Would this tank work well with Large Cichlids?

[tanyaelec11]

I like the blue. If you go with a darker substrate / sand . go with a blue backround. if you go with a lighter substrate go with the black. It will make the fishes colours pop. Also I would go with the Oscar setup Oscars are great !! PS I made sure the ceramic tile had none of that clear coat stuff on it . and picked the ones out with a little more texture from home depo.

 

[tanyaelec11]

I would leave the firemouth out though. the Oscar will be so fast at hitting the food once it gets larger the firemouth wont have a chance I don't think. although ive never owned a firemouth before. I had a few Oscars . and a few Dempsey's they are nice.

 

[Quickstrike]

I like the blue. If you go with a darker substrate / sand . go with a blue backround. if you go with a lighter substrate go with the black. It will make the fishes colours pop. Also I would go with the Oscar setup Oscars are great !! PS I made sure the ceramic tile had none of that clear coat stuff on it . and picked the ones out with a little more texture from home depo.

Awesome!

Blaze Blue background with tile on the bottom sounds like the plan. Can't tell in your pic, but did you silicone the tile together? So, I will just stop by Home Depot and look for some ceramic tile w/o clear coat.

 

[tanyaelec11]

I only siliconed the 4 corners . that way it was easy to remove them when it came time to move the aquarium it would be easy to remove the tiles. The tank is too heavy as it is moving it I didn't want to add an extra 100 lbs of tile to it .

 

[joshua752]

I have kept firemouths with oscars before if you can get one at 3 inches and an oscar at half his size and get the oscar about a week or 2 after it did work for me. I currently keep one with a Dempsey and they get along pretty good to the fire mouth is actually dominant!

 

[THQ]

What about something like: Tiger Oscar, Flowerhorn, Black Belt, Black Diamond Cichlid, a couple Bristlenose Pleco, a couple Striped Raphael Catfish, maybe a Centrodoras brachiatus or a Bolt catfish.

May work, but black belt, flowerhorn and polleni can be quite aggressive, usually far more so than an oscar, who may be picked on. Bristlenose also gets to only 6", which may make it tempting for the oscar to eat. Raphaels are cool but they basically hide all day. I don't know enough about the bigger catfish. A featherfin squeaker (synodontis eurypterus) is a good addition, as it grows to 10" and can take care of itself, is active during the day (unlike most other cats), very hardy, has beautiful fins, and is a

you could go a more peaceful route you could get 1 oscar of your choice I prefer tigers, 8 silver dollars, a Jack Dempsey or green terror, a fire mouth, and a bottom feeder like some type of syno cat preferably!

That's very similar to my tank, and would work well.

 

[Quickstrike]

I just bought a second Fluval FX5 for the tank today. Should I buy a third, or do you think I would be better off going with an Ocean Clear or Nu-Clear 100 micron + 25 micron canister filter?

I was thinking of using the FX5's for mainly Bio and the Nu-Clear for mechanical, but I don't know how to set up a Nu-Clear setup - what pumps I need and stuff.. I created a thread about it, but have gotten no replies.

 

[joshua752]

I think you have plenty of filtration with 2 fx5s you don't need more

 

[Quickstrike]

I think you have plenty of filtration with 2 fx5s you don't need more

Has anyone heard of this biomedia?

A LFS was saying they used to sell SeaChem Matrix, but thought this stuff was just as good for a cheaper price.

Anyways, I was thinking of filling one Fluval FX5 with SeaChem Pond Matrix in all 3 compartments with the outer foam inserts and the other with Fluval Biomax Media in all 3 compartments with the foam outer, again.

Because it seems like there are people that think Biomax is better and others that think Pond Matrix is better.. Is there a clear winner? Or should I just try both for diversity?


Thanks.

 

[THQ]

2 FX5s filled with bio will be plenty for biological. I have no experience with those other canisters you're talking about for mechanical, as I use HOBs for that, but that's not really an option for you due to the hood.

As for the bio media, in a large canister filter I would recommend seachem pond matrix. Firstly, it's bigger than matrix, so fits in my FX6 without the need for any media bags. This is very important as small pieces can go into the impeller at the bottom. Secondly, due to the large design of the stones, there is meant to be an anaerobic zone in the middle where DENITRIFICATION can occur (reduction of nitrates). This really only happens in the anaerobic confines of a canister filter, and the slower the flow, the more beneficial.

I would stay away from all bio noodle type media. The surface area and denitrification just aren't there, plus many of them break down over time into dust particles which can jam the impeller and you have to replace the media. Matrix never degrades. Just my 2c. If you're worried about cost, buy a 20L (5G) bucket of pond matrix online or 2 x 4L (1G) buckets., which is costs almost as much. Much cheaper in bulk.