150 Uk Gallon Tank

[Tokis-Phoenix]

I am planning on getting a 6ft2ftx2ft large tank and i would really appreciate some advice on where to start on lighting, filtration & heating for such a tank ! Some initial questions;

1. I like to have a few live plants around in the tank, nothing challenging/difficult to keep. I really love lighting which gives a bright blue/white look to the tank rather than a yellowish hue. What strength/type lighting would you recommend ?

3. Filtration: Would it be best to go for 2-3 internal filters instead of one mega filter (if they do filtration at all for 150gal tanks?) and are there are makes of filters you would recommend (really just looking for power & durability)?

4. Heating: What strength heating should i aim for to heat the tank with and would it be better to go for 2 heaters instead of one?

Thankyou so much for your tank and any help/advice is much appreciated ^.^ !

 

[KittyKat]

1. I like to have a few live plants around in the tank, nothing challenging/difficult to keep. I really love lighting which gives a bright blue/white look to the tank rather than a yellowish hue. What strength/type lighting would you recommend ?

I use Philips bulbs, colour 835 (I think), very neutral (no yellow tinge). If you go for about 2w per gallon, you should be able to keep most plants you are likely to come across.

3. Filtration: Would it be best to go for 2-3 internal filters instead of one mega filter (if they do filtration at all for 150gal tanks?) and are there are makes of filters you would recommend (really just looking for power & durability)?

I would go for two externals.. I'm not crazy enough to have internal filters for anything over 100 litres! I can recommend Eheim 3e range.. I was planning to have two filters when I go for a tank that size.

4. Heating: What strength heating should i aim for to heat the tank with and would it be better to go for 2 heaters instead of one?

I would take 2×350W heaters.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

I recently bought an Arcadia IP67 control unit and 70W of "tropical sunlight" T8 tubes to go in my 5-footer. I did not want too much light as I only have Anubias barteri nana and Java Fern planned as the real plants, due to the relatively high current. I was also wary about adding too much light so that regular fertilizer and carbon dioxide dosages would be an additional cost, which 2W per gallon would need to keep your plants healthy.

I have an Eheim "Pro3e" 2078 and a Fluval FX5 as filtration down there at the moment. The Eheim is much easier to position the outflow from the spraybar; there are several programmable output modes; it is only rated at 1100lph with media; plus it cost a small fortune (just under £300). The Fluval only cost £137; its output is ~2300lph in theory (but no doubt less from media); the double output with elbow joints are not great for creating a flow I would like as the closest the outputs will go together is ~45 degrees (although I've just thought while writing this that I have not tried setting up the pipe so it finishes parrallel to the water surface with the double output "stacked" one above the other).
I do intend to bring the Eheim back indoors in the near future and replace it with an All Pond Solutions 2000EF for £75.
I also have the ongoing dilemma of what to do with my Hydor Magnum 8 powerhead, which has been inactive since ten days into its installation, after I lost two Humphead Glassfish and a Leopard Bushfish (now thought to be due to its 125000lph rating, ~23x water turnover, really regret not thinking this through at the time)... I'm considering re-activating the Magnum8 if I move the Humpheads and Bushfish indoors, or trying to sell it again to cover the cost of a 4000-5000lph replacement.

My tank is in an uninsulated garage and because of my stocking of riverine fish, I am fortunate that I only need a maintained temp of 22C ("simonas" had a crisis with his Discus temp that dropped from ~29C to 23C in Wirral recently and "Mattlee" had a crisis with his Oscar's (Kieth) community tank dropping from ~26C to ~23C). The heating is being done by one Rena Smart Heater 300W and one Juwel 250W, although I've meant to take the Juwel back upstairs to the Rio240 for ages and bring out the other Rena 300W. Both are on the long sides of the tank in the flow of different filters, but the Rena can be connected to many popular external filters as an alternative inlet, which will distribute the heat more effectively.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Thankyou so much both of you for your advice, i really appreciate it !

I would go for two externals.. I'm not crazy enough to have internal filters for anything over 100 litres! I can recommend Eheim 3e range.. I was planning to have two filters when I go for a tank that size.

I've never used external filters before (always had internal ones), are there any particular reasons why you would recommend them over internal filters?

