New Owner of a 120 Gallon Tank. Which Canister?

[GNarnian]

Hey everybody. Last week I purchased a 120 gallon tank. I am super excited about it, and I can't wait to get it set up! (It will be freshwater) The problem is, I have never had a tank any where near this size before, and I feel like the more I read about canister filters, the more uncertain I am about which one will work best. I was looking at eheim or Fluval brands, but those are expensive so I don't want to get this wrong!

I was wondering if any of you guys had any information or tips for this. Should I get one large one, or two smaller ones? (say, 70 gallon?) At the very least, there are going to be 4 goldfish, so there is going to be a heavy bio-load. What do you guys think I should use for a set up?

 

[Terrance]

The more filtration and current, the better off you will be. How about 2 large canisters? I recommend at least 1200gph because of the high bio load. If you want to grow some plants, then you're better off with slower current and get really good lighting be because the 120g is pretty high. If you fill the canister with media, then the gph will reduce.

 

[didysis]

Fluval FX5 read my review on it- I just got one, AMAZON best price- Petco lists them for like 450.00 no joke, Amazon has the best price I could find, and they have the best price on filter pads and such, If you need any help pm me, glad to help out. Have you figured out heaters yet also??

This one filter will take care of the whole tank and is as cheap or cheaper than buying multiple others, also look on amazon for the pricing of the filter pads and such, thats another selling point.

In my review I talk about a Magnum 350 not being able to do a good job, it wont trust me.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f60/fluval-fx5-writeup-review-great-filter-192098.html

 

[revchristinejday]

Dear GNarnian,

I have a 125 tank with six goldfish. Goldfish need about 1volume filtration. So I have a combination of HOB (AC 110's) and 2 Penn Plax Cascade 1000's. I am very happy with both the AC's and the Cascades.

I bought the tank, etc used and it came with 2 Fluval 404/5 and both them 1) broke the hinges and 2) after the hinges were replaced never filled properly. (I tried 4 times, got help from this forum, etc.) Perhaps they were just too old to be used again, but I did not find them user friendly at all.

The Cascade 1000, however has been super and it's a very reasonable price.

Enjoy your new tank! The Goldies will love it!
Chris

 

[BinxBolling]

I had a 110 that I ran 2 Fluval 405s along with CPR Skimmers in - that seemed to work well

 

[GNarnian]

Fluval FX5 read my review on it- I just got one, AMAZON best price- Petco lists them for like 450.00 no joke, Amazon has the best price I could find, and they have the best price on filter pads and such, If you need any help pm me, glad to help out. Have you figured out heaters yet also??

This one filter will take care of the whole tank and is as cheap or cheaper than buying multiple others, also look on amazon for the pricing of the filter pads and such, thats another selling point.

In my review I talk about a Magnum 350 not being able to do a good job, it wont trust me.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f60/fluval-fx5-writeup-review-great-filter-192098.html

Didysis, is the filter mostly silent? This might be a good choice for me. I really don't want to spend 600 dollars on canister filters if I can afford it! do you guys think a canister like this one, plus a BioWheel HOB might work out? maybe a Marineland Penguin Power Filter? Those are rated for 350 gph, combined with 900+ of the Fluval should give the range of turnover I'm looking for...

 

[Terrance]

Fx5 is very very quiet. Any HOB filter is loud when compared to canisters.

I have 2 fluval fx5 and 2 aquaclear 110 on my 120g tank. I Filled both fx5 with media, so flow drastically reduced to 600gph. I also filled both aquaclears with media.

Altogether, I think I'm getting ~2000gph. My monster also produce high bioload, but I mainly rely on 50% weekly water changes.

 

[GNarnian]

I know that I will have media in whatever canister I deside on, which is why I'm leaning more toward 2 canister filters. If at all possible, I would want to keep my price below 400 for the canisters, but I realize that I cannot sacrifice quality for it or I will regret it later. Using your roundabout numbers, Terrance, If I get two fx5's with media, it would be approx 1200gph, at a cost of approx $460.00, not including the cost of media

Would two canisters be sufficient?

 

[Terrance]

Yes. 2 fx5 filled with media can get the job done. Use pond matrix as media.

I got both of mine on amazon for $425 including shipping. It's worth it, but I feel like canisters take long to clean on a weekly basis. That is the only drawback. So think long and hard before you decide.
I went from 4 hob to
2 hob and 2 fx5 to
1 big sump in the making

Lots of trading around, but sumps are awesome for fish with high bioload. Plumbing is tricky, but I enjoy doing it. If canisters didn't take long to clean, then I wouldn't be trying to trade both of mine away. I keep top notch water quality, but it shouldn't take that long. 2 fx5 takes about 40min to clean/rinse every week while I do my 50% water change. But you might not even mind taking up 40mins of your day.

