150 filtration????

[joeybuzz2006]

Any recomendations for filtering a 150 gallon tank that will be home to south american cichlids....The local fish store suggested the rena canister that is rated for a 175 gallon.....I think I should also use a [acronym:1f51c44c82="Hang On Back"]HOB[/acronym:1f51c44c82] such as the emperer 400 with biowheels........Would these 2 filters be enough??? Along with some heafty powerheads of course?????

[Fishyfanatic]

For a tank this large, I would not use a [acronym:7603eb4602="Hang On Back"]hob[/acronym:7603eb4602]. Instead, I would use 2 canister filters. It will evenly filter the water without dead areas. What are the dimensions of the tank? I have a 150 Tall and use 2 Cascade canisters.

Also, when determining the size of filters to choose, you'll want the combined total filtration to be about 600 to 700 [acronym:7603eb4602="Gallons per hour"]gph[/acronym:7603eb4602]. Do not rely on the manufacturers rating for how large of a tank that it can filter. They fib a little and tend to overestimate. If it were me, I would go with the XP2 and an XP3. Or maybe two XP3's. If it is a standard 150, I would go with two of the XP3's.

You could also use a sump. But I would definately stay away from hobs on a tank this size. If you're spending all of the money to setup the tank, I wouldn't want to have the filter showing. With a canister its all hidden under the tank.