info needed please

[alanvickiuk]

hi im new to the site to start i have recently set up my 48 gallon 48x18x13 aquarium im using an under gravel filter system with 2 730lph power heads and a pump with a 6" air stone and a 300watt heater im using white gravel as substrate i did want to use sand but couldnt because of the filter and i have texas holey rock bog wood and java fern at the moment im using 2 convicts and a jewel cichlid to mature the tank then they will be removed and im going with just 6 tiger barbs 6 albino tiger barbs and 6 green tiger barbs a golden nugget plec

problem is i really wanted to keep a group of red crystal shrimp in there too and maybe some glass shrimp nut im unsure if they will be ok

here is a pic of the tank as it stands im going to plant it up with christmas moss java moss and lots of mixed java fern but only after ive removed the cichlids as they will ruin it

all comments and any suggestions welcomed good or bad

 

[tropicalcrazy]

beautiful setup you got going on. i like how you have the plants coming out of the rocks. thats really cool. welcome to this site also.

i dont know about the adding of those shrimp. dont know how well they will do with the barbs. maybe someone else could help out on that.

 

[alanvickiuk]

thanks ive just been reading in an article on this site about red cherry shrimp and if there the same i think there not going to be any good sadly

 

[MissFishy]

Cherry shrimp are hard to keep in community tanks, they are small so they often get eaten. Ghost shrimp are a little bit easier to keep in community tanks, cheaper too. It's hard to buy a $4 shrimp and have it get eaten!

Gorgeous setup, unfortunately I wouldn't recommend sticking with the under gravel filter. Make sure you are up to date on what cycling a tank means. Welcome!

 

[alanvickiuk]

thanks im going to plant it a lil more i will stick with just the ghost shrimp then the tiger barbs and a golden nugget plec will be the only tank inhabitents i would of changed from the undergravel system but dont want to uproot my full aquarium now i do a quarter water change every week and add dechlorinator going to leave it around 3 weeks before removing the cichlids and adding my first 6 tigers as soon as the ammonia and nitrites dissapear p.h is running 7.6 steadily at the moment and everything seems fine fingers crossed any more info you have would be appreciated though and if i did change from then under gravel system i would want to change the substrate to finer black or even sand and it would just upset everything what filter would you reccomend ?

 

[homebunnyj]

I don't have any recommendations, just want to say the tank looks great. I'm looking forward to seeing it planted more.

(Um, no offense intended, but a bit of punctuation here and there would make your posts much more readable. Thx)

 

[MissFishy]

It sounds like you *might* be a little confused on cycling. I can't really tell what your actual plans are, you may want to read through the link in my signature about cycling a tank or in the freshwater forum stickies.

Freshwater tanks don't usually have power heads unless there's a specific purpose, most use HOBs (Hang on Back filters). They provide both biological and mechanical filtration as well as water circulation. Undergravel filters are really old technology.

 

[1077]

If the powerheads are capable of reverse flow and are attached to the tubes of undergravel filter then perhaps with the addition of a hang on the back filter as MissFishy suggested ,,you would be ok. Would be better in my view,, to purchase canister filter of suitable size and attach return tube to the undergravel filter. In that way you would have suitable flow to push organic debri up through the gravel where filter could remove it. Would work very well I would think.

 

[robinanne]

your tank is awesome! i love that rock. where did you find it?

 

[alanvickiuk]

thanks i got the rock from the lfs 25k sack for £30 then added to it