improving my filtration

[The mad titan]

Hello,

I'm new to the form and this is my first post...we'll second including the introduction. Here is some information about my tank. I have a 150 gallon freshwater setup that's been up and running for years. I initially started with African Cichlids (assorted) with blood parrots and a place. I recently sold all the Cichlids and purchase two Oscar (albinos) I still have two blood parrots and the pleco. I purchase them (juvenile) about three weeks ago and now there about 3" same as the parrots and the pleco is about 6.5". I have a large HOB overflow that drops into a sump with bio circle (wet/dry) that then goes through carbon sock (next to return pump) before returning to the tank. I also have a fluvial fX6 canisters, I did add some marine pure media inside of it along with the other media. Inside the tank for water movement I have a vortex MP40 along with a HOB refugium that I plan to house plants and mollies. I have two Ecotech Radion XR15W that provide the lighting.

I know that the Oscar and other tank mates are going to grow. I want to know if that filtration is good enough for them over time/or currently? Or is there a better setup that I can conduce for a better/healthier environment? I currently conduct weekly water changes anywhere from 15-35%. Thanks in advance.

 

[tlindsey]

Hello,

I'm new to the form and this is my first post...we'll second including the introduction. Here is some information about my tank. I have a 150 gallon freshwater setup that's been up and running for years. I initially started with African Cichlids (assorted) with blood parrots and a place. I recently sold all the Cichlids and purchase two Oscar (albinos) I still have two blood parrots and the pleco. I purchase them (juvenile) about three weeks ago and now there about 3" same as the parrots and the pleco is about 6.5". I have a large HOB overflow that drops into a sump with bio circle (wet/dry) that then goes through carbon sock (next to return pump) before returning to the tank. I also have a fluvial fX6 canisters, I did add some marine pure media inside of it along with the other media. Inside the tank for water movement I have a vortex MP40 along with a HOB refugium that I plan to house plants and mollies. I have two Ecotech Radion XR15W that provide the lighting.

I know that the Oscar and other tank mates are going to grow. I want to know if that filtration is good enough for them over time/or currently? Or is there a better setup that I can conduce for a better/healthier environment? I currently conduct weekly water changes anywhere from 15-35%. Thanks in advance.

View attachment 1356694

Oscars are a Cichlid species that is susceptible to Hole in the Head disease so I suggest a larger% wc and maintaining your filters. You want your Nitrates to be at the lowest level.

 

[islandguy11]

Welcome to MFK! My first inclination is that you should be good with that set-up, at least for a while until they get bigger, but I'll leave your main question to others with more knowledge about set-up/filtration.

That said personally I'd be interested to see a pic of how you connect the HOB overflow so that it drops down into the sump.

 

[PYRU]

What's your sump pump running at? Are your filters constantly nasty?

Personally for me I would like to see 8-10x turnover rate on a tank like that if it were mine.

I do large wc's on cichlids like that usually down to they're back.

 

[duanes]

I agree with lindsey, your water changes are at bit small, and as the oscars grow, you will need to step them up quite a bit, to keep up with their bio-load, a minimum two 50% water changes per week. I actually do more, 30-40% every other day.
Filtration is only as good as the frequency of the media cleaning. Contrary to what most believe, most filters just hide stuff, they don't remove it. so because its water in, water out, all that biodegraded invisible stuff like nitrate, fish urine, and excess hormones are still in the tank, until the gunk is cleaned out of the filter, and invisible metabolism by-products removed with water changes. until its taken out, its their degrading water quality.

 

[PYRU]

I agree with lindsey, your water changes are at bit small, and as the oscars grow, you will need to step them up quite a bit, to keep up with their bio-load, a minimum two 50% water changes per week. I actually do more, 30-40% every other day.
Filtration is only as good as the frequency of the media cleaning. Contrary to what most believe, most filters just hide stuff, they don't remove it. so because its water in, water out, all that biodegraded invisible stuff like nitrate, fish urine, and excess hormones are still in the tank, until the gunk is cleaned out of the filter, and invisible metabolism by-products removed with water changes. until its taken out, its their degrading water quality.

Canisters are the worst. My XP's as good as the are require some serious deep cleaning frequently especially the bottom to be effective.

 

[celebrist]

I have heard carbon contributes to hole in the head. I also believe it is more of a bandage. Also agree with the water change comments. Other than that it sounds like you have a nice setup. You will, of course, need to post pics

 

[Jexnell]

I agree with what has been said.
I want to chime in on the water change part of it. If you think about it a fish in the wild gets 100% water change every few seconds. Now we can't replicate this but it is our job as fishkeppers to provide them with the best habitat as possible.

Near two years ago now I got back in the hobby and found this site. I read one of duanes post about water changes and decided to adhear to his suggestions.

This is Toni the Oscar the day I got her.
I religiously changed 75% or more of her water every third day. This is her a year later.
You can see with good care a rather bland baby can turn into an impressive monster.

 

[esoxlucius]

All your current stock are small at the minute. Those Oscars will get big, and quick, your parrots will get bigger and depending on what type of pleco you have it could end up the biggest fish in that tank. Accumatively that is a huge bio load when those fish max out. So, as others have already mentioned, you need to start getting into a new routine of bigger and more frequent water changes to keep them happy and healthy.

Just be aware. At this point, whilst they're still growing, your bio load will slowly get bigger and bigger as they grow. So your increase in water changes now might be OK whilst they're small but that constantly increasing weekly bio will mean you need to up your water changes as they grow.

I think a test kit will be your best friend over the coming months.

 

[Fish Tank Travis]

I agree with some of the others. Your current filtration sounds fine, as long as you keep up with maintenance on it. Clean out the FX6 every two weeks and keep up with cleaning the mechanical filtration in the sump and you should be fine.

However, you should increase your water changes to at least 50% a week IMO. Then, increase the percentage or frequency of them as the fish grow. I have a 220 and I pump out as much water as possible every week for my water changes. It probably comes out to 90% or more every week. Of course, it is a very heavily stocked tank so this is necessary.