Filter suggestion for a 180 Gal

[mleong]

Hi,
Just ordered a new tank of 72"X24"x24". What kind of filter(s) would be ideal? I will be having 6 Clown Loaches size 2 inches, 2 Black Ghost Knife 5 inch each, 8 Golden Gourami, 8 Blue Gourami, 4 Pearl gourami, 9 bottom feeder( I think they are call Pleco), 4 Rams, and about 10 swordtails. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

mleong:)

[Hebdizzle]

Well it seems like that would be a sorta high bio-load.. am I correct? If money isn't an issue I would get an Eheim Professional II 2128 and supplement it with a good HOB filter.

Or, another option would be 2 404 Fluvals, probably with a HOB too. The Fluvals would be less expensive.

[VoodooChild]

Yeah that's pretty stocked but would be neat to see. I'm not going to comment on reducing fish, since that isn't what you asked, but Hebdizzle really hit the mark well, in my opinion. I'd probably stick with 2 Fluval 404's and an Aqua Clear 300 and do carbon filtration very frequently, say once every month and a half. When you were talking about the plecostomus, did you mean you have 9, or you have one 9 incher? That'll really change things!

[mleong]

Thanks very much for the advice. I will be having a little less of the Gourami since a couple of then died yesterday. Yes, I do have 9 Pleco, about 2 to 3 inch in length each. I will distribute them over a few tanks later or give them away. I will be constantly using activated carbon and the Eheim Efisubstrate for the final stage of the filtration. I was considering the Ehaim or the Jebo (http://www.jebo.com.cn/)

[ChEeRs_BiG_EaRs]

personally, i owuldnt go anything less than an eheim 2260 or eheim 2250, preferably the 2260. if the output is too strong, split it and let it enter the tank at multiple places, trust me, this is a great filter. its never let me down :)
BiG EaRs

[mleong]

Thanks BigEars. I will have to save up some $$ for the Ehaim. That model here costs more than 600.00 in our local currency. The 6 footer tank only costs me 580.00(Malaysian Dollar) including delivery. Well. I will have to cycle the tank first with the powerheads that I have from my other tanks.

Cheers:) :cool:

[mleong]

Also thanks to Hebdizzle and Vodoochild. The Fluvals are available here, but only a handful of dealers here.

[BK]

you could use some powerheads with sponges for mechanical filtration and build a big bio filter (nothing fancy just a container with some bio media that the water flows over before rentering the tank) and use ther output of several of the powerheads to power it.

[karfixer]

Do a search on D.I.Y. wet/dry or sump filters, that would be the best way to filter that large of a tank. My 105 is going to have 10 Gold Gouramis, 4 Clown Loaches,4-5 Gaint Danios, 5-7 long fin Ruby barbs and a big school (20+) of Harliquin Rasboras.

[mleong]

BK: That is what I had setup in my other 2 55 gal tanks. One powerhead sucks the water from the UGF into a plastic container with Bio media in it and the other powerhead just for mechanical. Works out great.

karfixer: Looks like your tank have a good combinations of fishes. Initially, I was thinking to put in around 100 gold fishes, or rather 200 guppies, but the $$ to buy them. So I decided to transfer those from my 55 gal tank. At the same time, my friend gave me quite a good numbers of the Golden Gourami and swordtails. So that would look good in the 180gal.

If the tank looks kind of bare, I might buy a dozen of the Tiger Barbs.


:)

[karfixer]

I started out with 2 pair of Gold Gouramis, and they decided to start a family, so at last count I've sold 65 to the LFS and given a couple away...and still have a bunch in different tanks.

[Hebdizzle]

mleong.... why buy guppies? they are the rabbits of the sea.

Get 2 males, 10 females and you will have 200 guppies for your tank in no time.

[mleong]

I am using 2Liter of the Eheim Efisubstrate for the biology filtration, and about 6 packet of 150 grams charcoal for the chemical part. I will be adding another filter soon. I just added 5 Red Tail Shark to the collection yesterday. Was thinking to add a couple of dozen of the Tiger Barb and some Neon Tetra. What do you all think?

:)

[mleong]

Hey Hebdizzle, I will do what you suggested, but will the Gourami pick on the Guppies? (I have 4 more Black Widow Terta, forgot to include it in earlier). Possible to add in some Silver Dollars, or a few Bala Sharks?

[nboylie]

wont knife fish eat those other fish? they are pretators arent they?? I dont know anything about them

[mleong]

The Black Ghost Knife will not, the Clown Knife will as far as I know.