i am starting a 100g mbuna tank and i currently have a rena filstar xp3 should i increase my filtration now or wait until the fish grow and have a higher bio load if so i am thinking of another xp3
i am starting a 100g mbuna tank and i currently have a rena filstar xp3 should i increase my filtration now or wait until the fish grow and have a higher bio load if so i am thinking of another xp3
I'm always going to go for as much filration as possible w/ my cich tanks, maybe even more so w/ mbuna, so even though your the xp3 in rated @ 350gph an additional 1 will not hurt now or later. Thing's come up & thing's happen we never knonw what might come tomorrow so if you can afford it now, my votet is go for it.
I like to pack my African Cich tank's for the most part. Depending on how much water you actually have in your tank after considering water displacement w/ your substrate/gravel/sand & any rock or decortn's. you probly have at least 85-90gl's to still wrk w/ & that would mean for me bout 50-60 1" fish, 40-50 2", 30-40 3" & you just have to kinda keep an on going mental pic of about what you have, type of fish, size, verse's your biolaod, keep up good water maintenance 10-15% every 7-10 day's, vacuum no more than 1/3 substrate every time, plenty of aeration & filter flow, keep your filter's clean, 1x every 30 day's at least w/ big #'s of fish, alternate cleaning the filer's each time & you will be ok. The "old" rule of thumb is 1" of fish per gl when I pack a tank depending on the size & type of the fish I'll go w/ as much as 3x's that w/ no prob's as long as I keep good water qt.
Look forward to seeing some pic's along the way
