# Need filter recomendations for 75 gallon mixed malawi



## jetz (May 27, 2013)

Hello, i have a 75 gallon tank with mixed malawi cichlids. I currently have 14 fish in it (just added two today) 
i am looking for a new filter to either upgrade or accompany my emperor 400 HOB. The 400 is okay but i definitely need more filtration.

My choices so far are:
(1) fluval 406 canister. 
(2) Aqua clear 110 HOB. 
(3) DIY sump with a 10 gallon tank i have (my concern with a diy sump is the loudness of it)

- I like the fluval because i would like to have the filter hidden under the tank and also i've heard many times that it is quieter than HOBs. 
- I was at my LFS today and the owner recommended aquaclear 110 (he said he prefers it over the fluval 406).

as for the budget, i don't mind spending $200 for a fluval 406 but i would like to stay under the $200 mark.

what do you guys use and which do you recommend for my tank?

my current stock:

- 1 Venustus (5" approx, male)
- 1 Yellow tail acei (5")
- 1 White tail acei (2" - 2.5")
- 3 Yellow labs (2.5 - 3" approx)
- 2 Chewere (2" approx)
- 1 German red peacock (3")
- 1 Female peacock (unknown, 3") 
- 1 Bicolor 500 peacock (3")
- 1 Female peacock (sunshine?, 2.5")
- 2 dragonblood peacocks (1.5" - 2" approx)


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## The Cichlid Guy (Oct 18, 2014)

As much as I like Aquaclear, I would definitely go with a canister for cichlids. But there are plenty of options below $200 if you're looking to spend a bit less. I've got two Cascade filters by Penn-Plax, and they've worked great for me. There are knock-offs such as SunSun that are also fairly popular, and have had positive feedback on forums like this.

Bio-filtration is one of the most important aspects of cichlid tanks, and almost any canister is going to offer you more capacity for bio-media than a HOB.


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## jalz1222 (Apr 4, 2014)

Use the fluval 406 for bio media just make sure clean water hits the media. And one Aquaclear 110 with The sponge that comes with it and put a polishing pand over it and you can add at least 1l/1000 grams seachem matrix


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## Fishpapa (Dec 2, 2014)

Redundancy is the way to go. Everything eventually fails, and having two or three filters keeps your tank going and your fish alive. I have a 90 gallon peacock/hap tank, and run 2 Sunsun 404b filters. They have been very reliable,and are extremely cheap especially when compared to one FX6. The amount of room for media is fabulous. In addition, I run a Fluval C4. This permits me to use Purigen bags, and be able to change them easily. Plus I can move the C4 to a hospital tank if necessary. There is no virtue in paying a lot for good filtration. The most important part of using a canister filter is to set it up properly. Coarse filter material in the bottom, medium next, and then fine pad. Above that is your biomedia (Matrix and Biohome being the best IMHO). Don't go cheap on biomedia. Bioballs and smooth ceramic rings, which are often included with your canister, are worthless. They provide no adhesive surfaces for nitrifying bacteria. Bacteria do best when they can lock onto a rough surface. Only mechanically filtered water should be touching your biomedia. Do not put a filter pad on the top of the canister. That just locks in any stray particles that your mechanical filtration has missed, and creates a cap that will permit detritus eventually to clog your biomedia. Stray particles should be expelled back into the tank and captured the next time they pass through your filter. I also use sponge pre-filters. These block the worst of the detritus, permit me to clean them at each weekly water change, extend the time between canister cleanings, and provide yet another location for the growth of nitrifying bacteria. All of this is simple and logical when you think about it.


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## ramonj6047 (Aug 4, 2011)

agree with post above, can never have too much filtration. Had a 90g with FX5 and 2 Aquaclears 110 which is now on a 180G the setup now is working fine but soon will go with an FX6 . I don't have to change the FX5 as often so that's loaded with more biomedia. And Purigen is great i have seen a difference using it.


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## hisplaceresort1 (Mar 10, 2014)

+1 on Fishpapa's remarks.
For my 75 gallon, I run 2 ea Cascade 1500's and a Fluval 405. That's about 1100 gph which is how you should be sizing things... What I mean is that you want, for a reasonably safe starting point, 10x filtration. The fluval406, if memory serves (correct me if I'm wrong) is about 400 gph, right? 
Well, that's about half the recommended filtration you want to shoot for as a "relatively safe recommended starting point". It wasn't enough for me, so I had to add the third canister. (Now I'm at 14.67 times/hour, and that works for me. But I'm way overstocked...) So if anything, buy two of them. Good Luck!


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