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A overhead filter for 55g

Missnano

O. vulgaris
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Jan 2, 2011
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Missouri
I have been looking at filters to get for my tank, i have been looking at the overhead ones. Which would be the best to get? I am going to have a skimmer as well if that helps? Thanks guys
 
What set up are you looking to create cuttlefish or octopus? I ask because while you can put a cuttlefish in an octopus tank the reverse isnt as easy. Octopuses have more need requirements as far as a lid would go and a lid determines if you could have the standard U-tube HOB (hang on back) over flow or if you would need to get something a little bit more advanced/tricky. I have found that a hang on back set up will work fine for cuttles as long as all powerheads and what not are covered. However with octopuses because of the lid, if you have to have HOB equipment then you will need something like the CPR overflow (they can overflow if you arent careful and have a bad track record for doing so). I do have the CPR over flow and cleaning it is impossible unless you completely dismantel it. The way I have mine set up thats not really possible so all I can do is put a needle in the air hole to clear any blockages. Its a PITA thats for sure.

We really recommend a sump and live rock for the filtration. The sump is good because it means less wires and risk to your animlas as everything can be put in there including your skimmer. Plus it helps keep the aquarium looking clutter free. You can use other filters but you really shouldnt need it. The less you have in the main tank the better. A closed loop would be fantastic but seeing as you have a 55 gallon if its standard then you will have no way to know if its tempered glass or not and drilling it could end in disaster.

For flow you might think about 2 over flows with pvc capped tubes to push the water through the tank. It works in the event you cant have a closed loop and much better than having powerheads everywhere.
 
i am so confused lol. I want to have an octopus in my tank, i know that. So are you saying i shouldnt do the sump cause the glass might break? I should do the over the back filters, with pvc pipe? do you have any pics to better explain what you are talking about?

Sorry to be a pain
 
She's saying that a sump is a good thing. She's also saying that getting water in and out of your tank through bulkhead fittings (which require grinding holes in the sides or bottom of your tank) is good because you can put a secure cover on your tank, but you can only grind holes in regular glass, not in tempered glass (without breaking it).

She's talking about dealing with the fact that an octopus can escape if there are any holes large enough for it to squeeze its beak through (about as big as the bulge around one of it's eyes). An octopus is also likely to mess with any tubes, pumps, heaters, etc that are in the tank. A sump is a good place to put your protein skimmer pump, return pump, heater, etc, where your octopus can't get to them. The water splashing around in your sump can allow for aeration and gas exchange, even when your tank is completely covered with glass or acrylic. Without a sump, it would be hard to aerate the water in a covered (escape proof) tank. Anything that goes over the wall of your tank (hang on back overflow for example) makes it harder to completely cover your tank to make it escape proof.

Up until now I've been a big fan of Koralia type pumps to circulate water in my octopus tank. They're great pumps, but my bimac's new trick is to pull it off of its magnetic mount, rip the cover off, and drop it in the sand. He's done it three times in the past week, and who knows when he'll get bored with it (delinquent!). The next time I design an octopus tank it will have a closed loop system to generate flow, without any pumps in the tank. I think an octopus tank needs to be designed like a a prison cell, with no escape options, no toilet seat, and no furniture that isn't bolted to the floor (and no internet access so they can't order fiddler crabs online).
 
sk252006;169814 said:
...A closed loop would be fantastic but seeing as you have a 55 gallon if its standard then you will have no way to know if its tempered glass or not and drilling it could end in disaster.
A closed loop usually requires drilling (grinding) holes for bulkheads on the back wall of the tank, and if you try to drill holes in tempered glass, it will shatter into a million tiny pieces. There is a way of determining if a piece of glass is tempered that involves looking through it at an lcd screen (like a laptop computer or ipod), while wearing polarized sun glasses. Here's a thread describing how to do the test.


sk252006;169814 said:
For flow you might think about 2 over flows with pvc capped tubes to push the water through the tank. It works in the event you cant have a closed loop and much better than having powerheads everywhere.
I don't know what you mean. PVC caps completely seal the end of a PVC pipe and block all water flow.
Overflows allow water to leave the tank, but don't do anything to increase flow. Do you mean that with two overflows instead of one you can use a larger return pump and move more gph through the sump and tank (i.e. a single overflow couldn't keep up with the larger pump, but two overflows could)?
 
Well, what do you have currently? I have a wet/dry that I would like to offer a newb for shipping costs (well, any Tonmo member). I know Jack and Squat about keeping cuttles, but I swear I have read 75% of the posts on this site (and probably a hundred hours elsewhere) while attempting to setup a ceph tank, but I wouldn't even think of having a ceph tank without a sump or wet dry; somewhere out of the way to put the life support systems.

You implied your tank was glass?
 
Jimmy55002000;169896 said:
Well, what do you have currently? I have a wet/dry that I would like to offer a newb for shipping costs (well, any Tonmo member). I know Jack and Squat about keeping cuttles, but I swear I have read 75% of the posts on this site (and probably a hundred hours elsewhere) while attempting to setup a ceph tank, but I wouldn't even think of having a ceph tank without a sump or wet dry; somewhere out of the way to put the life support systems.

You implied your tank was glass?

hmm how much for the wet/dry? I am not sure if my moms is a wet/dry or not, and it doesnt sound like its in good shape either.. But the one i was looking at the store is a fluval 305 i think it was?
 

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