Looking at a cichlid tank this summer

[ssrprelude]

Most Tang tear up plants with exception to anubias and thicker leaved plants. I would do just hard scape and keep it simple. Plecos are fine and so are bottom dwelling Tangs like brevis and other shell dwellers.

[Chris.d514]

Cool so you need extreme filtration with tropheus' from what I'm getting. Do they like planted or unplanted tanks and should I look at adding bottom feeders like plecos as well?

[moganman]

my wet dry just goes through the overflow drains down through them then down through the bioballs which really aerates the water then in the sorta sump region it goes through the heater and purigen and other carbon stuff then goes through pump and pumped back into tank.

There you go. I was just trying to explain how good they are by the steps involved in the water cyling.

[fishman1]

my wet dry just goes through the overflow drains down through them then down through the bioballs which really aerates the water then in the sorta sump region it goes through the heater and purigen and other carbon stuff then goes through pump and pumped back into tank.

[ssrprelude]

Chris I would get a decent sized canister and an extra AC 110 if you can. That should be good till you move and upgrade your setup then its wet/dry time. Anyone here can show you how to set it up.

[eklikewhoa]

They aren't that confusing. Hardest part is getting it started. Gotta use a flexible tube to get water flowing through the U Tube. It's a highly efficient filter. Water gets pumped from th sump which holds the return pump in there. Goes to the tank, circulates and aerates the water. It goes from the tank back into the overflow boxes and goes back into the sump. It first hits a sponge type filter, then it goes through the media which is most of the time, bio balls. It then goes into the sump area where the pump is. This is where the oxygenating takes place. Reason why people run both wet dry and canister is because each one is good for biological and mechanical filtration, respectively.

I've been using a wet/dry for over 15yrs now and you just confused the hell out of me.

[moganman]

They aren't that confusing. Hardest part is getting it started. Gotta use a flexible tube to get water flowing through the U Tube. It's a highly efficient filter. Water gets pumped from th sump which holds the return pump in there. Goes to the tank, circulates and aerates the water. It goes from the tank back into the overflow boxes and goes back into the sump. It first hits a sponge type filter, then it goes through the media which is most of the time, bio balls. It then goes into the sump area where the pump is. This is where the oxygenating takes place. Reason why people run both wet dry and canister is because each one is good for biological and mechanical filtration, respectively.

[Chris.d514]

I don't really know what a wet-dry is I have read alittle on them but it was fairly confusing.

[moganman]

Do canister and HOB. Or wet/dry and canister, or wet/dry and HOB, or just a powerful wet/dry. Lots of people on here will make your filtration seem like it's not adequate enough, but this game is addictive and most of us never stop at what's deemed necessary. We go WAY beyond!!!

[Chris.d514]

I'm looking at the 40 breeder or a 50 because of room limitations. Debating on a HoB filter like I have on my other tanks or trying out a canister. I was thinking pfs for the sub and adding holey rock to help buffer the water to the higher ph that they like. For lighting I am debating on a t5 setup or doing LEDs with white and either blue or red depending on which species I go with from what I have read if you go with their main color then it will help make their coloration stand out more.

[moganman]

Yup. Why not get something bigger, being at least 55g 4ft long?

[Chris.d514]

Ok then I'll look for a 40 breeder to start with.

[eklikewhoa]

Long.

You want more footprint, height is just a waste of space.

[Chris.d514]

Sweet thanks again ek. Should I get a tall or long?

[eklikewhoa]

You'll be fine with the smaller tank for now and if you start with fry the time frame is even longer.

Just to chime in, my chibongbong quadrupled in colony numbers in about half a year's time and they were housed in a 30g long.