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I am planning a 125g cichlid tank, not sure exactly what species but they will probably be large and messy. I have decided to go with something like this:

1 x Eheim 2026 ProII Canister - 251gph
1 x Penguin 330

This would give me 581gph, but I am worried that it still would not be enough. I read where you should use 4-6 times the volume of the tank. (125 x 6 = 750gph) Also I am concerned about turning my tank into a jacuzzi. That can't be good for the fish. I am open to options. Help!

-Greg

When you're looking at high end canisters such as Eheims, keep in mind that they do not require larger gph due to the effectiveness of their media. The quality of the filtration in that regards outweighs gph.

You could maybe get a 2028 instead of a 2026. THe 2028 is rated for a 158 gallons and the 2026 for only 92 gallons. Between it and the penguin or emperor 400 or HOT Magnum ( all decent choices), I believe there would be ample filtration. A powerhead, powerhead "quck filter", or submersible pump could be added at a later date if there were not enough current in the tank, or if there were circulation dead spots.

edit- depending on stocking ideas and exactly how messy the fish will be, a fluidized bed filter might be something to think about instead of the penguin.

[span class="edited"][Edited by jake 2004-09-02 07:25][/span]

you should definitley go with the 2028 i run 2 on my 125 uk gallon tank and the water is crystal and this setup is so easy to maintain.

Gibson SG you know you want one!!

Thanks for the replies! I just can seem to decide on what fish I want to keep. If I go large and aggressive, probably JD's, with a pleco or two. Community: 4 or 5 Clown loaches, 3 or 4 Bala Sharks, some cories, small barbs or tetras, 1 pleco.......maybe more, these are just off the top of my head. Don't know what a fluidized bed filter is, I'll search for it. If the 2028 is rated for 158g, would one not be enough, two are a bit steep. Thanks again!

-Greg

Filter ratings don't take into account the bioload of the tank, obstacles "breaking up" the water current in the tank, etc. Two 2028's would be a little pricey, but would be very effective.

Instead of a second 2028, another option would be a via aqua 750. I got mine from Big Al's Online : http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=24771&category_id=1711&pcid1=2885]http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=24771&category_id=1711&pcid1=2885[/link] . It will take the same filter media as the eheim 2028 and is set up very similarly. Mine runs like a champ. It's not an Eheim, but it is an affordable option. You could run the Eheim 2028 pro, a via aqua 750 (with the same filter media as the eheim 2028), and attach dual biowheels to the via aqua outlet like [link=http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=22313;category_id=1729;pcid1=2885;pcid2=]http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=22313;category_id=1729;pcid1=2885;pcid2=[/link] if you're not going to have a heavily planted tank with co2 injection or anything. I think that'd give you a very decent filtration system. For heating, maybe put a hydor ETH inline on one or more of the canisters : [link=http://petsolutions.com/product.asp?pn=41400018.

Just throwing some ideas out there

This is a link to a fluidized bed filter. They can be problematic sometimes, and you have to watch the dissolved oxygen levels in the tank because the good bacteria will eat it up quick... however, it's hard to beat for biological filtration. Most commonly seen on large tanks with big, messy fish. http://petsolutions.com/product.asp?pn=88330824. It takes a pump to run and all that.

[span class="edited"][Edited by jake 2004-09-02 18:15][/span]

Jake,

Thanks for the links. The Via Aqua looks like a good alternative. I could buy two of those for less than one 2028. Price is beginning to be a factor for me. I still dont quite understand how the fluidized bed filter works. I guess you hook it up to a pump and it uses sand to filter the water. Is that it? I think two of the inline heaters should do the trick. I have been looking at BigAl's as well. Do you think their prices are competitive?

-greg

They are fairly competitive. You can call them if you see something somewhere cheaper and give them the link to it, tell them where it is, and they will match it. Sometimes their selection leaves a little to be desired, but what they do stock is usually very cheap.

The hydor ETH heaters I linked is the cheapest I've found. PetSolutions has been running that sale for quite awhile now, and I've been putting them on all my tanks. I have a 300W on my 75 gal and a 200W on my 55. Bar none, it is the best heater I've ever used in my life. The water is the temperature I set it on in every corner of the tank, and it is constant. My wife keeps the downstairs cold ( like 65F), and the 200W heater on the 55 gallon down there has no problem keeping the tank at 80F.

I'd definitely still buy the eheim 2028 pro II, and an extra set of media for the eheim to put in the via aqua 750. If you don't get at least one Eheim, you'll catch the Eheim bug later down the road and it'll be costly, heh. The via aqua is a decent filter, and the price is right, but it is NOT an Eheim, even if it is an eheim clone. Some things you just cannot use anything but an eheim for... if later down the road you plant that tank and want to run co2 into a canister filter to dissolve the co2, you won't want to do that on a via aqua.. or rena filstar.. or penn plax..or basically anything else as far as comprehensive canister filtration goes. I use the via aqua to supplement the filtration of my rena filstar xp3 ( which is a decent filter, but still not an eheim), but I don't think I would depend on it for all filtration needs.

A fluidized bed filter... when I mentioned that you had said something about messy fish, so I was picturing oscars, plecos, and severely pooh-ed water. The way it works is that the sand media is "lifted" and floats around in the filter. Good bacteria colonize the sand, and with the amount of oxygen present and the colonization space immense, it gives a extremely large amount of "good bacteria" for bio filtration... more so than your typical wet/dry type setup could provide. "Good" bacteria consume oxygen, so care must be given to provide for a more than adequate exchange of co2/oxygen or the bacteria will quickly deplete the oxygen in the tank. If your tank is just going to be moderately stocked, I probably wouldn't mess with it.

edit- I should also add that fluidized bed filters are biological filters ONLY. They're run with a prefilter usually, but beyond that are strictly biological.

[span class="edited"][Edited by jake 2004-09-04 07:26][/span]

Just to put my .02 in I have a 125 CA cichlids tank set up as we speak. I run an Eheim 2026 with two emperor 400's and an Aquaclear 500 for filtration. To add current I run two penguin 1140 powerheads at either end of the tank. This works great for me. My water is clear their is plenty of circulation. Great Biological and mechanical filtration and my fish love it. I have two BJD's, a Vieja synspilum and regani, a carpintis escondido and two different species of Thoricyths. I also have 10 clown loaches running around. No deaths and they love the added current of the powerhead. I don't think you really need a 2028 if your going to have more filters. It's not really necessary because the other filters will pick up the difference. Another opinion of mine is that you can't beat Eheim's quality. This is one case where you really do pay more for a better result. I have friends who have been running their Eheims for the better part of almost 3 decades with no problems.
HTH