Bananalobster Posted March 26, 2014 Report Share Posted March 26, 2014 Hi there, I'm trying to decide what the best option would be for filtration.. I'm planning a 4ft long Malawi set up. Tank dimensions will be 120x45x45 (or maybe 55 high, havnt decided). Approx 240+ liters. The tank will be on display in my living room and I want to keep the tank looking fairly natural and free of equipment. Stocking will be 10 x yellow labs and 20x demasoni, starting with juveniles. Which would be the better option as far as filtration? I have had a cf1200 before and was happy with the performance but never had anything as large a the nautilus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
POWER77 Posted March 26, 2014 Report Share Posted March 26, 2014 Iv'e got both at the moment. The CF2700 would be the better option in terms of filtration, but I think it's around twice the price. I have had the exact same size tank with a similar stocking density and the CF1200 was fine with weekly water changes. If you can afford it I'd go for the Nautilus but the CF1200 will do the job for a lot cheaper. You should also check if you have the room to fit the Nautilus (they're pretty big). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bananalobster Posted March 26, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2014 Good to know, when I said cf1200 as an option I meant I would use two of them or one nautilus. The cabinet is going to be one made up from a pet shop in Auckland. (Not sure if the rules allow me to name them?) anyway it is one that you can get custom made, built with pine and stained. Il make sure to check it fits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ismart120 Posted March 26, 2014 Report Share Posted March 26, 2014 The 2700 will be the better choice I think (3x the filter volume than a cf1200) and gives you a bit more headroom overall anyway. (Plus will be cheaper to run power wise, less overall space needed and half the piping) But, do check the space you are wanting to put it - it not a small unit in itself and may not fit tidily under your cabinet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted March 26, 2014 Report Share Posted March 26, 2014 IMO best and tidiest option would be a sump then everything pretty much can go out of sight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bananalobster Posted March 26, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2014 Don't think I have the experience or cabinet space for a sump, I want to get some serious filtration but want to keep it as simple a I can really. I'm going to look at getting holes drilled in the bracing of the tank for the filter intake / outlet... What size / place should I get them drilled? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ismart120 Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 Would you consider a FX5? Pricey but if you're going for serious filtration, thats a good way to go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bananalobster Posted March 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 Too big to fit in the cabinet I'm almost certain, and $599 is a lot more than the $349 I was going to stretch to, considering the tank is 240 liters I wanted to be ott but maybe not that ott lol if you get what I mean. I'm swinging towards the nautilus but there is hardly any info or reviews out for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nudge Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 Nautilus will be the go. 2 cf1200s will give u twice the amount of intakes/outlets that will be visible in the tank. I would go 55 wide not 55 high. Malawis will appreciate more width than height Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
POWER77 Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 :iag: keep the extras to a minimum, will make the tank look a lot better. The Nautilus is a great buy for only $350 and comes with all media, is really quiet with a good output. Only thing to be careful with is the fittings, I managed to crack one on install (was prob being a bit rough though). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bananalobster Posted March 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 Thanks a lot for all the help I would go 55 wide but 45 is as far out from the wall as I dare go, otherwise it starts cutting into the walkway space. Il have a remeasure and see if I can manage any wider. The 55 height was just going to be for viewing the tank really, because I don't know how much overhang these hoods have. Can anyone tell me the size of the intake and outlet pieces? I want to drill some tidy holes in the bracing in the corners. (Two on one side or one on each? What would be better to get a good circular flow?). Would it be in bad taste to link where I'm getting the cabinet and hood to ask for feedback / reviews? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nudge Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 I would drill 2 holes in each end brace so 4 holes all up, if you want to change the setup after a while you already have the holes drilled. I think mine are 35mm and they are to small to get the hoses for an fx5 through. I'd go 40 you only wanna do this once so cover all your bases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nudge Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 Hmmmmmm 40mm looks pretty big actually maybe mine are 25mm. Anyways go bigger than the filter you get in case you upgrade later on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bananalobster Posted March 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 Good idea with the extra holes.... I didn't think about that. Would there be some type of plumbing fitting that could plug it tidily in the mean time? If I shot for say 30ml holes and they were too small.. How hard is that to fix? Lol sorry for all the questions, I've never done anything quite like this before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nudge Posted March 29, 2014 Report Share Posted March 29, 2014 You would have to empty the tank of water if you wanted to make the holes bigger if the tank was up and running. Not sure how difficult it would be to make them bigger I would imagine it is something you only want to do once Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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