Long Time Listener...1st Time Caller
- Thread starter Stykman
- Start date
THANKS For the Welcome Tom!! I'm felling right at home already. I've been trolling around most of the Forums. You guys really know your...well..."stuff"
I've learned A TON just in the last 24 hours of membership.
I had a REALLY BIG Research session with the Internet last night.
Doc, you're right, the wet/dry sump is a bad idea, because of the outgassing of the CO2. A lot of articles I read don't even recommend the use of BioWheels because of the water "hitting the outside air".
Protien skimmer - does a heck of a lot more for a salt tank than a fresh one. So that's out.
As far as the research I did on types of fish I would like to populate, my Preliminary List looks like this:
Angel
Corys
Gourami
Molly
Platty
Pleco
Bala Shark
Swordtail
Ghost Shrimp
I'm going to research tonight: Killfish, Loach, Rainbow, & Tetra
Of course I'm not planning on having ALL of those guys together, I would like to keep it to maybe 3 or 4, 5 at the MOST. So, now I have more questions for you all:
When I am "Ranking" these types of Fish, among Compatibility, I'm noting: Eventual Size, Ideal Water Temp Range, pH, Lifespan, Breeding Style (livebear/egg), Ease of Breeding, and Origin of Species. Water temp & pH actually being the most important.
Does anyone see any of the fish in the above list that they KNOW won't get along with another in that list?
Are there any other factors I should be looking at when "Ranking" species?
Am I missing any Species? Keep in mind, I'm staying away from Cichlids (been there done that), I'm going with a Planted Community Tank. Of all the Aquariums I've had over the last 20 years, I've never done one this way.*twirlysmi
I've learned A TON just in the last 24 hours of membership.I had a REALLY BIG Research session with the Internet last night.
Doc, you're right, the wet/dry sump is a bad idea, because of the outgassing of the CO2. A lot of articles I read don't even recommend the use of BioWheels because of the water "hitting the outside air".
Protien skimmer - does a heck of a lot more for a salt tank than a fresh one. So that's out.
As far as the research I did on types of fish I would like to populate, my Preliminary List looks like this:
Angel
Corys
Gourami
Molly
Platty
Pleco
Bala Shark
Swordtail
Ghost Shrimp
I'm going to research tonight: Killfish, Loach, Rainbow, & Tetra
Of course I'm not planning on having ALL of those guys together, I would like to keep it to maybe 3 or 4, 5 at the MOST. So, now I have more questions for you all:
When I am "Ranking" these types of Fish, among Compatibility, I'm noting: Eventual Size, Ideal Water Temp Range, pH, Lifespan, Breeding Style (livebear/egg), Ease of Breeding, and Origin of Species. Water temp & pH actually being the most important.
Does anyone see any of the fish in the above list that they KNOW won't get along with another in that list?
Are there any other factors I should be looking at when "Ranking" species?
Am I missing any Species? Keep in mind, I'm staying away from Cichlids (been there done that), I'm going with a Planted Community Tank. Of all the Aquariums I've had over the last 20 years, I've never done one this way.*twirlysmi
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Don't worry about pH too much. Unless you are looking at the African Cichlids. Most everything on your list will do just great at whatever pH your tap happens to be. Do you happen to know the pH, KH, GH of your current tapwater?
When you start to worry about breeding, then you can look at who will breed in the water you will be using.
And remember, with the proper CO2 (~30ppm) it will lower your pH by about 1 full point.
Also put some kind of algae clean up crew on your list of fish to research. Ottos, Bristlenose and or Rubber lip plecs, Siamese algae eaters, Amano Shrimp.
Big plecs are notorious for uprooting plants and/or eating them in some cases.
Ottos are nice, but you would need a whole fleet of them for a tank that size.
I find a combo of all of the above do a nice job with the various types of algae that come along with plants.
When you start to worry about breeding, then you can look at who will breed in the water you will be using.
And remember, with the proper CO2 (~30ppm) it will lower your pH by about 1 full point.
Also put some kind of algae clean up crew on your list of fish to research. Ottos, Bristlenose and or Rubber lip plecs, Siamese algae eaters, Amano Shrimp.
Big plecs are notorious for uprooting plants and/or eating them in some cases.
