ok , i'll be setting up a new 60 gallon tank very soon, as i have never had such a big tank, i want to make if fantastic, for my fish, so basically i know i need a light and heater, which i know which ones to get but i'm totally lost on what filter or filters i need, i will have eight fancys in there, ranchus, lionhead celestial and bubble eyes, i'm also have a bare bottom tank, so i would like a filter that has the, part that goes to the ground and picks up any fish poo from the bottom, the valve looking thing.

anyones avice or suggestion are great appriciated.



thanks:)

Since 8 goldies is really a substantial overstock for a 60 gallon tank, you are really going to have have a beefy filtration system and you are going to have to keep careful tabs on the water parameters. You will most likely need to change out 30% or more water every 4 days or so.

A filteration system for a tank that big is going to have to come from multiple filters. There are really no filters easily available that will do an entire 60 gallon tank by themselves.

I, personally, am a fan of Emperors and Eheim. But there are many others that others have luck with, too. What I would suggest is to take a look at an Emperor 400 and an Eheim cannister (or equivilant) as big as you can get. You are aiming at at least 15 times turnover per hour on your tank - with that fish load you are going to need that as a minimum - more is better. My Eheim does 286 gph, and I have 2 Emperor 280's on a 56 gallon tank. That is around 846gph for a 56 gallon tank. I have only 3 fish in there - but they are large.

Having multiple filters also helps when you go to clean them - clean one each time and leave the others and you do not bump a cycle. Putting a 280 at either end of the tank and the cannister intake in the center will sweep your tank floor quite well.

A cannister such as an Eheim is really a workhorse in biological filtration. The Emperors are great for both mechanical and biological - so look for filters where you can really bio-load them. You will need it for that many fish.

That is going to be an awesome tank.

Put on an Eheim and an Emperor.

Or a Filstar and an Aquaclear (makes up for lack of bio-wheel with lots of media room) if you're strapped for money.

Visi-therm Heaters =

What was it, 5 watts per gallon you need?

I'd also look into an airstone or airwand.

I agree with multiple filters, I have 2 penguin 330s and a filstar XP3 on my set up.
Another thing to consider is a good gravel vac or system to clean up the poop.

The HOB's on each end and the cannister in the middle set up works great too.

Can't wiat to see pics of your set up

hello everybody, thanks for the advice, i know i'm alittle over stocked, but i'll be getting another tank next year to put my delicate eyes in there, or i will try to rehome two of my fish. if there is someone i can give them too so if there is anyone in victoria australia, that would like them i'm happy to give them to you.


i think when i actually go to get my filters i will take my friend along with me, as she is much more experienced in fish equipment then i am.

Actually, I was thinking a Penguin 350/Emperor 400 on the left with an Eheim 2228 on the right (well, the spray bar on the right). Your tank is 125 gallons so she probably doesn't need that much filtration.

well, this week i'm gonna find out the price for a 90 gallon, so i might get a bigger one, now be honest guys will a 90 gallon require less maintanance, or would it be the same, and how often would i need to do a water change, and of how much. thanks guys you have been very help full.

You can certainly beef up the bio-cycle to be able to process the large bio-load those fish will produce. But you still will have to deal with the end product - nitrate.

The larger tank will help support the nine fish for you with less volume water changes. In a cycled tank, you are changing the water to dilute the amount of nitrate that the fish and cycle create.

The fish produce a given amount of ammonia which is converted to nitrate. With a larger volume of water, that nitrate is diluted out to a lower concentration - one that can be dealt with with fewer water changes.

Example: (ficticious numbers for mathematical ease)

50 gallon tank - 100 ppm nitrate per week
Change 50% - 50ppm
Change 50% - 25ppm
But the fish continue to produce more and a 50% (75%)change is too dramatic. So you end up having to change 30% every 2-4 days just to keep barely ahead of the nitrate.

100 gallon tank - same amount of nitrate= 50ppm nitrate per week
Change 50% and you have 25ppm nitrate. So you can change 30 % of the water every 5 days or so and keep ahead of it.

True - 30% of a 100 gallon tank is 30 gallons, but 30 gallons every 5 days is better than 15-20 gallons every other day, particularly if you are able to utililze a Python or some such labor saving device.

These numbers are pure fiction, but you will be fighting large amounts of nitrate that will never seem to decrease. Large changes every day or two can really get you down.

Besides a big tank is thing of beauty!

the reason why i wa thnking the 90gallon was because that way i could keep all 8 of my fish, and i would just prefer to have the one tank. also just wondering is it possible to make a phyon vaccum thingy, some how like a hose, and put it out on your lawn when doing a water change, i would love to make something like this if possible, it would make life much easier. i was wondering if you could probable do this by starting the suctioning, then attating it to a hose of some sort then have that going out side do you think that would work????? i might experiment with this on the weekend.