Matman1110
Aquarium Advice Regular
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2011
- Messages
- 67
Which filter would you recommend for a 75 gallon freshwater African cichlid tank?
Fluval FX5, without a doubt.
A 110 AC will be enough for a 75, even with relatively heavy stalking. It is easily cleaned and can be done while changing the water. The sponge inserts last for many years.
The FX5 is not good up to 400 gallons. Like every filter out there it is over-rated. The AC110 is also over-rated. I have one running on a client's 37 gallons community, and it is not too much flow. On a 55 I would have two of them.
The FX5 is only $209 shipped on Amazon, the best deal you will find on any filter from what I have seen. I have two Fluval 405s on my 75 and would have just gotten the FX5 if I didn't already have both of them around. It is definitely the best option for tanks in the 75-220 range (although at around 125-150 gallons you may start to need a little more flow, but the actual filtration power is there).
I personally can't imagine using anything else, or recommending it to a client or customer. For the price, ease of use, being beginner friendly, etc. it is definitely the way to go.
You may get a good deal on craigslist, but you wouldn't get that new. Proper filtration for a 75 is not cheap, neither is a setup. You can do it right from the beginning or you can always work a little harder to keep it going because you cheaped out in the beginning, the choice is yours.