# New 125 setup~



## Boe82 (Mar 6, 2014)

Hello everyone! My name is Matt and I am new to the forum, I am setting up a new 125 as the subject says and while doing my research on different subjects I get directed to topics on this forum quite often so I thought It wouldn't be a bad idea to join in and get some input and more ideas 

I have some pretty good ideas on what I would like to do, I am set on using sand for the substrate, as I want to replicate there natural habitat as best I can, I am new to sand as I have always used UGFs with gravel, but I had issues previously with Cichlids for obvious reasons so I am definitely not going that route again. I had someone recommend using a mix of 75% play sand and 25% aragonite, but from what I read, while it isn't bad, pool filter sand is a bit better as it isn't quite as fine so it wont get kicked up quite as much and sucked into the filters, so I thought I would get the pool filter sand instead of play sand, does that sound pretty good? Also I read it is a pretty good idea to put "egg crate" on the bottom then fill in with sand to help stabilize the rocks and also help eliminate diggers from possibly toppling over rock structures, I am leaning more twards Haps then Mbuna so I don't think I will have quite as much rock as I originally intended.

Where I am stuck at atm is mostly on filtration, I had two Emperor 400 bio wheels to start out with, but I kept seeing the AC110s more highly recommended so I got rid of one of the 400s and got a 110, I will receive that next week(the tank has no water in it yet) Then I was leaning twards a canister filter, I have done several hours of research on just filtration alone, but a lot of what I run into is Fluval vs Eheim lol, Eheims certainly look nice but can be a bit expensive, so I was looking at the Fluval fx6, to help keep the initial cost of getting this aquarium setup down a bit, or two 406s, which would be about the same price as an fx6, but the thought of only one canister to maintain is a bit more appealing.

I know the Fx6 won't be enough by itself for a stocked 125 gallon cichlid aquarium, so will the fx6 and either just the AC110 or the fx6 with both the AC110 and the 400 be good? I think right now my goal is in the 40-50 cichlid range atm, plus some syndontis perhaps or pleco(s). I can add a powerhead or two as well to help with circulation.

The other part I am stuck on is, I am doing a fishless cycle, I was thinking I could start out with the 400/110 and add the canister down the road(less then a year) as the cichlid start to grow and the population increases(I am going to try to add as many in the beginning as I can) or would it be best to start out with the canister with the 400 and/or the 110?

I want to make sure I do this right the first time and I do it correctly. This is my first very large aquarium, before I only worked with max size of 90 gallons, and they all had UGFs so I am new to canisters also, but I have a buddy who highly recommended it, and he can help me get started with it. I also checked into sumps but that isn't an option atm so what I listed is what I am stuck on.

I am very excited to get this going, I am taking it slow to make sure everything is done right, and I cannot wait to see these beautiful fish in my living room once again. Thank you for taking the time to read what turned into a mildly long post lol, and I look forward to the great input I see so often on these forums


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## Austinite (Jul 27, 2013)

Definately go with pool filter sand.

I've heard/read that egg crate is not necessary and creates more problem than benefit. I've never used it. I set up my tank with the rocks on the glass bottom, then added sand. So my rocks won't topple when/if the fish move the sand around.

I have a 110 gallon and I have 2 Eheim canister filters plus the Emperor 400. As you know cichlid tanks tend to need overstocking to minimize aggression which means you will have more of a bioload. I feel you can't have too much filtration. I've heard good things about both the ac110 and fluval fx. Of course I recommend Eheim as they are my favorite. Whatever you do, I'd definately have a minimum of 2 filters. That way if one fails, you have the other running. I learned the hard way when my canister failed and it was the only filter on the tank, and I lost a lot of fish. Hard lesson learned. Now I have 3 filters! I'm covered!

I would not add the canister down the road, I would start everything up at the same time that you start your fishless cycling. There are plenty of You Tube videos on how to clean canister filters when it comes time. I found specific videos on my exact canister model, so it was easy once I got to watch someone else do it on You Tube. I'm sure there are videos available for any brand you might end up buying.

I don't know anything about sumps.


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## Boe82 (Mar 6, 2014)

Thank you for the reply. I have noticed there is only about a $20 difference between the Fluval fx6 and the Eheim 2260, the Eheim seems to have a better design, how does the 2260 compare to the fx6?


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

I have the Eheim 2260 and the Fluval FX5 and I personally prefer the Eheim filter despite the fact it does not have any media trays. Also, the Eheim 2260 does not usually come with any filter media or the required double tap valves that allow you to easily remove the filter for maintenance.

If you are looking for a filter that is almost plug and play, get the FX6 and some additional media to fill the media trays. If this is your first canister filter, the Fluval might be a better choice for you though it really hurts me to say that because of my preference for the Eheim Classic series filters.

You can check out some of the Product Reviews by other members at the top of the forum page.


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## Boe82 (Mar 6, 2014)

Thank you Deeda, that really helped, I have been leaning twards the FX6 since I really started looking at canisters, they seemed pretty easy to setup and use, as you put it, plug and play, and since this is my first experience with a canister, the simplicity is very attractive.

I am almost ready to start setting up! I just need to order the Fx6 and wait for it and the ac110 to arrive, I got all the sand I need today including 100lbs of pool filter sand and 60lbs of oolite aragonite sand, the oolite is pretty white, so is the pfs but it is a bit more tanish so it should look very nice once it is all mixed.

Very exciting!


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## skurj (Oct 30, 2011)

If you can spare the cash lean towards the 2260... Yes the fx6 is plug and play, but the 2260 will outlast the fx6 and be quieter.


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## mikeross (Nov 5, 2012)

IMO the fx6 should be enough for a 125 gallon. I have an overstocked 135g mixed african setup with large haps, peacocks and mbunas. I'm running just 1 fx5, doing weekly 60% water changes and my nitrate never gets over 40ppm weekly. Tank is crystal clear and fish are growing quickly feeding once daily. I am using pool filter sand with 2 hydor 1150 positioned in such a way that there is never any debris on my sand bed.

You need to understand the difference between mechanical and bio filtration. You need enough bio filtration to support the amount of fish you have. You need enough bio to convert ammonia thats it. The huge foam filters on the side of the fx5 coupled with the proper way to stack your media is all you need. 2 trays worth of bio media will be enough to support a over stocked african tank.

skip the fishless cycle IMO... I dont understand why people still cycle this way with the cheap products on the market that work. Look into seachem stability. The stuff really does work and anyone who says differently is not using it properly. Its needs an ammonia source to work, meaning you need to add fish right away. I have used it to start up a few tanks and it really does work amazingly.

Why wait, you know you want to add fish asap lol....


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## mikeross (Nov 5, 2012)

Skip the egg crate... its not worth it in my opinion. Just make sure to stack your rocks first so they are resting on the glass then add your sand. exposed egg crate is an eye sore. Africans love to play and move around sound. You will have your hands in your take daily moved sand back over the egg crate.

Here is my tank, stacked high with rocks and no egg crate... I have no issues.










Don't have to deep of a sand bed either IMO and try and give it a quick stir during water changes.


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## mikeross (Nov 5, 2012)

wow sorry for the big pic... I have no idea why its showing up that big. Tried to fix it but apparently I am only allowed to try edit my post once :-?


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