i got a 55 gallon tank for a catfish and 3 firemouths?

Question

Im setting things up like now and i was wondering if an underground filter would be neccessary. Does it make a difference in your tank or not really? Also, about how much does a kit for measuring Ammonia nitrites, and nitrates cost?

Answer 1

I would say skip the under gravel filter in that case. The fire mouths will probably move gravel around from time to time and prevent the under gravel from functioning well. Test kits vary in price from area to area and brand to brand, but a decent kit runs about $ 25-30 US around various websites.

http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/207574/product.web

MM

Answer 2

The undergravel filter is sometimes thought of as the worst kind of filter availbale and I have to say that I agree. It is a hassle to clean because you have to remove it from under the gravel and pebbles sometimes get suck in it's vent's. It's cleaning potential is quite low and it must be checked and cleaned often because of algae infestations in the filter tubes. It's also especially bad because you have firemouth cichlids, which as you might know, are substrate spawners and love to rearrange gravel to their liking and might uncover your filter. So not only is an undergravel unecessary, but it's not recommendable. Please reconsider your filtration method. If you wan't a powerful filter, I'd recomend a canister filter. The power it has as well as the different choices for filter media to modify the filtration to your needs makes a canister filter a great choice for your tank. To answer your test kit questions, ammonia test kits go for around $10, nitrate and nitrite test kits go for $8 or so. Most of these test kits can be found much cheaper on the internet (but there are S & H fees of course). Remember, the prices vary from store to store. If you find them any more expensive than I mentioned, then they're overpriced. (It also depends on where in the world you live.)

Answer 3

I would avoid undergravel filters personally, cichlids like to dig. There is also some controversy surrounding undergravel filters and how they work. A master test kit would cost around $25.00
individual tests anywhere from 5-15 depending on the test.

Answer 4

I would avoid undergravel filters personally, cichlids like to dig. There is also some controversy surrounding undergravel filters and how they work. A master test kit would cost around $25.00
individual tests anywhere from 5-15 depending on the test.