60 Gallon Freshwater Community Build

[Just Another Fish Guy]

Hello all!!

I am very excited to be getting back into the fish keeping hobby!! I am/was by no means a pro, but I found it very enjoyable and my tank was always healthy. My experience goes back to having a 10 gallon when I was a kid and then more recently a 29 gallon when I was in college (a few years ago). I tried going the saltwater route, but it was just too difficult to do in a dorm room and way too expensive for a college kid. I ended up switching that tank over to freshwater and had amazing success. I ended up buying my own house and didn't have room for it, so my parents tore it down and put it in storage.

Fast forward 4 years and I'm in a bigger house with the perfect spot...so my wife and I are going to start this up again!! I'm not a total noob with this stuff, but I'm sure I will have some questions since a lot has changed in the past few years.

Here's a breakdown of what this build will consist of:
60 gallon glass aquarium with stand (have already)

Being shipped to me:
2 Emperor 400 Power Filters
2 Aqueon 150 heaters

I also have the API Freshwater Master Test Kit on order along with a test for GH and KH. These tests will be important for the life of the tank and also for doing a fishless cycle.

As far as stocking goes, it's going to be a community tank with mostly tetras; but no live plants (at least not right now). This is what I'm thinking (numbers are just an estimate):

12 Cardinal Tetras
8 pristella tetras
10 Rummy Nose Tetras
6 Zebra Danios

I'd also like to get maybe a small school of Cory's and a pleco.

I didn't like the lighting that came with the tank, so a few nights ago I ordered the Current USA Satellite Freshwater LED+ kit. I've read some great reviews on it and once I saw all the effects it offered, I just had to buy it.

Here's a quick picture of what I'm starting with:


This past weekend, I got the back glass painted as well:






Finished product:



The tank wasn't sitting very level at first, so I painted some shims to match the stand and got it as level as I could. For those of you who have tanks on carpet...do you think this is "level enough?"

Side-to-Side:



Front-to-Back:



Now, I did do a leak test before painting the back, and fortunately nothing leaked. I'm hoping that when I add water again that it will eventually settle into the carpet and level out a bit more.

Substrate is going to be basic PFS that I'll be picking up today and as soon as I get the filters and heaters delivered, I'll be filling the tank and adding ammonia to get the fishless cycle going.

As far a decor goes, it'll be mainly fake plants and coral because my wife wants the saltwater look. Those will get added later on once I pick them up.

What do you guys think so far?

 

[jwh0818]

Wow welcome to AA! Seems like you have 99% of It figured out! I can tell you've done some major research! As for the stock, it's great. You can add more if you want but that's a great start. I'd look into some centerpiece fish for sure and maybe cory cats for bottom dwellers?

Your tank is heavy. Once it settles, it will be 100% level. The carpet will be very flat afterwards.

So far, you've done an amazing job. That blue looks great and I can't wait to see it came together!

 

[venymae]

Looks like you have a great start! I can't wait to see how your build matures Welcome to the community and I hope you and your wife have lots of fun with this build. Yay for couple hobbies

 

[treemanone2003]

Looking awesome !!! But I don't think the carpet is going to absorb any of the tank/water weight and all of a sudden to have a level tank. Doesn't make sense to me. If the tank was not level and you added shims, it's because the floor isn't level to begin with. Check the baseboard behind the tank just for the sake of it. Fill it 1/2 way and let it sit for 4 hours and check it again.

Other than that, keep plugging away !!!

 

[bettaowner]

Gold tetras would look nice too. I'd add hardier species first like the danios. Drip acclimation for delicate species like cardinals and rummy nose tetras would be best.

 

[Just Another Fish Guy]

Wow welcome to AA! Seems like you have 99% of It figured out! I can tell you've done some major research! As for the stock, it's great. You can add more if you want but that's a great start. I'd look into some centerpiece fish for sure and maybe cory cats for bottom dwellers?

Your tank is heavy. Once it settles, it will be 100% level. The carpet will be very flat afterwards.

So far, you've done an amazing job. That blue looks great and I can't wait to see it came together!

