• Help by sea 450l

  • Caleb6320

In general, here's the situation: I decided to switch from discus to marine fish, ideally I would like a soft reef. However, based on your advice, I can manage with a fish-only setup (although it might be a bit boring). What I have from Aquatica (all freshwater): a 450-liter aquarium, a standard cabinet with a compartment for a canister filter and CO2, a compartment for wires, and in the middle, shelves with freshwater lighting from Aquatica (two aluminum T5 bars with 2 lamps - 0.7 W per liter) (profile). The canister filter is Eheim Professional 3 for up to 600 liters. The question is: what should I sell, what should I keep, what should I buy? The total budget is up to 20,000 of our currency. How realistic is this? What are the initial costs? Thank you.

Eric

Invite someone from the "sailors" to visit, so you can see and touch things on site... advice can be given from a distance in general terms, without considering individual characteristics... but you need a specific result.

Jason9385

You need to drill a side hole or one at the bottom of the aquarium. You can find the sizes of the holes on the forum. You can sell the canister filter - although I saw an alternative - a canister filled with large aragonite granules. But a nitrate breeder is unnecessary for you. Regarding lighting, check with the user. The sump must be glued, and if you approach it wisely and don't rush with purchases, you can stay within your budget. Accordingly, you won't avoid modifications with your cabinet.

Nancy

What if instead of drilling, we do an overflow? I've seen some people do it on top...

Diana8604

About overflow. - There is a good FAQ from Kolya aka Sleepy with pictures. About overflow without drilling. Yes, there are such options. But this is more of a last resort. It has many drawbacks. When doing everything from scratch, it's still better to drill properly. There's nothing scary about it.

Susan1358

I'll say right away that there is at least a side hole for normal drainage, and these overflows are just a waste. For example, I got a defective overflow; you start it, and after about 3 hours, it stops overflowing. Is this hassle really necessary for you?

Emily

Canister filter, sell it to someone.....a masterpiece of rock painting.....