Best Filter for Pleco Poop

[dillon]

Hi,

I have a 6ft tank with a couple of big boys out there and a lot of messy cichlids.
At present i have an FX5 and a Rena XP3 on there - i have just purchased and am awaiting delivery of a 3ft rubber "air curtain" which will help agitate the sand substrate and hopefully encourage muck to flow near the filter intakes.

Was wondering if I need purchase an internal filter to help remove the big strings of poop.
Ive also got a spare powerhead and a sponge filter, any point installing either/both of these too?

 

[matubula]

I use a Eheim 2252 internal for mech with my 16" L190 and solids handling pump and pond filter for my big panaque tank.

 

[macvsog23]

Eheim

 

[Pete]

I do run a large internal filter (fluval4 plus) as well as the external for mechanical filtration, it does seem to take out a lot of the poo and extra circulation is always helpful
Pete

 

[Doodles]

Does anyone use a FX5?
I heard they were supposed to be pretty good

 

[dillon]

Does anyone use a FX5?
I heard they were supposed to be pretty good

Yes, i have fx5s on two of my tanks - its a good filter with a high turnover, but i dnt like having the intake too close to the sand - so need something internal maybe that can be lower to the surface

 

[2wheelsx2]

If you're using an FX5 and sand, it'll be a mess every time someone stirs something up. My FX5 even sucks up river gravel. I think for pleco poop, nothing beats a good gravel vac.

 

[dillon]

If you're using an FX5 and sand, it'll be a mess every time someone stirs something up. My FX5 even sucks up river gravel. I think for pleco poop, nothing beats a good gravel vac.

yea thats the prob i have. the outtake is positioned a good 7 inches from the bottom to help reduce the suction of sand. I got rid of all the gravel and opted for sand as looks beter imo - would cost a bomb to fill the 6foot tank back with gravel lol

 

[masterweb]

Wow, i will monitor this thread, cause in my past i have accident with filter and cause my 3 fancy pleco died

 

[dillon]

Wow, i will monitor this thread, cause in my past i have accident with filter and cause my 3 fancy pleco died

What happened?
:dk:

 

[DJ-don]

i would reccomend using a sump because with a powerfull return
cichlids to my experince generally like to move around so the cichlids will de enough to lift up the crap which is succked in by o pipe or something rather and filtered in the sump

the only questions are you willing to put a sump

 

[Irene0100]

tell us more about what the plecs are and what the cichlids are?

 

[Bahney]

i had a similar problem when i had a huge royal plec, its poo looked like khulli loaches ! lol

i have a tetra tx1200 external filter but i also have an internal fluval 4 which is filled with just carbon and filter wool, it stops it getting too clogged up and keeps a good flow of water in the tank. i found that if the poo is moving in the direction of the external intake that it gets sucked up

i have sand as well and it has not been a problem.

 

[masterweb]

What happened?
:dk:

clogged canister and i was removing the aerator to another aqua. and finally several plec died. but i saved the big one L330.