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Planning a 75 Gal Cichlid tank - filtration ?

4K views 11 replies 6 participants last post by  Sookielee 
#1 ·
After reading through numerous posts I am beginning to wonder if we have inadvertently purchased an undersized canister filter. We are getting a Filstar XP3 with a hydor inline 300 watt heater. Is this going to be sufficient for even a short time or do we need to start thinking about either a second canister or turning our 45 gal into a refugium of sorts for the 75? (the other half has been thinking a lot about doing this eventually)

My apology for not having a species list, but we have not gotten that far as of yet. We are planning on creating a 3d background and doing some live plants first and allowing time for the tank to cycle and settle out before making our final decisions on stocking.
 
#4 ·
If you do have the 45g available, create a massive wet dry filter from it, there are tons of designs online about them.

It will give you a massive surface area for good bacteria over any canister including the massive Fluval FX5 which is what I have on my 75g cichlid tank.

The Rena xp3 is a good filter and will be more than sufficient for your tank, keep an eye on the water parameters and check the filter at least a month, this will give you a good indication as to whether or not your filtration is adequate.
 
#6 ·
Another point is they are lot easier to clean and you can always use the tank as a refugium if you need to it.

Bonus is it is always cycled and ready to be used in an instant.

There is no overkill in filtration when it comes to cichlids, they are really messy fish and with a pleco or catfish as a bottom feeder, you will need it.

I have an Rena xp4 and FX5 on my 75g plus a 15g wet dry sump.
 
#7 ·
We really can't turn the 45 into a wet/dry due to the stand the 75 is on and the fact I do not want a 36x12x24 eyesore in the floor of my dining room. This is an idea the other half has been kicking around and would love feedback on.

The 75 gallon being a community cichlid tank moderate to minimum plants, the 45 being a very heavily planted tank, maybe shrimp or snails in it. 2 canister filters plumbed as followed.

Canister 1:

  • Intake in the 75 gallon
  • Outtake in the 45 gallon
Canister 2:

  • Intake at the opposite end of the 45 gallon
  • Outtake at the opposite end of the 75 gallon
Then place a 1" U-tube between the 2 tanks to maintain a balanced water level between them.
 
#8 ·
Bad idea.

Doing that you are going to be mixing water from 2 tanks which more than likely will require different water parameters. It also means if you ever have to use medication, you will have a serious issue with the plants and occupants of the other tank.

Cichlids need hard water with a pH above 7.4 and kept around 78F

I would keep one filter for each tank.
 
#10 ·
For 75 gallon cichlid tank ,I would run two of the XP3's or,,Reverse flow undergravel, with the one XP3.
w
Would clean filter(s) as mentioned by Taz, once a month without fail.:cool:
 
#11 ·
We were planning on having the same water parameters in both tanks, not different. The 45 would only have plants no fish, well maybe some snails. I thought the U-tube would prevent one tank from becoming empty and the other flooding my dining room in the event of a power loss. I take it this is mistaken?

Oh well, I will pass along the feedback. It did sound like a cool idea to me, but I do not know diddly squat about aquariums. Guess we should have taken the google searches coming up with nada to indicate the validity of the idea. Thanks a million!
 
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