Ottos are nice, but you would need a whole fleet of them for a tank that size.
I find a combo of all of the above do a nice job with the various types of algae that come along with plants.
1. There are many types of rocks you can use for FW. I don't believe there is such thing as FW Live Rock, but Lava rock/lace rock looks kind of like live rock. Aquascaping is completely up to. You can check by a gardening store or something and can get some nice rocks you can use to build caves and such, or you can go to a local stream/lake/pond and pick up some interesting driftwood or rocks. But just remember to boil and clean them well before placing them in your tank.
2. There are a lot of suitable substrates for a planted tank. Some good products would be Eco-Complete, Seachem's Flourite, and ADA's AquaSoil. Undergravel filter can be used for a planted tank, depending on what kind of substrate you use. It isn't recommended though because of how the roots of some plants clog it up.
3. I'm not sure if a protein skimmer would do anything for a FW tank, because in a SW tank, doesn't it just take out all the impurities in the water and stuff?
And with the list of fish you would like to have, I think you could get away with most of it, but I don't think you should get bala sharks as they get to be pretty big.
But you could have maybe like 5 angels and see if they pair off, and a large group of corys for the bottom. You could also get a few plecos, depending on the kind. Just stay away from the common plecos, and other large ones because they will tear up your plants, and are pooping machines. You also mentioned rainbows, which could make a very nice in a big school.
I wouldn't do HOT/HOB filters on this tank, but instead go with a canister (or two). I have two and I'm never going to get a HOB filter ever.
2. There are a lot of suitable substrates for a planted tank. Some good products would be Eco-Complete, Seachem's Flourite, and ADA's AquaSoil. Undergravel filter can be used for a planted tank, depending on what kind of substrate you use. It isn't recommended though because of how the roots of some plants clog it up.
3. I'm not sure if a protein skimmer would do anything for a FW tank, because in a SW tank, doesn't it just take out all the impurities in the water and stuff?
And with the list of fish you would like to have, I think you could get away with most of it, but I don't think you should get bala sharks as they get to be pretty big.
But you could have maybe like 5 angels and see if they pair off, and a large group of corys for the bottom. You could also get a few plecos, depending on the kind. Just stay away from the common plecos, and other large ones because they will tear up your plants, and are pooping machines. You also mentioned rainbows, which could make a very nice in a big school.
I wouldn't do HOT/HOB filters on this tank, but instead go with a canister (or two). I have two and I'm never going to get a HOB filter ever.
For algae eaters you can't beat Ottos in a planted tank. They are wonderful, and a fleet would be awesome. They really are one of my favorite fish.
Angels when fully grown will be large enough to eat small tetras (neon size).
Cardinals might be just large enough to avoid being seen as food.
There are lots of Plecos, so you'll need to figure out what kind you want. They range in size from 4" to 18" (although the smaller ones can be expensive).
Corrys are awesome, and a great bottom feeder.
Tetra as a catagory is huge. It spans the tiny Ember to the much larger Columbian and Black Skirt. Some are very still (Cardinals/Neons) and some are hyper (Rummy Nose).
Also look into Barbs and other cyprinids:
Cherry Barb (personal favorite)
Golden Barb
Tiger Barb
Lots of other types of barbs!
Siamese Flying Fox (My avatar is of a Flying Fox - head on. It's possibly my favorite fish ever)
Enjoy the research!
Jonathan
Angels when fully grown will be large enough to eat small tetras (neon size).
Cardinals might be just large enough to avoid being seen as food.
There are lots of Plecos, so you'll need to figure out what kind you want. They range in size from 4" to 18" (although the smaller ones can be expensive).
Corrys are awesome, and a great bottom feeder.
Tetra as a catagory is huge. It spans the tiny Ember to the much larger Columbian and Black Skirt. Some are very still (Cardinals/Neons) and some are hyper (Rummy Nose).
Also look into Barbs and other cyprinids:
Cherry Barb (personal favorite)
Golden Barb
Tiger Barb
Lots of other types of barbs!
Siamese Flying Fox (My avatar is of a Flying Fox - head on. It's possibly my favorite fish ever)
Enjoy the research!
Jonathan
I should be ready to put actual water in this tank early next week. Once I do, I may keep track of my progress via a journal on the Message Boards.
