stocking SAP tank

[lstratton]

I am about to upgrade my SAP tank to a Juwel Rio 240 which is about 63.4USgallons. I currently have 2 SAPs and 4 otos. I am planning on increasing this to 5SAP's and 10 oto's in the new tank, but was wondering if I would also be able to fit in 2 queen arabesque plecos (L260) which only grow to 4inches each. I just wanted to see what you all thought about this. Firstly, will the SAPs be ok with the plecos? They are fine with the otos, occasionally they try to nip them, but their current tank isn't planted heavily enough at the moment, and the new tank is going to be a very heavily planted tank with CO2 and everything.
Also, I am adding a Tetratec XP600 to the tank as well as the Juwel filter, to help with the filtration, do you think that with this, there will be enough filtration to cope with all that bioload?
Thankyou

[lstratton]

Sorry the extra filter is a Tetratec EX600, got the wrong letters

[manutius]

As far as internal filters go I have to say that the Juwel ones are great as tyhey have a huge media volume and the pumpscan be upgradeed to give a faster flow rate. The extra filter would be great too, I think your proposal is fine

[staindsk1n]

a friend of mine used to buy eheim cannister filters and run the intake tube inside the juwel filter box ( obviously taking the juwel pump out ) so it acts as a prefilter before it goes to the eheim unit....you could use the juwel box for your biological media and the cannister for chemical ( carbon etc ).

I have never tried this so cant say how good it works as i always use eheim pro cannisters ( have 1 pro2 and 2 pro 3's, the pro 3's are huge!! ) but he always said it worked well for him.

i do have TETRATEC EX600 on my small marine set up and i gotta say that although it was much much cheaper than my eheims i was really suprised at how good these filters are, both build quality and power. i bet the ex1200 really kicks......

[manutius]

I like that idea of modding the juwel filter

[Woland]

This is one of my former community tanks.
Before I put in irrubescos, I kept SAPs there.
No problems except for the occational lost neon.

Description:

90 gallon freshwater tank built into my living room wall. Rather heavily planted & decorated in order to make a semi-successful community tank containing 1 male and 2 Female Carinotetraodon irrubesco. Other fishes are a Pleco, 10+ Ancistrus, 8 SAE, 2 Mikrogeophagus ramirezi, 2 Indian Dwarf cats and 40+ Neons. Plants take some punishment from the everlasting hunt for (imaginary) snails. Small gravel as substrate. A select choice of roots are built together and attatched to a mahogany "frame" which is hidden under the gravel.
Specs: T5 lights, JBL500 outboard filter, Fluval 4+ inboard filter, a small powerhead for current.

[lstratton]

Wow that looks brilliant, maybe i'll think about putting in some other fish with them asides from otos and a couple of plecos.
Thanks for that.