"SkyCatcherŽ" wrote in message
...
Hi,
I would like to set up a BIG aquaria for rift valley cichlids i.e.
12ftx2ftx2ft. Is there some I could invest in up front that would save
labour time in the long run in doing water changes?
tia,
Sky.
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By my calculactions thats 48 cubic feet.
When I was running my 8' x 30" x 30" (50 cubic feet) I had it on continual
water change.
A 15mm copper pipe was plumbed to input cold tap water continually.
The main tank overflowed into a 4' filter tank in an adjacent room which in
turn overflowed to waste.
The filter tank was arranged so the water zigzaged through various media.
Starting with nylon pan scourers, then garden perlag then coral gravel.
It was finally heated & airated before being pumped back to the main tank
via an Eheim hobby filter.
I also had two large external cannister filters, one at each end of the main
tank.
Make sure you have the tank drilled at surface water level so you can
operate an overflow filterating system of some sort.
My tank housed mostly Malawi cichlids, a combination of mbuna & Hap's.
I also had an 18" giraffe catfish in there which served as a supurb gravel
cleaner.
It spend all it's life sifting and stirring up the gravel.
Throughly recommended fish for a big tank - saves you a job!