Thanks a lot and what about the filtration I will have a sump but how many gph for the return pump
New 125g setup sa cichlids
- Thread starter pakash
- Start date
Thanks a lot and what about the filtration I will have a sump but how many gph for the return pump
I am honestly not a sump/filtration wizard at all, I would post about it in the setup subforum. I'm sure some people will help you out.
What catfish are you getting? I love the feather fin cat. They are African but look great and handle aggressive cichlids really well. Depending on the species they can be very active too. Also with filtration, canister filters can work well. I run 2 fx6s on my 125 SA cichlid tank and it works very well, probably a little overkill to be honest.
I don’t know yet about the catfish, filtration will be a sump, but not sure about how many gph the return pump and what brand
Usually you want to overturn your water 4 times an hour but obviously because these are large messy fish you’ll need more. The problem is that Biological and chemical media often works better at a rate of 4 times an hour or less. I would overturn it maybe 5 times an hour. If you did that though I would add additional powerheads or wave makers to up the flow of the tank as much as possible. I would consult a LFS about the type and power of the pump. They’re usually trustworthy and knowledgeable.
If you have soft tap water, the severums, Geophagines (Guianacara included) and Hoplarchus, and soft water tetras will work well. They will also work in more neutral water, but you will need to do more water changes to keep them healthy long term, and the addition of tannins would help. Some you have not mentioned like dwarf pikes or Uaru might also be a consideration.
If you have neutral or harder water.
The GTs come from the other side of the Andes, where water is neutral, other cichlids from that area are festae, gepthyrum, lyonsi, and geophagines like steindachneri or pellegrini. Some like festae being quite (too) aggressive for a cichlid community.
If you have very hard tap water, the South American's may have a hard time, and get chronic illness , so Central Americans may be better, although many are uber aggressive and may need to be chosen carefully for that size tank.
FHs are in this category, with their ancestors coming from the hard waters of Mexico.
If you have neutral or harder water.
The GTs come from the other side of the Andes, where water is neutral, other cichlids from that area are festae, gepthyrum, lyonsi, and geophagines like steindachneri or pellegrini. Some like festae being quite (too) aggressive for a cichlid community.
If you have very hard tap water, the South American's may have a hard time, and get chronic illness , so Central Americans may be better, although many are uber aggressive and may need to be chosen carefully for that size tank.
FHs are in this category, with their ancestors coming from the hard waters of Mexico.
