Wet dry system for 90gal Cichlid tank

[SkyeBox]

Need advice on good wet dry system for a 90gal tank. This will be a freshwater cichlid tank, but I’d like the wet dry system, so I have the option to convert over to salt if I get bored. I‘ve done both salt and fresh, but running on canister and marineland emperor filters on a 75gal in the past.

Looking for something that will fit well in the stand, produce A LOT of water movement/current for an active tank. and accept add-ons (skimmer) down the road.

 

[Erica-Renee]

I would not use a wet dry filter at all. During a power outage the bacteria on the dry side starts to die off and it often collects debris causing nutrient issues. A Sump however can be configured many ways . Its best to decide what you want to get out of it. And plan around that using the most out of the space you have .. Bigger is almost always better when it comes to building a Sump tank.

Good Luck

 

[SkyeBox]

I would not use a wet dry filter at all. During a power outage the bacteria on the dry side starts to die off and it often collects debris causing nutrient issues. A Sump however can be configured many ways . Its best to decide what you want to get out of it. And plan around that using the most out of the space you have .. Bigger is almost always better when it comes to building a Sump tank.

Good Luck

Good point about power outages, I use to put my bio-wheels in semi-wet zip loc bags when there were long power outages, which is no good.

Could you recommend something around the $400 range for a 90 gallon or am I dreaming? The Fluval FX6 looks good for my cichlid needs now, but if I convert to salt down the road -will I be able to make good use of the pricey FX6 in that build? Maybe add on a skimmer. I doubt that I'd ever go to a full-blown reef tank...

 

[count krunk]

Build a sump with another aquarium, a 40 breeder should work well. Configure it so it can be used for salt (intake>skimmer>refuge>return is how I like it) but set it with fw equipment. So no skimmer, no fuge basically. But the space is there for when you want to go salt. I'm the refuge area you could do a specific little habitat for tiny shrimps for example

 

[VSVP bet]

Agreed with everything above. A sump is so versatile and easy to use. It is also easy to build. Use any old tank (40 br sounds good size wise) and get glass cut from a local store.

Here is a video for reference

Not saying you mimic this design, but this is how you would build any sump.

 

[SkyeBox]

very cool. so with the sump, can you recommend a good one so I can price everything out? Are the sumps rated by gallons per hour or is there an estimate with a 40 gal DIY set up?

 

[SkyeBox]

let me rephrase that - can you recommend a good sump pump?

 

[VSVP bet]

You want to have 10/12 times turnover tank volume after head pressure loss. So, in a 90 gallon tank, you would probably want a 1000-1200gph pump (give or take) depending on height of your stand.

I would recommend building a sump, it is cheapest. Acrylic sumps come premade, so no customization. As every tank has different needs, why not make one tailored to your needs? For a cichlid aquarium, you would likely have the drain going into filter socks, then a baffle where you could add filter media (carbon or whatever), then another space where you would have rock rubble (bio filtration and would help with proper ph), then a bubble catcher baffle and your return pump. On a freshwater system, your sump wouldnt need to be that complicated. If you were running a reef, the only difference would be you would have a refugium and a skimmer section.

 

[SkyeBox]

You want to have 10/12 times turnover tank volume after head pressure loss. So, in a 90 gallon tank, you would probably want a 1000-1200gph pump (give or take) depending on height of your stand.

I would recommend building a sump, it is cheapest. Acrylic sumps come premade, so no customization. As every tank has different needs, why not make one tailored to your needs? For a cichlid aquarium, you would likely have the drain going into filter socks, then a baffle where you could add filter media (carbon or whatever), then another space where you would have rock rubble (bio filtration and would help with proper ph), then a bubble catcher baffle and your return pump. On a freshwater system, your sump wouldnt need to be that complicated. If you were running a reef, the only difference would be you would have a refugium and a skimmer section.

I'm looking at this DIY kit made for a 40gal breeder. Any thoughts on this kit? It's on Amazon as well.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Sump-Kit-Refugium-Baffle-Kit-40-Gallon-Breeder-Fiji-Cube-/122646083311#rwid

So $130 for the kit, $90 for the tank and then maybe $150 for the pump?? Can you recommend a good pump? My other alternative is s Fluval FX6 - LFS has one for $299 in stock.

 

[Stickboy15]

I have a eshopps wd250 wet dry on my 90g freshwater tank and it’s heavy stocked and has been up for 8 years and not a single issue

 

[SkyeBox]

Eshopp also these 2 that look pretty good, but right - no customization..
AZU-100
RS100

 

[SkyeBox]

I have a eshopps wd250 wet dry on my 90g freshwater tank and it’s heavy stocked and has been up for 8 years and not a single issue

Was that the only filtration you ran on your 90?

 

[Stickboy15]

yes that and a weekly 25% water change and change the filer pad out weekly

 

[cracker]

I think wet/dry filters work great for fresh water aquariums. I assume you need a bunch of chclids or jut 1 or 2 otherwise one will beat the other to death. So a tank full of of these messy fish would do well with a wet/dry.
If Ya want to go salt. A few modifications & that would work too !

