75 gallon bottomless fish tank suggestions - help!

[jjab]

Hello Aquarium Advice!

Some friends and I are currently in the processing of building a 75 gallon bottomless aquarium like the ones you see on youtube YouTube - ‪My unusual aquarium‬‏. We plan on ours having a larger pool and a taller tower. The bottom pool is to be about 4x2x1 feet and the tower about 3 feet (2 feet sticking out of the water).

This is to be a community aquarium--both in terms of the fish in it and that our living community will be caring for it. I would like it to be understocked and sustainable for the long term (so no huge fish that will eventually outgrow the tank). Hopefully the fish in it will be well-balanced so some are happy inhabiting the bottom pool area and others enjoy the tall tower.

The only thing we are sure we want is a large school of zebra danios. Everything else is open. Could you please provide stocking suggestions? I have decent fish experience--but I have never tackled a tank this large! A diverse, peaceful tank would be ideal. I was thinking some danios, Boesemani Rainbows, and otocinclus would be nice, but I don't know how many of each fish would be good--AqAdvisor is only helpful to a degree.

Please give me whatever stocking suggestions you have, and keep in mind the bottom pool of the tank is open, so no jumping fish.

Thank you all!

[Ziggs180]

Wow thats actaully a pretty cool design! Definitly not something you see everyday. As for stocking, i've heard Zebra Danios need alot of space to swim back and fourth at the top level of the tank, you sure the tower will have the space?

[jjab]

I'm glad you like it! Ours is going to be rather large, with the tower being approximately 20 gallons and centered in the middle of a 50 gallon pool. It seems like most zebra danios are recommended to have at least a 10 gallon so I figure they will be ok in the 20 gallon tower. About how many do you think would be a good number? 10-20?

[Ziggs180]

Do you want a large Diversity of Fish? If so i'd just stick to a minimum of 5 - 6. if you dont plan on doing a large diversity of fish i'd go with 10.

[jjab]

We were hoping for a large diversity of fish. I was considering the following, though I don't know how many of each fish I should get.

?x zebra danios
1xdwarf gourami
?x boesemani rainbows
?xguppies
?x white skirt tetra
?x otocinclus catfish (I worry about the fragility of otos and maybe there not being enough to eat. Anyone have a good suggestion for a different type of bottom feeder that is peaceful and will not get too large? I think some sort of pleco or other catfish might be better)

[alLexX]

Originally Posted by jjab

We were hoping for a large diversity of fish. I was considering the following, though I don't know how many of each fish I should get.

?x zebra danios
1xdwarf gourami
?x boesemani rainbows
?xguppies
?x white skirt tetra
?x otocinclus catfish (I worry about the fragility of otos and maybe there not being enough to eat. Anyone have a good suggestion for a different type of bottom feeder that is peaceful and will not get too large? I think some sort of pleco or other catfish might be better)

a bn(bristlenose) pleco would work. not sure how the skirts would do with male guppies long,flowing fins(can be nippy). otther then that,your stocking seems ok,dont forget to fishless cycle

[MartinBlank]

If you are looking for a peaceful option to skirt tetras, black phantom tetras also look very nice (better imo) and are generally more peaceful than skirts (black or white skirts).

[jjab]

What would be better, BN plecos or corydora catfish?

I didn't know that skirts were nippy--how would the diamond tetra fare? Alternatively, is there another fish we could use to replace the guppies?

And yes, the tank will be cycled humanely. I have some filter media and tank water from another tank of mine I am also going to use for the cycling.

[alLexX]

Originally Posted by jjab

What would be better, BN plecos or corydora catfish?

I didn't know that skirts were nippy--how would the diamond tetra fare? Alternatively, is there another fish we could use to replace the guppies?

And yes, the tank will be cycled humanely. I have some filter media and tank water from another tank of mine I am also going to use for the cycling.

bns or corys is up to you

[Flossie]

Sounds awesome!! Hope u post pics when you're finished. Honest question though... What will happen if electricity goes out with a storm or tripped breaker ???