Thank you so much!! I'd love to get maybe a half dozen cory cats to take care of the bottom, and then later on add some Otos once the tank is more mature.

Looks like you have a great start! I can't wait to see how your build matures Welcome to the community and I hope you and your wife have lots of fun with this build. Yay for couple hobbies

Thank you!!

Looking awesome !!! But I don't think the carpet is going to absorb any of the tank/water weight and all of a sudden to have a level tank. Doesn't make sense to me. If the tank was not level and you added shims, it's because the floor isn't level to begin with. Check the baseboard behind the tank just for the sake of it. Fill it 1/2 way and let it sit for 4 hours and check it again.

Other than that, keep plugging away !!!

We'll see how today goes. I am going to get some sand and water added to it. Hopefully it levels off a bit more.

Gold tetras would look nice too. I'd add hardier species first like the danios. Drip acclimation for delicate species like cardinals and rummy nose tetras would be best.

Thanks for the recommendation; that doesn't sound like a bad idea at all.

Off to go rinse out 60 pounds of sand. I'll get some updated pictures posted later tonight or tomorrow!!

 

[clarkm]

Sounds like a good plan

 

[Just Another Fish Guy]

Just a quick update; I got all my sand rinsed and added to the tank along with getting it filled!! It's starting to come together!!



These won't be the lights I'll be using, but I wanted to see how it looked with some kind of light. I'm very surprised how clear it is after just about 20 minutes of being filled.

 

[jwh0818]

Wow that's nice!!!

 

[Just Another Fish Guy]

Wow that's nice!!!

Thank you!!

 

[Just Another Fish Guy]

Hello all! Today is the big day when all of my equipment is supposed to arrive. I can hardly wait; like a kid on Christmas morning.

I feel like I know the answer to this based on the research I've done, but with the size tank I have, do you think I could keep Tiger Barbs with community fish or are they just too aggressive to keep?

 

[Sk3lly]

Looks nice but with that lighting i think you really should look into live plants. I dont think you'd regret it and you can give your tank the extra wow factor that is incredibly hard with fake stuff

 

[agrasyuk]

+1 on live plants. Can't go wrong with some sort of anubias or fern, they really will liven things up. I like the color of your background, while the usual black is indeed elegant it is really gloomy for my taste.

As far as leveling, frankly if you ask me the bubble should be smack in the middle , even 2 hairs off is not level enough. And I see yours touching the line even. (I used to install kitchen cabinets and had enough discussions with angry granite countertop installers about what is "level")

I do realize it can be tricky on carpet. How is it now once filled?

 

[Just Another Fish Guy]

+1 on live plants. Can't go wrong with some sort of anubias or fern, they really will liven things up. I like the color of your background, while the usual black is indeed elegant it is really gloomy for my taste.

As far as leveling, frankly if you ask me the bubble should be smack in the middle , even 2 hairs off is not level enough. And I see yours touching the line even. (I used to install kitchen cabinets and had enough discussions with angry granite countertop installers about what is "level")

I do realize it can be tricky on carpet. How is it now once filled?

You know what...it was really bugging me that it wasn't level so I emptied the tank out to about a quarter full and releveled it. Now it's perfectly level front to back and side to side. Just took some extra work and shims to get it right. I feel much better about it now.

Also, thanks for the compliments on the background. I've had black before and wanted something different; something that kind of pops.

I also may end up getting some plants in the future, but we'll see.

 

[treemanone2003]

You know what...it was really bugging me that it wasn't level so I emptied the tank out to about a quarter full and releveled it. Now it's perfectly level front to back and side to side. Just took some extra work and shims to get it right. I feel much better about it now.

Also, thanks for the compliments on the background. I've had black before and wanted something different; something that kind of pops.

I also may end up getting some plants in the future, but we'll see.

I'm pleased you drained it and added some shims. Having that bubble centered is right on !!! As I stated before, I didn't think it would come around and get absorbed by the carpet as others had mentioned. Kudos to you, Just Another Fish Guy !!

 

[Just Another Fish Guy]

Thanks Treeman!

Well...yesterday was exciting. All of my equipment came, but unfortunately one of my filters isn't working. I need to call Marineland today and see what I can do to get it fixed; hopefully they'll tell me to take it up to my LFS and swap it out.

