recommendations for equipment in a 95 gal and 50 gal

I am a few weeks away from getting my 95 gal and 50 gal corner tanks to the point where I will be able to fill with water so want to get a plan on what equipment I can get to keep the tanks clean and healthy. my emphasis will be mostly on the Aquascape but do intend on using one as a discus tank and the 50 gal with assorted angels and barbs. both tanks will be stacked in one corner with the larger on the bottom and smaller on the top. the footprint templates for the tanks has been sent to me by the builder so once they arrive I will mock up the tanks out of cardboard and then will have a better idea how to place each tank in the cabinet.

Can I run the Co2 in both tanks from one system or will I have to use a separate Co2 system for each tank ?

I am leaning toward the HOB filters but still unsure if I will have the space on the sides to use them. Is there any advantage to run 2 filters per tank ?

any suggestions on what I should use for heaters ?


I know we all have our own preferences for how we set up our aquariums so I am looking for suggestions that I can then research and come up with a plan...

As you can tell I am leaning on you folks for guidance and hope I'm not being a pain with all my questions.... It is a huge help for me to have a place to ask these things as opposed to asking them in a pet store...

Thanks to you all for the help... much appreciated !

Jim

I would go with 2 canister filters on the largest tank. Stash it with sponges and biological media.

Like I said before you really can not have enough filtration so go with as much as you can afford without making it seem overboard if that helps. Canister and air driven sponge work well together.

I would want a canister on the 95, but your plan of having that tank on the bottom may not allow. You need a minimum distance between canister top and tank waterline to maintain enough head pressure for the canister to work properly. On the floor or close to the floor wont give you that clearance. If thats your only option for stacking, I would recommend a pair of Aquaclear 110 hobs. Largest and most powerful hob currently available. You need 5ins of clearance from wall to tank rim. 6ins is better, easier to remove without scraping your wall.

Thank you for the great info.... looks like I am going to make provisions to use the HOB's because of the 95 being so low... I didn't know about the head pressure issue but it makes sense... I had 2 large HOB's on my 90 gal years ago and they were awesome...

Thanks very much to you all for the help...

Eheim Jager heaters have a good reputation. I own one and while I'm not currently using it never had a problem with it when I was.

Aqueon Pro heaters seem to have good ratings too but I've never owned or used one. I like how it doesn't use glass.

thanks.... good tips 4 sure i will check out your suggestions...much appreciated....jim

still trying to figure out what to do for the co2 system and if i can run 2 tanks with the single source....

Blackat wrote:thanks.... good tips 4 sure i will check out your suggestions...much appreciated....jim

still trying to figure out what to do for the co2 system and if i can run 2 tanks with the single source....

Whoops I missed that.  Yes you can run 2 tanks from one CO2 bottle.   You can get dual manifold that split off into two and each tank's CO2 can be controlled separately.

perfect.... thanks again for the awesome help.....

Whoops meant to say manifold instead of regulator.  I went back and edited the post.

Sorry for the confusion.

I've been struggling with the way to stack the 50 on the 95 and still have access to everything.... It can be done but my 95 will only be 6" off the floor... my struggle is that being low and visibility would be great if your eyes are only 18" off the floor... not the best position for something I am investing so much in... I am considering using the corner area for just the 95 gal and either setting up the 50 at work or selling it. It will allow me to add more stained glass to the cabinet... I'll decide when I get my templates from the tank builder and mock up the shapes in cardboard... I have my stained glass in an art show next weekend so won't get much done for a couple seeks, when I do I will post up some pictures...

I have two 75s stacked. What I did was build a shelf to stand on at the base level of the bottom tank. It's a step up, well supported. I was standing on it to fix out of control Najas growth just a few minutes ago.
However, I am tall - a great advantage in these things.

my ceilings are about 6" lower than most.... I haven't given up just trying to get a plan b in case A doesn't work

I have an update on my progress.... Needless to say there have been some disappointments. my initial purchase of the 95 and 50 gal tank fell through. the Supplier said I could expect delivery in 5 - 6 weeks after 12 weeks I had to get a Visa charge back to get my deposit. phone calls and emails went unanswered. Pretty discouraging.... Never realized it would be so hard to find someone to build me an aquarium... literally contacted at least 10 companies in both the US and Canada and either didn't get replies or was told they don't ship to or within Canada. Finally got in touch with Dave from Concept Aquaria in Calgary and put a deposit on a 150 gal cube. Hoping this will work out and it looks like shipment will be ready in 2-3 weeks.

I ended up having to replace all the major support beams under the house... big job that still has some more work to be done but I should be ready when the tanks arrives.... I have asked Concept to quote me on all the equipment to gear the tank up so it will be interesting to see what they recommend and the total cost.

I'll post some more updates as I get them..

Blackat wrote:Needless to say there have been some disappointments. my initial purchase of the 95 and 50 gal tank fell through. Finally got in touch with Dave from Concept Aquaria in Calgary and put a deposit on a 150 gal cube. Hoping this will work out and it looks like shipment will be ready in 2-3 weeks.

Thanks for the update Blackat. Very disappointing however the 150 cube would be an extra-ordinary upgrade. Best of luck however this turns out.