# doing too much?



## eeztropheus (Jan 10, 2010)

I have a 55 gallon hex tank- it has 15 fish total 12 of them are trophs, they range from 1.5-3". It is filtered with an fx5 a hot mag 250 and a ugf powered by an airpod for a 75 gallon tank... I do a 30-45% wc weekly.

With all that filtration going on, is it possible that I'm ovedoing it? Could I do a 50% wc every 2 weeks or even once a month?

Any useful info would be appreciated...

Thanks


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## kmuda (Nov 27, 2009)

You could hang the filters from Shamu's tank at water world on your tank and they would not reduce the need for water changes.

Standard filtration does not remove nitrate (it creates them) and nitrates are the primary reason you perform water changes on an established tank.

The only way to reduce water changes is to reduce nitrates. The best method of accomplishing this is via the old standby..... the solution to pollution is dilution. A bigger tank or reduced stocking.


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## eeztropheus (Jan 10, 2010)

True, nitrates...

How do you feel about ugf's?


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## Pali (Dec 22, 2009)

Plants can also reduce WC, but you need a serius load of plants. The filtration sounds like it's good, you can't really over filter your tank. You can waste a little energy from pumps running thats not needed, but on the other hand you don't have to clean filters very often if they are over sized.

UGF's have a chance of doing more harm then good, but there are also others who have great ekspiriances with them. Read up on them and make up your own mind, as im shure you could easy get a lot of for and against comments on UGF and still get no where in knowing if they are good or bad. People have been debateing UGF for more then a decade and still there are like 50/50 for and against.

Personaly I would give your trophs a bigger and long tank, atleast when they get a little bigger im shure they would be very happy with a different tank.


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## kmuda (Nov 27, 2009)

eeztropheus said:


> How do you feel about ugf's?


I think UGFs are nitrate factories. More than that, they are a paradise for potentially pathogenic bacteria.


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## eeztropheus (Jan 10, 2010)

Pali said:


> Plants can also reduce WC, but you need a serius load of plants. The filtration sounds like it's good, you can't really over filter your tank. You can waste a little energy from pumps running thats not needed, but on the other hand you don't have to clean filters very often if they are over sized.
> 
> UGF's have a chance of doing more harm then good, but there are also others who have great ekspiriances with them. Read up on them and make up your own mind, as im shure you could easy get a lot of for and against comments on UGF and still get no where in knowing if they are good or bad. People have been debateing UGF for more then a decade and still there are like 50/50 for and against.
> 
> Personaly I would give your trophs a bigger and long tank, atleast when they get a little bigger im shure they would be very happy with a different tank.


I'm cycling a 5' 100 gal as we speak . A little nervous about moving the trophs though :?


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## eeztropheus (Jan 10, 2010)

kmuda said:


> eeztropheus said:
> 
> 
> > How do you feel about ugf's?
> ...


I think i'll pull the UGF out of the 100 and replace it with sponge filters, along with the fx5...


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## NorthShore (Feb 3, 2006)

Test your tank water for nitrate accumulation and then do water changes based on how much you need to reduce the nitrates. Also look at the foods you use and how frequent you feed. Lower quality feed will have more filler which will lead to more material simply going through the fish and ending up adding to the nitrate count.


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## Pali (Dec 22, 2009)

Don't be nervuse about moveing your trophs, just wait till your tank is fully cycled and maybe got some algea growing. I like to seed the tank with spirulina powder, that way you can enshure that there will grow plan ty of spirulina on rocks and other surfaces.

Then move them a little before lights out and give them a nights rest, you could cover the tank but should not be needed unless the tank is in a place with alot of trafic. Next day your trophs will be fine no worrys, they will enjoy the much bigger tank forshure.


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## eeztropheus (Jan 10, 2010)

Pali said:


> Don't be nervuse about moveing your trophs, just wait till your tank is fully cycled and maybe got some algea growing. I like to seed the tank with spirulina powder, that way you can enshure that there will grow plan ty of spirulina on rocks and other surfaces.
> 
> Then move them a little before lights out and give them a nights rest, you could cover the tank but should not be needed unless the tank is in a place with alot of trafic. Next day your trophs will be fine no worrys, they will enjoy the much bigger tank forshure.


I finally moved the 5 brichardi ulwiles to their new tank. They seem to love it they are eating like crazy. I think I'm gonna move the bembas in a couple days or so...


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## Pali (Dec 22, 2009)

:thumb:


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## eugenechng (Mar 2, 2006)

It's always good to overfilter than to underfilter your tanks to prevent spikes in ammonia due to the filter's bacteria not being able to cope with the additional wastes from the fishes. Adding nutrient hungry plants like Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides) and Hornwort will greatly reduce nitrate and phosphate in the tank. Another good alternative is to setup an Algae Tuff Scrubber. While you'll be able to greatly reduce your water changes, the downside is that you'll be spending more on your electricity bills to keep your plants and algae growing well.


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## punman (Oct 24, 2003)

Filtering sounds fine.
I do a 1/3 water change every 10 days on my 90 gallon tropheus tank and have done that for three years. It works for me.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

For sure you are not overdoing the filtration. A 75g can be maintained with just sponge filters and a lot of work. No filtration regime reduces the water change regime much for Tropheus.

For serious Tropheus breeding you want a 100g+ tank and x20 per hour turnover filtration and at least 30 fish.

Few provide this inc me. I guess that is why they remain a high priced fish for decent sized ready to breed groups.
For sure not convinced about the high quality food argument. For sure high nutrients and easy to digest food keeps em from producing lots of poo for the filters but then high gut load is natural for em and low roughage diets are a short term thing that can only lead to health probs long term. Kind of swings and roundabouts and no way of winning long term in a small tank?

All the best James


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