Advice please: beginner setting up 80 gallon tank

[Stormcrow01]

Hello,

I've always wanted to own a fish tank and I've finally got the chance! Really excited about this, however, I'm a total beginner and need some advice.

I've started by reading the free PDF - tropical fish for beginners. This has given me an appreciation of the need to ensure everything is set up and cycled before introducing any fish.

The equipment list:
-80 gallon tank, 120cm(l) by 45cm(w) by 66cm(h)
-1500litres/ hour filter
-300w glass heater
-4no. 39w lights
-Filter media: gravel (5cm deep?)

Plants: I would like to have living plants and have thought about water sprite / Java moss.

Fish: I'm not sure what fish I should put in there, I know I would like some bright colourful fish, and a variety where possible. However I'm not sure which fish are likely to get on with each on and how many can fit in this tank safely.

Could I please request your recommendations on what I should/stock this fish tank with? And any plants that would suit the type of fish well.

I will keep this thread updated with pictures as I set up the tank. Thanks

 

[Hholly]

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/guide-to-starting-a-freshwater-aquarium/
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/fishin-cycling-step-dark-side/
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/the-almost-complete-guide-and-faq-to-fishless-cycling/
Aqadvisor.com

Congrats on your new tank! The best advice I can give you is read, read, read. Above are some links to the most useful info I know of to get you started. Most newbies make the mistake of overstocking their tank, or not cycling their tank properly. With an 80 gallon tank, you may want to do a fishless cycle as fish-in cycling requires lots of water changes. I highly recommend getting a Python or Aqueon water changer to make your life easier. You can YouTube demos of them.
As far as what stock to get, keep reading. Each species has special needs. And when you mix them they need to get along. Most new fish owners try to get too many species at once. I will say from experience that less is more. The link above to Aqadvisor is helpful to run scenarios and get advice. You will find a lot of conflicting advice from fish store employees. Take it with a grain of salt as most of them are not well trained and they try to sell you too many chemicals.
Let us know if you have specific questions. Good luck!

 

[ImACoolguy]

Congrats on the new tank! I've only been in the Hobby about 6 months and it will become a costly addiction trust me my 75g just finished cycling last night.

If you don't want to do a lot of water changes, fish less cycling is easy that's what I did. Just dose your ammonia level to 3-4ppm (hardware stores sell bottles of ammonia) and test your water every day. I use an API Liquid Test Kit and it is superb! They are much more accurate than strips. Watch you nitrite and nitrate levels climb and when they both go off the chart do a large 80%-90% water change. dose ammonia again and if the ammonia and nitrite are 0 in 24 hours from dosing your tank is cycled hope this helps it really saved me! I'll try to find the link for the thread I used for this method.

There are many fish to choose from but if you want to have live plants I would suggest to avoid Silver Dollars and Most cichlids, they will eat your plants up

Other beginner plants that are not hard to maintain: Water Wisteria, Amazon Swords, and Bacopa(mine has shot up like weeds!).

My 75g that will soon home Peacock and Haps Cichlids. (Yes it contradicts my above statement I'm rehoming my plants.)




Caleb

~10g tiger barbs
~45g ick problems/loach and 5 tetras left.
~75g going to be African cichlids

 

[ImACoolguy]

And as Hholly said, read read read read and read some more! There is always something new to Learn in the world of fish keeping


Caleb

~10g tiger barbs
~45g ick problems/loach and 5 tetras left.
~75g going to be African cichlids

 

[Dotrskeeper]

A tank that if gives you some flexibility. Do you think you would like schools of little fish, groups of medium fish, or a few large fish?

Do you want peaceful fish or more active fish?


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Slade]

Research that the fish you choose are compatible. Not only with temperament but ph, temperature, hardness.
A larger tank is actually easier because the environment doesn't change as quickly... but you will need to change more water.