Tank setup & Good Mechanical filtration.

[catfishbiotope]

I've moved house a few times recently and haven't really been able to do my hobby justice until now. I've just finished setting up two 3'x14"x18" tanks and a 2'x18"x15"
Am I taking on more then space allows if I attempt to breed Panaque maccus, Ancistrus sp.3, Rineloricaria eigenmanni and 2-4 species of Corydoras. I currently have all the fish in the tanks, before I moved and set this up the Bristlenose were spawning frequently, the Rineloricaria have spawned a couple of times (raised fry to saleable size once ) and my Corydoras sterbai spawn about every 2 weeks. Haven't spawned the P. maccus yet as they are probably still a bit young.
With this setup I hope to breed all the fish a few times, give them frequent "breaks" (separating the sexes) and spread the fry throughout the tanks. I don't want more fry then I can handle. NOT breeding to make money...its a hobby
So is it possible or am I aiming a bit too high???
All the tanks are overfiltered with sponge and box filters. I do 10% daily water changes with good quality water.

Also can someone advise on power mechanical filtration for the P. maccus tank? Current running a 1000l/h eheim canister and it struggles due to design and flow rate I think. And its bulky on a 3' tank and a pain to clean.
Thanks.

[StiffMeister]

you can get yourself an eheim 2260 or 2080. They are among the most powerful tank filters you can buy atm. If you want something easy to clean i'd go for the 2080. It does 1700L/hr and has a massive amount of filtermedium. Easy to clean too with the different containers. The 2260 is very powerful but a bit less handy.

[MatsP]

Catfishbiotope:

What problemm are you trying to solve with your P. maccus? That they produce a lot of "sawdust" or something else?

If all you're after is mechanical filtration, how about filling the entire canister of your Eheim filter with EhfiMech ["stone macarooni"] (which model is it, by the way, there's more than one model doing 1000lph)?

Of coruse, the other option is to just try to make it collect in one corner and siphon it frequently.

--
Mats

[catfishbiotope]

G'day Matt,
yes the problem is copious amounts of sawdust. I siphon the tank every evening...plus the added problem of having to clean out the canister (ehiem classic 2217). But probably the biggest problem I have with it is it simply doesn't seem to be collecting what it should. I was wondering if a similar flow rate internal filter would do a better job, and be quicker and easier to clean.
Due to the air-driven filters I don't have a problem with biological filtration.

[MatsP]

I don't seem to have that problem, but then I've got three

Panaque maccus

in a huge 400L tank with two pretty big (1000 lph) power-filters (one internal, one external).

I'm not sure what the solution is, really. Other than "let it be", perhaps? I'm pretty sure that the fish don't mind very much...

In my experience, small-ish internal filters tend to clog up more easily on mechanical "dirt" than the external filters, so whilst it may be easier to clean, it will need more frequent cleaning. I only clean my external filter once every two or three months, whilst the small internal filters on the smaller tanks need cleaning every other week or so [with no Panaque's in those tanks].

--
Mats

[nivola]

well I got the same problemo. I have a 4 foot by 1foot tank that has 7 sturisoma festivems and 5 panaqualus in it. The amount of crap produced is pretty mega.

Got an 2026 ehiem running off it and also set up a river tank system with two power heads and two huge sponges. 1000lph each power head at the mid level mark of the tank as to help move the crap to the filters.

I do two half water changes a week and still dont get on top of the crapage factor. It looks clean then you move the rocks and bingo a cloud arrives! Iam trying to get the tank planted as much as I can because this realy works on the reduction of the crap under the gravel surface. (plants that Iam using are the easy to grow Java fern and Anubias congensis and Anubias gigantea)

But you will still need to keep on top of the Eheim cleaning periods.

I have a crop of Black Bambo (regular version) andd that has become the feeder wood for my tanks aswell as some giant bambo peices that I have found over the year. They rip it apart quickly.

Got some photos put have to update which will happern tonight.

Matsp and catfishbiotype do you guys seen your mad little buggers at all during the day light hours???? I need to get a canapy going to bring them out I think. I see them in there caves but that is it.

[MatsP]

I do see mine during daylight, but it's rare and far between. I did see my male today and yesterday evening, apparently trying to find a cave that isn't already occupied...

--
Mats

[catfishbiotope]

Thanks for the input guys.
I sometimes see the P. maccus during the day, if I stick my nose up against the glass they vanish pretty quick though
I have borrowed an Aquaclear 300 hang-on filter off a mate and its doing a fantastic job! Water is crystal clear, no particles and theres nothing sitting on the sand either. I've put a piece of sponge over the intake and I just rinse it out under the tap when I do the daily water change. It turns over 1135l/h, so much more then the canister. Its great. I suppose the sponge blocks in it will hold a huge amount of bacteria, with no mechanical waste to clog them up.