75g FW Setup.

[MJPO]

Hello, everyone! Trying to get back into the hobby. I have a 75 gallon fish tank that I'm going to convert into a planted freshwater set up.

I'm going to be using dirt and sand/gravel as a substrate, and two AC 110's for filtration. For lighting, I wanted it to be medium light on the higher end but not super high light that would require me to use CO2, as I'm not sure I want to go that route yet but I'm always up to ideas. Was thinking of a Finnex planted 24/7 SE lighting fixture but then again, not sure. Help would be appreciated!!! =) glad to be apart of this community.

 

[Funken_A]

I know Finnex makes some strong lights.. If you have the coin I recommend one of the dimmable/adjustable models. (I'm not sure I'll have to look it up).

I definitely recommend hanging any lights in a way where you can move them up or down 12 inches or about 30cm. Having the ability to make these adjustments will make your stress levels significantly lower.

Once you can dim and/or move the light you can pretty much dial in the light to perfectly match any liquid CO2 you will use alongside whatever ferts you will add to get that perfect balance of growth and low amounts of algae

Your trying to achieve a medium light tank.. So right off the bat we discuss liquid CO2 API or excel ..Its cheap as are any fertilizers. You have enough light you will want to supplement CO2 somehow... Also depending on the amount of light you actually have will determine how much ferts and how often to dose your tank... Same would go for any liquid CO2... Things to think about

Not sure of your experience level so just tossing some thoughts out there


I'm guessing you want more than a java fern / moss and will be looking to do a more satisfying aquascape, just without a full CO2 rig.. This is part of the fun. Researching plant ideas for medium light tanks. Look into Crytocoryne, Pygmy chain sword, alternanthera reineckii mini. Anubias Bucephalandra are worth researchng. Sword plants, mosses,.. All kinds of stone and driftwood ideas out there.. Lots of places selling great aquarium safe pieces these days..

Even members here offer lots for respectable prices in the classifieds... The DIY section has lots of neat ideas..Photography section and personal tank threads have lots of ideas and how tos as well and problem and solutions tucked into t e conversations

In a nut shell.. Go nuts google freshwater aquascapes, Takashi Amano.

Also take your time picking out your critters. IMO in a planted tank lots of small fish are better than a few big fish. Bi fish tend to trash the place where small fish play amongst the plants and really just look fun meandering thru the Forrest. A few schools of peaceful plant friendly smaller fish in a big tank would be sweet.

DO you want snails. I recommend Nerite. Great algae eaters don't multiply and have cool designs.

Maybe freshwater puffers sound cool. But they eat snails so no snails with puffers

You simply must get a few Oto cats. A must have for a planted aquarium IMO. In fact I would recommend at least a dozen. Voracious algae eaters, fun to watch and only grow to about 1 inch maybe 1.5



Alright ill stop rambling.. Keep us posted an document your build, its always fun to see

 

[MJPO]

I know Finnex makes some strong lights.. If you have the coin I recommend one of the dimmable/adjustable models. (I'm not sure I'll have to look it up).

I definitely recommend hanging any lights in a way where you can move them up or down 12 inches or about 30cm. Having the ability to make these adjustments will make your stress levels significantly lower.

Once you can dim and/or move the light you can pretty much dial in the light to perfectly match any liquid CO2 you will use alongside whatever ferts you will add to get that perfect balance of growth and low amounts of algae

Your trying to achieve a medium light tank.. So right off the bat we discuss liquid CO2 API or excel ..Its cheap as are any fertilizers. You have enough light you will want to supplement CO2 somehow... Also depending on the amount of light you actually have will determine how much ferts and how often to dose your tank... Same would go for any liquid CO2... Things to think about

Not sure of your experience level so just tossing some thoughts out there


I'm guessing you want more than a java fern / moss and will be looking to do a more satisfying aquascape, just without a full CO2 rig.. This is part of the fun. Researching plant ideas for medium light tanks. Look into Crytocoryne, Pygmy chain sword, alternanthera reineckii mini. Anubias Bucephalandra are worth researchng. Sword plants, mosses,.. All kinds of stone and driftwood ideas out there.. Lots of places selling great aquarium safe pieces these days..

Even members here offer lots for respectable prices in the classifieds... The DIY section has lots of neat ideas..Photography section and personal tank threads have lots of ideas and how tos as well and problem and solutions tucked into t e conversations

In a nut shell.. Go nuts google freshwater aquascapes, Takashi Amano.

Also take your time picking out your critters. IMO in a planted tank lots of small fish are better than a few big fish. Bi fish tend to trash the place where small fish play amongst the plants and really just look fun meandering thru the Forrest. A few schools of peaceful plant friendly smaller fish in a big tank would be sweet.

DO you want snails. I recommend Nerite. Great algae eaters don't multiply and have cool designs.

Maybe freshwater puffers sound cool. But they eat snails so no snails with puffers

You simply must get a few Oto cats. A must have for a planted aquarium IMO. In fact I would recommend at least a dozen. Voracious algae eaters, fun to watch and only grow to about 1 inch maybe 1.5



Alright ill stop rambling.. Keep us posted an document your build, its always fun to see

My goodness, that's a wonderful reply. In my break I completely forgot about LIQUID Co2 options. I'd totally do that.

I'm basically set on the Finnex Planted 24/7 SE fixture, and I'll do some fun experiments to see about raising it above the surface some inches- should look amazing! Not really a lot of coin on my side of the isle so it'll have to do.

