Help Me With Everything!

[Vikeologist]

OK first of all I dont have an aquarium yet... I was wondering what size to buy. Everyone says the bigger the tank the easier to maintain.

I am thinking about a 55 or 75 gallon tank. I will be going to Petsmart or Petco this weekend and looking around at the tank and stuff...

Also...about filters...what kind? Everyone here pretty much says Aqua Clear, what size for a 55 and 75 gallon tank?

Also I have heard about Penguins or Emperor Bio Wheels? Again what size for a 55 and 75 gallon tank? Will it be better to have 2 filters running?

I will pick up a test kit that you guys recommend. Also will get some Prime to remove chloramine.

What kind of light will I need? I would like to eventually have some low light plants.

Should I plant them before i begin the cycle? BTW, I have many questions on cycling but I will wait with them until I get my tank up and running.

Also what kind of decorations, like driftwood or caves should I get?

What size heater will I need for a 55 or 75 gallon?

I will buy a digital thermometer and a Python...


Sorry for all the questions...but you guys seem to know more than anywhere else, so id like to know all of this stuff before I go out and buy this stuff!

Thanks again everyone and Merry Christmas to Everyone!!!!

 

[cplawrence]

1) Filter--if you went with a hang-on filter, I would definitely go with the Aquaclear. They are much more customizable than a penguin. For example, instead of having to by their cartridges, you can put whatever filter media you want in the aquaclear. However, especially with the 75, you may want to consider a canister filter instead. You can get a Fluval 404 for between $90 and $100 on-line.
2) Size--the bigger it is, the more fish you can keep and the greater variety you can keep. It is also true that a larger tank is easier to keep.
3) Test kit--I use Aquarium Pharmaceuticals master kit and am happy with it. You can't beat Prime for a dechlorinator.
4) Decorations--what suits your taste. The fish will be equally happy with a rock cave or a fluorescent castle.
5) Heater--figure about five watts per gallon. For the 55, about 300 watts or about 400 for the 75. You may prefer to have two heaters. It will provide more even temperatures throughout the tank and will give you some backup should one fail.
6) For low light plants, plan on about one watt per gallon. Two watts per gallon would give more flexibility, but any more than that and you should have CO2 injection. If you're not already aware, this is another item I would definitely look at getting on-line. My lights were about three times more locally.

Hope that helps--keep asking questions.
Chris

 

[travis simonson]

First of all, welcome to Aquarium Advice Vikeologist. I like the name

I can answer a few of your questions and make some recommendations.

I would go with a 75 gallon tank. The 55 gallon tanks seem to be very "thin" in appearance to me. The 75G has, in my opinion, the perfect form factor. And of course it's bigger and it's better to have extra room and not need it than to need extra room and not have it

If you go with a hang on back filter I've also heard many good things about AquaClear. Personally, for a 55 or 75 gallon tank, I would recommend a canister-type filter. The Filstar line of canister filters are very good and affordable. The advantage is that they sit underneath your tank, don't take up space behind it or stick out, and are a breeze to maintain. They are also much more efficient and effective than hang on back filters. Others may have different opinions so be sure the read all the advice you can find.

I recommend Seachem test kits if you can find them. You should get ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate test kits so that you can verify that your tank is cycling properly. A pH test kit is also a necessity. KH and GH test kits are also good to test your water's hardness if you plan on growing plants. And with plants you should also consider a phosphate test kit, but in a low-light environment it probably won't be necessary. If you can't find Seachem test kits, Aquarium Pharmaceuticals also makes some decent affordable kits. You might find all of the above tests in a single master test kit as well.

If you do plan on growing plants, you will need to have at least one watt per gallon of lighting. The standard lights that come with most tanks do not provide nearly enough light. On a 75 gallon tank you would need to have at least 75 watts of light. I recommend compact fluorescent lighting because it is powerful and fairly affordable. Just about any type of compact fluorescents will grow plants well except for actinic lighting, which is used for reef tanks (very blue), so choose the lights that please your eyes.

You can certainly go ahead and plant your tank right away. The plants will do just fine and will give you something to look at instead of an empty tank.

Decorations are pretty much up to you and it really depends on what types of fish you plan on getting. I like driftwood and large rocks myself but everyone's tastes vary.

As far as a heater goes, I can't remember but I think the rule of thumb is three to four watts per gallon of tank volume so with a 75G you would want to go with something in the range of 250-300 watts. It can never hurt to have a little extra wattage either so I would recommend a 300 watt model. Ebo-Jager makes great heaters if you can find them.

I hope this helps and have fun setting it up. Let us know if you have any questions

 

[QTOFFER]

Welcome to AA, Vikeologist!

Basically, I would get the largest tank that will fit in your budget and in your room. It is easier to maintain stable water parameters in a larger tank, and you enjoy more flexibility regarding stocking.

Aquaclear makes excellent HOB filters. However, I prefer cannister filters for larger tanks. They require less maintenance, are quieter, and are more efficient. Your best choices are the Filstar XP3, Fluval 404, or Eheim 2026. They're all excellent filters. The Eheim is the Mercedes Benz of filters, and you pay extra for the name and reputation. I have one and am very happy with it, but I think the Fluval is just as good. I've heard nothing but good things about the Filstars . Whatever you decide to get, buy it online - you will save 50%, even after shipping.

