Habitat - Indoor :: 150 gallon build begins

Turtle tank setups and other indoor configurations.

Post Posted: Fri May 19, 2017 11:39 pm   150 gallon build begins

Finally have all the parts in and beginning this new turtle setup build. Kinda broke my credit card balance and delayed paying off a big chunk of student loans for this! This build was inspired by Greg Jone's setup. My finish setup will be a poor man's simplified version of his earlier build.

Day 1.

- Made a short wooden rack with some heavy duty casters so I can make fine adjustments to placement when everything is finished
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- Replaced stock bulkhead with sch80 1" bulkhead from bulkreefsupply. The 1" head fits perfectly into the stock hole. I've read other people using 1.25" bulkheads which required enlarging the hole. Didn't want to go through the hassle of cutting into the tank and this 1" head I was able to just leave the 2 vertical protrusions alone.
- Inside the bulkhead goes into a 1" MPT to street spigot adapter which slips into 2 x 90 degree 1" slip elbows arranged into an 's'. This will raise my filter intake approximately 4-5" off the bottom of the tank.
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- I originally planned to have 2x 10" jehmco perforated 1" pipes into a 1" slip tee which would connect to the S via a union joint but when I assembled it it looked very garish with too many fittings. The union joint was planned so I would be able to easily swap out the old sponge with a second set when doing maintenance. Unions are no longer needed as the perforated pipes slide in and out of the elbows or tee adapters so easily that unions were unnecessary. I may not even use the tee and just stick w/ having a single intake. The tee may make it harder on the filter motor. I will see how quickly the pre filter sponges clog up once the turtles are in the tank and switch to the tee setup if needed.
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- Outside I have a 1" MPT nipple that connects to a 1" CPEX ball valve. The valve connects to a 1" 90 degree MPT to barb elbow. The 1" vinyl hose i picked up from lowes was way too stiff and kinked too easily I ended up slipping the stock fx6 hose over the barb and secured the connection with hose clamps.
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- Spent around 90 minutes rinsing about 125lbs of pool filter sand and likely shaved a couple years off my spine's life. even with the rinse the water was stil quite cloudy.
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- Set up the fx6 with all trays containing filter floss to get rid of the dust from the water.
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Post Posted: Sat May 20, 2017 1:41 am   Re: 150 gallon build begins

Awww yes! For some reason, I find this pretty exciting. Is that duct tape around the FX?
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steve
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Post Posted: Sat May 20, 2017 3:25 am   Re: 150 gallon build begins

lol no it's just the shrink wrap from when it was in package. i didn't remove it yet since i'm just temporarily using it to clean the dust w/ polishing. once this build is done it will only have poret sponge for mechanical pumping into a moving bed filter in a 20 gallon brute trashcan
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Post Posted: Sat May 20, 2017 9:23 am   Re: 150 gallon build begins

Hi again , you will be happy with the outcome. For me things changed over the decades. As a kid in the 60's never had a big enough allowance so it was DIY. Before names where given to inventions like the "skippy / moveing / non-moving beds" we did what worked for us at the time. Then the 70's some family worked offshores so was able to get old 30 gallon water drums , several attempts on piping had a 30 gallon passive bio filter. We didn't have todays media so I used wiffle balls back then and worked. Then the 80's got into bogs also worked very well. The 90's in ground pond and over 900 gallons of every type of container. Breeding tanks , quarantine tanks , male tank , female tanks , storage tanks for rain water...way out of hand !!! Most all were setup natural do to the cost and very successful too successful ! I had every kid in the neighborhood with a turtle , The Turtle Man , parents hated me. Then Hurricane Katrina , everything gone , everything ! Being retired and lets say older looked at things different. Not having all the life issues a young man has work, family, time today I (KIS_) and use the technology and advancements to a point. Example: one small bag of BioHome media today does what my 30 gallon DIY filter did. One would have to win the Lottery to fill a 30 gallon DIY filter with BioHome but that would be a total over kill. Time, the big thing I have learned to religiously do maintenance to prevent problems (no chemicals) and can see problems coming about before they happen , that did not happen over night took decades. DIY filter's , bogs would cover up any wild swings and help hide problem with just the shear water volume. They are great !
Question : what type diffuser if any are you going to use to keep it moving in a 20 gallon trashcan? Or will use the FX flow to do that? Air to would speed up the growth. Thinking about the Hel-X or just the K-1 ?
I have the time for one turtle "Piggley" and use our time even doing maintenance together , more one on one . We have a great relationship ! It's low Tec and not automated but I do my homework , had plenty time to see what works. From wiffle balls , packing material , sponges , scouring pad ... today Bio Home , boy thing and times have changed ! You will be happy with your plans and it does work , just keep it under your control not like I was Out of Control. Keep us updated on you steps , you may come up with the (WMah filter)
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Post Posted: Sun May 21, 2017 1:06 am   Re: 150 gallon build begins

thanks! right now i grabbed https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XC ... UTF8&psc=1 that's going to be supplied with https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B002JP ... UTF8&psc=1 and hope it'll be do the trick and not over kill for the trash can filter. Hope it won't be so strong that it splashes the water enough to trigger the safety float switch to turn off my filter lol
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Post Posted: Sun May 21, 2017 1:18 am   Re: 150 gallon build begins

