Filtration advice: 75G and 120G's

[fishie111]

Hello all:

I just acquired two 120G 5ft long tanks. I was planning to take down my 75G, but I have decided to take down my 29G instead. This leaves me with 3 large tanks and one smaller tank (28G) that I need to filter.

I will be keeping cichlids in all 4 tanks- ideally, with the following arrangements:

120G angelfish, and smaller cichlids (small geos, dwarf cichlids)
120G oscar, a.pulcher, a. heckelii
75G festivum, dwarf cichlids (pikes, l. dorsigerus)
28G dwarf cichlids

Here's what I currently have for canister filters:

2 x Rena XP4
1 x Rena XP3
2 x Rena XP2
1 Eheim 2217


The 75G will be in my room, so it needs the quietest filtration.

Here are my thoughts so far:

120G XP4 +?
120G XP4 +?
75G Eheim 2217 +?
28G ?

This leaves me with the XP3 and 2 XP2's. I figure I need at least 1 more filter on each big tank. I'm not sure of the optimum arrangement for these and what else I should buy.

I'm staying away from HOB's except for the 28G (I have 3 Penguin 150s and an Aqueon 200 that I could put on this tank instead of a can)- simply because I need to keep the tanks close to the walls. I wouldn't mine a can on the 28G, but I have other options here.

Any advice is very much welcomed! TIA!

 

[jmhart]

120G XP4 + XP3
120G XP4 + XP2 or buy another XP3
75G Eheim 2217 + XP2
28G HOBs or use the other XP2 if you buy another XP3


That's my recommendation. If I were doing it from scratch, I'd have 2 XP4's on the 120g, but that's way overfiltered.

 

[fishie111]

Well- two XP4s on the 120G oscar tank is how I've decided to go. I got another XP4 for not much more than an XP3 from one of my favorite ebay sellers.

That leaves me with the option of running the XP3 with the XP4 on the 120G angel tank.

I'm starting to wonder about selling the 2217 and getting another Rena. Since everything else is Rena- I'm thinking it might be best to stay all Rena- that way all my parts are interchangeable.

 

[Rbishop]

Interchangeable is nice...a great convenience.