Juwel Trigon 190 Or 350? - Advise Appreciated

[tobywoof]

Hi all,

I am new to the forum and I'm hoping that someone can give me some advice. I've had a small tank set up for about 2 months with just 4 Malawi cichlids in it. I've been following start up advise to the letter. The plan is to get a bigger tank at Christmas if I still have my 4 fish in a healthy state then. I really like the Trigon corner tank but I'm torn between the 190 or 350 litre version. Would anyone be able to advise roughly on the 2 main factors for my decision.
1) The rough number of cichlids I could safely keep in each tank
2) The cost difference in running a 190 litre versus a 350 litre tank.


I know the answers to these questions may not be straight forward, but any advise would be really appreciated.

Many thanks

Phill

 

[Aquascaper]

The best advise I can give is to to add up the wattage of both tanks.....pump, heater and external filter (if you decide to use one - recommended as cichlids need to be overstocked to reduce aggression). That will give rough electricity running costs.

As for the other things like de-chlorinator, etc. they are negligible really.

With regards to stocking it all depends on the type of cichlids, what do you have at the moment? I was planning a species only tank with Pseudotropheus saulosi and would have had 15 - 20 in my Trigon 190.

 

[tobywoof]

Hi Aquascaper,

Thanks for your prompt reply and the pointers. I believe the type I have are called Metriaclima lombardoi.

I have seen some cichlid tanks on youtube that have a LOT of fish in them, due the aggression issue you mentioned. Would you be able to recommend a good external filter for the 190 and the 350 to help me figure out the total cost.

If I bought an external filter, would I be able to remove the built in filter at the back do you think?

Kind regards

Phill

 

[Aquascaper]

I only researched those particular cichlids i decided on as there's so many different species so you'd be best making a post in the cichlid section to get better advice.

As for the filter situation, most people with Trigons remove the internal box as it takes up a lot of room and isn't the most efficient. It's just held on with silicone so gentle force will remove it (or a flat blade or steel ruler slide behind). I had an Eheim 2226 Pro 2 in the cabinet underneath but that was a bit overkill (it was on my old reef tank).

Most Cichlids require good water movement so getting an external with a big output is not a problem (and bigger output equates to larger filtration capacity so it's a win-win). There's so many different externals available its more personal choice and price that determines which one after basic requirements of capacity/flow rate. Eheim, Fluval, Tetratec and All Pond Solutions are all good makes but keep in mind that some flow rates quoted are 'when empty' so with filter media in they actually run slower. Eheim and Fluval are exceptions, their quoted flow rates are when full. The tank size value of the filter is not affected by this though so a filter for 'up to 200l' will do a tank up to 200l regardless of how much flow it produces.

 

[tobywoof]

Hi again,

Thanks again for all the advice. I will work out the wattage as advised and go for an external filter. Hopefully I'll be back in the new year to show you the tank.

Many thanks

Phill

 

[snazy]

The bigger the better, otherwise you are gonna want a 3rd tank by March

 

[Aquascaper]

The bigger the better

Not always with the Trigons, the 350's can be a real pain in the bum to reach the back for maintenance, etc.

 

[tobywoof]

Hi again,

I'm really conflicted over what size to buy. I'd love a Trigon 350 but the price jump from the 190 version is pretty big. The cheapest I can find a 350 with cabinet is around £950 here: http/www.rocketaquatics.co.uk/juwel-trigon-black-aquarium-cabinet-plus-free-decor-p-237.html - Does anyone know where it can be bought cheaper?

Do you guys think the Fluval 406 external filter would be ok for the trigon 350 tank? - I want to overstock.

I'd also like to use a white sand that would benefit the fish pH wise, does anyone know any online stores I could buy this and roughly how much I'd need for the 190 and 350 versions?

Sorry for all the questions, but it's going to be an expensive set up so I need all the help I can get to get it right!!

Phill AKA tobywoof

 

[snazy]

Hi again,

I'm really conflicted over what size to buy. I'd love a Trigon 350 but the price jump from the 190 version is pretty big. The cheapest I can find a 350 with cabinet is around £950 here: http/www.rocketaquatics.co.uk/juwel-trigon-black-aquarium-cabinet-plus-free-decor-p-237.html - Does anyone know where it can be bought cheaper?

Do you guys think the Fluval 406 external filter would be ok for the trigon 350 tank? - I want to overstock.

I'd also like to use a white sand that would benefit the fish pH wise, does anyone know any online stores I could buy this and roughly how much I'd need for the 190 and 350 versions?

Sorry for all the questions, but it's going to be an expensive set up so I need all the help I can get to get it right!!

Phill AKA tobywoof

The Fluval 406 filter is 1450 L/H. If you use this on a 350litre tank, then it may not handle even half of the stock the tank can normally house. It would filter only 4 times the ammount of water an hour for a 350 tank and 7 times the ammount of water an hour for a 190 tank roughly. I would put two filters aiming at least 10 times the ammount of water an hour and even higher rate. Then you can comfortably overstock as long as there's no other stress factors.

 

[Aquascaper]

Due to the Trigons shape two externals is not the best idea so look for one large external first.....that way there's less clutter in the tank as well as using less power.

Filtration would be ok at x10 the tank volume but the more the better. Don't be concerned about flow in the tank though as powerheads can be added to increase that.

Something like a Fluval FX5 would do with an additional powerhead.

 

[Hermithall]

Here's my Trigon 350 Phil, I have 2 externals plus internal powerhead (Tetratec 1200 and AllPonds 2000) which does create a bit of equipment clutter in the back but you can get round this by directing light towards the front with tube reflectors, effectively plunging the back of the tank into shade. I think running costs between the two Trigons is kinda negligible but the 190 would obviously be a bit cheaper. Bigger tanks are easier to look after, more stable. I'd recommend you try and get a 350 so you can have more/bigger fish, I know I'm glad I got the bigger one. Well filtered 350 will house 10-20 mixed Malawi (3-6") but you'll have to be more conservative with a 190, maybe lean more to small or dwarf species - just my opinion though I'm no expert! My 350 was £400 second hand (ebay) with lots of equipment, keep an eye on gumtree etc for bargains, they're silly money new!

http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeS1uuuq4TU

 

[Hermithall]

Get a 25kg sack of coral sand, it's just enough for a 350 and I imagine you'd have spare if you bought it for a 190. I bought 5mm stuff on ebay for £29 free delivery, you can probs get it cheaper shopping around.

 

[cianmg]

get the bigger tank i went for a smaller tank because of price once and no i have 3 but still want a bigger one

 

[mossonthemoon]

One more cost difference you might want to keep in mind is feeding. If you have twice the number of fish (or near that), feeding will be twice as expensive. If you plant to give a wide variety of food that may prove to be expensive, depending on what is available for food around you.

 

[tobywoof]

Hi all,

It's been a while since I checked this thread that I started. Not sure if anyone is still keeping an eye on it but thanks for all the replies. Hermithall- I really like your tank with the 3D Background.

After a LOT of internet searching, I have decided not to get the Trigon 190 or 350. Instead, I went for the 4ft, 330 litre tank being sold by All Pond Solutions. They have a 15% discount code, I think it was OCTOBER-15. This gave me 15 percent off the tank, which basically meant I got my large external filter for free. It should arrive on Wednesday, but won't be set up until next weekend. Will post a pic once it's up and running, albeit with no fish...

I'm still torn between what type of cichlids to get. I like the mbuna but I am put off by the aggression. That's why I'm thinking peacocks/haps. Hopefully, will be able to start stocking the tank before xmas.