# 1st post! Help! Too much poop in my 75 set up! (with pics)



## dunesnstars (Dec 4, 2011)

*Main issue:*
I know African cichlids are considered to be messy fish, meaning they poo a lot. Last night, we did our monthly water change and vacuumed up poo with traditional hand held gravel vacuum. But less than 8 hours later, there's poo and all kinds of debris floating around in the tank. Not too mention, there's tons of poo resting on top of the sand.

I've had this set up now since June. I do move the rocks around to change the scenery and some of the fish have fry. But before I go out and spend another few hundred dollars on another FX5, I am reaching out to the cichlid forum community for some much needed advise. Is this normal or am I just being OCD?

*So let's start with current pictures of my Lake Malawi African Cichlid aquarium:*





































*What's inside the tank:*
1) over a hundred lbs of Texas holy rock
2) at least 80 lbs of cichlid sand
3) 6 adult yellow labs (3-4 inches)
4) 6 adult rusties (3-4 inches) and 10-12 juvies
5) 4 adult wild caught dwarf blue malawi afras
6) 3 catfish
7) 3 clown plecos

*For Filtration:*
1) Korolia 750
2) Rena XP2 Canister Filter
3) Fluval FX5 Canister Filter

*Water changes and water quality:*
40-50% water changes every month and about 15-20% in between. Ph, Ammonia, etc. levels are almost always near perfect. Water is clear, meaning not foggy. We've have never lost a fish even though this is our first tank. So I have no issues with maintaining quality of water. The issue is all the debris floating everywhere!

*Thanks in advance for your advise and look forward to hearing from you!* :fish:

Sheila
dunesnstars


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## Dj823cichild (Mar 30, 2009)

Don't feed so much and there will be less poo! Or just vacuum the poop more often then once a month. That in my opinion with all the fish you have is not enough. I would do it weekly


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## dunesnstars (Dec 4, 2011)

Thanks Dj823ciclid, but with those two powerful canister filters, shouldn't the water stay clean less than 8 hours after vacuuming?


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## skurj (Oct 30, 2011)

even with more filtration the poo would still be in the water (just in the filter instead of visible) only you can control how much poop...

You could fit a hob filter on the back with lots of floss in it to try and polish the water.


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## dunesnstars (Dec 4, 2011)

The FX5 has a polishing pad. I wonder if the position of the spray bar, spray nozzles, intakes and the water pump could be the issue here?


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## bluenosebully6 (Oct 24, 2011)

Try adding a powerhead positioning the intakes for your filters at different ends of the tanks and also set them at diff levels


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## bluenosebully6 (Oct 24, 2011)

Try adding a powerhead positioning the intakes for your filters at different ends of the tanks and also set them at diff levels


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## bluenosebully6 (Oct 24, 2011)

Put the powerhead low in the tank and turn it towards an intake


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## dunesnstars (Dec 4, 2011)

Thanks bluenosebully6, just pointed the power head (korolia 750) down towards the intake for the FX5 which is on the far right side of the tank. Let's see how it goes.

There's definitely a change in direction of water flow. We just need to wait and see if the debris will flow towards the intakes...


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## bluenosebully6 (Oct 24, 2011)

Try putting the powerhaed lower in ur tank too so it kicks up the debris on the bottom of the tank


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## FishyPirate (Mar 1, 2007)

You have plenty of filtration for this setup...no need to go out and spend more money on another FX5. I had a similiar problem with my 90 and my rock setup almost mirrors yours. I tried a few different locations with one power head and my two filter intakes (Eheim 2075 and Marineland C360)...I positioned my Eheim spray bar in the middle of the tank pointing straight out and water would hit the front glass and roll down and sweep any debris toward the back of the tank where I had my powerhead low and in the back pushing it towards one corner. It worked good, I only had one spot between two rock that debris piled up over time and it was quick and easy to clean. I have since removed the powerhead and installed 3 UGJ and now I don't even have to vaccum the sand...I simply stir it up maybe once a month and thats it.


