New Tank help

[Searing]

Use to be an old time cichlid enthusiast, and looking to get back into the hobby. I am looking to get a 150-200 gallon tank set up with new world cichlids. Most likely firemouths as the main event as this was my one of my first cichlids as a kid. I was looking to see if anyone had any advice on a filtration set up on tank that size, and what they would recommend.

I have a finished basement and the tank will be going in there, but this is be relatively close by to my TV area, so I was hoping to get as quite a system as possible but still strong enough to get the job done on a tank that size.

[ScottFish]

Welcome to the Forum! I love my canister filter; very quiet. Most of the canister filters I know only go up to about 100 gal. Perhaps two? I will let others weigh-in on this. You will also probably need to add powerheads to keep the water moving. Welcome again.

[Searing]

I am not sure if i should get two smaller canister filters, or one larger one, and what type of media i should be using for a new world (central/south american) cichlid tank. I am guessing a traditional 3 stage canister filter would probably do the job, but the larger ones that can handle a 1500g-200g tank seem big and loud.

[Diana]

I would go with 2 of the larger canisters. The manufacturer's ratings seem to make the canisters better than they are. Adding a couple of Koralia style circulation pumps is a very good idea.

Decor for SA/CA (South American or Central American) cichlids will be different than the Rift Lake cichlid decor.
The Rift Lakes are very high in mineral content, and stones of a limestone or related material work well. Most lake areas have little or no aquatic plants except for the algae that many fish graze on.
SA is almost always very soft water, may be pH neutral or acidic. CA is often just a bit higher pH, and a bit more mineral content, but nowhere near as hard and alkaline as the rift lakes. More plants in the water. More plants on the banks will mean fallen branches in the water. The substrate could be a neutral (non-limestone) sand. Depending on how close to the Firemouth biotope you want to get, other decor may suit other fish you want to keep. Firemouths are found in a very wide range of biotopes, so almost anything could be appropriate. They have been raised in captivity for so long they will thrive in almost any water parameters. Several livebearers are also native to CA.
Corydoras and many algae eating Loricariads are native to South America, but are adaptable enough to thrive in the slightly harder water you may want for a primarily Central American tank.

[Searing]

thanks ill look into getting 2 smaller canister ones

[Ginnes]

What's the difference between going with smaller and larger canisters apart from the size itself?

[ScottFish]

Check the flow rate. Too slow: your tank has dead spots; think: algae factory. Too fast: think: race track for weary fish.