filtration help

[Reafer]

hi guys i got a 1200 x 450 x 500 tank, with 200L of water in , its got 4 blacklistd cichlids:p and 2 clown pleco's in. i have a hang on the side filter with bioballs and floss with a pump rated at 1000L/h so reallisticly its at about 800L/h , i hav ealso got a powerhead thats also rated at 1000L/h with bioballs and that green filter pad and its lightly planted.so my question is can i take out the powerhead to reduce the clutter in my tank will it be fine with just the hang on filter ?

[Zafgak]

Hi Reafer - what is your BioLoad gonna be, if just the ones mentione the HOB should get by with regular water changes..

[Reafer]

not planning on getting more atm, but u know whats its like and i got some space :p , i am planning on making a DIY canister filter in the next week or 2 with the same 1000L/h pump , would that be enough or should i go bigger?

[Zafgak]

The canister filter is a good idea - with the same pump you should be OK

[wito-zn]

I am still new but I thought I might have shot at helping:blink1:. It might work but what is your cleaning schedule and your feeding schedule?

[Reafer]

weekly water changes and i feed twice a day

[Zafgak]

Reafer dont forget, not to feed 1 day a week. Make that the same day as the water change

[wito-zn]

Why skip a day of feeding?

[veegal]

The theory behind not feeding one day a week is that in the 'wild' the fish do not eat nearly as much food as we give them in our aquariums. By skipping a days feeding it is supposed to make the fish 'healthier' and help them to clean out their digestive systems. However this can also be done by feeding a varied diet which includes roughage such as bloodworms and mosquito larvae etc.

[wito-zn]

oh ok. interesting fact. i will do that from now on until i can get some bloodworms.

[solex69]

The theory behind not feeding one day a week is that in the 'wild' the fish do not eat nearly as much food as we give them in our aquariums. By skipping a days feeding it is supposed to make the fish 'healthier' and help them to clean out their digestive systems. However this can also be done by feeding a varied diet which includes roughage such as bloodworms and mosquito larvae etc.

Well discus and angels I feed on a daily basis as their diets are quite demanding...especially discus. But quite right, there should be pauses in between of diets for fish in general. Some of my fish are lucky if they get fed 4 times a week

Also, play it by what you see. ie, if their stomachs get really fat and they don't go back to normal within a day, that's a sign that you need to slow your role wrt to feeding them (their metabolism aint burning off the food quickly enough)

Chiao
D