Emmanuel's 100g Tank
- Thread starter emmanuelchavez
- Start date
Angels and rams are cichlids aren't they? If so, I've got that covered.
I'm not entirely sure how to stock this one though, I only want to stock it with my current fish, and then add more fish after the semester is over if there's room. (I'd like to understock and overfilter this one
)
Current Stocks:
20 Gallon:
3 Koi Angels (very young and small, but still... grossly overstocked, 1 of the original 4 got itself tangled in the roots of the massive amounts of java fern I put in there while I keep waiting for the stand for my 29 gallon to come in, and it died last night)
1 Bolivian Ram
10 Otos
Some ghost shrimp
15 Gallon:
Bunch of Cherry Shrimp, and 2 Amano (and some planaria, daphnia, and stupid hydras)
10 Gallon:
1 pair GBR's
5 Mystery Snails
5 Gallon: (another grossly overstocked one b/c my stupid 29 gallon stand still hasn't come in!)
1 Crowntail Betta
1 Female Guppy
3 Pygmy Cory
2 Peppered Cory
The 20 gallon tank is going to be a shrimp only, so that one's spoken for.
Here's what I'm thinking for the 100:
3 Angels
1 Bolivian Ram
2 Peppered Cory (I'll be increasing their school up to 6)
10 Oto's
Maybe the guppy too... she's a feeder that hitch-hiked in with some ghost shrimp as a fry many months ago.
Then the 29:
1 Crowntail Betta
3 Pygmy Cory
1 Pair GBR
That about covers it, I think... The ghosties I'll put into the 100 gallon, maybe they'll become Angel-snacks later down the road, once my angels mature.
The 15, 10, and 5 gallons will all be going into storage. I want to keep the 15 at least, so that I could possibly use it as a sump for my 100gl, since it's tall.
Gee.... Just think of how much java moss I'm going to need to carpet that 100 gallon. haha! I've already got a bunch of small flat stones with java moss attached using some mesh - enough to cover a 10 gallon tank. I've got a ton in my 15 gallon too. Certainly not enough to "carpet" a 100 gallon though. This'll be super-low light, I think .5 WPG at best, so I'm going to stick to just the java moss in this tank. I'm excited.
I've gotta go keep studying my butt off if I want this tank though, It's only on the condition that I do very well on my Physics test tomorrow... Although I'd probably still buy it otherwise.
I'm not entirely sure how to stock this one though, I only want to stock it with my current fish, and then add more fish after the semester is over if there's room. (I'd like to understock and overfilter this one
)Current Stocks:
20 Gallon:
3 Koi Angels (very young and small, but still... grossly overstocked, 1 of the original 4 got itself tangled in the roots of the massive amounts of java fern I put in there while I keep waiting for the stand for my 29 gallon to come in, and it died last night
)1 Bolivian Ram
10 Otos
Some ghost shrimp
15 Gallon:
Bunch of Cherry Shrimp, and 2 Amano (and some planaria, daphnia, and stupid hydras)
10 Gallon:
1 pair GBR's
5 Mystery Snails
5 Gallon: (another grossly overstocked one b/c my stupid 29 gallon stand still hasn't come in!
)1 Crowntail Betta
1 Female Guppy
3 Pygmy Cory
2 Peppered Cory
The 20 gallon tank is going to be a shrimp only, so that one's spoken for.
Here's what I'm thinking for the 100:
3 Angels
1 Bolivian Ram
2 Peppered Cory (I'll be increasing their school up to 6)
10 Oto's
Maybe the guppy too... she's a feeder that hitch-hiked in with some ghost shrimp as a fry many months ago.
Then the 29:
1 Crowntail Betta
3 Pygmy Cory
1 Pair GBR
That about covers it, I think... The ghosties I'll put into the 100 gallon, maybe they'll become Angel-snacks later down the road, once my angels mature.
The 15, 10, and 5 gallons will all be going into storage. I want to keep the 15 at least, so that I could possibly use it as a sump for my 100gl, since it's tall.
Gee.... Just think of how much java moss I'm going to need to carpet that 100 gallon. haha! I've already got a bunch of small flat stones with java moss attached using some mesh - enough to cover a 10 gallon tank. I've got a ton in my 15 gallon too. Certainly not enough to "carpet" a 100 gallon though. This'll be super-low light, I think .5 WPG at best, so I'm going to stick to just the java moss in this tank. I'm excited.
