First tank stocking and setup questions

[Pvtdgrif]

Moved from another thread so as not to steal it from the OP...

My tank was delivered today, but I can't make my mind up as to the decor ... I know what I want as stock - tiger barbs to start with, and as it's a 40g I'm planning on getting around 10 and maybe a bristlenose too but i'm unsure about that as I have read they add quite a lot to the total waste.

 

[Pvtdgrif]

I tend towards more natural things in my tanks: White, tan, brown, or black sand, live plants, rocks and driftwood. Brightly colored gravel and plants can hide the beauty of your fish.

A bristlenose pleco would be fine in a 40g. You could actually add a few.

I stock my tanks with the fish I like the looks of after I make sure there's a pretty good chance they'll be compatible with the rest of the fish in the tank. A lack of resistance to buying fish results in Multiple Tank Syndrome, a common problem here at AA.

posted in the other thread by BigJim

 

[Pvtdgrif]

Regarding bristlenose's: is it true they are messy? And I've also heard they can be territorial with other bristlenoses?

 

[Pvtdgrif]

All plecos put out a hefty bioload for a fish of their length, but I've seen breeding populations of bristlenose plecos housed in a 40B.

What filter are you running?

posted by BigJim

 

[Pvtdgrif]

Here is some more info on my setup:

Juwel Lido 120 (2' x 2' x 14")
Juwel Bioflow 3 filter w/ 600L pump
Juwel 100W Heater
1x Juwel High-Lite T5 24w "Day" Light w/ reflector
1x Juwel High-Lite T5 24w "Nature" Light

 

[nereksnad]

greetings matt;

unless you live in a country that has constant year-round 25-28 degrees weather, or you're house has that temperature constantly, 100 watt is not enough for 150 litres.

for "decór", i'd recommend dark/red mix of stones, as these stress the fish the least, actual plants, and a piece of driftwood. this is fundamental to keep a healthy aquarium going. cut down chemicals and tests, and purchase quality food for them.

sincerely;
nrk.

 

[Pvtdgrif]

Thanks for the info.

The tank is 120 litres and the heater is supplied by the manufacture as a kit. I was surprised to hear they sell an underpowered heater and have emailed their head office for an explanation. :-(

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[BigJim]

100W is borderline for a tank of that size. I have a 100W in my 29g because I had it lying around when the old heater broke. It does a decent job of maintaining 75 degrees.

 

[Pvtdgrif]

Nearly all the calculation sites and "rules of thumb" seem to suggest 150W+ for 120L (30g US) so i'll see what the manufacturer has to say for themselves later I guess.

As it's only just above freezing outside and the tank had 106L of very cold water (after substrate) added only 12 hours ago and it's too cold to measure yet.

Due to it's height there is only just over 2 sq ft of floor. Will this be ok for the BN Plec?
I've bought a good piece of bogwood that I'm soaking at the moment. So after cycling I'll start with 6 TBs and add 3 more later and a BN if floor space permits.

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[Pvtdgrif]

I've had a reply from Juwel uk and it reads:

Dear Matt

Thank you for your e-mail.We have been producing the lido aquarium for
many years and this has always been the wattage of heater that has been
supplied with an aquarium of this volume of water with no issues.

Not sure I'm happy with that but what can I do about it eh?

 

[nereksnad]

greetings matt;

politely tell them that they might not have received complaints before now, but today that's changed for them. because 100 watts isn't good enough for an aquarium that size, and if they knew what they were doing, they would know that.

sincerely,
nrk.

 

[Pvtdgrif]

Today I decided that I wasn't going to get anywhere with the complaint so I bought a 200W Juwel heater to replace the 100W original. I'm not too bothered about shelling out for the replacement as it's good to have a spare. Just to prove it's not my day, as I went to set the heater's stat the knob sheared off!! So now I'm back on the 100W awaiting a replacement :-(

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[Mr.Albiman]

This sounds like an awesome thread. Following.

 

[Pvtdgrif]

So I went to the LFS to swap the broken 200W heater and guess what... There out of stock so I have a 1 week wait for a replacement. :-(

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