Help me plan a new tank

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mbeals

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Jun 25, 2008
Messages
5
I currently have a 40 gal tank with the following fish in it:

1 Brown Knife
1 Bloodfin Tetra
1 loach
1 corey cat.

This is a tank that I really didn't have room for in my old apt, so I kept it in a spare room and just maintained it. I had more bloodfins, but they were fairly old and started to die off (and I suspect the knife fish got hungry a night or two).

I just moved into a new place with more room and purchased a 30 gallon square tank (20x18x21) which will be sitting in a very visible spot in the living room.

So here are my questions:

1. Filtration. I am currently using a Magnum 350 with dual bio wheels on the 40. I also have a Fluval 405 that is currently not in use. The magnum is massive overkill and I'm sick of how the biowheels speed up evaporation. I want to set up the filtration so that I have very little visible plumbing running between the cabinet and the tank. I have an inline heater which I can keep in the cabinet so I don't have that power cord to worry about.

I am thinking about a RUGF system using either the magnum or the Fluval to power it. Since there would be no surface agitation, I'd put a small powerhead at the top corner. That way I could keep tank current to a minimum.

Any thoughts on this set up? Would the magnum or the fluval be a better choice to feed the system?

2. Fish
I am keeping my current fish and am going to get a few more bloodfins so that the one lone tetra isn't so stressed. My wife has her heart set on getting a puffer for the tank (she really likes the figure 8 puffer).

With the fish I have, plus 2 or 3 more bloodfins, will a Puffer 'work'?

Since the tank is taller then my current setup, I really want fish that will use the whole vertical column, so I was thinking about a few top water fish. I really like South American Leaf Fish, but they won't play nice with what's in the tank already. Any suggestions for fish?

Also (a little off topic).. my knife fish is going on 4 years old and is only about 4.5" in length. I understand they are supposed to reach 10 -12 inches when fully grown. Is mine just stunted or should I expect to see him continue to grow? I was told minerals in the water play a big part in this, but even after weekly water changes, he is still the same size.

3. Substrate

Since the tank is 'new' I was planning on using the old gravel and the old filter media so that the tank would be virtually cycled already. Would a different substrate work better for the fish I have (and plan on getting)?

Anything else I'm not thinking about?

thanks
 
I cant answer most of your questions, but I think getting 2-3 more tetras and also cories would be a good idea as they do better in groups
 
from what I have read about puffers they really are best in a species only tank as they can be quite aggressive. Also I beleive the figure 8's to be a slight brackish fish.. there is a ton of debate on this though.. I beleive in the TFH I just read on puffers said they will eventually need a slight brackish enviroment.

However like any fish, it will depend on the personality of the individual fish. You may try it in a community just be ready to move it to another tank if things go ar-i

just my .02 cents though
 
The knife is going to eat anything that will fit in its mouth as it grows larger. Tetras, loaches and corys all like to be in groups.
 
The knife is going to eat anything that will fit in its mouth as it grows larger. Tetras, loaches and corys all like to be in groups.

but is he going to get any larger? He's been his current size for about 2.5 years and is a long way from fitting a tetra in his mouth.
 
He sure should get bigger.A 40 would not really stunt his growth. Interesting,I guess time will tell.
 
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