Filtration Advice

[nsomnia]

hello, i have a rough idea on how filters work but i need a little advice. my first and current setup is a 77 gallon that im filtering with a fluval 405 and a Fluval 4 Plus. im replacing this setup with a 180 gallon and was thinking of building a bioball/overflow setup out of my 77 gallon tank. how much bioballs should i use, is there a min requirement or can to many cause problems. for reference on how much water will be dispersed on the balls, i will be running an aquaclear 5000 from the overflow to the main tank. i also plan to keep my fluval 405 running mainly for the sponge filtration. is there anything i should know or any other types of filtration i should look into.


fluval 405 - http/www.hagen.com/canada/english/aquati...=01001750011001
fluval 4 plus - http/www.hagen.com/canada/english/aquati...=01001750011001
aquaclear 5000 - http/www.theaquariumshop.com.au/shopexd....r%20Head%205000

 

[bitteraspects]

2 fluval fx5s. thats what i use on my 180s

 

[OldMan47]

The sump sounds like a good idea nsomnia. The biggest benefit of a sump is the enormous biological filtration it can give you. The is a situation where more is better in terms of media. The real limit will be how much do you really need for the 180 and how much are you willing to spend buying media. When it comes to manufactured media like bio-balls, the [rice to even partially fill a 77 gallon tank will be more than you pay for a tank that size. Your best bet would be to go to the DIY section where several threads exist giving details of how sumps have been built successfully. It is a place to learn from other people's struggles to get things right.