• We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
The majority of people on here would say to Dose your aquarium with Prime and keep doing 20-30% water changes daily til your bacteria catches back up

This is what I have in the bio media cartridges..

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Yes...I've seen more cichlids in a 75 with less filtration..completely fine. It all depends on feeding and water changes. I feed super lightly, I always want my fish hungry so they never expect food. In nature fish look for food, always. So by feeding lightly I keep them active, and there is never left over food in my tank.
 
It's not the penguin, it's two emperor 400s with the biowheels, both certified for up to 80 gallon tanks. Filtration is definitely not the problem, I know that for sure.
Let me pose a scenario to you: you have an 80 gallon tank with a couple of angelfish and nothing else. What is the bioload like? Now take the same tank, and put in large silver dollars, large cichlids, and large plecos. What is the bioload like then? I would recommend that you never ever ever listen to the "gallon" rating of a filter. Any appropriately sized, and biologically mature filter should be able to handle the occasional over feeding. It doesn't sound like you over fed at all really. This leads me to believe that you are probably near the limit of the capability of your current filtration.
 
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Yes...I've seen more cichlids in a 75 with less filtration..completely fine. It all depends on feeding and water changes. I feed super lightly, I always want my fish hungry so they never expect food. In nature fish look for food, always. So by feeding lightly I keep them active, and there is never left over food in my tank.
Anecdotal evidence never amounts to much.
 
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Anecdotal evidence never amounts to much.

Which is why I'm running two. I wouldn't jump into a hobby like this and put money into it without doing at least a little bit of research, and anybody with google can figure out the capabilities and limits of filters for their tanks. I would hope individuals don't base their purchase based on what the box says, research and finding similar scenarios is key and has worked for me. I've watched comparison videos on YouTube of individuals comparing HOBs vs canisters, and they all vary results of course, but in the end it was more opportune for me to run the two emperors.
 
What stock have you got in the tank?

2 blood parrots (3-4 inches), 3 silvers (2 are about 3 inches in diameter and the third silver is still around 1.5 inches), and one Green Terror (4 inches). Pleco is about 5 inches but I will be selling him most likely on Sunday.
 
anybody with google can figure out the capabilities and limits of filters for their tanks.
This isn't exactly correct. There are too many variables that affect how well a filter actually works. No reviewer is going to be able to exactly replicate your setup, stock, feeding and maintenance schedules, and water conditions. All of these things can dramatically affect what a filter does for you. Anyways, that's my 2 cents. Pic for happies.

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