 

[KittyKat]

I would go for two externals.. I'm not crazy enough to have internal filters for anything over 100 litres! I can recommend Eheim 3e range.. I was planning to have two filters when I go for a tank that size.

I've never used external filters before (always had internal ones), are there any particular reasons why you would recommend them over internal filters?

In my experience: considerably less maintenance, more reliable, don't take up space in the tank itself, quieter, more flow per space, easier to clean (yay for pre-filters and polish sponges).. just to name a few

 

[Gill]

For lighting there is no reason to not DIY it using Guttering and End Caps. Done it in the past and looks really good.
And as for Externals, they are great as stated above. And the use of Prefilters in Invaluable as you can simply detach them and rinse, makes you filter media go longer and allows for much easier maintenance.

I found a buyer on ebay who is selling Jinlong brand externals and they are good reliable Externals.
Jin Long Externals

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

^ I may still go for internal filters though as i don't feel that comfortable about having water pipes coming out of the tank to feed the filter with (i assume this is how they work?)- the tank is going to be used as a room divider in my sitting room (its long but narrow) so i want to keep wires & pipes and stuff like that coming out of the tank ideally to a minimum .

Thankyou so much for all your help so far though, really appreciate it v !

 

[bae1994]

gotta admit external would be my choice the pipes look so much better than internals imo

 

[KittyKat]

^ I may still go for internal filters though as i don't feel that comfortable about having water pipes coming out of the tank to feed the filter with (i assume this is how they work?)- the tank is going to be used as a room divider in my sitting room (its long but narrow) so i want to keep wires & pipes and stuff like that coming out of the tank ideally to a minimum .

Pipes or the other option is to drill the bottom of the tank and have them both come in through there.. of course, you will still have the heater and filter wires come into the tank if you have an internal.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

OK....Phew! Just had a VERY long phone conversation with the Aquariums Ltd.

Basically...This is what i am going for;

1. Tank: 72inch long by 24wide & 24inch high. Tank glass is going to Optiwhite glass on all 4 sides, normal glass on the base. White Gloss closed hood (hood with lid). Clear silicone.
2. Cabinet: Stadia Range cabinet in White Gloss, 72inch long by 24inch wide & 30inch high. Uphold will go all the way around. 4 doors on cabinet.
3. Lighting:Bright white lighting, 2 T8 lamps, 1500mm/5ft long 58 Watts each with double controller. (Do you think this will be good for most plants? Are there any plants i should avoid with this lighting?)
4. Heating:2x400 Watt heaters (they had either 300watt ones or 400watt ones, no 350watt ones- do you think this will be ok?)
5. Filtration: I've decided to go for an external cannister filter. They had an FX5 2300 liter per hour external filter, do you think this will filter the tank very well (i've got a common plec that poops a lot plus some fish which really enjoy a good current like some Pearl Danios & Yoyo loaches- most of my fish are medium current fish like the cherry barbs & swordtails)?

I haven't ordered this all just yet as i'm going to talk things over with a few people (namely my old neighbours who are currently looking after a lot of my old fish + plus my guy for opinions etc). If i order tomorrow the tank will take between 10-12weeks to arrive, so i will have to sort something out with moving one of my old Rio 400's over with as many fish as i can take (as i don't want to be driving down to Somerset every week to do water changes forever lol).

Looks like i'll be spending a lot on this tank, but i wanna get the best that i can get as i won't ever be buying a large tank again !
(Same post in 6ft tank brands thread: http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/337540-6ft-tank-brands/ )

EDIT: THE DECISION HAS BEEN MADE AND THE ORDER PLACED . I will get a letter of confirmation in the next couple of weeks and then its all fullsteam ahead Woo Woo !

 

[OldMan47]

At 116 watts of light over a 150 gallon tank, you can only have low light plants. Any plant that requires significant light will not survive in that low light. The light will be plenty for viewing fish but will only grow things like Anubias, java fern and Cryptocorynes. It will not grow "most plants". The FX5 filter is a nice medium large filter that should be fine for your tank. You may find that once you have used an external canister filter, you will never go back to an internal. I run a tank almost that same size using a 250W on one end and a 350W on the other end. I simply could not find a matched capacity pair when I bought them and the tank works just fine with the slightly different heaters. Your pair of 400W heaters is plenty for 150 gallons in most homes. (You don't intend to put the tank in an unheated garage or something like that do you? )