[mdaniel1984]

I've never set up a 120 Gallon tank

I'm in need of help/recommendation of a filter set up.

I'd prefer Canister rather than the over hang style.

Thank you kindly
Mike

 

[noddy]

I used two Eheim 2217's with a Koralia 1500 powerhead on each of my 5' 120g Tropheus tanks.
Depending on the fish you stock, you might not want the extra water movement from the powerhead.

 

[mdaniel1984]

Thank you for you're reply!

I'm look at species from Lake Malawi

 

[noddy]

I have no experience with Malawi fish but I'm sure someone will chime in.

 

[BlueSunshine]

2 fx6's or 2 fx4's

 

[SoccerMbunaAndShak]

Putting a sump on that size of a tank is almost always cheaper than running two canisters, but sumps do tend to be more difficult to set up and sometimes, maintain. If you don't want to drill your tank or do a lot of set up work, a sump wouldn't be for you. The 100-200 dollars more you spend with canisters may be worth it if you want ease of maintenance and setup. I personally like sumps as I have some experience with them, so set up and maintenance are not an issue for me. They also do a slightly to significantly better job in terms of filtration (depending on the style of sump). I also like the feeling of knowing you just saved a lot of money. Call me cheap, but I sure do like the extra cash lol.

 

[gsubioguy]

I've always had HOB and canisters but until recently my largest was a 75--all FW. That being said, I recently set up a 120 (drilled) so I've done A LOT of reading/research on sumps. Since both HOB & canisters are essentially plug-n-play, neither has an advantage over the other from that stand point. That being said, canisters have the potential to hold more media (both mechanical & biological) and this is important for cichlids since they can be "dirty" fish.

If your budget allows, I'd suggest two FX6s.