[jlwiley123]

I am returning to Fishkeeping after many years away (around 20). I have recently obtained a 10 or 15 year old 85 gallon aquarium setup and I need help getting it running. Which forum should I begin with for posting questions? I mainly need to figure out the filter system (the tank has builtin filter chambers at the back, but, except for a couple of powerheads and some home made looking stuff I don't know what I need to get it working). I am thinking the best way to start is to post some pictures - maybe someone will recognize the setup.

Thanks

 

[jrodriguez]

ok first of all welcome to the aquarium...

second of all name all the supplies that it came with as well as the model if it has any on it

third of all you have to wait to post pictures because you need to post at least 5 posts
-so just post 5 posts on this thread

 

[jlwiley123]

I can't find any brand or model. It looks like aquariums I remember seeing in larger stores 15 or 20 years ago. In one of the filter chambers (the largest) were 2 power heads that are at the top of white rigid PVC tubes that have holes drilled all in them (the suctions of the powerheads are connected to these tubes). There were spirals of some kind of black mesh looking stuff and blue and white filter media wrapped around the PVC. The outputs of the power heads also have white rigid PVC, with lots of elbows and short pieces of PVC - very rube goldberg looking.

 

[jlwiley123]

I wonder if there was some kind of standard filter units that fit in the chambers.

 

[jlwiley123]

Or maybe there was supposed to be bio-balls in some of the chambers?

 

[jlwiley123]

Pictures next if I can figure out how...

 

[jrodriguez]

its easy just go to the tab on top of the page...and press upload photo

the only problem is if your pictures are too big...ypu might have to resize them if their too big

 

[jlwiley123]

Ok - the pics are in my Gallery.

 

[salth2o]

First of all WELCOME!

Second, did you mention what kind of tank you are wanting? (freshwater, salth2o, etc).

Third, that is an old tank for sure.... I wonder if it will be worth the investment to get it running vs. the cost of getting a new one. This will somewhat depend on what you want to keep in it. I am going to take a closer look at the picture and get back to you later.

 

[jrodriguez]

that looks like a sump system...you would have to ask salth2o about that stuff

 

[jlwiley123]

I just posted one more picture: of the strange Powerhead contraptions... One with the filter media and the other without.

 

[jlwiley123]

I am pretty sure I want to keep freshwater fish.

 

[jrodriguez]

yeah that stuff ive never seen before

srry

 

[Shotgun]

welcome to the site.

as far as to what forum you should post in, it all depends on what you plan on keeping. are you doing fw or sw? cichlid tank? species tank? etc.?

 

[Mermaid]

Welcome to the forums and good luck setting up! I'd help if I knew what I was doing, Dach is always helping me out! *r2

 

[JIM]

*w2 to the forum, and that looks like an old Oceanic tank that someone has rigged an overflo system into. Is the stand pipe connected to a hole drilled in the bottom of the tank?? It may have been standard from Oceanic at some point so you might send them a pic, and get some ideas there, or i sure someone on here will have more ideas as well

 

[jlwiley123]

The stand pipe in the 3rd chamber does not go through the bottom of the tank. If I run water into the large chamber on the left, water begins to rise into the other chambers - the stand pipe in the 3rd chamber has slits cut in it and as the water rises, it comes out the slits.

 

[JIM]

i would say from that description, those chambers are supposed to hold different kinds of filter media, and Bio-media, and the one with the pipe is where you would attach the pump system to pull the water through the others and return it to the tank, exactly how that works out i cant really see by the pics

 

[JIM]

i just took another look at that rig, and it really looks like somthing Dr. Frankenstien thought up *r2. Is there anyway to get that box outta your tank. if not, i would figure out a different system for making it work, besides that plumbing nightmare in your pics

 

[salth2o]

i just took another look at that rig, and it really looks like somthing Dr. Frankenstien thought up *r2. Is there anyway to get that box outta your tank. if not, i would figure out a different system for making it work, besides that plumbing nightmare in your pics

I looked again and have to agree. While I am certain between all of us on here we can noodle something out...I question if it is the best way to go???

I think Jim is on track, it was probably an early overflow. That black netting was probably one stage of the filtration. The powerheads were moving water from one "chamber" to the next... But then again you said water moves on its own???!!

At this point I would guess that you would be better off just pulling the whole mess out, especially because you are looking to do freshwater anyway. Even if you were after salth2o or reef i would say you would be better off keeping the space that contraption is taking up, and using a hob overflow. Is there any actual holes drilled through the tank?

All else fails send a picture to oceanic. Perhaps one of the other salth2o members or mods will know more. Sorry I can't be of more help.*Conf**Conf**Conf*