help choosing fish

[88mTransco]

Ok. So I'm thinking about doing a 75 gal tank, I'm wanting an tiger Oscar, male and female convicts, and I'm not sure what else. I'm going to have a Mopani driftwood root system like maze/caves set up for the convicts to do their convict things. What would be good to go along with the Oscar, some tinfoil barbs 2? Or 2 bala sharks? I plan on putting a 90 to 100 gal filter on the tank I know Oscars are messy.... What do you guys and gals think? Tips ideas? AAAANNDD GO!

 

[molliwopp]

By a 90 or 100g filter, is there one you had in mind? With oscars canisters are definitely desireable especially when they grow to a decent size and running another filter along side would be the ideal filtration method as they are waste making machines that grow quickly.

A small pleco but not a common to go along side it in 75g would be good. Pleco are also waste machines to and the second filter would become pretty much mandatory as would a decent water change routine.

 

[88mTransco]

I was thinking a mainland emperor 400. Is there a canister you would recommend?

 

[Rivers2k]

I just bought a baby oscar and I plan on housing him with my fire mouths. Firemouths should do great with your current set up. Probably goes with out saying but you do know you will have to upgrade in a few years right? I currently have mine in a 75 also.

 

[88mTransco]

Upgrade tank size? I know they get a good size. IM thinking 150 gal in a few years.

 

[molliwopp]

Well theres many i could recommend. Whats your budget? Sunsun do a big canister for cheap and has some good reviews.

The ones i can personally recommend are the fluval 406 and the eheim 2217.

I would choose the eheim out of the 2 but in a 75g i would run an aquaclear 110 along side as a second filter. When the fish are young, you might be able to get away with one filter but once they get to a size a second would be needed.

 

[molliwopp]

I just bought a baby oscar and I plan on housing him with my fire mouths. Firemouths should do great with your current set up. Probably goes with out saying but you do know you will have to upgrade in a few years right? I currently have mine in a 75 also.

A bigger tank for any fish is great and recommended but an oscar can be kept in a 75g for life without issues.

 

[88mTransco]

That's what I was thinking. He should do fine. I still want a 150. How do you guys think about 1 green terror?

 

[88mTransco]

Well theres many i could recommend. Whats your budget? Sunsun do a big canister for cheap and has some good reviews.

The ones i can personally recommend are the fluval 406 and the eheim 2217.

I would choose the eheim out of the 2 but in a 75g i would run an aquaclear 110 along side as a second filter. When the fish are young, you might be able to get away with one filter but once they get to a size a second would be needed.

I would like to keep it around $100 for a filter.

 

[molliwopp]

100bucks. Well im in the UK and 100 quid wouldnt get me very far in terms of the filtration. Are you willing to buy from the used market? If you are it has to be an Eheim classic i.e the 2217 as they last for an eternity and i cant think of any filter at any price that has the longevity of a classic.

To be honest if you arnt buying used i dont think that 100 bucks will be able to fund the right filtration your going to need in the long run but would be fine with an aquaclear 110 initially as your first if you cant raise more cash for the canister right now

*edit* Sunsun do a 370gph canister for around 80bucks.

 

[88mTransco]

100bucks. Well im in the UK and 100 quid wouldnt get me very far in terms of the filtration. Are you willing to buy from the used market? If you are it has to be an Eheim classic i.e the 2217 as they last for an eternity and i cant think of any filter at any price that has the longevity of a classic.

To be honest if you arnt buying used i dont think that 100 bucks will be able to fund the right filtration your going to need in the long run but would be fine with an aquaclear 110 initially as your first if you cant raise more cash for the canister right now.

I can upgrade later. I'm going to bee getting the fish as babies pretty much. So when they get older I plan on upgrading.

 

[88mTransco]

100bucks. Well im in the UK and 100 quid wouldnt get me very far in terms of the filtration. Are you willing to buy from the used market? If you are it has to be an Eheim classic i.e the 2217 as they last for an eternity and i cant think of any filter at any price that has the longevity of a classic.

To be honest if you arnt buying used i dont think that 100 bucks will be able to fund the right filtration your going to need in the long run but would be fine with an aquaclear 110 initially as your first if you cant raise more cash for the canister right now.

I can upgrade later. I'm going to bee getting the fish as babies pretty much. So when they get older I plan on upgrading.

 

[molliwopp]

I can upgrade later. I'm going to bee getting the fish as babies pretty much. So when they get older I plan on upgrading.

Sounds good. Hope it goes the way you plan it. Welcome to Aa anyway.

 

[88mTransco]

Filtration out off the way any one have anything to say about the drift wood?

 

[molliwopp]

Erm, well its brown with a woody texture and i know this is going to sound strange, was once part of a tree!

If youre buying drift wood for the tank i would soak it for at least afew days. It can leech tannins in the water which can be a good thing as it lowers ph and it apparently softens water, there are even suggestions that it has an anti bacterial and anti paracitical effects. but the bad news is it makes your tank water look yellow or even brown if you have enough and not very good if youre keeping hard alkaline watered fish. Some pieces will leech more than others, ive had afew bits that continued to leech for months even after being soaked in hot water for 2weeks. It was a large piece that i ended up cutting it in two to help with the tannis. In your tank, if you can stand the look it may be benifical as oscars prefer a acidic to neutral ph.

 

[88mTransco]

Erm, well its brown with a woody texture and i know this is going to sound strange, was once part of a tree!

If youre buying drift wood for the tank i would soak it for at least afew days. It can leech tannins in the water which can be a good thing as it lowers ph and it apparently softens water, there are even suggestions that it has an anti bacterial and anti paracitical effects. but the bad news is it makes your tank water look yellow or even brown if you have enough and not very good if youre keeping hard alkaline watered fish. Some pieces will leech more than others, ive had afew bits that continued to leech for months even after being soaked in hot water for 2weeks. It was a large piece that i ended up cutting it in two to help with the tannis. In your tank, if you can stand the look it may be benifical as oscars prefer a acidic to neutral ph.

Lol wow... Wood grows on trees!? I was told Mopani driftwood will cause fungus growth and could harm my fish. I have used out in the past. Never had issues but it was in the tank but a few months. Was wondering if there was any thing I should worry about

 

[molliwopp]

Its all too common for forms fungus to grow on drift wood once placed in the tank but 99% of it is harmless and clears up by itself quickly. I havent experienced any negative effects and wouldn't consider purchased driftwood as a threat. Some people collect their wood from rivers, it's been discussed on here a number of times but that's definitely not something i would be too confident about doing.