Time to Upgrade 20g to 55-125g?

[Got Fish?]

Alright well I have been surfing around the forums for a while now and am loving it. I have been into this hobby now for a couple years on and off and had 55g South American cichlid tank that i had to get rid of before moving to college...darn. Now i finally am getting back into it and have a 20g tank stocked up and am getting close to moving them to a brand new home.

At this point my current stock is as follows:

1 Gold Sevrum
1 Blood (Yellow) Parrot
2 Green Terrors
2 Convicts
1 Managuense
1 Feather Fin Cathfish

-they are all pretty small at this point. The largest is the sevrum at probably 1.5"

With what i currently have will a 55g even be big enough to support them all full grown?

I also want to get an oscar (maybe 2), a Jack Dempsey or 2 (hopefully a EBJD).

With this said, Whats my best route on a tank...i doubt ill have room in my new place for bigger than 125g. I would also welcome any other suggestions on tank mates for my current stock. thanks a lot guys and any help would be greatly appreciated. I want my new tank to be done right so any help on things like filters, substrate, etc would also be welcomed. Thanks Again!!!

 

[shelbyzman]

After adding the oscar and jack dempsey, a 125 would work. The 55 for all those fish would be too small.
For filtration I would go with a canister filter.

 

[Got Fish?]

If i do go with a 125g should i use a canister filter like a Fx5 and HOBs or should i do a wet/dry sump system??? I wanna have great overall water clarity, and i know that oscars can be especially messy eaters...

 

[MalawiTango]

125G and be done.

 

[mfk4life]

i have a 135g with a 30 gallon sump. running @ 900gph and the water is crystal clear. either way you go. i have a 120 with cannister filters. the cannister at least in my case are extremely quite. With the sump I am getting insulation etc to kill the noise

 

[Got Fish?]

Thank you for the replies so far....what would be the more cost effective route of the two? and i will have 20g tank laying around will that be big enough of a sump for a 125g?

 

[shelbyzman]

I have a fluval 404 that is the only filtration on my 125 and it keeps it clear.
I don't have an oscar though I have it filled with bio tubes, and some scrubbies.

If you have the money....a fx-5 would do AWESOME! It is rated up to a 400 gallon tank, needless to say it would have no problems keeping a 125 crystal clear

 

[Angler]

A 125 might support all those fish, if you don't get aggression issues. If you decide to go smaller, don't get a 55. Get a 75. The footprint of a 55 is so much more limiting than that of a 75.

 

[Got Fish?]

so i really don't need a wet/dry sump set up for a 125g as long as i have a high quality canister filter thats rated for at least 125g...

 

[greatfulxdead]

so i really don't need a wet/dry sump set up for a 125g as long as i have a high quality canister filter thats rated for at least 125g...

If you want to save money, use a sump