Cichlid filtration

[alabaster]

Hello I am planning to buy a 20 gallon long aquarium (30"Lx12"Dx12"H) in 1-2 months, and I've been researching filtration. I will be buying convicts, and I do plan to breed them. So, I need a filter that won't suck up the fry. What I plan to buy for filtration are a powerful airpump and two Hagen Double Bio-Foam filters. My question is this: will the two sponge filters provide enough filtration to support two fully-grown convicts in a 20 gallon aquarium? Thanks for reading!

 

[freddyk]

a single sponge filter would be enough to support them, as long as your maintenance routine keeps up with the mechanical waste.

 

[alabaster]

So should I get one double filter or one single filter? The double is only about $2-3 more, but it takes up more room in the tank. If one single would be enough biological filtration, that would be great (and cheap).

How often will I need to make water changes if I have either a single or double sponge filter?

Has anyone out there ever used the Hagen biofoam sponge filters? How well do they work?