cansister for a 125

[Buphy]

So I'm look for a canister filter for a 125 gallon SA/CA cichlid tank. At first glance at chain stores I can either get 100 gallon capacity filter (not enough by itself) or a 400 gallon filter... Now the 400 gallon wouldn't be a problem except for the cost. At $330 it's going to cost me as much as the tank, stand, light and hood combined. Not saying I'm trying to go cheap, but does anyone have any other suggestions?

 

[lp85253]

Get a pair of medium size canisters or 2 ac 110's. ..don't overthink , just get a budget &go with anything reliable (most name brand filters, &some Chinese knockoffs)

 

[fishnatics]

I use 2 sunsun 304b for my 135. Doesn't cost an arm and leg. Works great and is quiet.

 

[xraycer]

I use 2 sunsun 304b for my 135. Doesn't cost an arm and leg. Works great and is quiet.

+1. Two of these large units will cost you well under $200. Plus, it holds a ton of media and will realistically push about 700gph combined.

Here are some recent threads on these canisters
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/sunsun-brand-canister-filters.646840/

 

[virgil2090]

I feel with a 125,you need to think about what fish your planning.big messy fish,or many small fish,or...



I try to look for 8-10X total turnover on my tanks.I keep cichlids.

 

[Buphy]

Well I did say SA/CA cichlids... Actually now I'm thinking about doing a smaller canister and also using a U4 I have (rated for 65 gallons).

 

[Benno87]

Seein your planning on a couple of big messy fish I'd be getting 2 of the biggest canisters I could afford. One would be loaded with matrix or ceramic noodles with a filter bag or fine sponge over the intake to stop large crap getting into it purely for bio filtration, and the other full of sponge for sucking up all the crap and debris. That way you could clean out the mech filter every week and get all the bad stff out of your system without crashing it.

 

[freak78]

I have the same size tank and run an fx-6 and two ac110s. I bought my Fluval around Christmas time when it went on sale and I had a couple coupons as well. It ended up costing just a tad under 250.

 

[Buphy]

Isn't the fx6 the 400 gallon fluval? At $330 with pet perks it's gonna cost me the same as my tank, stand, light and good set up that should be 1/2 price on Black Friday (currently priced at $659)...

 

[fuzzlebug]

Have you thought about going down the diy canister route? They are super easy, and can be built exactly how you need it, be that extra mechanical or extra bio. But if your going for chiclids I'd say you'll need s ton of both. So maybe 2 diy canisters, one solely for bio, the other for mechanical.