I've gotta go keep studying my butt off if I want this tank though, It's only on the condition that I do very well on my Physics test tomorrow... Although I'd probably still buy it otherwise.
Hope your physics test goes well. I think bob probably means giant cichlids that would eat your other fish and/or get too big for your tank. That's usually what he means. (Just kidding bob, I enjoy your enthusiasm). Seriously though, that's really exciting. I'm looking forward to my eventual 125 gallon. IMHO, your stocking list looks good, definitely understocked, but you said that's what you want, so great. For what it's worth, I really enjoy my clown loaches and GBR's. I don't know that you asked for suggestions, but maybe for when you add more fish later.
I'm always open for suggestions!
I have one pair of GBR's already. *thumbsups
I like clown loaches, but wouldn't a school of them get too big for a 100g?
I may in the future stock them with some schooling fish, so I'll probably need suggestions with that.
I'm just hoping that if I do go out of state for grad school... I can find an apartment that can handle the weight of a 100 gallon. My dad has already told me, when/if I leave for grad school, MY dogs (he's getting "his own" dog in a year or so) and fishtanks are coming with me...
I have one pair of GBR's already. *thumbsups
I like clown loaches, but wouldn't a school of them get too big for a 100g?
I may in the future stock them with some schooling fish, so I'll probably need suggestions with that.
I'm just hoping that if I do go out of state for grad school... I can find an apartment that can handle the weight of a 100 gallon. My dad has already told me, when/if I leave for grad school, MY dogs (he's getting "his own" dog in a year or so) and fishtanks are coming with me...
I have 4 tanks running in my room, and the 100 is going in there too (although in the end, I'm going to just keep 3 total tanks). I made the room for the tanks! If anyone would've seen my room in say... January, there wouldn't even be room in there for a 5 or 10 gallon.My room is a one-car garage, turned bedroom.
Blah, I feel like a zombie right now. I've only slept one hour, and that was here at work. I came into the office to study b/c my bed was too comfy and I didn't want to fall asleep trying to study... well, I start studying here at work... next thing I know, I wake up, it's an hour later, and I feel like trash (with the help of 3 sips of coffee). The joys of college.
I pulled all-nighters almost on a daily basis all of last school year... why can't I handle them like I used to? I'm burned out, maybe?Lol, and I'm still trying to read, but nothing is sticking to my head. And it's taking me a long time to process these equations and stuff... So at the moment... I don't care if I get an A on this test or not.... I just want to pass it with a C! (still shooting for an A though).
Lol. Well, seeing as to how it's taking me over a month to even get the 29 up and running, who knows.
I'm going to buy it after my test later this afternoon, but I won't pick it up till tomorrow at the earliest.
I'll be buying the filter, heater, and sand today though, so I won't have the excuse of having to wait till I buy another part to it.
Question though - my floors are uneven - if I placed a foam garden mat in between the stand and tank, will it level itself out, or will I still have to use shims on the stand for that?
I'm going to buy it after my test later this afternoon, but I won't pick it up till tomorrow at the earliest.
I'll be buying the filter, heater, and sand today though, so I won't have the excuse of having to wait till I buy another part to it.
Question though - my floors are uneven - if I placed a foam garden mat in between the stand and tank, will it level itself out, or will I still have to use shims on the stand for that?
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Sounds good, man...congrats---and good luck on your test!*DRUMMER*
Well, I'd be more inclined to use shims under the stand to level it out as much as possible. You could use a level to help with this prior to adding water, but in my experience it actually helps to shim in a manner which overcompensates for any unevenness you have in the beginning.
I'll use the example of my 75 gal. to explain my reasoning here:
My 75 gal. is set up with its back next to a wall. The right side of the tank is also next to a wall. This meant that the front left portion of the tank sat at a lower level (which makes sense if you think about how the floors would have a tendency to sink more as you move away from the walls and toward the center of the room).
Once I got the tank and stand in position, I used a level to make sure everything was even. As I started filling it with water, I would periodically measure to see if it was still level. What I found was that the more water I added, the more the shimmed portion (the part furthest from the wall; left front corner of tank)sank into the floor/carpeting.
