I'm still trying to finalize my plans for a 125 that is going to have Firemouths, Honduran Red Points, Swordtails and Mexican Tetras. I'm going with 1 FX6 and I cannot figure out what else to go with. I'm thinking another FX6 or 407. If you were setting up a new 125 and going with all new equipment, what would you go with? I should add, a wet/dry or sump is out of the running for now.
Filtration for a 125
- Thread starter lil_pendejo
- Start date
As you might guess, my ideal would also be a sump, but it would also be a heavily planted sump/refugium, that beside normal mechanical and bio filtration, would help deal with the nitrate, normal filtration doesn't have the ability to do.
The 180 gal cichlid tank below, is filtered by the 125 gal heavily planted sump.
Beside its ability to filter, I really like the aesthetics of being able to see the green, planted forest from the side, and the surface.
One of the reasons I don't hide the sump stashed in a cabinet below the tank.
The 180 gal cichlid tank below, is filtered by the 125 gal heavily planted sump.
Beside its ability to filter, I really like the aesthetics of being able to see the green, planted forest from the side, and the surface.
One of the reasons I don't hide the sump stashed in a cabinet below the tank.
For your 125G tank, I would recommend a filtration plan based on ease and efficiency. Forget the complicated FX-6 and instead opt for 3 Tidal 110 filters. Your fish will be happier and you will thank me in a few months when you realize how well this system will work with little maintenance requirements. Additionally you will have the advantage of having filter redundancy in the unlikely event one fails. You will also be able to purchase the same filter floss and media in bulk and use it on all your filters.
Yes I would go with triple AC110'S. The amount of work it takes to clean a single FX cannister, you can clean all 3 ACs and still have time to cook Christmas dinner...
Cannisters are such a PITA to do the maintenance on, we start to procrastinate it off. Where ACs literally take less than five minutes to clean. I had three 125gal tanks running, all with just ACs and they did perfectly fine.
Cannisters are such a PITA to do the maintenance on, we start to procrastinate it off. Where ACs literally take less than five minutes to clean. I had three 125gal tanks running, all with just ACs and they did perfectly fine.
If you can't do a sump, which imo is the best option, I'd go with HOB's.
I hundred percent agree with
Jexnell
, canisters are a pain to maintain compared to other methods and I tend to clean them less often than my sump or hang on backs.
There are advantages to canisters of course, they can be hidden in the stand and won't affect things if you have a canopy on your tank.
It all comes down to personnal preference in the end
I hundred percent agree with
Jexnell
, canisters are a pain to maintain compared to other methods and I tend to clean them less often than my sump or hang on backs.There are advantages to canisters of course, they can be hidden in the stand and won't affect things if you have a canopy on your tank.
It all comes down to personnal preference in the end
A couple ac110s will do the trick here. You could have 3 but i think two, one on each end would work fine and you can add another if needed.
If its me, i would also make use of a small sponge filter with an airstone, placed in the center of the tank somewhere. In addition to adding a reserve in-tank life support system should the other filters fail, the column of bubbles would also create a convection current in the tank that should bring more detritus up from the bottom to the filter intake.
If its me, i would also make use of a small sponge filter with an airstone, placed in the center of the tank somewhere. In addition to adding a reserve in-tank life support system should the other filters fail, the column of bubbles would also create a convection current in the tank that should bring more detritus up from the bottom to the filter intake.