new 125 g

[lethalp]

Hello all, its been awhile since I have been on here. I am getting a new 125g this weekend and I need some advice. I currently have a 29g, 10g, and a 5g that are up and running with fish. How should I go about setting up my new 125? I have cichlids in the 29g and they are what will be going into the new one. I also would like to know your thoughts on undergravel filters, should I have one? On powerheads and filters, which brand is the best for freshwater? I am also considering putting sand in part of my tank. I don't want the whole tank sand, but I thought it would be nice if I could find a way to use it maybe in one corner, like a sand box (I have some sand small sand dwellers)has anyone done this before? Thank you, Dawn

[TKOS]

A few pieces of info for me are:

No UGF. Most people hate them now. And if you want sand then it is a no go as the sand will fall in the UGF plate and block it. A canister/HOB combination is what I would use for a tank that big. The canister will hold a lot of media and give good flow. The HOB will also give good flow but is an easy way to add carbon to the system if yo need to. Instead of opening up the canister you can just drop some carbon into the HOB easily. Just my suggestion anyway.

I have heard of the sand box before but have no idea how well it works in practice.

Try putting all of the fish with their filter over into the new tank. It shoud eliminate the cycle unless you put new fish in as well. The filter media that exists should be enough for the current load of fish you have but any new fish will cause small spikes in ammonia and nitrite. So test and do water changes.

Good luck.

[lethalp]

I am sorry, but what is a HOB? I am pretty new at this

[OrionGirl]

HOB=Hang On Back. Power filters like AquaClear and Whispers are HOBs.

Agree with the above. UGF are very good biological filters, but they require a lot of maintenance, especially with messy fish. a modification to reverse the direction of the water--pushing up through the gravel instead--in combination with a canister or HOB to remove waste from the water column works very well, and doesn't require as much upkeep. Still won't work with sand, though.

For HOBs, I really like the Aquaclears. They are easy to maintain, and provide you with several options for filter media. Sponges are cheap and easy to use, but chemical filtration like carbon is very easy to add when needed. I'd go with 2 AC500 for a 125. Can't help much on the canisters, but there are several threads that cover a variety of brands.

[demon_surfer]

id second the twin AC500's make sure you load them both up with just sponges. an alternative is to setup a wet/dry filter. They start to be worth the effort at the tank size you have going. They are a little more expensive but can be home made very cheaply if you have the inclination.

To the sand, I would not suggest mixing sand and gravel. Simply because the sand will sink below the gravel and you wont be able to see it. Plus when its down there it becomes a hazard to the health of your tank.

however a contained sandtrap would work!

Also what type of cichlids are we talking about here? if you could tell us what kind of fish you are planning for the tank we can give you a much better idea on how to set it up.

[125gJoe]

I'd get one or two of the AquaClears mentioned - and a Filstar xP-3 canister filter. That's it! (No HOB's with live plants though..)

UGF's are outdated and, for me, considered to be "Crud Storing Devices"... This is only my opinion, and will stand by it. I had CSD's, I mean UGF's in the past, and never again.

[lethalp]

In my 29g I currently have 1 crib, 1 ram 1 blue mbunda, 1 brichardi, 2 gold severum (sold to me as baby blood parrots:(, 2 green tiger barbs, 2 small shell dwelling cichlids, a brisle nose plec, a dwarf plec, and 2 boita loaches. My tank was supposed to be Lake Tanganika, but I have had a hard time finding them. The tank that I bought used to be set up for saltwater fish, and it comes with a filter, but I don't know what it is yet. I won it on ebay. Does it matter that it had salt water fish in it? Thank you for the help, keep the comments coming!

[TKOS]

Just make sure to clean it out really well. It sounds like you need a new tank as that one is quite full. You might want to get a couple more tiger barbs as they do best in groups of 5 or more.

I actually clean my freshwater tanks using a brince solution so I doubt that the saltwater will be a problem. You may have to scrape it clean if there is lots of buildup. Use a razor blade if this is a glass tank or vinegar often works to get rid of those calcium and salt deposits.

[lethalp]

I used to have 3 tiger barbs, one of them died. I have bought more and they just don't make it with the 2 I have in there. I keep thinking they are gonna kill each other, but they keep pluggin away. Maybe I will try again in the new tank. On the sand. I am considering partitioning a part off, not putting the sand and gravel together. Has anyone done this? And how should I go about putting my fish into the tank? I am still not clear on that. Yes I am a slow learner :(

[lethalp]

Ok I have the new tank! I am so please with my purchase! I got a 125g tank, stand, hood, 3 powerheads, and a large filter, for $385!! I just LOVE Ebay!!! :p Anyway, my game plan is to put the tank up, I am going to put a 1/2 inch piece of styrofoam between the tank and the stand. Then I am going to clean it out real good, (no soap) . I was thinking of taking these to small filter I had for my 2.5g tanks and putting them on the 29g to load them, then put them on the 125. Will that work? Souldn't hurt anything should it? I haven't figures out how to do the sand box yet, but I still plan to. On a heater, the guy I bought it from said he had a heater on one of his tanks before and it shorted out and fried the fish. I have never heard of that!:( He said he didn't use a heater in the 125 and he never had a problem. I have heaters in all of mine. Has anyone had heater trouble? Thanks

[OrionGirl]

Cheap heaters are known to cause propblems, as well as using the wrong size for the tank. A 50 watt heater in a 125 would be begging for trouble, while a 500 watt heater will liekly never cause you a problem. I view heaters as part and parcel of a tank, insurance that my fish will be comfortable, and spend money as needed. In some climates, heaters may not be needed--but they are in Wyoming!

[Prometheus]

Originally posted by OrionGirl
I view heaters as part and parcel of a tank, insurance that my fish will be comfortable, and spend money as needed. In some climates, heaters may not be needed--but they are in Wyoming!

Actually I had to have aheater on my tank in FLA, keeping the AC at a minimum of 72 if not 68 ;)

I'd suggest getting a small inexpensive 50 watt heater as a backup for your main heater and set the temp on that to 2 degrees below you main heater... Idea being, if your main heater dies, the 50 watt *might* keep the temp current, but will definately prolong the temp of the tank minimize stress / loss of fish. Another idea would be to buy two heaters of equal wattage.

Also almost all heaters nowadays are designed to 'fail' in the off position, make sure the one you buy is designed to do so.

[NJ Devils Fan]

yea, you never want one heater in a big tank, really anything over 55g. For your tank, I would go with 2 250-300 watt heaters.