Filter for 55gal Cichlid Tank

[rahimsach]

Hi,
I have a 55Gal tank and I am planning to put around 9 2" assorted African Cichlids in there. Currently I have a Penguin 350 filter and I got a used Fluvel 304 canister filter from a pet store. I was wondering if just the canister filter by itself would be good enough as it's made for upto 75gal aquarium, or should I use both the filters?
Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

 

[YoFishboy]

I would use both - I tend to use 2 filters for any tank above 30 gallons. The goal is to turn the water over at least 8-10 times per hour. A little redundancy doesn't hurt.

 

[garbon2535]

I would use two filters on your tank just to increase the waterflow. In my first 55 gal I had an angel fish all by himself with one EMP 400. One side of the tank always seemed to have a lot more debris. I added an old, small Regent designed for a 20 gal. That worked great.

Since then I have adopted a second 55 gal with cichlids. That tank came with a Fluval 304 but I replace that with 2 Eheim 2026's. You will be very happy adding a second filter. I would recommend any type of second filter. It can be a small 20 gal HPB, an EMP 400, or another canister. You run your current tank for several months then add a second filter the difference will be noticeable quickly.