Monster pond filter for Zebras?

Pretty much explains itself really. If you have questions about tank set-ups, tank furniture, (caves etc) chuck them in here!

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ApacheDan
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Monster pond filter for Zebras?

Post by ApacheDan »

..well sort of...I have a 55 gal acting as a sump, partioned in 3: from Right to left, the pump to filter chamber, here is where all the 20 gal long tanks drain, the middle has lava rocks and doubles as a refugium and the last chamber is the return to the tanks.

The filter is a Laguna Pressure Flo 700 paired with a Max-Flo 600 pump. This setup is good for a 700 gal pond! My central filtration system might grow to about 500 gal, so plenty of horsepower here. The great news is that the filter can be backflushed and the inside sponges can be cleaned from the outside with the twin handles, with no need to open the filter. So I guesstimate monthly backflushing and once a year deep cleaning of the filter and changing the UV lightbulb. My water is now cristal clear without any need for RO.
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Spunky
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Post by Spunky »

:shock: Sounds very cool! so what is the horse power? how many tanks to go for your 500gal fish room? Oh, one last question what UV light are you using?
75g: Turquoise severum, 6 khuli loaches, bristlenose
58g: JD
20g: 4 Dwarf puffers, ghost shrimp
30g: testing for leaks
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ApacheDan
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Post by ApacheDan »

The horsepower is 600 gallons per hour being filtered. As it is, I'm filtering the whole system 4 times per hour. UV is built into the filter unit at 11 watts. I'm estimating 10 more tanks, combinations of 20 gals, 30 gals and 40 gals. Oh, yeah...I forgot....just installed a 1800w DC back up power system...just in case 8)
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TwoTankAmin
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Post by TwoTankAmin »

The backup power may be the most important part of the entire system. We had talked for a number of years about getting a backup generator By the fall when there were 13 adults and close to 100 fry and I realized a big power outage would not only make life miserable but could wipe out that many dollars worth of fish. By the following spring we had a whole house backup generator installed.

This past week we had an 18+ hour power outage. Our electricity was off for the 20 seconds it takes for the gennie to start up. The only complaint my fish had was they could not watch cable TV or use the internet.

I am still too scared of the potential to wipe out a lot of fish using a central system should anything bad happen. So all my tanks are stand alones.
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ApacheDan
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Post by ApacheDan »

You are right about the backup TTA...here in South Florida we get hurricanes that can wipe out electricity for days. I couldn't afford a complete house unit...how much are they? 10K? but I got the 1800 W automatic backup, good for 10-12 hours. I also got a 2300W Power Inverter coupled with dual Deep Cycle Marine batteries, as well as a power generator to recharge all this. If I did my math right, good enough for several days (I hope).

Regarding central filtration, my mentor was Jack Wattley (from Wattley Discus). He convinced me that the best way to avoid trouble is regular water changes... I do mine daily (while I do the vacumming). Just about every Discus breeder use central filtration. Of course you have to keep a keen eye for trouble and isolate a specific tank. That said, there are no guarantees in life, except death and taxes.... :cry:
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Post by TwoTankAmin »

We got a 45KW, 190 amp Generac. It basically provides sufficient power to run the entire house including heating or air conditioning. It is powered by propane and can run for several days or more dpending on how much power we are drawing. It automatically starts up 20 seconds after the power goes out.

The cost insalled, including a filled 500 gal. fuel tank and buried lines and gas pipes was about 24k. Sitting here in the vestiges of the heat wave watching my fish and not sweating made it worth every penny. The nice thing is it is considered part of the house and was exempt from sales tax and can be included as part of the cost of the house.
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ApacheDan
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Post by ApacheDan »

24K!! Yikes :shock: and I thought I was bad, now I can tell my wife that there's somebody that spends worst than me in the hobby :lol:

Good post...sometimes people that complaint about zebra prices have no clue what a dedicated hobbyst is willing to do for their fish...not even including the countless hours of labor. It's going to take you a lot of fry just to break even, so don't feel bad about charging the market price.
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TwoTankAmin
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Post by TwoTankAmin »

Well the gennie is not just for the fish. I also care for 93 year old mom who would not do well w/o electric- especially when its freezing or broiling outside. Also, they are common in this area- many homes have a similar setup. For me the fish were just the final impetus we needed to get it.
What makes the common person uncommon is common sense.
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