Cichlid Canister filter set up

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Issombeituni

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Jul 23, 2012
Messages
45
I have had saltwater setups with canisters and i have had cichlids with hang on top canisters. This is my first time with a 3 stage canister filter. How should i set up the media?

Looks like i want to set up the
Bottom layer with a foam filter mesh

Middle layer with carbon and amino lock in a big media mesh bag

Top with bio balls and or ceramic or i have seen people stuff scrubbing sponges in them like 15 of them they are porous and bacteria can grow on them.

My tank is a 55 sand bottom and no live plants?

Currently running a marineland HOT filter with no issues

Just asking how i should set up my canister?

Thanks
 
First welcome to AA. I run a Fluval 306 on my 55, and I have the sponge filters on the bottom, bio-rings in the middle, and the polishing pads on the top. I also run any other chemical in the top try on top of the polishing pads. Hope this helps.
 
Thanks craw also do u was the rings in tank water like a saltwater set up?
 
I'm not sure I understand what you are asking. I use just regular bio-rings in the filter. They came with the filter, so they are the Fluval brand. I don't put anything filter wise in the actual tank.
 
During my filter maintenance I set the trays in a bucket of tank water and swoosh them a little to get any big pieces of gunk. Don't rinse established ones with tap water. I'm paranoid about keeping my rings wet at all times, I don't want to risk killing any of the BB. My tank is way overstocked right now, and I don't think the fish could handle any type of cycle. Hopefully I'll be getting a 125 real soon.
 
It came with two sponges in the bottom trey then a empty tray that you can customize so I use 2 bags of fluval carbon and one bag of ammonia remover to help with some of it then the next trey has black Bio balls then the next trey have ceramic rings and a polishing cloth so its 4 treys all together
 
Well right now my cichlids are still small so I get away with a 25% water change once a month so I clean the sponges and replace the carbon when I do that once they get bigger I'll do 10% water change once a week and 25% monthly and still clean the filter sponges when I fo the monthly water change its rated for a 150 gallon tank so I don't forsee any issues with this type of maintenance schedule
 
First Cichlid tank I've heard off getting away with just a 10% weekly water change, usually a weekly 30/40% is required for the Nitrates. What do you plan on keeping?
 
Well mime don't get above 20-30 as I said they are still small so not a lot of wastse plus when I do the water change I clean gravel don't worry I keep a good eye on my nitrates sometimes ppl go way overboard with water changes when they aren't really need as much as they think they are if nitrates get high take more out more often if not don't worry about it
 
Well mime don't get above 20-30 as I said they are still small so not a lot of wastse plus when I do the water change I clean gravel don't worry I keep a good eye on my nitrates sometimes ppl go way overboard with water changes when they aren't really need as much as they think they are if nitrates get high take more out more often if not don't worry about it

Kinda hard to go overboard with PWCs imo
 
It doesn't hurt anything to give em some fresh water weekly...by doing so you're replenishing nutrients in the water column fish benefit from not just removing nitrates...
 
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