask when I have any questions about the sh. :) Any other advice about them would be great. Thanks again.
 
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lilfishie

New Member
That 56 tall is perfect for seahorses.
In a saltwater aquarium, the live rock is your filter system. I use a floss pad just to catch larger particles/detritus and such before it gets into the sump. Sump is basically used to house the equipment so its not an eyesore in your tank. And to keep macro algae.

Here is a pic of one of my tanks. You can see the sump. I dont have the floss pad set up in this one yet. Still building something to hold it that fits where I need it. The macro algae is not in it in this pic either, but it is held in the middle area. The skimmer on the left and the return pump on the right.

DSC06130.jpg
 
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lilfishie

New Member
These were my mated pair. I miss these two. They were the sweetest. I hope you try it and have good luck. I wish I could do it again, I just know that I cant supply them with their needs being gone 13 hours a day.

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Llovsbarbie

New Member
oh wow!!! they are beautiful. Such great shots. I am sorry how it turned out. It is quite sad yet amazing how strong a broken heart can kill. Did they actually mate or is it just called a mated pair? Sorry if that is a dumb question. I see you had live coral and everything. I think I might just do decor coral. Nothing real, though there is nothing like the real deal.
 
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unconv-reefer

New Member
I agree with everything lilfishie said, also be sure not to get wild caught, they are much harder.

Look around I know of a few sites that specialize in seahorse care, go to them and see what has been said and ask some of their experts.

My plan, (may not happen) is to turn my 90 into one, my saving grace is it would be for my wife and she stays home, so she would help with all they need.
 
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Llovsbarbie

New Member
A good website I found was Seahorse.com. I have been emailing the people that run it a lot with all kinds of questions. They are very helpful and easy to understand. lol. They raise their seahorses and actually trying to help raise the leafy dragon sh (which they successfully bred, not for sale). I plan on going through them when the time comes. If you haven't checked it out, I highly suggest it. Ive done a lot of looking around on the web and have seen quite a bit of different web pages on them, but that one is the best with details and step by step.
 
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lilfishie

New Member
unconv-reefer said:
My plan, (may not happen) is to turn my 90 into one, my saving grace is it would be for my wife and she stays home, so she would help with all they need.
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Mine were in a 65 gal tall. That was my plan too. My husband stays home...hes on dissability...and was execting he would help, but turned out he couldn't.
 
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Llovsbarbie

New Member
the wet/dry filter HELP



So I am still working on my sump and have a question. Ive read about using Marco Algae. Has anyone dealt with that? Would the sump I have be big enough and is it possible to just add a divider to keep it from the return pump. Also, I am thinking of going with a MAG 7 (sound okay for a 150 gal?). Do I need mud or anything else like that?
 
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Llovsbarbie

New Member
Thanks so much!!! checking them out now. I'll have to take your offer on that algae once I get things set up and going. What type of lighting do you use? Is it nessesar to use high fancy lighting or can I use a normal fish light fixture.
 
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lilfishie

New Member
Llovsbarbie said:
Is it nessesar to use high fancy lighting or can I use a normal fish light fixture.
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No, I went to home depot and got a clip on round aluminum fixture, like what you would use in a shop area and a daylight 5500 or 6500, cant remember which, flood light on my refug, and the macro is growing like crazy. Cost 10-12$ at most.
 
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lilfishie

New Member
If you have any questions about the sumps let me know. When building it, you want to allow enough room for when you turn off your return pump, there is enought room for what water that is still going to overflow from the tank to go. You also want to set it up so that if the overflow gets clogged or stops for some reason that the return pump can only pump so much water out of the sump and not flood your tank.
 
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