New used tank. Help!

[Mikeinco]

Well i wasn't planning to buy a tank today but oh well. Anyway it was a deal I just couldn't pass up. Its a 58 column tank and it was used for salt water. It has an overflow drilled into the tank and its got what i think is a Refugium under the tank. I've set up wet drys before but this one is different. Its a 40 gallon tank under the 58 and I don't see any Bio balls. My question is and this is what creates the Biological filtration? Do i put substrate in the tank under the main tank? There are also a couple pumps and lots of tubing, oh crap what have I done? On a more positive note the seller had no idea what he had and i got the entire set up for $40.00. Can you freakin believe that? It even has a Canopy and its beautiful so even if I have to buy something I'm still so excited right now. All of this just by going to yard sells today. Wooh.

[Matt Quinn]

Hi Mike,

Can you take a picture?

Sounds like an awesome set-up!

Matt

[Mikeinco]

Hi Mike,

Can you take a picture?

Sounds like an awesome set-up!

Matt
Matt it really is an amazing set up and I thought some pics might need to be taken but my batteries are dead. I am currently recharging them. Its a 40 gallon tank under the 58 gallon tank. I see 2 pumps and a ton of other stuff in the 2 boxes. I'm still going through this stuff and it took me 2 hours to get all the salt off the tank but man did it clean up nicely. Looks like a new tank. Oh and it has a protein skimmer which i don't need and some great heater that actually scares me lol. lights built into the canopy and looks like it will work for a planted tank which is what i want it for anyway. I don't really understand the filtration though. I'm trying to research it now.

[mlancaster]

Hi Mikeinco,

Sounds like a great find; what do you plan to keep in it, besides plants?

Thanks,
Matt

[Mikeinco]

Hi Mikeinco,

Sounds like a great find; what do you plan to keep in it, besides plants?

Thanks,
Matt

Hi Matt Angelfish. I got a group or Zebra and Paraibe Pinoys a few months ago and absolutely love these guys. I have never seen colors like this on any Angelfish. They are still young but i've been keeping them in a 25 gallon tank and they are outgrowing that tank already so this will be their new home. The Referigum appeals to me because if I do this right I can raise fry in the tank under the main tank. I just haven't figured out how to do it yet. I was thinking of sand and clean it once a month or so or just placing some lava rock in the sump and adding a pump.

[bobrfish]

protein skimmer was equivalent of biofilter for salt water

Should be able to find where water leaves 58 gal and where it could enter 40 gal, place biomaterial there. May need to construct a tower to keep biomaterial in air and out of sump. Get foam for sump to use as mechanical filter.
Of course it will take some time to cycle new biomaterial. Use old biofilters in water path and stock lightly.

[Mikeinco]

protein skimmer was equivalent of biofilter for salt water

Should be able to find where water leaves 58 gal and where it could enter 40 gal, place biomaterial there. May need to construct a tower to keep biomaterial in air and out of sump. Get foam for sump to use as mechanical filter.
Of course it will take some time to cycle new biomaterial. Use old biofilters in water path and stock lightly.

Bob do I need to have the water drip on the foam similar to my wet drys? I actually bought some scrubbers at the dollar store and was thinking of using them.

[bobrfish]

No, the foam is placed in path of water after passing across biomaterial. Typicall the foam block is placed beneath a divider at very bottom of sump, then all water must pass through foam. This 40 gal sump needs to be converted to a wet dry.

Biomaterial can be any plastic with large surface area and remains open so that air can circulate around the surfaces. Hair curlers are another option if it looks like scrubbers could mat down.