filtration for a 125g L ?

[scotty]

my wife bought me a used 125 for my b-day and it came with 3 h.o.b. filters one of wich is the bio-wheel 330 (i think it said 330) . as i have been away from fish keeping for a while (5 yrs) is that enough , oh yea , gonna have some kinda game fish set up 6-8 fish max and prolly live plants. should i add a canister? if so wich one ? the one at the aquarium shop for a 125 was like $229 a bit steep for a workin stiff , could i use a smaller canister and a h.o.b. ? this will be the largest tank i have set up so i would like to get it right .


any suggestions appreciated, Scott

[MonkeyPox]

AquaClears (the AC110 in your case) are very popular among the community and usually aren't expensive for a HOB filter.
I think DrsFosterandSmith are having a deal of some sort on the Rena canisters. I like them for their effectiveness and price. Many others prefer the Eheim and Fluval brands as well. You can't go wrong with either of them.

Get your tank cycled and then we can start looking at what you want to put in there!

Oh yea, check out the free e-book on the left for some refresher training on the hobby :)

[robnepper]

Check out the new Marineland C series canisters filters, great filter for a low price.

[scotty]

so now the question is can i get away with using a smaller canister than one rated for 125 if i am also using h.o.b.filter(s) ?

[robflanker]

Yes a smaller one, but not massively smaller.

Just out of interest, what fish are you planning on?

[MonkeyPox]

Remember, with smaller canisters, not only do you get a lower pump rate, you get less baskets to place media in.

[scotty]

prolly some game fish , maybe a smallmouth bass , bluegill, bullhead cat, warmouth, crappie, sun fish....dunno for sure still gotta build the wall its goin in ...lol
i did buy the mats for the wall today

[robflanker]

I don't know all of these fish, and i'm pretty sure someone else will go wade in, but I think you need to rethink your plan.

The smallmouth bass gets way too big for your tank. I think you'll need a pond

"Smallmouth bass prefer large clear-water lakes (greater than 100 acres, more than 30 feet deep) and cool streams with clear water and gravel substrate"
[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

Don't think its a good idea

[scotty]

i got one ...lol 1/4 acre so wen they out grow the tank i can start over..

[robflanker]

So when are you getting the other 99.25acres that the smallbass mouth should be housed in? Not to mention the 30ft depth

[blacksnow]

I'd cut down on filter media and power by getting a nice canister and ditching the HOB's

A Fluval FX5 can be had for $200-$250 brand new on ebay. This filter will offer more bio room then all 3 hobs and a smaller canister. One of the best you can get for the $

[scotty]

this pond has had a good breeding population of smallies for over 20 years...
mind you they arent the lake erie monsters but we get many over 3lbs and 16"-18"

[scotty]

yea me too if monety wasnt an issue , not to mention that the set up the wife bought came with 3 large h.o.b's so i am tryin to stay around $100