I've been away from the hobby for a while, but I'm getting back into it with my nephew. My last tank was an old 60-gallon I picked up at a garage sale back in the 80s - it had a slate bottom and was drilled for a drain at the bottom for water changes. I kept it until around 1991 and then gave it away when I was cleaning out the garage.
Now, I'm looking at getting a new tank - either a 200 or 300 gallon, as I have the space and the floor can handle the weight (the house used to be an old dairy barn, so it's built to handle heavy equipment). I'm considering a custom tank from Custom Aquariums or another reputable company. The tank will be stocked with small fish only, nothing larger than 3 to 3.5 inches.
For equipment, I'm thinking:
- Dual Canister Filters (2 x Fluval FX6) with spray bars - any recommendations on spray bar brands would be great. Unfortunately, a sump system is out of the question for now. I'd also appreciate recommendations on media type and amount for the canisters.
- Tank Heaters - I'm looking at Aqua Logic or something similar that can be installed inline and out of the way.
- UV Sterilizer(s) - I'm considering the Lifeguard 40-Watt Pro-MAX or the Aqua Classic UV (Stainless Steel models), or another top-of-the-line brand.
- Any other recommendations for filtration, clarity, and odor control would be welcome.
I used to run an under gravel filter with air bubblers and power heads on my old tank, and I'd polish the water with a Vortex diatom filter every few weeks. It worked great, and I eventually ran it 24/7 with weekly maintenance.
This is just a starting point, so any advice or suggestions are welcome.