 

[VSVP bet]

Im not sure if its the reefer or the DIY guy in me. But I would still vote to build your own sump. Its great experience, cheaper, and after you build one, I bet you wont buy one ever again (at least that was the case for me). Here is a design that I would use (especially if you plan on using it for a reef eventually).

So the first chamber would house your filter socks. My filter socks are 4inches in diameter on my 90 reef, so this chamber would likely be 5 inches long.
The second chamber would be the media chamber. You could silicone egg crate between the bottom of the first and second baffle, this would allow you to place carbon bags that would achieve excellent water exposure. This chamber would be 3-4 inches I would guess.
The third chamber you could add rock rubble or whole rocks. This would be the bio filter section. Since its a cichlid tank, if you have africans, this section full of rocks would likely stabilize pH (as long as you use reef base rock, texas holey rock, etc.)
The third chamber... this design is for a salt tank. So in a standard reef, either chamber 2 or 3 would likely house a skimmer. However, this is not required in fresh water. I wonder if you put a freshwater fuge in chamber 3. You could grow moss or java ferns, just a thought. Again, this design is assuming you change to a reef eventually.
The final baffle system acts as a bubble catcher, but you would also put filter sponge here to catch any debris that would otherwise go into your pump (which could clog it).
The final chamber holds the pump. I like danner pumps, they are just work horses. This chamber would be sized to the type of pump you got.

This is just my two cents.

 

[SkyeBox]

Im not sure if its the reefer or the DIY guy in me. But I would still vote to build your own sump. Its great experience, cheaper, and after you build one, I bet you wont buy one ever again (at least that was the case for me). Here is a design that I would use (especially if you plan on using it for a reef eventually).

So the first chamber would house your filter socks. My filter socks are 4inches in diameter on my 90 reef, so this chamber would likely be 5 inches long.
The second chamber would be the media chamber. You could silicone egg crate between the bottom of the first and second baffle, this would allow you to place carbon bags that would achieve excellent water exposure. This chamber would be 3-4 inches I would guess.
The third chamber you could add rock rubble or whole rocks. This would be the bio filter section. Since its a cichlid tank, if you have africans, this section full of rocks would likely stabilize pH (as long as you use reef base rock, texas holey rock, etc.)
The third chamber... this design is for a salt tank. So in a standard reef, either chamber 2 or 3 would likely house a skimmer. However, this is not required in fresh water. I wonder if you put a freshwater fuge in chamber 3. You could grow moss or java ferns, just a thought. Again, this design is assuming you change to a reef eventually.
The final baffle system acts as a bubble catcher, but you would also put filter sponge here to catch any debris that would otherwise go into your pump (which could clog it).
The final chamber holds the pump. I like danner pumps, they are just work horses. This chamber would be sized to the type of pump you got.

This is just my two cents.

Thanks for the mock up and the info - that's very helpful!

 

[VSVP bet]

Thanks for the mock up and the info - that's very helpful!

That being said, the deal for the sump inserts on ebay is pretty good. My only concern is the durability of the plastic inserts. I only say build you own sump because its good experience, and it will help you be creative. I'd argue that some of the best reefers are the most creative, making use of their space and embarking on DIY projects that cater to the individual needs of their reef.

If you need another assistance let me know, always glad to help!

 

[Subsea]

Im not sure if its the reefer or the DIY guy in me. But I would still vote to build your own sump. Its great experience, cheaper, and after you build one, I bet you wont buy one ever again (at least that was the case for me). Here is a design that I would use (especially if you plan on using it for a reef eventually).

So the first chamber would house your filter socks. My filter socks are 4inches in diameter on my 90 reef, so this chamber would likely be 5 inches long.
The second chamber would be the media chamber. You could silicone egg crate between the bottom of the first and second baffle, this would allow you to place carbon bags that would achieve excellent water exposure. This chamber would be 3-4 inches I would guess.
The third chamber you could add rock rubble or whole rocks. This would be the bio filter section. Since its a cichlid tank, if you have africans, this section full of rocks would likely stabilize pH (as long as you use reef base rock, texas holey rock, etc.)
The third chamber... this design is for a salt tank. So in a standard reef, either chamber 2 or 3 would likely house a skimmer. However, this is not required in fresh water. I wonder if you put a freshwater fuge in chamber 3. You could grow moss or java ferns, just a thought. Again, this design is assuming you change to a reef eventually.
The final baffle system acts as a bubble catcher, but you would also put filter sponge here to catch any debris that would otherwise go into your pump (which could clog it).
The final chamber holds the pump. I like danner pumps, they are just work horses. This chamber would be sized to the type of pump you got.

This is just my two cents.

A fresh water vegetable filter makes a lot of sense to me. Plants in a chichlid tank would not work, but in a refugium, they would process both ammonia and nitrate.