I have another question though, about Rocks.
For some reason, every LFS around me is either Sold Out of Aquarium Rock, or doesn't cary it. I live in fairly "rocky" terrain. So I grabbed 5 rocks from the back yard. They were actually just what I was looking for. I have some slate too.
I put vinegar on the rocks...no fizzing...that's good?
I scrubbed them, with just water, and then boiled them for about 15 minutes each. Then I put them all in a 5 gal bucket. Noted the pH before putting them in. They've been in for about 48-50 hours now. The pH seems to be holding steady, if anything it came down a hair. What am I looking for? And how long do I leave them in the bucket looking for whatever it is I am supposed to be looking for, before I deem them "safe" for the new set up?
I have another question though, about Rocks.
For some reason, every LFS around me is either Sold Out of Aquarium Rock, or doesn't cary it. I live in fairly "rocky" terrain. So I grabbed 5 rocks from the back yard. They were actually just what I was looking for. I have some slate too.
I put vinegar on the rocks...no fizzing...that's good?
I scrubbed them, with just water, and then boiled them for about 15 minutes each. Then I put them all in a 5 gal bucket. Noted the pH before putting them in. They've been in for about 48-50 hours now. The pH seems to be holding steady, if anything it came down a hair. What am I looking for? And how long do I leave them in the bucket looking for whatever it is I am supposed to be looking for, before I deem them "safe" for the new set up?
Well, I don't really know how long you should be waiting to add them to the tank. But, you've done all the right things thus far and I think it looks good. No fizzing from the vinegar is good. (I'm particularly impressed that you had the foresight to monitor your pH while the rocks were soaking. *thumbsups) If you're going cycle the tank without fish, I'd think you'd be OK to add them as soon as you want. But, that's just my opinion.
Thanks iapetus.
I figured pH and Hardness were the 2 thngs the rocks could affect. I don't have a tester for hardness, but I am going to get one at my LFS tomorrow. I can always get a baseline reading, because I just used my untreated tap water to soak them in.
I'm guessing that by the time I am ready to fill the tank with water (myabe as soon as 48 hours from now) if the rocks haven't done anything to the water, they won't foul the tank up. They would have been in the bucket for about 5-6 days.
I have decided to start the tank with the Live Plants, once cycled, then I'll add Corys, then Mollies, then Ottos, then Rainbows or Swordtails(depends on if a certain Rainbow is avail), then Angels. All in that order. There won't be any more than 6 of a species. And at 125 Gals there should be plenty of room.
Is there a better "order" in which to introdce the fish to the tank? Since all of the fish are community, I don't know if it will matter. But figuring that the Angels would be the most aggressive of them all, I wanted the others to establish thier territory 1st.
I figured pH and Hardness were the 2 thngs the rocks could affect. I don't have a tester for hardness, but I am going to get one at my LFS tomorrow. I can always get a baseline reading, because I just used my untreated tap water to soak them in.
I'm guessing that by the time I am ready to fill the tank with water (myabe as soon as 48 hours from now) if the rocks haven't done anything to the water, they won't foul the tank up. They would have been in the bucket for about 5-6 days.
I have decided to start the tank with the Live Plants, once cycled, then I'll add Corys, then Mollies, then Ottos, then Rainbows or Swordtails(depends on if a certain Rainbow is avail), then Angels. All in that order. There won't be any more than 6 of a species. And at 125 Gals there should be plenty of room.
Is there a better "order" in which to introdce the fish to the tank? Since all of the fish are community, I don't know if it will matter. But figuring that the Angels would be the most aggressive of them all, I wanted the others to establish thier territory 1st.
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In terms of the order I feel it might make sense to hold off a little on the corys and the ottos until you have had some of the other fish in for a little while. The ottos are going to be looking for algae to eat and the corys are going to be scavenging the bottom. If they go in first they may be limited in supplies of food and become reliant on direct feeding of algae flakes.
I don't know this from experience just an opinion.
In terms of territories I find these fish just fit in wherever they can and nobody seems to worried about them anyway!
I don't know this from experience just an opinion.
In terms of territories I find these fish just fit in wherever they can and nobody seems to worried about them anyway!