Another newbie, has tank, needs to finish setup

[egironda]

I just picked up a used 90 gal tank, and installed a new UGF. Currently, there is about 2 inches of gravel and 85 gal water. I have an air pump working in 4 tubes to the UGF, and plan on getting 2 powerheads before I put fish in. The powerheads I've been recommended are : AquaClear 420 and Penguin 550 or 1140. The 550 lists flow of 130 gal/hr, the 1140 lists at 300 gal/hr, and I didn't write down the flow of the 420. How much flow is too much, not enough, etc. ? I also have to decide between Penguin's Emporer 400 and the AquaClear 500. What's the rule of thumb for these filter sizes?

After the tank is up and running, we plan on getting the fish. How much delay do we need, after the powerheads and outside filter are in?

Thanks,

Eric

 

[wabyrd]

Go slow. Read up on cycling the tank to learn about the nitrogen cycle. Do a search on this site or on Google.com

 

[tkos]

If I were you I would go with 2 Aquaclear 300's to go with the UGF. That way you can set up a filter on each end of the tank, and if one ever breaks then you always have at least one going. Otherwise in a tank that size people genrally use canister filters rather than HOB.

I would suggest a fishless cycle to you. This will allow you to eventually add all of your fish at one time. It is very simple and gives excellent results. First (with no fish of course) add a source of ammonia (pure cleaning ammonia is perfect as long as it has no detergents in it). Using an ammonia test kit add enough ammonia to get 5ppm. The keep topping that off everyday to get 5ppm. Eventually your tank will be able to go through 5 ppm of ammonia in 24 hours (during this time there is also a nitrite spike as well that you can test and watch for). When you get to this stage you can add a full load of fish ready to go. This is good because it allows you to have time to plan on which fish you want to get and also it is so much safer for the fish as they won't have to go through the cycle themsleves. And of course you will want to do a water change right before you add the fish as you won't have been doing water changes during the cycle.

If you do add fish to do the cycle then add only a few at a time and do frequest water changes. This generally means waiting a couple of weeks before adding new fish to prevent ammonia spikes and deaths.

Oh and if you do a fishless cycle then don't add plants until it is over as they will mess up the cycle. If you do a cycle with fish then do add live plants (if you want them) as they will help prevent deaths by using some of the ammonia and nitrites.

 

[egironda]

An update, thanks to the 2 replys, and a visit to the chat room. I ditched the UGF and bought a fluval 404. (It's so much quieter) We have some plastic plants, and a plastic "cave" for hiding spots. The 3 cherry barbs and the gold barbs seem to like their new home. The future additions will probably end up being some more of the same, followed by some "dalmatians", a pleco, and my son wants to add a red tailed shark or two. Any suggestions or other fish that would "fit" with this starter family?

Eric G

 

[tkos]

Your tank is more than big enough for most of the pleco family, but be warned that commons and many other can get to 2 feet in length and will be really out of scale to the little 2 inch barbs. I would definatly get more barbs of the type you have to make nice big schools. And I would probably only add 1 red tailed shark. Though your tank could probably support it, they do get really aggressive to each other when they age.

You could probably get some nice dwarf gouramis that will use the whole tank quite nicely. And maybe a small school of 5-6 dwarf cory catfish would be really fun.

 

[Sam]

I second the advice on the plecos. Plus they are such ugly fish Also be aware that as they grow, they tend to knock the cecorations and uproot any live plants you have in the tank, as they are usually nocturnal algae eaters. I had one that started out about 2 inches and grew to about 8" before I had to get rid of him. This in a 55G tank. As you add fish to the tank, try to add fish that populate different levels of the tank. Brazilian hatchetfish are top feeders and look pretty just sitting there. Clown Loaches are very active bottom dwellers and are fun to watch. This also allows you to create a more non-competitive tank. Be aware of the temperament of the fish you add. I know that barbs tend to be a bit aggressive, so they will bully more docile fishmates. Try to match up the temperament of the fish you buy. Good luck

 

[egironda]

A new update. We now have 2 black dalmations, 2 white dalmations, 6 gold barbs, and 6 cherry barbs. Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it, as do my kids.