I'm not helpless, but I'm certainly no expert. I'm quite quick and have used liquid ferts, cycling, planted tanks, etc. I have an addictive personality so I usually end up going balls-to-the-wall on research and stuff.

The two AC110's are from a few years ago but only ran for a few months before I took down the tank- so I'm going to use those.

I'd love snails! And otos. I agree on the idea of small fish rather than large fish. I think the biggest fish id go would be apistos but something around that size.

I might add shrimp, too! I'm so excited.

 

[Funken_A]

Right On. I'm the same way


I was just going to add shrimp to my reply.

Amano shrimp are supposedly the best algae eaters. But there are so many shrimp and mini crayfish with bright colors. Just don't inter mix similar species with different colors as they mate and all your shrimp or crayfish turn brown over time

Those to AC110s should provide good flow. Its essential that your tank have really good flow throughout.

 

[fishenthusiast]

As Funken mentioned, Java Fern is great for any scape. There are a ton of varieties out there--much more than you probably know about. If you ever need to know where to get rare ferns, I can recommend a few online shops. High light is overrated in my opinion. You're constantly battling one algae type or the other and there is constant trimming. I think you'll hit the sweet spot with medium lighting. You can grow more colorful stems and can grow those low light plants without them becoming overcome with algae. In my opinion, it is always fun to have algae-eating fish/shrimp, but they aren't necessary if you take good care of your tank and balance it. Oto Catfish can be finicky since they are wild caught, but are worth a try!

 

[LiQuiD]

Was thinking of a Finnex planted 24/7 SE lighting fixture but then again, not sure.

I have this light on my 75, and recommend it. For med light tank, it will do just fine. My Jungle val, swords, and crypts all do nicely. Do not do the regular 24/7 model. The extra $15-20 for the SE is worth it.

I know Finnex makes some strong lights.. If you have the coin I recommend one of the dimmable/adjustable models. (I'm not sure I'll have to look it up).

Just about all their new models of the Planted Plus series you can adjust. The 24/7 feature is pretty solid though on this model. The others that adjust are the Current USA models, but they can be pretty pricey as you have to buy the dimmer separately.

DO you want snails. I recommend Nerite. Great algae eaters don't multiply and have cool designs.

Maybe freshwater puffers sound cool. But they eat snails so no snails with puffers

In my experience with Nerites, they lay hard coated eggs EVERYWHERE that will literally cover your glass, rock, decor, and equipment, and its a pain in the @$$ to scrape off. Ramhorn snails, and mystery snails are all i use now.

As for puffers, be careful, as they don't have many tank mates that they wont nip at 24/7 and ruin beautiful fins.

My goodness, that's a wonderful reply. In my break I completely forgot about LIQUID Co2 options. I'd totally do that.


The two AC110's are from a few years ago but only ran for a few months before I took down the tank- so I'm going to use those.

2 last things. First, liquid CO2 is no comparison for the real thing, especially on a tank of this size. I only still use liquid to help combat algae growth, but for a tank this size, I highly recommend using the real thing.

Also consider a canister filter over the HOB. In my experience, the water drop off of the HOB tends to beat down on plants below it, rather than helping create a steady "circular flow" in the tank. You can get a SunSun for under $70 which will work like a champ, and give you a spray bar to balance out a nice flow across the entire tank. Just my 2 cents. Good luck with the tank!

 

[MJPO]

I have this light on my 75, and recommend it. For med light tank, it will do just fine. My Jungle val, swords, and crypts all do nicely. Do not do the regular 24/7 model. The extra $15-20 for the SE is worth it.



Just about all their new models of the Planted Plus series you can adjust. The 24/7 feature is pretty solid though on this model. The others that adjust are the Current USA models, but they can be pretty pricey as you have to buy the dimmer separately.



In my experience with Nerites, they lay hard coated eggs EVERYWHERE that will literally cover your glass, rock, decor, and equipment, and its a pain in the @$$ to scrape off. Ramhorn snails, and mystery snails are all i use now.

As for puffers, be careful, as they don't have many tank mates that they wont nip at 24/7 and ruin beautiful fins.




2 last things. First, liquid CO2 is no comparison for the real thing, especially on a tank of this size. I only still use liquid to help combat algae growth, but for a tank this size, I highly recommend using the real thing.

Also consider a canister filter over the HOB. In my experience, the water drop off of the HOB tends to beat down on plants below it, rather than helping create a steady "circular flow" in the tank. You can get a SunSun for under $70 which will work like a champ, and give you a spray bar to balance out a nice flow across the entire tank. Just my 2 cents. Good luck with the tank!

You are a saint. Thank you so much for all of this. I am 100% doing actual co2 (got everything purchased and in the mail on its way, EXCEPT AN ACTUAL CO2 TANK). Did not know about cheap sunsuns. We'll see! I'll be creating a detailed thread showing the setup and continuation of this tank soon.

 

[LiQuiD]

Ive gotten all mine from eBay. Crap there was a deal that just expired to get $15 off of $75. You can get a 10lb for about $90.

 

[MJPO]

Ive gotten all mine from eBay. Crap there was a deal that just expired to get $15 off of $75. You can get a 10lb for about $90.

Mind if I annoy you further to ask you which dealer they were? A lot seem sketchy.

 

[LiQuiD]

Mind if I annoy you further to ask you which dealer they were? A lot seem sketchy.

Lol not at all.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/271801725580