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3K views 26 replies 9 participants last post by  MediaHound 
#1 ·
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
 
#2 ·
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
 
#3 ·
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.
 
#7 ·
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
 
#9 ·
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.
 
#16 ·
*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
 
#17 ·
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.
 
#18 ·
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
 
#19 ·
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
 
#20 ·
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*
 
#21 ·
There are no holes through the bottom of the tank. There are openings through the decorative piece at the top back - one on either end of the back. I agree about the powerhead stuff - it looks really crazy, and I don' really see the reason for it: like I said if I add water into the chamber on the left, it seems to circulate from chamber to chamber and finally out the front.

I am not sure about removing the filter box - it seems pretty well attached, and I can tell from the way the rest of the tank is built, the box is original...

I have been on Oceanic's web site, and I can't find an email address - does anyone have contact info for Oceanic?

Thanks
 
#22 ·
Oceanic
Call us from 8:30 am - 4:00 pm (CST) at:
800.255.4527 or
414.421.9670

So if you can remove it, can you just ignore it??? Best of luck, keep us posted
 
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#23 ·
If Oceanic is no help, im sure like salth2o, said we could help you make that thing functional, the flow from one chamber to the next makes sense to me, the untreated water enters at one end through a coarse filter media (takes out big chunks) then through the middle chamber with finer filter media maybe a sponge, then to the last, with maybe, carbon and other resins, and finally back to tank, with a powerhead or other submersable pump pulling it through. I would still contact Oceanic, because it sure looks to me to be one of their early tanks, but that little pile of plumbing nightmare would have to go if it were mine :)
 
#26 ·
I thought I should post an update. I was able to get in contact with someone at Oceanic. I sent him the pictures I posted here, and here is is response:

I sent the pictures to some people in our company and one of our research and development technicians recognized it. His response is below.


It's a Dutch Aquarium Systems Deluxe series aquarium with the H29 model filter. The filter is missing most of its components.
The H29 filter was a freshwater only version. The far right side is a denitrator section. A bag of denitrifying bacteria would slide down into that compartment. There was a cover with an airline that connected to the outlet of the pump which would drip water slowly into it in order to develop anaerobic conditions. The next chamber was the biological filter chamber and had a roll of DLS material for biological filtration. This was later changed to sponges. The last chamber was for the mechanical filtration which was wrapped around a standpipe and the pump (a Sacem pump that was hard to find in the U.S.) sat on top of the dls and pumped the water back into the aquarium. This was also changed to sponges in later models.

The filters never did work very well and my recommendation would be to just insert the intake tube of a canister filter down into the last chamber and run the hose out the hole in the back corner. Return the water back into the tank through the hole on the opposite side.

Dutch Aquarium Systems still exists as a company but they left the retail aquarium market years ago and only do commercial systems for stores now.



Based on all that, I decided I should look again at just removing the filter box. After a couple of hours of really hard work, I have the Filter box out and NO damage to the Aquarium!!!

What is a good kind of "canister" filter?

Thanks for all your help - I never would have even gotten started without all hyour help!!!

James
 
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