[alLexX]

Originally Posted by Flossie

Sounds awesome!! Hope u post pics when you're finished. Honest question though... What will happen if electricity goes out with a storm or tripped breaker ???

nothing,if theers no hole for air to get in to replace the water,it cant leave

[bruinsbro1997]

Originally Posted by jjab

What would be better, BN plecos or corydora catfish?

I didn't know that skirts were nippy--how would the diamond tetra fare? Alternatively, is there another fish we could use to replace the guppies?

And yes, the tank will be cycled humanely. I have some filter media and tank water from another tank of mine I am also going to use for the cycling.

Diamonds are somewhat nippy IMO, bleeding hearts or the mentioned black phantoms are good. Lemon tetras look similar to diamonds. Any livebearers could replace your guppies...

[jjab]

Alright, I was hoping for a somewhat larger tetra, but the black phantoms are pretty awesome looking so I think they'll be good. How does the following stocking sound?

10x zebra danios
1xdwarf gourami
6x boesemani rainbows
5xguppies
1x molly
7x black phantom tetra
5x corydora catfish

On AqAdvisor, this is a 77% stocking level, which seems decent. Amusingly, it gave me a warning that black phantom tetras will nip at guppies, which it didn't do when I had the skirts in there.

And yes Flossie, alLexX is right, nothing happens when the power goes out. The science behind the "bottomless" tank is simply a difference in air pressure. To see an example of this phenomenon in action, fill your sink or large bowl with water. Take a small cup (a shotglass would work) and submerge it in the water, let out all the air. Flip it upside down and pull most of the cup out of the surface, leaving the lip of the cup under water--you have an upside mini fish tank!

One other thing...are guppies going to reproduce like crazy? I know livebearers will (hence just one molly, which is a refugee from a tank that's about to be broken down), but are guppies as bad? And if I have the above tank, could I just not worry about the eggs because the other fish will just eat them?

[alLexX]

Originally Posted by jjab

Alright, I was hoping for a somewhat larger tetra, but the black phantoms are pretty awesome looking so I think they'll be good. How does the following stocking sound?

10x zebra danios
1xdwarf gourami
6x boesemani rainbows
5xguppies
1x molly
7x black phantom tetra
5x corydora catfish

On AqAdvisor, this is a 77% stocking level, which seems decent. Amusingly, it gave me a warning that black phantom tetras will nip at guppies, which it didn't do when I had the skirts in there.

And yes Flossie, alLexX is right, nothing happens when the power goes out. The science behind the "bottomless" tank is simply a difference in air pressure. To see an example of this phenomenon in action, fill your sink or large bowl with water. Take a small cup (a shotglass would work) and submerge it in the water, let out all the air. Flip it upside down and pull most of the cup out of the surface, leaving the lip of the cup under water--you have an upside mini fish tank!

One other thing...are guppies going to reproduce like crazy? I know livebearers will (hence just one molly, which is a refugee from a tank that's about to be broken down), but are guppies as bad? And if I have the above tank, could I just not worry about the eggs because the other fish will just eat them?

they breed like crazy,but the fry will just make a tsatyy treat for everything

[Flossie]

I was just Wondering bc the guy was talking about kids pulling the tubes and water going everywhere! I guess I thought the Pump is what kept the air out! Lol lol good luck can't wait to see it

[jjab]

I went to the LFS today and checked out the fish they had and was really taken by the white skirts. They are so pretty! If they would only nip at guppies, I figured we can just take the guppies out and replace them with something that has shorter fins. I was initially worried about livebearers producing too much fry, but I guess the other fish will make short work of them.

10x zebra danios
1xdwarf gourami
6x boesemani rainbows
6x molly (would it be possible to make this six be platies and mollies?)
7x white skirt tetra
6x corydora catfish

Does that seem reasonable to you guys?