Sump for my cichla tank

[nid]

With a large sump 10X is perfect, you're right with a small sump that would be too much throw flow through your media. One thing that all experienced Cichla keepers agree with is 10x turnover is preferred. I have kept healthy Pbass for many years like this.


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

What would be considered a small sump and what would be considered a big sump? I was taught less/no divisions is not a gd idea as the point of the dividers is to force water to flow through the media instead of over it as water always flows the easiest path.

Why is it that 10X is the best for cichla?

 

[gangster]

Cichla need a high turn over rate because they are messy fish. Look at Hulons 675g....his fish are perfect and I bet his turnover rate is more than 10x.

 

[nid]

Cichla need a high turn over rate because they are messy fish. Look at Hulons 675g....his fish are perfect and I bet his turnover rate is more than 10x.

Over here on my tiny island, we use wave markers to blow the poo to our under flow. Personally I wouldn't sacrifice too much of my bio filtration for mech. Accordingly, less then 800L/hr turn over will get the best out of ur bio media. At least that is what I am told. But in our big tanks running so slow is not possible, which is why many ppl use sumps with canisters. Personally I think 10x is too much without a canister, but we all got our own ideas. Zero readings are an obsession of mine. For us with more monsters in less volume of water, bio filtration is key. I spend more money on my bio media then my tank.

 

[sevank21]

Someone please explain "turn over"....

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[stockfool]

Turn over is the flow rate of your pumps divided by the volume of your tank. 100 gallon tank with 1000 gph sump would have a 10x turn rate. It is the number of times per hour your pumps can “turn over” the volume of your tank.

 

[gangster]

Over here on my tiny island, we use wave markers to blow the poo to our under flow. Personally I wouldn't sacrifice too much of my bio filtration for mech. Accordingly, less then 800L/hr turn over will get the best out of ur bio media. At least that is what I am told. But in our big tanks running so slow is not possible, which is why many ppl use sumps with canisters. Personally I think 10x is too much without a canister, but we all got our own ideas. Zero readings are an obsession of mine. For us with more monsters in less volume of water, bio filtration is key. I spend more money on my bio media then my tank.

That is a good point Nid. A lot of you guys/girls over seas do have a lot of very nice fish in some very clean water...some even maintain that in an overstocked tank. Hulon runs a bead filter im sure as well. I will be adding a canister to my 225g once i get it up and running again. Very good points there. And you can never have too much bio.

 

[Lucas Fontenele]

I dont think peacocks are so ''messy''... Any carnivore fish need a good filtration, since they need lots of proteins, wich means lots of nitrogene.

American cichlids are so strong, they dont need to live in a perfect water, they can adapt very well.

Guys, cichla are so well adapted in reservoirs in Brazil where they suffer strong dried periods, wich means a hot and hard water, poor in oxigen, some of then full of matter in decomposition. Just to show that theyre not that ''weak''.

I've been keeping cichla with sponge filters and water changes.. And theyre very well and healthy, showing fast growth and nice colors, I guess it agrees with my opinion.

Edited 1: Maybe your ''wild'' cichla come from a perfect condition water like Rio Negro, and because of it theyre demanding a better water. Theyre not adapted to a poor water condition, like mine are.

 

[nid]

I dont think peacocks are so ''messy''... Any carnivore fish need a good filtration, since they need lots of proteins, wich means lots of nitrogene.

American cichlids are so strong, they dont need to live in a perfect water, they can adapt very well.

Guys, cichla are so well adapted in reservoirs in Brazil where they suffer strong dried periods, wich means a hot and hard water, poor in oxigen, some of then full of matter in decomposition. Just to show that theyre not that ''weak''.

I've been keeping cichla with sponge filters and water changes.. And theyre very well and healthy, showing fast growth and nice colors, I guess it agrees with my opinion.

Edited 1: Maybe your ''wild'' cichla come from a perfect condition water like Rio Negro, and because of it theyre demanding a better water. Theyre not adapted to a poor water condition, like mine are.

I dun see why anyone wouldn't want to keep their fish in the most perfect water they can achieve. Its like saying because we can live in pollution so we shouldn't bother getting rid of it.

Well imo we shouldn't be comparing rivers to our tank. Our tanks are condense while the rivers are hundreds of miles long. Our water can turn at any time.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[kendragon]

I dun see why anyone wouldn't want to keep their fish in the most perfect water they can achieve. Its like saying because we can live in pollution so we shouldn't bother getting rid of it.

Well imo we shouldn't be comparing rivers to our tank. Our tanks are condense while the rivers are hundreds of miles long. Our water can turn at any time.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

Totally agree, cannot compare rivers with tanks. Peacock bass in a poorly maintained tank will go downhill fast.
Lucas, I would like to see your bass kept with a sponge filter.

 

[Lucas Fontenele]

I dun see why anyone wouldn't want to keep their fish in the most perfect water they can achieve. Its like saying because we can live in pollution so we shouldn't bother getting rid of it.

Well imo we shouldn't be comparing rivers to our tank. Our tanks are condense while the rivers are hundreds of miles long. Our water can turn at any time.

Yeah, me too, thats why Im asking your opinion about a sump I want to buy.

Im not comparing a river to a tank.

Let me try to explain what I wanted to say. i. e.: People complain that cardinal Tetra is a weak fish, they die easily because of water parameters. I do realise it, some time ago, when there was only wild caught cardinal Tetra, there was really hard to maintain then principally for a unexperienced in the hobby. But now with farmed Tetras, they can live in neutral, even alcaline pH water, and hard water. I've seen many people keeping then for long time like this.

Not saying you should keep then like this, its like living in a gas chamber, but..

Totally agree, cannot compare rivers with tanks. Peacock bass in a poorly maintained tank will go downhill fast.
Lucas, I would like to see your bass kept with a sponge filter.

Sure, soon I get a camera I get the pics for you.