African Cichlid tank maintenance

[dwhit13]

So as most of you know I recently started a 120 gallon Cichlid tank. Im used to maintaining smaller ones (40 & a 55) . I have my tank overstocked as advised and over filtered. For the first two weeks and prob will continue I have changed 25% of my water twice a week. Ill prob end up doing 50 % at least once a month. This tank is two feet tall and loaded with rock work. My question is how thouroughly and often do you guys vaccum your sand? Its obviously very difficult to get to it all . In my 55 I usually thouroughly vacuum 25% of it each week but there arent 10 & 20pd rocks to move and replace.

 

[MMantelli]

I just keep the outlets for my filters adjusted to where it keeps the bottom stirred up enough for the filters to do there job and just vaccum what I can during my weekly 50% pwc and im already into my 3rd generation of kennyiis and fuellebornis. Adding a powerhead or wavemaker in there tank will help too.

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[dwhit13]

I just keep the outlets for my filters adjusted to where it keeps the bottom stirred up enough for the filters to do there job and just vaccum what I can during my weekly 50% pwc and im already into my 3rd generation of kennyiis and fuellebornis. Adding a powerhead or wavemaker in there tank will help too.

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Thanks for the reply, thats kind of what I am doing. I put two power heads on opposite sides catecornered on the tank and have been playing with which direction to shoot them. How low in your tank do you keep yours?

 

[notenoughtanks]

I have my power head/ wave maker ( maxi-jet 900 ) like 2-3 inches below top of water level pointed down and to the outside .. Just enough to get a nice vortex to keep all the poo moving to filters .. Play around with it see what works best for you ...


125gal Oscar ( soon to swap with 75gal ) , 55gal African Cichlids , 75gal waiting for oscar , 10gal ???, 56gal soon to be a planted angel tank

 

[MMantelli]

You want the water to circulate for example from the top of the back left corner to the bottom of the back right to the top front right to the bottom front left corner and back to the top left. That's how I have my two filters setup and I skews able to remove my maxi-jet 1200 (with the wavemaker impeller and cover on) to use as a sump pump for that tank.

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[notenoughtanks]

Maxi jets are where it's at


125gal Oscar ( soon to swap with 75gal ) , 55gal African Cichlids , 75gal waiting for oscar , 10gal ???, 56gal soon to be a planted angel tank

 

[dwhit13]

I have maxi jets as well, two 900s. So should I have one top left and the other front bottom right?

 

[MMantelli]

Depending on your filter placement I'd do one at a front top corner pointed down longways across the front glass and the other one caddy corner from it at the top pointing down longways across the back glass. The best thing you can do is.just experement with the placement untill you get movement in every part of the tank. My cichlids love swimming into the strong currents

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