Been out of the hobby for 13 years after having a stroke not sure what's out there now or what's good quality now as in canister ,uv etc.wife and I just bought a house I plan on setting up a 90 gallon single Texas cichlid only out door in full shade tank.lookin for recommendations on a good reliable cannister filter ill run an internal power head sponge filteralso. Oh I also need suggestions on a good heater that can takethe beating that Texas cichlid ill probably dish out once it's grown. Thx
need recommendations
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If your going to do a Can i suggest a FX6 but many others will have other suggestions just depends on your preference
As for heaters i use these
As for heaters i use these
Having had a stroke myself back in June, I can see the need to have a low maintenance system, (my right side is still pretty useless).
But to me, Cans are not the answer, because unless you are doing frequent and proper maintanance (regular and frequent cleaning(a pain in the rectum, even without stroking out), they spew nitrate like Mt St Helens on steroids. And the result of elevated nitrate on Herichthys (or most cichlids for that matter) is HITH disease.
My answer ( especially because my tank is on a patio) (as you plam)),.... is to use a planted sump.
A couple bags or bio-media, and the rest of sump is heavily planted, , so other than water changes, my system is almost maintenance free.
With a Porrett Foam wall, and 3 small bags of biomedia (on the left end above) of the 125 gal sump, the plants do all the work, creating a nitrate free environment.
I also keep a small population of shrimp in the sump, to help police up debris that can clog up the mechanical actio of the Porrett Foam
With only the Porrett and ceramic media in bags, ammonia and nitrite are nonexistant, and so is nitrate
And to boot, my 180 gal cichlid tank is a bit too overcrowded at the moment.
As you can see the cichlid tank is under the patio roof, and the planted sump gets half day sun.
Texas cichlids and the entire Herichthys genus have been some of my favoraites.
But to me, Cans are not the answer, because unless you are doing frequent and proper maintanance (regular and frequent cleaning(a pain in the rectum, even without stroking out), they spew nitrate like Mt St Helens on steroids. And the result of elevated nitrate on Herichthys (or most cichlids for that matter) is HITH disease.
My answer ( especially because my tank is on a patio) (as you plam)),.... is to use a planted sump.
A couple bags or bio-media, and the rest of sump is heavily planted, , so other than water changes, my system is almost maintenance free.
With a Porrett Foam wall, and 3 small bags of biomedia (on the left end above) of the 125 gal sump, the plants do all the work, creating a nitrate free environment.
I also keep a small population of shrimp in the sump, to help police up debris that can clog up the mechanical actio of the Porrett Foam
With only the Porrett and ceramic media in bags, ammonia and nitrite are nonexistant, and so is nitrate
And to boot, my 180 gal cichlid tank is a bit too overcrowded at the moment.
As you can see the cichlid tank is under the patio roof, and the planted sump gets half day sun.
Texas cichlids and the entire Herichthys genus have been some of my favoraites.
thanks thats a nice set up it reminds me more of a marine set up. somthing i will keep in mind to set up in the future
not sure how long i will be able to have just one tank
not sure how long i will be able to have just one tank
That was the beauty of the planted sump system.
When I lived in the states, I would use 1 sump (like the one above) to handle the filtration for four 100 gallon tanks.
At one point I had 20 tanks 4 to each planted sump.
When I lived in the states, I would use 1 sump (like the one above) to handle the filtration for four 100 gallon tanks.
At one point I had 20 tanks 4 to each planted sump.
my minds already going back to refugiums macroalgae and sumps filled with live rocks with a protien skimmer again. you dont get any insects trying to make a home in your current planted sump?
big bump for fx6, or any fluval fx series cans. I've used the same fx5 for 10+ years after it was passed down to me from my father and only the occasional part replacements were needed.
duanes also runs an extremely efficient system where filtration is mostly carried by other organisms and the sump over traditional cans. the only downside to a sump-ran system is power outages in which water may spill completely onto your floor. if you do have hardwood floors like me then a little water shouldn't be an issue. sumps are more efficient than most cans.
I drill overflow ports near the surface, so even when there are power outages (and there are plenty here in Panama) my tankk seldom overfows.
I also use a redundant emergency overflow in the sump, to catch overflow water and send it to the garden.
Because my sump is outside, and catches rain water from the roof, most overflow events happen during the rainy season with almost daily and intense showers.
I must admit I like the free, and effortless daily water changes at certain times of the year.
I also use a redundant emergency overflow in the sump, to catch overflow water and send it to the garden.
Because my sump is outside, and catches rain water from the roof, most overflow events happen during the rainy season with almost daily and intense showers.
I must admit I like the free, and effortless daily water changes at certain times of the year.
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