# Some basic Questions on a Frontosa only tank



## Fishy_Cichlid (Aug 4, 2011)

I am planning to setup a 6 ft (125 G) Frontosa only tank. There are some basic questions would like to have answered.

1. How many Fronts can i stock ?
2. Since I will be getting a ready-made branded tank with a powerhead ( approx 1000 Ltr/Hr cap) connected to a long tray-type filtration on the hood, I need to know will one canister filter suffice (approx 2500 Ltr/Hr cap)
3. Will big sponge filters inside the tank for Bio-filtration make any difference ?
4. Planning to put 2 airstones connected to 2 airpumps. What should be the approx. cap of each airpump ?
5. I love black colored substrate but Black sand is very costly. What would be the minimum thickness of substrate required and the quantity of sand thereof ? Maybe just put in plain silica sand instead.
6. Any problems of compatibility with Frontosas & Gibberosas ?

Thanks


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## Bevo5 (Mar 19, 2004)

Hi..

So a few of your questions are all related - how many fish can I have? That has a few different answers depending on a lot of factors. For one - size. How big are the fish you're going to get? Adult fronts get big...very big. And in a 125 you might only want 6 maybe. But, if you're getting them at 2 or 3 inches you can probably get a few more. There is the obvious issue of tank space for them to swim around in, but a 6ft tank offers a lot of that.

The bigger limiting factors are filtration. Not quite sure what your built-in filter is, but those tend to be fairly basic with bio-wheels etc. Typically, that could be enough. But adding on an EHEIM 2217 or something will never hurt. If you have full filters up top and a 2217 and only 6 or so fish, there's no need for the sponge filter unless you just really want it.

As for airstones - you probably wont need those either. As long as you keep good surface agitation from the filters you're more than likely ok. That just means that you should never fill the tank up so high that your filters are shooting water too far below the surface. You want to see strong ripples and bubbles. The more agitation the better.

Now if you want to fill it up higher because you want it to be completely silent...or you just want a little toy scuba diver that moves...by all means add the pumps. There are some pretty cool bubble wands and even LED bubble wands that might suit your fancy.

As for sand - you can go buy black blasting sand at home depot or most LFS's for pretty cheap. But no matter what you get, you don't want more than an inch or 1.5inches. This is for water quality issues.

Finally, gibberosa is just the fancy name for fronts from the northern parts of the lake. It's OK if they're in the same tank, but you really don't want to do that. Just pick a type that you like and get a group of those. It's the best way.

Enjoy.


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## Fishy_Cichlid (Aug 4, 2011)

Thanks Bevo5 for the information. 
The tray filter in these branded aquarium these days are a long tray broken into compartments covering the entire length of the aquarium. Each compartment can be filled with the various medias including a combination of them. The powerhead pumps water into these compartments, and water collects at the bottom of the tray and gets into the tank through an opening at the other end.

However, if the powerhead cap is 1000 Ltr/Hr (264 G/Hr) and the EHEIM 2217 is 264G/Hr ie a total of 264x2=528 G/Hr and is just about 4.224 times WV/Hr. Is this enough ? I was thinking it should be around 10 but I could be wrong. How many times Water Vol/Hr circulation should I aim for in a 125 G tank ?

Is black blasting sand the same as silica sand which is also used for sand blasting ?
Also want to know if Frontosas like agitation in the water they live in ?


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## Bevo5 (Mar 19, 2004)

The only thing that matters with filtration is that you have enough of it to handle the bio load on your tank, and you don't end up with huge pools of dead water. I you have a 2217 spitting out water on one end, and the built in filters doing their thing you should be OK. Now, I might add a powerhead with a small filter attachment just to help out but you'll be able to figure that out once you're up and running. If you notice an area with no water movement, maybe put a powerhead pointing that way and let it rip. Just don't go crazy....you don't want a whirlpool in there.

I think the sand is called Black Magic. Do a search for sand and frontosas and you'll find dozens of posts with all sorts of info. I used the Tahitian Moon sand from Caribsea. It's like $15 for 20pounds and if you order from dr. fosters smith online there is no additional shipping. You only need like 80-100 pounds. So you're looking at $75. but you can get a 50pound bag of blasting sand for probably 10-15.


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## Fishy_Cichlid (Aug 4, 2011)

Thanks Bevo5. Will certainly check up on the Black blasting sand. If its around the same price as Silica sand, I would prefer that. Otherwise Tahitian Moon sand will overshoot my tight budget. Thanks again.


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## Stosh (Apr 26, 2011)

The sand blasting material you may be talking about is Black Beauty and I bought mine from Amazon. In my 120 XH I used about 75 lbs. If I recall, it cost around $100 for 3 50 lb bags and shipping.


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