# 125 Gallon Filters



## Scrambler87 (Jan 5, 2015)

Ok so yesterday yall are gonna hate me alot for the deal I got but I picked up a 125 (only 6 weeks old guy upgraded to a 150 shortly after buying the 125 SCORE!) stand and a 110 (6 footer yes a 110 6 footer) for 300 bucks.

Now I am going through this set up. I already have numerous african tanks but the 125 is giving me some ****. I am trying to decide which canister I want to go with to provide the 10x turn over rate I am gonna need due to I will be over stocking this 125. Now I know I know...over stocking many don't like it but I prefer to do it this way as I want to be able to cull the good ones I want to keep for breeding purposes out of the breeders I have already and have a gorgeous show tank for my customers.

Now I have narrowed down the filters to the following canisters: 
Fluval FX6 (currently 270 on Amazon)
Eheim Pro 3e 2078

Now the option I do have is the 110 that came with the 125 was used prior as a sump. Now with that said. I could use it again as a sump as it still has all the baffling in it and so forth. Sadly no pump or any of the other bits and parts.

Now sumps are a new world to me and I have never built or ran a sump.

WIth that said. If going the sump route would be better...what do I need to look at getting...Mind you the 125 is not drilled.

This tank will be housing Haps,Peacocks and Mbunas.

Any input would be great...


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

I can only comment on the canister filters and I would use Eheim 2262s personally.


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## nodima (Oct 3, 2002)

to go with a sump, you need some sort of overflow, or to drill the tank. I've used HOB overflows in the past, and had good luck with them, others don't care for them.

Also you need a return pump.

Sumps are all about balancing the amount of water in the overflow and the return. I've been happy running a Mag 12 on my 125

With a sump of that size, you don't need 10x flow as you will be able to support massive amounts of media.


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## Scrambler87 (Jan 5, 2015)

Hmm ok...I will have to price out the options for sure then on the sump set up. Thanks!


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## pelphrey (Apr 9, 2014)

Check amazon again. The price on the fx6 went back up to $339, I saw the 270 price on Saturday and should have jumped on it! You could run a sump on the 125 and also a smaller canister for mechanical filtration.


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## skurj (Oct 30, 2011)

2262 costs a small fortune but would do the job just fine. I run one on a 180g but with an fx6 and ac110 as well.
I am about to build a 125, with an fx6.. I haven't decided if I will also add a ac110..

One of these days I will take the plunge into a sump, I am not the most handy, and sumps are all DIY!! makes me nervous ..


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## scott b (Feb 5, 2014)

I run two 500 aquatops and to sponge filters on my 125 I have found the 500's for 125 a price on line


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## Ryan_R (Aug 20, 2014)

I use an XP3 and XP4 on each of my 125's. Lots of Eheim mech inside each. With sand substrate, there's very little maintenance aside from weekly water changes.

-Ryan


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## cprings (Sep 10, 2003)

I use a Sunsun 404B, Fluval 404, and an Aquaclear 500 on my 125. It is a heavily stocked Mixed Malawi Male Tank. May be replacing the 404 with another canister soon. You can get ZenBlue 404Bs on amazon for 79.99 right now. These are the same thing as the sunsun and aquatops.


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## thegundog (May 1, 2012)

A 110 Gallon sump on a 125 - definetly!

If you are patient (first rule of fish keeping) and willing to "shop" I would think you could get it set up for the same price, or less, as one of the name brand higher end canisters.

There is a ton of great information on the web in terms of getting a sump set up.

No question that is what I would do....


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## Handyjoe (Jan 11, 2015)

Is it possible to use, say a FX6, as a return pump for a sump? The FX6's input on the sump while the outflow to the tank. Just curious...
Joe.


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## Ryan_R (Aug 20, 2014)

Handyjoe said:


> Is it possible to use, say a FX6, as a return pump for a sump? The FX6's input on the sump while the outflow to the tank. Just curious...
> Joe.


Nope! Even if it kinda worked (canisters aren't designed to pump "up"), once the power goes out, you'll have a nasty siphon back out of the tank.

-Ryan


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## Handyjoe (Jan 11, 2015)

Ryan_R said:


> Handyjoe said:
> 
> 
> > Is it possible to use, say a FX6, as a return pump for a sump? The FX6's input on the sump while the outflow to the tank. Just curious...
> ...


Thanks, Ryan! One could put a check valve on the outflow line to prevent the siphon action from the tank. Isn't the FX6 under the stand already pump it up high to the tank, or it also relies on the gravity feeds to complete its cycle?


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## J_R_W (Jun 22, 2014)

I have a 58 gallon with a fluval 305 now and I am planning on an upgrade to a 125 gallon tank. The space I am putting it in may not work well for a canister. I was advised that two emperor 400's could handle the 125. I have never used hob for large tanks. Would you think I would be happy with that.?


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## Ryan_R (Aug 20, 2014)

Handyjoe said:


> Thanks, Ryan! One could put a check valve on the outflow line to prevent the siphon action from the tank. Isn't the FX6 under the stand already pump it up high to the tank, or it also relies on the gravity feeds to complete its cycle?


Yeah.... it's sort of the gravity feed thing: Basically the input and the output on the tank equalize the pressure on the canister's pump. Pumping "up" is pretty hard to do.... an when you need that water to go through a filter too, it's going to be a real chore.



> I have a 58 gallon with a fluval 305 now and I am planning on an upgrade to a 125 gallon tank. The space I am putting it in may not work well for a canister. I was advised that two emperor 400's could handle the 125. I have never used hob for large tanks. Would you think I would be happy with that.?


I had lousy luck with Emperor 400's. They got noisy and croaked on me. Most canisters should fit fine under a 125g stand.

-Ryan


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## J_R_W (Jun 22, 2014)

Thanks Ryan. It is not going on a stand, it is hopefully going on a built in counter. I would like to avoid drilling through the counter. The canister I use now is sitting beside the 58. I don't like that arrangement and I don't think there would be enough space anyway. That's why I would like to try hob's if they would work.


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## Ryan_R (Aug 20, 2014)

Some folks swear by the AquaClear HOB's... never tried them, but I'm fairly turned off from the Emperor 400's these days. Worth starting a new post for this question.

-Ryan


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## testtube (Jan 23, 2014)

I have a 125g tank also. I came up with a new DIY power head filter that has been working great, Check out my DIY power head filters. The link is below:
viewtopic.php?f=30&t=216330 
The nice thing about this system is that other than cleaning the filter media once a week ( because it really pull the gunk out of the water) and doing a 50% or more water change every 2 to three months. Maintenance is really not that much.


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