My fishlist for my 125 Central American Aggresive Biotope
- Thread starter Experiment397
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i allready have and am using the h.o.t. magnum pro. i was going to buy the 305's as soon as i can. they are just the best filters i can get with the limited funds i have... i added up the gph and i will have 770 with the filters empty as you say? is there a better thing to do???
Experiment397;4237062; said:
In my opinion yes. Forget the Peat Moss. Strive for biological, mechanical and chemical filtration. I've written some comparisons on this site between the Fluval 305 vs. the Rena XP-3. I would have to dig to find out which thread it's on but you can maybe find it. I also did some digging on price. I saw prices of the Fluval 305 anywhere from $129.99 to $179.00 based upon availbility. So I, assuming your budgeted to spend around $300.00 for you main filtration. Here's what I would do if I were you. I'm not a big fan of Fluval so here's some options for you.
Option 1: 2 Eheim 2217 Classic-I've seen them recently as low as $143.00 per filter. Eheim has a different view on flow rates and I believe these are rated at 265 gph with no media. Eheim's stance is a slower flow rate is good for longer contact time with benificial bacteria and they have calculated this based upon container/media volume.
Option 2: 2 Rena XP3s-IMO, this is your next best option and will be about the same cost...maybe a little cheaper.
Option 3: Choose one filter of of each option above and add a Aquaclear AC-110. This would be your best cost effective plan but will definitly suffice for for the fish you are wanting to keep as long as you don't over-feed, (NO LIVE FEEDERS) keep up on your water changes etc-etc...
One other important note. I NEVER rely on just one filter on my tanks. If one goes down, you can keep your tank alive with the other until you can get the broken one fixed or replaced. If you are wondering what I use...it's everything mentioned above.
ok i looked into the eheim ones but didn't know if they would work because of the slowere gph, but you have just answered that. i will see if the store carries them. i was going to route the hosing through one filter and into the other to make one giant filter would that work???
Check Big Als Online as you most likely will not find LFS carrying the Eheim Classics. Stay away from the Eheim Eccos which they do carry. Eheim tried to mprove on the Classic series and failed in my opinion. I've read plenty of horror stories. I would not recomend running multiple cannisters "inline" They are designed as an idividual unit with "head pressures" factored in withe the impeller and motor housing. By doing this you would be altering the head pressure of each unit. I believe there are other members that have gone into detail as to why you would not do this. Think about it---you would be altering a tried and proven engineered success. I was using Eheim Classic filters 25 years ago and there is a member on this site that just mentioned his Eheim Classic stopped after 30 years of use.Experiment397;4237251; said:
I say, go with the fish you like. As far as fish going together, it depends on the fish. I've noticed most of them have unique personalities and temperment. The only exception is the Jag... those get pretty nasty and big. As for overstocking, if you're willing to take the time to do the waterchanges...
Experiment397;4226071; said:Ok here is the fish list for my 125 Central American/Northern South American Aggresive Biotope. I have included my toadfish from india, no he is not brackish different species. he has the same care/water requirements as the other fish and is my fav-catfish. Ok here is the list:
1 Blood Parrot Cichlid
1 Banded Leoporinus
1 Freshwater Toadfish
1 Green Terror Cichlid
1 Oscar Cichlid
1 Convict Cichlid
1-2 Bushynose Plecos
2 Jack Dempsey Cichlids
3-5 Pictus Pim Catfish
It is slightly overstocked, but to cope i will have over 500 gallons per hour of filteration from canister filters, using biological and chemical filteration. The fish are set and will not change. any suggestions on color phases for the oscar or the convict cichlids. i will post pix once it is done. i am on phase 5 of 9 of setup. thanks.
looks good man.
ok so use the eheim's instead of the fluvals and don't route them through eachother. i was told to also use a sponge filter or two. would that work? i don't want to use the fx5 because of the price. i can only spend about 300$ on filters because if i spend anymore i may be disowned.
better set time aside for 2-3 times a week if you decide to overstock like that and have an Oscar in the mix - once they're adults.Experiment397;4227682; said:
My expereince with Texas is they don't play nice with others, I wouldn't add it to your tank.Experiment397;4235490; said:
Go to a differnt LFS. If he's telling you some of the fish mentioned are going to cost him over $100 he's blowing smoke up your ass cause he doesn't want to be bothered with it. Unless he's talking about buying quanitity but it doesn't sound like it since he said they'd cost you $150. The price could be that high for adults or even juvi SRT; but, same goes if that's all he's talking about he's not trying to help you. Everything he's telling you he can get are run of the mill cichlids that even petsmart carry, doesn't sound like he's even a little interested in helping you setup a tank you'll be happy with. Family friend or not go to a different store. By the way there is nothing wrong with run of the mill cichlids, I'd jsut expect a friend to be willing to do more for a friend.Experiment397;4235736; said:
Order some form Jeff Rapps @ tangledupincichlids.com or Ken Davis/ Fishfarm. Both have good quaility and hard to find fish. Check the vendor section of the forum for both of them and a few others.
I'm on the other side of the bridge - I don't like eheim. I had one and sold it with in 3 months. You can get an fx5 off ebay for a little over $200 new. That would be your best bet for filtration on this tank with the stock you want.Experiment397;4238212; said:
One thing I would do is grow as many of these fish together from juvies. There will be a better chance of them getting along later, but no garruntees. For each species you want read as much as you can on that fish (here and else where). Even though you started the thread with "The fish are set and will not change" you're doing the right thing by asking questions and researching before you set it up.
ok so instead use the fluval. ya sorry i meant it would cost him to order in bulk and for me to get all the fish he would need to order for me it would cost 150$ for all the fish i want. i decided to not go with the oscar. the only reason he was on the list was for my dad anyway. i would love a fx5 and will have to look where you said they have them for cheap. i got a gift certificate for the lfs so it might now be in budget. man it is hard to get the cash for these things when you aren't old enough to work for money. i will start posting pix soon as i am almost to the point of building the stand.