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## 60gallon (Dec 14, 2010)

You just needed to adjust the 750. I had a 90g with a FX5 and 2 koralia 750s and my water and sand stayed spotless! I made a spraybar for my FX5 so it helped push alot of debris back towards the intake.


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## dunesnstars (Dec 4, 2011)

60gallon... So you only had the one FX5 with your 90? I was thinking what I already have should be enough. Started with XP2 but had too much poo (with less fish) so went ahead and bought the FX5. Thanks for your suggestion about making a spray bar. Now we just have to figure out the best way to make one.

Thanks FishyPirate!


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

This is what I have done....after experimenting quite a bit. I have a standard 48" 75g tank and have 2 penguin 350's spaced equally apart on the back of the tank. I have one at 12" from the side and the other 12" from the other side. This puts the intakes right in the middle if I split my tank into two 24" sections. I then added a powerhead right in the middle which is 24" from either side or 12" away from the penguin powerfilter intakes. The powerhead is pretty close to the top and is pointed straight ahead at the glass. The forces a current that splits the tank evenly forcing waste and other debris to the intakes of the penguin power filters. If I pointed it at the intakes directly it would just send the waste/debris rushing past the power filter intakes thus not sucking it in. Since I pointed at the front glass it allows some of the force of the power head to dissipate before reaching the intakes. You want the debris/waste to gently float towards the intakes so it can be sucked in.

Here is a VERY crude drawing I just made in paint. The little squiggly lines from the penguin 350's are the water being expelled from the filters. I think you will get the idea though.  Don't laugh at the pic guys!!


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## czar_wilson (May 26, 2011)

LOL..... "The little squiggly lines"


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

czar_wilson said:


> LOL..... "The little squiggly lines"


I know...I know...only took me a couple seconds though.


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## 60gallon (Dec 14, 2010)

dunesnstars said:


> 60gallon... So you only had the one FX5 with your 90? I was thinking what I already have should be enough. Started with XP2 but had too much poo (with less fish) so went ahead and bought the FX5. Thanks for your suggestion about making a spray bar. Now we just have to figure out the best way to make one.
> 
> Thanks FishyPirate!


Yeah only the 1 FX5 on my 90g, *** since swapped it over to my 125g and my tank is still spotless!  You should make a spraybar, it will really help keep the sand clean.

Heres the one from my 90g. Heres my thread, if you need any help just let me know......
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/view ... ?p=1571629




























Dont mind the Eheim 2217, that was temporarily setup so that my FX5 could colonize some bacteria.









YT Video: 




I found these on my phone. This was my first attempt on my 90g before I went w/ the gray above:

The 1" I.D. hose from the FX5 attaches to the street elbow









This is the capped end


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## Nodalizer (Nov 7, 2011)

I really wouldn't worry about it myself too much.

A little poo on the bottom isn't going to hurt much, it'll be picked up next change.


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## dunesnstars (Dec 4, 2011)

Wow thanks! In this forum, you ask and you shall receive! :dancing:

It would be nice to be able to use just the FX5. Then I would be able to upgrade our smaller tank's filtration system to the XP2. Now off to home depot this weekend!

I do have a question.... I noticed you have a hydor. How did you plumb it to the FX5? Cuz ours is plumbed to the XP2.

13razorbackfan... I like the squiggly lines! And I really appreciate the thought. But for now I'm going to get busy making a spray bar! Wish me luck because I'm :-? !


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

dunesnstars said:


> Wow thanks! In this forum, you ask and you shall receive! :dancing:
> 
> It would be nice to be able to use just the FX5. Then I would be able to upgrade our smaller tank's filtration system to the XP2. Now off to home depot this weekend!
> 
> ...


Spray bars are super easy. I had them on my reef tanks. You will be surprised how easy!


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## Morpheen (Jul 21, 2010)

I agree with the others. You need to find the sweet spot in getting the flow to circulate properly. in my 75G i have a Koralia 750 2/3's of the way down the tank, on one end and its pushing the water towards the opposite end where my overflow is. The wide powerful flow pattern gets a lot of water moving along the substrate and most of the poop never gets a chance to settle on the ground, so it eventually ends up in my overflow or in one of my two Eheim 2080 intakes.


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