How did I compensate for this?
Well, I had to just keep adding a few inches of water at a time, then measuring, then adding/adjusting shims as necessary until it all leveled-out when full of water. As I went through the process it didn't take me long to realize that the more water I added, the more shim support I'd need on the 'low-lying' areas of the tank, so I purposely added more shims pre-maturely in anticipation of this. Plus, I also took into account that this area would be more prone to gradually sinking in a bit more over time as the floor 'settled' with a full 75 gallons of water in the tank---and thus added in a little extra shim support.
Anyway, sorry to ramble on.
I just think that this is the most important part of the entire setup process, which is why I approach it so carefully. My obsessive measuring has paid off in the end, because it's been over a year since I got this 75 gal. and the most it is uneven is only by 2 millimeters.
Adding something between tank and stand isn't something I've ever done.
I've heard of others doing it, but personally I'd be a little nervous. I'd be worried that whatever you stick in there might compress around the frame of the tank to the point where the cushioning under the middle portion of the tank puts undue stress on the bottom tank glass. I'm sure there's ways around it (i.e. if you used appropriate sized/stiffness cushioning), but I've never tried it...
Okay, I'll stop rambling now, lol.
BV
Well, I'd be more inclined to use shims under the stand to level it out as much as possible. You could use a level to help with this prior to adding water, but in my experience it actually helps to shim in a manner which overcompensates for any unevenness you have in the beginning.
I'll use the example of my 75 gal. to explain my reasoning here:
My 75 gal. is set up with its back next to a wall. The right side of the tank is also next to a wall. This meant that the front left portion of the tank sat at a lower level (which makes sense if you think about how the floors would have a tendency to sink more as you move away from the walls and toward the center of the room).
Once I got the tank and stand in position, I used a level to make sure everything was even. As I started filling it with water, I would periodically measure to see if it was still level. What I found was that the more water I added, the more the shimmed portion (the part furthest from the wall; left front corner of tank)sank into the floor/carpeting.
How did I compensate for this?
Well, I had to just keep adding a few inches of water at a time, then measuring, then adding/adjusting shims as necessary until it all leveled-out when full of water. As I went through the process it didn't take me long to realize that the more water I added, the more shim support I'd need on the 'low-lying' areas of the tank, so I purposely added more shims pre-maturely in anticipation of this. Plus, I also took into account that this area would be more prone to gradually sinking in a bit more over time as the floor 'settled' with a full 75 gallons of water in the tank---and thus added in a little extra shim support.
Anyway, sorry to ramble on.
I just think that this is the most important part of the entire setup process, which is why I approach it so carefully. My obsessive measuring has paid off in the end, because it's been over a year since I got this 75 gal. and the most it is uneven is only by 2 millimeters.
Adding something between tank and stand isn't something I've ever done.
I've heard of others doing it, but personally I'd be a little nervous. I'd be worried that whatever you stick in there might compress around the frame of the tank to the point where the cushioning under the middle portion of the tank puts undue stress on the bottom tank glass. I'm sure there's ways around it (i.e. if you used appropriate sized/stiffness cushioning), but I've never tried it...
Okay, I'll stop rambling now, lol.
BV
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I forgot to mention though, that my floor is concrete (well that linoleum flooring on top of concrete), so I'm not sure I'd need to obsesively measure it as you've done. Certainly when I move into my own place (probably an apartment), I'd have to take that approach.
I'm not too worried about using cushioning material on smaller tanks, since the gravitational force (weight) wouldn't be as high as a 100 gallon tank. OK, I just realized.... I'm going to disregard whatever physics problems the professor gives us... and I'm going to make my own regarding the fishtank! haha.... but anywho.... I'll probably not use a garden mat and stick with the shims only - with the 100g at least. I just for the life of me can't figure out what section at the hardware store (lowes or home depot) i'd find the shims at... I gave up last time I was there. haha...... I think I'll need to buy a level too... the only one I had was on my brunton compass, which I had to give back to the school... : \
I'm not too worried about using cushioning material on smaller tanks, since the gravitational force (weight) wouldn't be as high as a 100 gallon tank. OK, I just realized.... I'm going to disregard whatever physics problems the professor gives us... and I'm going to make my own regarding the fishtank!
