48 Gallon (35x18x18) Filtration Help

[donovan]

Want to get the small Pseudotrophy cichlids that get no more than 3 inches in my 48 gallon. I've been researching a ton. I know i need to overfilter. Could I do two large HOB filters? What setup would you do? I was thinking 2 males and 5/6 females with a lot of hiding spaces.

I can overstock to 18 ish fish based on the 80% of tank size then divided by half. Do you think 8 mbunas are too little for this size?

One more thing. My biggest thing is i want to do weekly water changes. It's not going to work if i have to do water changes every 3 days. If I ever go on vacation or anything. So i need a setup that can handle that.

 

[10 Tanks]

Hello. I'm curious about the need to put more filters in a tank. Why not just set up the tank and change half the tank water every few days? Filters just take in dirty water and return the water a little less dirty. The large, regular water change is the true filter.

if you keep just a few fish and feed a little every other day, you'll only need to change half the water in a 48 gallon tank once a week.

10

 

[TNG]

Want to get the small Pseudotrophy cichlids that get no more than 3 inches in my 48 gallon. I've been researching a ton. I know i need to overfilter. Could I do two large HOB filters? What setup would you do? I was thinking 2 males and 5/6 females with a lot of hiding spaces.

I can overstock to 18 ish fish based on the 80% of tank size then divided by half. Do you think 8 mbunas are too little for this size?

One more thing. My biggest thing is i want to do weekly water changes. It's not going to work if i have to do water changes every 3 days. If I ever go on vacation or anything. So i need a setup that can handle that.

I have a 48x18x18 and 7 cichlids in it, each one is about 3”. The filter is a Tydal 75 HOB. The cichlids dig and stir up the sand substrate, and the detritus gets collected by the HOB, so I have no need to vacuum it.

Over filtering doesn’t reduce the nitrate level, so I don’t know what it’ll achieve, but having live plants does. If you place large rock around the base of the plants the cichlids will them alone.

I change the water weekly or 10days, approx 30%, and if I go away it could be 3 weeks before I’m back home and change the water again. If I have to change the water every 3 days, I’ll surely find another hobby .

I can’t help with the number of fish though.

 

[donovan]

I have a 48x18x18 and 7 cichlids in it, each one is about 3”. The filter is a Tydal 75 HOB. The cichlids dig and stir up the sand substrate, and the detritus gets collected by the HOB, so I have no need to vacuum it.

Over filtering doesn’t reduce the nitrate level, so I don’t know what it’ll achieve, but having live plants does. If you place large rock around the base of the plants the cichlids will them alone.

I change the water weekly or 10days, approx 30%, and if I go away it could be 3 weeks before I’m back home and change the water again. If I have to change the water every 3 days, I’ll surely find another hobby .

I can’t help with the number of fish though.

Thank you that is awesome.

Mine is 36x18x18. I purchased 2 tidal 110's which is probably overkill, but I can reduce flow. I was going to keep one sponges and bio and the other filter floss and purigen. I also will have alot of hornwort floating at the top of the tank because I have it in my planted tanks. And I'm going to have houseplants (philodendrons) planted on the edges. I think with all of this i should be ok to change once a week with 10 fish that get no larger than 3.5 inches.

Do you have chindongos? The psuedotropheous saulosi? Hopefully i spelled that right.

 

[TNG]

Many people change 50% water once a week, but 10 saulosi in a 36" you may be pushing it. Keep an eye on nitrate, if it’s higher than 20ppm you need to remove more water.
I think you need a longer tank if you’re going to keep 10, especially if you have more than one male.
I keep Electric Yellow, Acei, Peacock.

 

[donovan]

Many people change 50% water once a week, but 10 saulosi in a 36" you may be pushing it. Keep an eye on nitrate, if it’s higher than 20ppm you need to remove more water.
I think you need a longer tank if you’re going to keep 10, especially if you have more than one male.
I keep Electric Yellow, Acei, Peacock.

How many do you think i should have in 36? 1 male and 4 females? Will that lead to more aggression?

 

[TNG]

How many do you think i should have in 36? 1 male and 4 females? Will that lead to more aggression?

I don't keep Pseudotropheus saulosi, but 1 male and 4 females sounds good to me. If you have 2 males you need to provide more space as each male needs its own territory.

Many people here have male only Malawi tanks, and it's overstocked to spread the aggression. It doesn't reduce the aggression, it's just that no one fish is solely picked on (but the weakest fish will be picked on anyway). I prefer not to overstock, it's difficult to keep nitrate to an acceptable level.

 

[donovan]

I don't keep Pseudotropheus saulosi, but 1 male and 4 females sounds good to me. If you have 2 males you need to provide more space as each male needs its own territory.

Many people here have male only Malawi tanks, and it's overstocked to spread the aggression. It doesn't reduce the aggression, it's just that no one fish is solely picked on (but the weakest fish will be picked on anyway). I prefer not to overstock, it's difficult to keep nitrate to an acceptable level.

Makes sense. So basically 4 ladies will keep the man of the house happy and all will live happily ever after.