 

[GNarnian]

Cleaning these sounds like a "Make a group of friends help you" kind of job! Not that any would volunteer! Do the entire canisters really need to be cleaned every week? I heard and read that most only require the pads to be cleaned. on a weekly/bi-monthly basis. Where are the pads located?

 

[Terrance]

That's what I do on a weekly basis. I clean the pads for both (not entire filter). It's a long process. If I don't clean them out, then the dutrius will leach ammonia and release unmeasureable dissolved waste. For under stocked tanks or fish with lower bioload, you can space out the pad cleaning to one every 2 weeks.

Go to YouTube and look up review videos. You'll get a better understanding.

 

[GNarnian]

Okay I'll do that. Thanks!

 

[GNarnian]

Fluval FX5 read my review on it- I just got one, AMAZON best price- If you need any help pm me, glad to help out. Have you figured out heaters yet also??

Didysis, I have been looking at heaters, and I know that I need to get 2, because This 120 tank will be in my garage, and it is much colder than the house normally. BUT on the opposite end, in the summer in California, my garage can get to over 100 degrees. Will I need to regulate that, or do you think that the size of the tank should be sufficient to keep the temperature down?

 

[didysis]

Ya heat wise you will forsure need 2 good heaters, get some higher watt ones so you dont burn them out by having them run all the time. Your garage is it insulated? Also the garage doors can have foam added into them (well some doors) Your going to want to try to keep the temp swing as little as possible. Heat could be an issue there foresure.

Aslo what temp do you plan to keep the tank at??

Didysis, I have been looking at heaters, and I know that I need to get 2, because This 120 tank will be in my garage, and it is much colder than the house normally. BUT on the opposite end, in the summer in California, my garage can get to over 100 degrees. Will I need to regulate that, or do you think that the size of the tank should be sufficient to keep the temperature down?

 

[GNarnian]

Ya heat wise you will forsure need 2 good heaters

Aslo what temp do you plan to keep the tank at??

The tank that my fish are in now sit at about 76 degrees, give or take a degree or 2. I know that's warm for goldfish, but that's the standard temp without a heater, and my guppies seem happy so that's the range im looking for.

Unfortunately the garage is NOT insulated. It was supposed to be done this last winter but something more important came up. During the day it should be okay... its the nights im worried about. When it gets down to freezing outside, its only about 5 degrees warmer in the garage.

 

[didysis]

With Goldfish- (what type you keeping? I do like them allot, love the color)
I would be more worried about the heat than the cold, but I have seen fish deal with warmer than normal temps better than cold temps. Ill get back to you in a couple time to leave work, ya I know working and playing at the same time LOL

 

[GNarnian]

That's okay, im sitting in a university classroom doing the same thing! Haha one is absolutely a comet. He's the biggest, and still growing! One is just a feeder, but he's almost 5 in. Another one is all white, but LOOKS like a comet, but I won him at the del mar fair 2 years ago and I have no idea.(im surprised she survived living in a bag all day there, poor thing)

The last one... looks like a mutant fish. He's all white as well, but with a joined tail like a black moor. He's sadly developed cataracts in both eyes, though he can still see just fine, it would seem. He has no trouble eating! Haha

 

[DirtyMechanic]

I have a canister with a overstocked 55gal. And I just change out the filter floss every 4 weeks or so. But when I do I rinse and squeeze out the two course foam pads with old tank water a bunch of times.

That once a week maintance seems way too much, I pretty sure the point of the filter surface and capactiy is to extend the cleanings. NOT increase them to once a week.

 

[Terrance]

It doesn't matter how much filtering capacity you have in your tank. There's nothing that can help an overstocked tank. Filter surface only catches more waste. It doesn't do much for nitrAte and dissolved organic waste. Overstocked and changing them once a month.. what is your nitrate reading? Seems like you got yourself a nitrate factory. If you don't remove the waste, weekly, then the solid waste are becoming dissolved waste and you'll continue to get a rise in nitrate.

oh btw, I would be concerned with the summer heat in the garage. You might have to end up getting a chiller for your tank. Look up "aquarium chiller". You need to find a way to bring your tank indoors and protect it against the elements.

 

[GNarnian]

I won't have an overstocked tank once I move the guys. And sadly, I cannot move the tank into the house, since we have wood floors and a 120 gal. accident would be the end of them. We're going to get the garage insulated though, so at the longest, it would only be this summer that I would have to worry about.

I'll look up the Chiller. Thanks for the advice!