Undergravel, Sponges, HOB and Canister Filtration and Cichlids ???

[Maize-N-Blue-D]

What type of filtration is the most popular within the Fish Room community ?  (Sponges or UG using a blower)

Is it recommended to use an UG filter on a 55 or larger tank?

is it recommended to use a Sponge filter on a 55 or larger tank?

I suppose if you are keeping fry tanks it UG or Sponge, but if you are keeping a show tank then a HOB or Canister or Wet/Dry system is prefered - Right ?

[linuxrulesusa]

For me, I run HOBS with plecos or larger cichlids that produce a lot of waste.  On fry tanks I do sponge filters.  On most of my tanks I have sponges + HOBs (sponges to hold the bacteria, HOBs to clean the crud out).  Then I can rinse the sponges etc from the HOBs without worrying about losing bacteria.

This is on tanks ranging from 5.5 gallons up to about 85 gallons.  I've not had larger so I haven't needed to get canisters yet.

[Jaws22]

I'am no expert but I can tell you the results in my tanks. I use all 4 options you mentioned,the tanks with undergravels in combination with sponges are crystal clear. A lone Rena canister filter with an air stone is crystal clear. The HOBs with sponges are clear but get cloudy faster. The HOBs alone stayed on the cloudy side until I put Bubble up corner filers in with more charcoal than floss, as I need more sponges and valves. I hope this helps.

[linuxrulesusa]

One other thought - the size of HOB is a big factor as well.  For example, I have 2 aquaclear 110s on one of my 75s (with larger cichlids/plecos).  That's around 1000 gallons of flow on a 75 gallon tank, or about 13x water turnover.  I have some Whisper 60s on my 20g pleco tanks (300 gph on a 20g tank).  A while back, when I tried an Aquaclear 20 (100gph) on a 29 gallon tank, it just wasn't keeping up with the waste output of the (somewhat heavily stocked) tank.  So...if you can afford and have it fit on your tank, overfiltering is better, both in terms of size of HOB and size of sponge.  That way you don't have to do a gravel vac every 2-3 days to suck out the piles of waste sitting here and there.  Not that you should skimp on water changes, but it makes the tank look better in between WCs.

[Maize-N-Blue-D]

Have you ever thought about a DIY filter using pvc pipe ?   Youtube is loaded with DIY filter projects ?

[four_by_ken]

Have you ever thought about a DIY filter using pvc pipe ?   Youtube is loaded with DIY filter projects ?

The next tank I set up will have holes drilled in it and I will make my own wet/dry.  Until then it will be a combination of hob and canister filters.

[Maize-N-Blue-D]

Is your plan to build a wet/dry from an old aquarium or will you be building a chambered acrylic sump?  I wonder if a 5 gallon bucket placed inside an old aquarium with a pump wouldn't be the easiest way to go?  I have been watching DYI videos and this seems to be the simplest way to go without spending a hole lot of $$...

[Regalblue]

Is your plan to build a wet/dry from an old aquarium or will you be building a chambered acrylic sump?  I wonder if a 5 gallon bucket placed inside an old aquarium with a pump wouldn't be the easiest way to go?  I have been watching DYI videos and this seems to be the simplest way to go without spending a hole lot of $$...

I have the bucket sump on my 180. It works just fine.

[four_by_ken]

Is your plan to build a wet/dry from an old aquarium or will you be building a chambered acrylic sump?  I wonder if a 5 gallon bucket placed inside an old aquarium with a pump wouldn't be the easiest way to go?  I have been watching DYI videos and this seems to be the simplest way to go without spending a hole lot of $$...

Myself, not sure what the direction would be.  Either the 4 drawer type, if it would fit... or the 5 gallon bucket.

[Maize-N-Blue-D]

Blair, is that the only filter you have on that 180?  Also what type of media are you using inside the bucket and how many trays did you make to fit inside the bucket ?