125 gallon cichlid community filtration

[Lukashill]

I currently have a 125g 6ft tank. With 1 tiger oscar. 3 female convicts. 1 blue acara. 1 green terror and a turquoise severum. Fish are all around 5-6 months old. I currently have 2 aqua clear 110's with a biowheel penguin 350 hob. I am about the get the bio wheel out and have a fluval 306 take its place. Would the two 110's and 306 be enought filtration. I will not be adding more fish to the tank fyi.

 

[celebrist]

My thoughts are that 2 110's and a can is good but that 306 will struggle either add another can in the same range or upgrade. I like redundancy and ran 2 hobs and two medium canisters on my 150. Better maintenance schedule never turning the whole bio over and alternate months cleaning the cans, same with the aquaclears

 

[Lukashill]

How about a 406?

 

[celebrist]

How about a 406?

With the 306 yes, solo not so sure personally especially when that group matures.

Pics?

 

[Lukashill]

I think I might go a right of a home made canister with a 5 gallon bucket. Build to 2 trays. Top with filter floss and 3 gallons of bio ball things that go in the aqua clears I just cant thing of the name right now. On a 1000gph pump on a speed controller. Intake on side return other. Or get a fx4 with the aqua clears?

 

[pops]

I am a fan of redundancy myself. just be aware than no matter how much filtration you have this will not reduce the amount of water changes you well need to do for the stock.

for bio filtration you need enof to cover the nitrate cycle. ammonia to nitrite to nitrate.
reading 0 ammonia,nitrite and some measurement of nitrate. nitrate can not be bio filtered out and is reduced with water changes. goal being never over 20 to 25 ppm. at 20 to 25, time for a water changes. paying attention this you will no what your water schedule should be for the nitrate creep of any given tank.

 

[Lukashill]

I change 25% water every Sunday and thursday. Right now. Tank is cycled been running for 2 months now. Fish are very active. Had a problem with my jack dempsey in there. He was very aggressive. I moved him to his own 75 gallon tank. But I'm around the tank 10 hours a day. Everyone gets along great. I'll post pictures later

 

[Backfromthedead]

I personally wouldnt bother with any small canisters in a 125. They lack adequate flow to actually push any water around in a 6' tank. Youre better off with another ac110 imo. Go fx4 size or larger if you do add a can.

 

[Lukashill]

What about a running my 2 aq110's. My penguin 350 dual bio wheel. And a fluval 306? I'm stuck on the 306 because my lfs. Has one for sale at a good price.

 

[Backfromthedead]

What about a running my 2 aq110's. My penguin 350 dual bio wheel. And a fluval 306? I'm stuck on the 306 because my lfs. Has one for sale at a good price.

With your fish still growing, you will realize in a few months youre just throwing pebbles with a 306. The two ac110s and penguin should be adequate for that stock now as long as your water changes and filter maintenance are consistent.

Once again, this is just my opinion. When the fish are larger you're gonna want something with dramatically more power and capacity than your current setup. So i would save for a couple months and see if you can get the fx6, which will hold more than twice the media of all those HOBs combined and will more than double your turnover rate. Ive seen them on amazon new as low as $275 in the past couple months.