I did get my other filter going, plus both heaters and the tank is currently sitting at 82 degrees. I haven't added any ammonia yet until I get the other filter going.

Water parameters from the tap are:

Nitrates - 0ppm
Nitrites - 0ppm
Ammonia - 1ppm
pH - 7.4

My Current USA Freshwater LED+ light is absolutely amazing! It looks so much better than the regular lights that the tank came with. I think my favorite setting is the moonlight setting.

 

[Just Another Fish Guy]

Ran up to Petsmart and they exchanged the filter without a problem. Got it setup and added my ammonia!!

Tank has officially started the cycle!

 

[agrasyuk]

And now the fun part of waiting
I did not use ammonia, instead I "fed" the tank tiny bit of flake every day and had some snails in (perfectly survived 5ppm nitrite eventually), plus I had plants in day one found the wait was way easier, beats staring at empty tank.

Congrads on the lights , can't wait for my 72" fixture to finally be here.

 

[Just Another Fish Guy]

And now the fun part of waiting
I did not use ammonia, instead I "fed" the tank tiny bit of flake every day and had some snails in (perfectly survived 5ppm nitrite eventually), plus I had plants in day one found the wait was way easier, beats staring at empty tank.

Congrads on the lights , can't wait for my 72" fixture to finally be here.

I love my light kit. Haven't used it much since there really isn't a need now.

 

[Nortzy21]

Hello all!!

I am very excited to be getting back into the fish keeping hobby!! I am/was by no means a pro, but I found it very enjoyable and my tank was always healthy. My experience goes back to having a 10 gallon when I was a kid and then more recently a 29 gallon when I was in college (a few years ago). I tried going the saltwater route, but it was just too difficult to do in a dorm room and way too expensive for a college kid. I ended up switching that tank over to freshwater and had amazing success. I ended up buying my own house and didn't have room for it, so my parents tore it down and put it in storage.

Fast forward 4 years and I'm in a bigger house with the perfect spot...so my wife and I are going to start this up again!! I'm not a total noob with this stuff, but I'm sure I will have some questions since a lot has changed in the past few years.

Here's a breakdown of what this build will consist of:
60 gallon glass aquarium with stand (have already)

Being shipped to me:
2 Emperor 400 Power Filters
2 Aqueon 150 heaters

I also have the API Freshwater Master Test Kit on order along with a test for GH and KH. These tests will be important for the life of the tank and also for doing a fishless cycle.

As far as stocking goes, it's going to be a community tank with mostly tetras; but no live plants (at least not right now). This is what I'm thinking (numbers are just an estimate):

12 Cardinal Tetras
8 pristella tetras
10 Rummy Nose Tetras
6 Zebra Danios

I'd also like to get maybe a small school of Cory's and a pleco.

I didn't like the lighting that came with the tank, so a few nights ago I ordered the Current USA Satellite Freshwater LED+ kit. I've read some great reviews on it and once I saw all the effects it offered, I just had to buy it.

Here's a quick picture of what I'm starting with:


This past weekend, I got the back glass painted as well:






Finished product:



The tank wasn't sitting very level at first, so I painted some shims to match the stand and got it as level as I could. For those of you who have tanks on carpet...do you think this is "level enough?"

Side-to-Side:



Front-to-Back:



Now, I did do a leak test before painting the back, and fortunately nothing leaked. I'm hoping that when I add water again that it will eventually settle into the carpet and level out a bit more.

Substrate is going to be basic PFS that I'll be picking up today and as soon as I get the filters and heaters delivered, I'll be filling the tank and adding ammonia to get the fishless cycle going.

As far a decor goes, it'll be mainly fake plants and coral because my wife wants the saltwater look. Those will get added later on once I pick them up.

What do you guys think so far?

Looking great! I can tell you've been in the hobby as you have patience and know how to set up a tank correctly. I love the stock lost also because it's very similar to what mine will be. I'm putting together a 75 gallon community with large schools of tetras, danios, and cories. Anyway can't wait to see water in that tank! Put up some updated pics of the progress soon!