dawnmarie;3781775; said:
60 seems a little overstocked, but i would say around 20-23turnover rate. just get a bunch of aquaclear 110s and problem solved.
What kind of a turn over rate do you like?
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60 seems a little overstocked, but i would say around 20-23turnover rate. just get a bunch of aquaclear 110s and problem solved.
I feed them lightly twice a day.wonword;3781776;3781776 said:Depends on how stocked you are and your feeding schedule like the above poster said. My turnover is so high because once my fish grow bigger I will be overstocked!
I am working with the 1" of fish per gal. theory(60 x 4 = 240). My research indicates that Cichlids are less aggressive if slightly overstocked.fishaddict401;3781784;3781784 said:
But I still don't understand the need for such high turnover rates.I'm not saying anyone is wrong, I am saying I don't understand the concept.
I don't have water quality/clarity issues yet, and am wondering what the advantage of such High turnover rates is. I am here to learn.
dawnmarie;3781826; said:
It is nice to be in a room with nice air movement so you can get fresh oxygen and think straight, imagine living in a room that has barely any air movement. It's not only that but it picks up the uneaten food, fish waste etc much easier.
The inch per gallon rule is outdated, use this: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88431
Thanks for the link to an updated version of the formula. It appears that the variety of Cichlids I have chosen still calc out roughly the same for both formula's. I am absolutely going to get an oxygen test kit tommorrow. None of the fish seem to be distressed. Maybe there is a Cichild expert that could give me some tips on what to look for. They aren't panting or hanging out in the top of the tank or near the return so I don't know what else to look for.My understanding of Cichlids is they are lake dwellers and not needing current or flow. If I plan for a 20x240 turnover rate I would need 5,000 GPH, This seems like a lot. Is my math wrong or am I just having a tough time getting my head around the number? I am using a hybrid UGF/canister setup and want all waste to settle(Please let's not get off on the UGF debate Here). Other than the dissolved oxygen level is there any other need for high turnover. Would higher flows reduce Nitrate for example?fishaddict401;3781850;3781850 said:
It isn't always beneficial to have a high turnover rate. For a sump, the slower the water usually means more contact time of water to bacteria, more contact time=more waste levels processed. High turnover is only truly necessary for mechanical filtration and has very little effectiveness for biological filtration, which is the MOST important type of filtration. 5,000 gph is WAY too high for a tank of 240 gallons and will make you kick yourself in the ass for the extra $50 a month in your powerbill. I would say you would be good with about 2000-3000 gph due to the fact that you are running canisters and undergravel filters. I suggest getting a sump if you want to increase your turnover and get rid of the ugf (not dissing it, just saying it would mae maintanence more difficult.) because i would imagine they are going to make a lot of poop build up under those rocks you need for african cichlids to hide in. I highly doubt your fish are struggling with oxygen deficiency. Just remember, water quality is much more important than turnover rate. Just because you can't see the poop doesn't mean it's not there stewing in your filter making waste.dawnmarie;3781967; said:
Cheers.
Ya just line the 240g with 10-12 AC110s 
If I'm overstocked I would like to achieve at least 8 x turnover rate but I always try for 10 x no matter if I'm over or understocked.
