[lexi73]

Hey everyone,
I just upgraded my 55 gallon walmart special tank to a 75 gallon used tank i found off my local CL. Got the tank and a stand for $100!

Anyway i only have a HOTB filter now for my 55 gallon and i will need to upgrade. I was thinking of getting a Eheim 2017. Will this be enough? any other suggestions other than the model I mentioned? is a canister enough or do i need a HOTB also?

Also the tank has no lights to i have to get a new light strip...any advice? looking to get good light at a reasonable price.

I'm moving in a few weeks and I'm excited to get everything setup and running. Hopefully i can get everything before then.

Thanks for the expert advice!

 

[lotsofish]

I like having a canister and a HOB filter. I don't use carbon in the canister so it doesn't need to be replaced and I don't need to open the canister for months at a time. I use carbon in the HOB which is easy to replace. Its also good to have a backup filter. Once after cleaning, I managed to put the canister back in the tank stand in such a way I kinked the hose and stopped flow. It was the next day before I noticed but at least the HOB was running.

 

[Rick_Lindsey]

Are you planning to make a wooden canopy for it? Inside a canopy on a 4ft tank, it's hard to beat a Home Depot $10 shoplight on the price front! You may have to take it apart and mount the pieces on the canopy though.

Are you planning to have live plants? That will affect your light requirements. A twin 40watt T12 fixture (the shoplight mentioned above) will probably suffice for a fish-only tank, but it's an awfully low light level for growing plants. Of course a 75 is probably big enough to mount 2 shoplights, but if I were going with a planted tank I'd probably be looking at HO lighting.

-Rick (the armchair aquarist)

 

[lexi73]

so I think I might keep the HOB from my 55 and then purchase a canister also. Is Eheim the way to go? any other models that are comparable?

As for a canopy, I might build one sometime soon but I will set up the tank first. I will not have any plants in the tank. I might go that route once i build a canopy and get a shop light to put inside.

 

[lexi73]

Also BTW,
If I do build a canopy, what is the best thing to do? have the all glass lids on top of the tank ant then the canopy or just have the canopy and the lights exposed to the water below?

I am leaning towards building a Canopy because it should not be too hard. Any links to plans for a 75 gallon hood?

 

[Rick_Lindsey]

I'd leave the glass lids on the tank, rather than removing them. I don't know where there are plans, but I'm sure they're out there. have you checked the library yet? (at the top of your screen, just beneath the banner ad -- second link from the left, I'd try the DIY section first)

-Rick (the armchair aquarist, who followed his own instructions and found this article : http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/diy_canopy.php)

 

[Rick_Lindsey]

double-post. sorry!

 

[lexi73]

Rick, Thanks ill take a look around...*** been searching the internet and have not found anything as of yet. I don't have the glass lids so i would have to buy them, thats why I had asked. Also any appropriate height that lights should be off the top of the water? i was thinking around 10in.

Thanks again

 

[mithesaint]

Rick, Thanks ill take a look around...I've been searching the internet and have not found anything as of yet. I don't have the glass lids so i would have to buy them, thats why I had asked. Also any appropriate height that lights should be off the top of the water? i was thinking around 10in.

Thanks again

My canopy for my 55 gallon is pretty simple, but I don't have any pictures on hand. I used a 1x6 piece of wood, and it fits pretty nicely. Two end pieces are about 12" long, a front piece about 49ish" long, and two pieces for the top that are fastened on the inside of the side pieces. I put two hinges on it, and the front board of the top opens and folds back onto the back board. That make any sense at all??

Obviously, my lights are only about 4" (maybe less ) from the surface of the water, and I haven't had any issues. There's not much room in the hood, so I have to take it off whenever i do something in the tank, but I prefer to do that anyway.

My canopy for my 90 gallon is quite a bit taller, which is good and bad. I can actually do stuff inside the tank with the canopy in place. On the other hand, this canopy weighs about 3x as much as the one on my 55, so it's a PITA to take it off.

I don't have glass tops on either tank, but probably should. I don't have issues with evaporation, and have never had light issues due to water either. Your mileage may vary. HTH.

 

[lexi73]

Thanks mithesaint,

I have seen it bone both ways...i think i am just going to design one to fit my needs. I has seen lights both with glass lids on the tank and without...wondering what is the correct, if there even is, to do it. The only thing i would be worried about is water splashing the ballasts or just the humidity corroding them. Do you have any ventilation?

I think I'm going to design a canopy with small front doors and a top lid that lifts also, that way i should be able to get in to do water changes and feed also. This will obviously have to be taller just because the doors on the front.

I just don't want to waste $75+ on a light strip to sit on top of the glass if its going to be cheaper to build a canopy with the lights included.

 

[Philg]

This site may be helpful for making a canopy:

http://www.knottyplans.com/index.php?page=10011

 

[mithesaint]

I have a shop light from HD in both hoods, so I'm not ultra concerned about corrosion. When it wears out, I'll spend another 10$ 8) The light in my 55 gallon canopy lasted about 3-4 years IIRC. It had some surface rust at that point, but I'm not that concerned about appearance inside the canopy.

I don't have any protection on the back of the canopy, they're just open to the wall. I don't recommend this approach, as it may lead to fishy suicide, but it has worked well for me thus far, knock on wood. No fans or anything though.

Glass lids would probably help with evaporation, prevent fishy suicide, and protect your lights. However, I've never been able to figure out how to have glass lids that I could open easily with my particular canopy. Maybe just the lids on the back 2/3's of the top? I've not had problems that make me want the lids at this point. Who knows, I might come home to a pile of fish outside the back of the aquarium now that I opened my big mouth. :fish:

 

[lexi73]

Great thanks for the reply!

Ill just get some shop lights also....what wattage are they?

The other lights that i was looking at was these: http://saltaquarium.about.com/gi/dynami ... 5hood.html

This is what you have correct:
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/sto ... 185+502059
Just one ballast in the hood? or do you have 2?

I think im going to go backless also...if needed ill get some glass lids but ill ship that for now and see how things go. Possibly just some Plexiglas that covers that back half of the tank would work.

 

[75malawi]

If you're keeping the HOB filter, a backless hood is the way to go. Eheims are great filters - I run a 2217 along with a Rena XP3 on my 75. Keeps things nice and clean, and I alternate cleaning one of them every other month.

The XP3 is slightly easier to clean out (has baskets - unlike the 2217) but I can do either one in about 15-20 minutes. I think the Eheim might do a better job of filtering, and it seems the Eheim has better flow after a while (the XP3 tends to have its flow greatly reduced as the filter media gets dirty. Plus, the Eheim is quieter (but if you're still going to use a HOB filter, you will hear that over any canister).

As for the lighting, I have a $10 special HD light over mine, and it is great. I have the glass lids, so I just put the light on top of the lids, and put the hood over all of it. I use a 6500k and actinic bulb, to really bring out the dark blues and purple colors of my fish.

 

[lexi73]

Many things are taking place since my last post.

1. started to build a canopy. Got all items cut just need to put it together. backless and lidless
2. Purchased a HD shoplight ---still need bulbs.
3. Purchased a Eheim 2217.

Tonight I'm off to HD to get paint, trim, hinges, bulbs, and a night light to put in the canopy of some kind. Then I just need to assemble the canopy, Put trim on it, Sand, Paint, Add lights, and plug it in. Next order of business is to get some more rocks for the bottom and substrate and set it all up in a few weeks, then wait for it to cycle so i can go buy some new fishies! :fish: