How to Install Pumps, Hoses & Filters on a 135 Gallon Fish Aquarium

Having a large aquarium like a 135-gallon tank in your home provides a striking conversation piece. A large tank instantly becomes the focal point of the room, and filling that tank with a variety of freshwater or saltwater fish can be rewarding. But before you can start enjoying that new tank, you need to set it up properly.

Things You'll Need

  • Aquarium stand
  • Aquarium
  • Under-gravel filter
  • Air stones
  • Aquarium tubing
  • Air pumps
  • Power filters
  • Gravel
  • Shallow bowl
  • Bucket
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Instructions

    • 1

      Check the sturdiness and construction of the stand for your aquarium. Water has a weight of 10 pounds for every gallon of water, so your 135-gallon tank will weigh a whopping 1,350 pounds even before you add any decorations or gravel.

    • 2

      Place an under-gravel filter on the bottom of the tank. Be sure that the under-gravel filter is properly sized for the tank -- in order to be effective, the filter must cover the entire bottom surface of the tank.

    • 3

      Attach an air stone to a piece of aquarium tubing and insert it into the intake tube on the under-gravel filter. Make sure the air stone is at the bottom of the intake tube. If the filter uses two intake tubes, place an air stone in each tube.

    • 4
      Set up your tank properly.

      Attach the other end of the aquarium tubing to the air pump. When choosing an air pump, be sure to purchase one designed for your size tank. For a 135-gallon tank, you will need two or more pumps, and each of those pumps should be rated for a tank 135 gallons or larger. Two 8-watt pumps with an output of 5 psi each should work for a 135-gallon tank.

      Attaching an air stone and pump to both of the intake tubes on an under-gravel filter will provide excellent aeration and water movement for your tank. You can also add a third pump to power a third large air stone in the middle of the tank.

    • 5

      Place a power filter at each end of the tank. Be sure to purchase a power filter designed for a large aquarium. According to FuturePets.com, power filters should circulate all the water in your tank about five times every hour. So for a 135-gallon tank, you want your filtration rate to be 675 gallons per hour (135 gallons x 5 times per hour). Two power filters with an output of about 350 gph each should do.

      A large tank will require plenty of filtration, so supplementing the under-gravel filter with power filters is a good idea.

    • 6

      Cover the under-gravel filter with gravel to a depth of at least two inches. Make sure the gravel is relatively even throughout the tank. Add any plants, rocks or other decorations to the tank.

    • 7

      Place a shallow bowl in the middle of your tank and use a bucket or a hose to fill your tank with water. Fill the tank slowly to avoid dislodging the plants and decorations in your tank.

    • 8

      Fill the backs of the power filters with water, then plug them in and make sure they start running. Plug the pumps in and make sure that air is emerging from the air stones. If there is no airflow, check the aquarium tubing to make sure it is not kinked or twisted.