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Hello Guys and Girls

873 views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  SantaMonica 
#1 ·
Hi. I'm new to the forum but not new to fish keeping. I had a 125 gallon reef tank over 25 years ago. The sump was a 55 gallon tank. Homebrewed mostly by a friend of mine.

After I learned how hard a reef was, the same tank housed a very large Oscar and a few communities throughout the years. It currently houses (2) 7 inch long red finned tin foil barbs, (4) 3-4 inch silver dollars, (2) Leporinus (4" & 5"), (1) 4" common pleco, (1) 4" pictus cat, and (5) 2" giant danios. A 4" giant danio recently died. With the exception of the pleco and danios most of the fish are >5 years old. They were all "adopted" from people with smaller tanks. Filtration is an Emperor 400 HOB and a Sunsun canister that replaced another Emperor 400.

I am considering adding more giant danios. I think 3 more or so would make a lively school. I hesitate though because the tank is doing so well. I'm afraid of pushing my luck.

I don't have any questions but I've been reading the forum for a while so I thought it was time to introduce myself. Hello.
 
#2 ·
Welcome to the group.

I think what he is saying the tank is a 125g with a 55g sump so the total system would be 180g. If I read that wrong let me know.

If it was me I would up the bio filtering in the sump that way you can add more fish no problem. I started running large bottles filled with lava rock and with a air stone to get the water to flow thru the bottle, really like how well they work and I will be adding more to my room. Depending on how you have the sump setup you can do one or two 1 gallon jugs (not milk jugs they will fall apart) that would be enough bio to easily keep the tank safe and the other two filters could do the mechanical filter.

As for adding two more giant danios it should be a issue, biggest worry would be if they aren't healthy and bring something to the tank. Quarantining them for a month would be best choice.

My 150g currently has 1 common pleco (8"), 4 silver dollars (3"-4"), 1 Green Terror (3.5"), 1 Texas (5"), 2 Convicts (3.5"), 1 firemouth (3.5"), 1 lace cat (5-6") and 2 Oscars(8"-9"). That is a lot of fish and some big waste makers. I have 3 sponge filters, 1 large HOB (only to mechanical clean) and 1 half gallon jug of lava rock. I just setup a over flow so I can do a 10-15 gallon water change every day and my Ammonia and Nitrites are 0 with Nitrate 5 every week. I think it is the lava rock for sure. I did just move the Oscars out because they have some marks I think someone is being too rough on them.
 
#3 ·
Sorry I wasn't clear. My 125 gallon tank formerly had a 55 gallon sump when it was a reef. Now I am using an Emperor 400 HOB and a Sunsun canister. The "sump" is not connected and is now housing box turtles.

I just realized today they my test kits are 6 years old so I just trashed them. I'll have to get a new ammonia kit, at least.

The jugs are new to me. I'll have to look around to see how they work. Can you give me a link?
 
#4 ·
Turtles are awesome I would love to get some eastern box turtles but it's illegal to take them from the wild in Indiana and some places say you can't even have them in your house. I keep thinking I need to get some 3 toe box turtles but keep talking my self out of it. I will just keep my Russians and Greek tortoise for now.

Here is link to my video where you can see the jug. Around 1:20 and again at 2:50 you can see two of mine working. They aren't the prettiest thing but I don't mine that in my tanks I need it to function. Even with no sump I bet you can still add the new fish no problem. I would still do one of the jug with lava rock for bio, just find a nice jug and maybe paint it.



This is the video where I got the idea.

 
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