Didn't do much today but grabbed a few handfuls of duckweed, water lettuce, and trumpet snails off a nice angelfish breeder who routinely throws them out cuz they grow so fast. Made an arrangement with her to just keep her throwaway plants in a pail and I'll grab them off her every 2 weeks. I don't think any plants are fast growing enough to keep up with turtles eating them. Will also transfer some hornworts, egeria, and water Sprite over when they propagate more in my fish and shrimp tanks. The goal is to have a super planted tank that even the turtles can't eat faster than they grow lol so I'm trying to build up a good stock of all the invasive weedlike pest plants right now

Today I just spent a few mins building a small frame for a planter that will likely be where I'll stick a few mangrove pods in. But wow overnight with the polishing pads and dust all gone!
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Post Posted: Sun May 21, 2017 9:51 am   Re: 150 gallon build begins

You will find that those pumps used for hydroponics are very overrated. If using small 1/4 line will over heat due to the friction in the line. You will have to adjust supply line , the diameter and shorter the better I found. You will be doing a lot of tweaking on this project , one always does.
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Post Posted: Sun May 21, 2017 1:03 pm   Re: 150 gallon build begins

i picked up this http://www.ebay.ca/itm/162465025985?_tr ... EBIDX%3AIT and my plan was to run a 3/8" tube from the Y to the stone and the other 1/4" port will go to the manifold that came with the pump that has 6 3/16" outlet which I plan to use 2 into some medium sized air stones for the main tank. Will see how the pump does if it can handle more I may look at picking up more airstones and using more of the manifold outlets. I'm just guessing right now and hope it works lol.
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Post Posted: Sun May 21, 2017 1:52 pm   Re: 150 gallon build begins

You will find out? That type does not like it when you create a lot of backpressure.

This is about the main tank only . I bury air line in media or under rocks and keep line open never clogs , no air stones. Yes air stones with tiny bubbles put oxygen in water but turtles breath like us. As far as other occupants that need oxygen fish , shrimp whatever all the plants will take care of that. You saw my setup I keep at least 50#'s for plants in it most of the time. Some say GOSH a lot , no not really not for a 3'x5' tank ! I also have a 70 gallon plant tank to keep it up. For me hornwort and water lettuce grows the fastest that's with the way I have it setup. May be different for your setup? Start growing your plants now 50#'s don't go that far ! As you said stocking up. Don't spend a lot of time on rooted plants turtles dig them up or cut them off at the crown never letting them get established. Tie floating plants (hornwort) to rocks works better (they propagate differently) and don't over do what you let float , light needs to get to the ones on the bottom. Found anything that forms rosettes are faster for floating.
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Post Posted: Sun May 21, 2017 2:07 pm   Re: 150 gallon build begins

how would java moss do in turtle tank? I plan to have java moss on the bottom and mostly floaters like hornworts, egeria, wisteria around with water lettuce and duckweed here and there
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Post Posted: Sun May 21, 2017 2:14 pm   Re: 150 gallon build begins

I never had much luck with any moss , for me grew very slow. One thing of caution , watch their poop. Turtles like us with to many veggies can get gas and diarrhea. Finding the right balance is needed , plants in tank , turtles will always be eating. Never seen a FAT turtle on veggies but can get diarrhea from too many!
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Post Posted: Sun May 21, 2017 2:17 pm   Re: 150 gallon build begins

diarrhea = more ferts for the salad? lol
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Post Posted: Sun May 21, 2017 2:21 pm   Re: 150 gallon build begins

Oh forgot , the Egeria , get the narrow leaf grows much faster but don't look as nice. So just add more then OK looking.

Ever hear back from Eheim about the magnets?
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Post Posted: Sun May 21, 2017 5:01 pm   Re: 150 gallon build begins

eheim told me it should be okay but because they don't know the zoomed product well they advised me to consult with the zoomed reps. So i'm guessing it is good?
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Post Posted: Mon May 22, 2017 1:21 pm   Re: 150 gallon build begins

Late day 3 update

2" uniseal into brute for the moving bed filter, i'm hoping the brute plastic will keep this seal. It's a bit thinner than those plastic water barrels
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The passive drain from moving bed filter back to tank. Have a low pro strainer up top on the tee and a regular strainer on the bottom. Drilled a bunch of small holes along the pipe to make sure nothing will be backed up if the bottom strainer gets plugged
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Everything is pretty much physically set up except for my basking platform which I need to wait for a buspan to arrive before I can make it. Haven't tested anything yet as it was 2am and time to sleep. Today will be plugging in and seeing if the biofilter works or I end up flooding my basement
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