Some questions about my New 60 gallon...

[Loraaf]

I just got a 60 gallon tank . I have a 20 gallon tall and two tens. I got the 60 gallon for my pleco. He needs some room. My original plan was to move all my current fish from the twenty gallon in the 60. I have one cherry barb and a ton of zebra danios. No, I don't know how many danios as we've had two batches (no clue what you call sets of frys) within the past 4 months. I will probably take a good many of them to the local fish store once they're big enough. However tonight when I was getting the tank I fell in love with a spotted African leaf fish. The lady said he might pick on the danios once he reached his full size. If he was raised with them do you think it would be a problem. He isn't even an inch long yet. So now I'm considering leaving my danios in the twenty, and starting over with the 60 and my pleco. So suggestions of fairly hearty fish, small to medium sized that won't bother the pleco. Please include whether they would or wouldn't get along with danios.

Also I got a fluval 306 canister filter. I'm new to this type of filters, so any tips/advice would be appreciated. And no I'm not going to be getting the new fish for a bit. I'll be setting the tank up tomorrow and letting it cycle for several days.

Also would love advice on good substrate that my pleco won't mind so my love plants will finally stay where I put them. They are all floating as my pleco loves to stir up the gravel.

And tips on safely moving my big guy would be fabulous. He's a jumper, and fast...lol.

Thanks a bunch!

 

[henningc]

Ok, I'll take this in some sort of order.

Leaf Fish are very shy and hide motionless at the top of the water in plant cover only moving to strike food. Leaf fish and danios is a really bad idea. If it can't eat them it will either pick them to death or die from stress. The leaf fish and the pleco would be fine and you could add appropriate tank mates. I hate to say it, but in my opinion using a tank for a leaf fish and pleco is a lot of money for one boring tank.

Your filter. What kind of filters do you use in your other tanks and can you get the filter media out of them to put into the canister? If not, you should take as many objects such as rocks, plastic plants and decorations from your other tanks and place them in the 60 gal with your outflow tube pushing water over them. This will help to jump start the bacteria. You need to test this thing and make sure it cycles. Hopefully if you use old filter media and objects from other tanks you will cycle quickly. I would also suggest letting the canister filter run for 6-8 days in the old tank prior to setting up the new.

As for substrate, you could use sand, but the plants will never rest unless you ancher them. Depending on what type of plants you have you could put them in small flower pots and hide the pot with some flat garden stones. You can also take a hammer and crack a flat garden ston in half, plant the plant and surround it in the crack in the stone. Looks natural and neat as well. You could also thread them through the holes in a piece or two of lava rock-Plecos hate the stuff. Your pleco would prefer a good size piece of driftwood and some flat garden stone areas over the gravel.

Moving larger plecos is never a fun task and typically results in the exit tank being a shambles. Depending on the size of the pleco you can net it or catch it in its hide spot. I used PVC and flower pots and would simply put my hand over the exit, lift, move, release. You never said what type of pleco you have, but if it is a common pleco a 60gal is only a temporary home as they get to large. Unfortunately the pet stores sell them to everyone without telling them what they are getting into. Bristle nose and a few others stay small. Your Cherry Barb needs friends and I'd get at least 6-8 more. As for a center piece fish you could go with a male Leeri-Pearl Gourami. You could also get a pair of Rams or two pairs of Kribs. If you go with Kribs get one normal one albino pair. You can go normal and albino on the Cherry Barbs and it looks neat. Just from what you stated, it sounds like you don't have much action in the top level of the water. Some of the fish I suggested would take care of that or you could go with4-6 male Sailfin Mollys of different colors.

Hope this helps.

 

[Loraaf]

Henningc, thanks for your reply. I will add more fish if I go with the African leaf fish. Just need to know what would be suitable with him. My pleco is about 7-8 inches I'd guess. I did get him from a chain fs, without realizing he would get that much bigger. I plan to upgrade tanks when he gets bigger. I am not positive what type he is, but I'm pretty sure he's a sailfin/common pleco. He has a nice piece of driftwood that he loves and will be moving with him to the new tank, plus I'll be buying him another one. I love the garden stone idea and will definitely incorporate a piece for him.

I will be getting my barb some friends. I had four, but over the years 3 died.

I have the aqua clear 20 currently on the 20 gallon. I believe I can put some of the media from it into the canister. I believe they have the same parent company.

I will be moving live plants and the plecos driftwood.

Sorry for the crazy mix of questions. Between fatigue and excitement, I didn't organize my thoughts very well. Lol

Thanks!