My new 38 Gallon tank.

TAL

TAL

Large Fish
#1
Sep 7, 2008
588
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#1
Here begins the journey of my new tank.

I invite you all to enjoy and help and assist. This tank will be OUR tank.

So here are the specs:

38g glass tank, stand Aqueon Power Filter 30(HOB), 200w heater and hood with one light (24 inches long, 17 watts flor.)

Now.....

I plan on keeping:

Guppies, Black Mollies, Some awesome red fish that I have to find again - saw the name in someones profile here - looked it up and it was cool!.

Also I have swordtails, rainbow shark and some Tetras oh and the Corys.

Glofish is going back and so is the Pleco.

I am going to junp start the tank using some 3g tank material AND with some API stuff I bought.

This is gonna be fun !
 

MOsborne05

MOsborne05

Superstar Fish
#4
Oct 3, 2005
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Gibsonburg, OH
#4
Slow down there killer. By the time you get all of your current fish moved into the new tank, and add to the schools like you need to (corys & tetras), you will be fully stocked. Not to mention if you get a couple more swordtails you will get fry about every 30 days.

If you add guppies & mollies, that will be an awful lot of livebearers which means an awful lot of fry. I wouldn't recommend them both with the swordtails, because you will be overwhelmed with fry and completely overstocked again.
 

I

iapetus

Large Fish
#5
Jan 15, 2008
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34:09:39N, 118:08:19W
#5
MOsborne05 said:
Slow down there killer. By the time you get all of your current fish moved into the new tank, and add to the schools like you need to (corys & tetras), you will be fully stocked. Not to mention if you get a couple more swordtails you will get fry about every 30 days.

If you add guppies & mollies, that will be an awful lot of livebearers which means an awful lot of fry. I wouldn't recommend them both with the swordtails, because you will be overwhelmed with fry and completely overstocked again.
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What she said.

Also, while I believe using media from your 3G will help, I think you should still treat this as a tank that must be fully cycled. As I understand it, the 3G hasn't been running all that long and probably doesn't have a full complement of nitrifying bacteria living in it. Media from that tank will only have a limited ability to help jumpstart the cycle in your new tank.

Oh, and, before I forget: congratulations on the new tank! :)
 

TAL

TAL

Large Fish
#7
Sep 7, 2008
588
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#7
Thanks for the congrats.


I hear you on those fry....so good thing I have more time between set up and cycle to get a handle on just what I want in there.

I have to find that red fish someone here has that I thought was awesome and then make some hard choices.

I might not mind slightly over populated but I do not want what I have now which is WAYYYYYY over populated.

Plus, from what I have seen of the swordtail so far...they are a bio-load!

ETA: THis is the fish I was talking about "Boraras brigittae is a rasbora that can be kept in desktop aquaria"

Here is the link: Boraras brigittae is a stunning little fish.
 

Last edited:
jo3olous

jo3olous

Large Fish
#8
Aug 6, 2008
909
1
0
Philadelphia, PA
#8
TAL said:
Thanks for the congrats.


I hear you on those fry....so good thing I have more time between set up and cycle to get a handle on just what I want in there.

I have to find that red fish someone here has that I thought was awesome and then make some hard choices.

I might not mind slightly over populated but I do not want what I have now which is WAYYYYYY over populated.

Plus, from what I have seen of the swordtail so far...they are a bio-load!
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Still don't think your goal should be to overpopulate tanks~
 

I

iapetus

Large Fish
#9
Jan 15, 2008
572
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0
34:09:39N, 118:08:19W
#9
TAL said:
I have to find that red fish someone here has that I thought was awesome and then make some hard choices.
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Do you have any other information on it other than that it was red? Can you describe it at all?

TAL said:
IPlus, from what I have seen of the swordtail so far...they are a bio-load!
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Oh, I love my swordtails, but they are definitely poop machines!!! :p
 

MOsborne05

MOsborne05

Superstar Fish
#10
Oct 3, 2005
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#10
Those fish are hard to find and extremely tiny. They would work well in your 3 gallon, but need to be kept by themselves because they can easily be eaten. You might be able to find some on AquaBid.com - Sell or buy aquarium related equipment and fish in an auction format!, although I apologize if you don't know about aquabid yet because it is addicting!

Depending on the lighting, your 3 gallon tank would probably make a nice desktop planted tank, with a small school (6) of Boraras brigittae, if you can find them.
 

Surprise_Clown_Loach

Surprise_Clown_Loach

Large Fish
#12
Aug 4, 2008
139
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#12
Also currious why you decided on a HOB 30 instead of something larger? You mention you plan on going over the 1"/g rule again.. Are you concerned the filter may again be too small for the tank/population? Or was it jsut what came with the kit? OR do you have plans to upgrade the filter?
 

bunker_1

bunker_1

Large Fish
#13
Mar 24, 2008
584
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Cincinnati
#13
I did the same thing. I ended up with wat to many fry. The best thing about livebarers is they lead into MTS. It is sooo awesome. "I think we are getting close to being full, craigslist here I come!!"
 

Kissyboots

Kissyboots

Superstar Fish
#14
Dec 17, 2007
1,889
1
36
Arizona
cid-461aece5d238e494.spaces.live.com
#14
I think every fish is a bio-load...some more than others. :) I had swordtails and they were very entertaining, they'd follow your finger and stuff.

And I'd really suggest PLANNING with the 1 inch/gallon rule and then STOCKING with that plan. You might end up realizing that that was better or you might end up getting some more fish AFTER you're already stocked. But for now, try to stay under the limit. :) You can't have everything! :D
 

TAL

TAL

Large Fish
#15
Sep 7, 2008
588
0
0
#15
MOsborne05 said:
Those fish are hard to find and extremely tiny. They would work well in your 3 gallon, but need to be kept by themselves because they can easily be eaten. You might be able to find some on AquaBid.com - Sell or buy aquarium related equipment and fish in an auction format!, although I apologize if you don't know about aquabid yet because it is addicting!

Depending on the lighting, your 3 gallon tank would probably make a nice desktop planted tank, with a small school (6) of Boraras brigittae, if you can find them.
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MO !!! I think that is a great idea !!! Fantastic.

OK..the 3 g has an official long range plan and purpose.

Now we have to handle this 38g issue!
 

sombunya

sombunya

Large Fish
#20
Jul 25, 2008
304
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67
So. Cal. USA
#20
38 gallon is a good size; large enough to satisfy but still small enough to easily maintain regarding water changes etc. I say that because my new 100, which is cycling, is a pain to do water changes. I'm adding treated water from buckets until it get cycled. Then I'll use the python for the vacuum and water adding.

You say you seeded your new tank with stuff from your 3 gallon. That's good but it will take more than that to speed it up. I added stuff from my 20 and 40 to the 10 and I still put some extra bacteria in. Adding the extra bio stuff is good. Keep an eye on those Nitrites though. Check at least once a day and don't feed them too much.

I added some good bacteria to my 100 and 10 to speed things up. I think you're supposed to wait at least 48 hours after adding bacteria before you do any water changes. If I'm wrong, someone please comment.

Get a good lighting system for your tank and all you'll need after that is a chair so you can sit and stare at your tank like I do to mine.

Way to go on that 38 gallon unit. Glad you got it.
 

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