Whats the best way to setup an AC500 + Fluval 204? (55g)

[cgcaver]

OK, Ive never even owned a canister filter, so bare with me here. Im setting up my 55g for a Malawi tank, and I already own a pretty new AC500. I plan on having 12 cichlids and 2'ish bottom feeders. And yes, this will be a VERY planted tank.

So, Question #1: Is adding a Fluval204 or comparable canister even worth the money I'd spend on it? (And does fluval204 sound like a good idea, or should I check out something different?)

Question #2: If I do add a canister filter, whats the best way to set up a big HOB (like an AC500) with a canister?? Have the HOB at one end, and the canister extract/input hoses on the other end of the tank?

Question #3: With canisters like a fluval, is it possible to put the 2 different hoses wherever you want in your tank? Like could I have extraction on one end and input on the other end, in order to create some basic current??


As always, any help is sincerely appreciated!!

 

[Orion]

If you are doing a Mbuna tank, they are herbivores and may be a little tough on your plants. Also with a planted tank normaly you want to keep the surface agitation down to a minimum to help keep Co2 in for the plants to use. However, with easy to go species like some of the valis, anubias and the like, you may be ok.

#1 IMHO canisters are great for biological filtration, and HOB's are good for mechanical. So a 204 on a 55 really isn't that much, and I would think about going bigger. The 404 has 4 media trays that you could pack with just about anything you wanted, compared to the 204's 2 trays ( at least I think it only has 2 trays). You have more options with a larger canister, and if you upgrade and get a bigger tank, you already have a filter that would be quite capable of running it. If you did get a larger one, you could use the bottom two trays with a fine filter floss to further polish the water, and the upper two full of bio-media. The more bio-media the better. Especialy when your talking a Malawi tank because of the tendency to overstock them due to aggression.

#2 + #3 - Why not setup the HOB as close to the center as you can, with the intake of the canister on one end, and the output on the other? This would give you the most bang for your buck IMO, and help keep any dead areas from forming. If you also get a nice spray bar attatchment to go with the canister, you have more control over the water flow. In my tank with a Fluval 404, I have the Eheim spray bar and out of three spray bar extentions, I have one horizontal, then a 90 degree elbow, and two vertical facing opposite directions. When I bought my 404 last year, it did not come with a spray bar, and I just recently got one for it. I would go ahead and get one, they are a good investment for a canister.

HTH's some. A canister is one of the best filter investments you can get, and well worth the money.