haha.... but anywho.... I'll probably not use a garden mat and stick with the shims only - with the 100g at least. I just for the life of me can't figure out what section at the hardware store (lowes or home depot) i'd find the shims at... I gave up last time I was there. haha...... I think I'll need to buy a level too... the only one I had was on my brunton compass, which I had to give back to the school... : \
I'll hopefully have them by Sunday. I know half of my day Saturday is spoken for, and then I'll probably spend the other half cleaning all that sand (150-200 lbs?!) and setting it (filling it) up. Sunday is a bit hazy, since I have another test to study for (Petroleum Geochemistry, a grad-level course, no biggie... ), and a paper to start researching and writing for that same class.I'm finally wide-awake again, considering only 1 hour of (uncomfortable) sleep... I think it's the anticipation of buying the tank!
Just 2.5 hours till my test, and 2 hours after that, I'll be on my way to paying for the sucker.
Also, I know it may be against your manly nature, but you may have to just ask where the shims are But, the only ones I could find at the hardware store were not long enough to help me level mine, (a 55 gallon). So, I ended up just using pieces of luan (it's about 1/8" thick) cut down into strips about 4"x2". I'm on a second floor apartment, and it was really unlevel, so I actually added bracing to the stand, then put a piece of 1/4" plywood on top of the stand, then a piece of pink insulation foam above that, then the tank on top of that. On the bottom it's stand, then shims, then another piece of 1/4" ply to try to distribute the weight as evenly as possible over the carpet pad, which will probably be shot anyway. Haha. Granted, it's only been set up for about 4 months, and I didn't do meticulous before and after measurements, but every time I've checked it it's still been pretty level. I've heard that a little bit of leeway is fine, but I'm not sure how much. So, I don't know if that helps, but there you go. Also, anyone feel free to jump in if you think I did something stupid. I'm not good at physics, so I was mostly just using logic, which isn't always the same thing. Well, not for me anyway.
But, the only ones I could find at the hardware store were not long enough to help me level mine, (a 55 gallon). So, I ended up just using pieces of luan (it's about 1/8" thick) cut down into strips about 4"x2". I'm on a second floor apartment, and it was really unlevel, so I actually added bracing to the stand, then put a piece of 1/4" plywood on top of the stand, then a piece of pink insulation foam above that, then the tank on top of that. On the bottom it's stand, then shims, then another piece of 1/4" ply to try to distribute the weight as evenly as possible over the carpet pad, which will probably be shot anyway. Haha. Granted, it's only been set up for about 4 months, and I didn't do meticulous before and after measurements, but every time I've checked it it's still been pretty level. I've heard that a little bit of leeway is fine, but I'm not sure how much. So, I don't know if that helps, but there you go. Also, anyone feel free to jump in if you think I did something stupid. I'm not good at physics, so I was mostly just using logic, which isn't always the same thing. Well, not for me anyway. *laughingc I've only asked for assistance at the hardware store once, and that was for the not-so-manly play sand.
I paid for the tank already. I'll be picking it up sometime tomorrow. It may not be fully set up till some time next week though, depending on whether or not I can find a filter at a decent price.
I paid for the tank already. I'll be picking it up sometime tomorrow. It may not be fully set up till some time next week though, depending on whether or not I can find a filter at a decent price.
It's here! It's here! It's here!!!
I think my dad took a little interest in this tank, he was asking me about what I'll be putting in here, and such.
It's going to have .4 wpg, no CO2, no excel (imagine how expensive that would get!!!), and as far as I know, only java moss.
I'm going to use the 15 gallon as a filter / sump, with all the lava rock I have as filter media. This way, I can hide my other equipment like the heater as well.
I'm going off to the stores to buy some of the other stuff I need. Then i'm going to start washing some of the sand and putting that in.
I think my dad took a little interest in this tank, he was asking me about what I'll be putting in here, and such.
It's going to have .4 wpg, no CO2, no excel (imagine how expensive that would get!!!
), and as far as I know, only java moss.I'm going to use the 15 gallon as a filter / sump, with all the lava rock I have as filter media. This way, I can hide my other equipment like the heater as well.
I'm going off to the stores to buy some of the other stuff I need. Then i'm going to start washing some of the sand and putting that in.