Ideally, it would be great to have two smaller filters rather than one big one - if one fails, the tank does not crash. However, this can get quite expensive - especially if you're just starting out in the hobby. I would just get one filter - you can always add a cheap HOB or sponge filter in the future to supplement it.

Test kits for pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are essential. Kits for water hardness and phosphate are optional, but nice to have.

Any water conditioner that removes chlorine, chloramines, and heavy metals is fine.

If you're even considering plants at this point, don't get the standard hood/light setup that comes with the tank. Get a glass top (prevents evaporation better) and a compact fluorescent light fixture/reflector that will give you 1.5 - 2 watts per gallon. This will let you keep low to moderate light plants. You should also get a simple lamp timer from the hardware store, so you can set the lights to come on and go off automatically. You can add live plants whenever you want.

Decor: Personally, I prefer natural looking tanks with real driftwood, but the 'theme' and color scheme of your tank is up to you. I would get use aquarium gravel (5 mm or less) or coarse sand as a substrate - much easier to root plants. I would avoid white substrates just because they show algae and fish poop more than darker ones.

I've found that the paint on resin ornaments - even the expensive ones - eventually chips and peels. That's one reason why I prefer real rocks and driftwood. Same thing with fake plants - the leaves look wretched after a few months. At least I can clip the most beat-up leaves off my live plants, and they're always being replaced by new growth.

You need about 5 watts per gallon for heating. For a 75 gal, I would get two 200 W heaters and place them on opposite sides of the tank. If one heater fails, your tank won't freeze. Again, get these online to avoid getting ripped off.

Python is a must! I'd buy this online too.

Good luck!

 

[Vikeologist]

Thanks everyone for the great replies...I will probably just buy the tank and stand this weekend then...

I will buy pretty much everything else online!


Any other replies are greatly appreciated!

Merry Christmas again everyone!

 

[Vikeologist]

so for substrate would you recommend gravel or sand? I was thinking maybe about a nice dark purple for the bottom... Whichever you guys think is better.

Also how do Canister filters work? I know how HOB filters work but not sure about Canisters...

If I got 2 heaters what Wattage would they need to be? still be 250-300 Watts each?

For low light plants what kind of bulbs do you recommend? Is there a site online that you can link me to and tell me what bulbs to get? I want some nice ones that will show off the colors of my fish when I get them, but also keep my plants alive! I also have many questions about what type of plants, but ill save that also for when I get my tank.

 

[travis simonson]

I think QTOFFER was right on the money when he suggested two 200 watt heaters. I'm an IT guy and nothing makes me happier than fail-safe redundancy

For light fixtures you can't go wrong with www.ahsupply.com. They have great prices and some of the brightest lights around. If you're just looking for the bulbs, www.hellolights.com probably has the best selection I've found online.

Light color is defined by 'degrees Kelvin.' A light rated at 5000 Kelvin is quite yellow. 6700K lighting is whiter by comparison (supposedly similar to noon-day sun), and 10000K light is a crisp white with slight bluish tint. Plants will grow under any light in the 5000-10000K range so you just want to pick the type of light that you like the best within that range. I prefer 10000K lights with a little 6700K thrown in to mellow it out. To my (admittedly color-blind) eyes this mixture provides the best color rendition.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Yes, a 55G or 75G is a good beginner tank, as it's big enough so the parameters move slower due to the volume of water.

For filters, there's HOB's and Cannisters. As for HOB's, I use the Emperor 400. And for cannisters, there is the Fluval 404, the Filstar XP2 and XP3, and Eheim. There's also the AquaClear filters, but I've never used them. And a few others that other people will mention in here. I like the Emperor as it's got the biowheel, and is easy to maintain, IMO.

You will also need a good test kit, I use the AP Freshwater Master Test Kit. And Prime is a very good choice.

As for filter size, I usually go 1 step above the recommended. I have the Emperor 400, and will be adding a cannister tomorrow, which is my Christmas gift. The Filstar XP3. The cannister will replace the powerhead I have on the other side of the tank.

As for heater, I personally have a 300W submersable placed in the middle of the tank horizontally about an inch and a half above the sand/gravel. I use pool filter sand. That way I place some decor in front of it and it's not visible.

As for driftwood, that's just a personal preference. I love it myself. I also use some white quartz rock that I have. I also did 2 DIY caves for my 2 eels. Also have a fake hollow log, which is owned by the rainbow shark.

I have a Python as well. Best investment you will ever make for getting into this hobby. A good digital thermometer is good too. I got 1 on each of my tanks. Don't get the stick-on on the outside of the tank. I've had 2 and my last one was 8 degrees off what the digital and glass submersable ones I have. Don't trust the ones on the outside of the glass.

As for cycling, let us know any questions you will have when you get to that point. And you can cycle with plants, so that will be ok. As for low-light plants, I have java moss I started on my driftwood. There's also java fern. And I'm sure others will give more ideas for low-light plants. I'm just going to be starting some plants myself, but in the education mode right now.

Hope this helps. And Merry Christmas....

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Cannisters sit under your tank, and have an input line and an output line going to and from the tank. Also, with the different sizes of cannister, will have different amounts of media you can use. I chose the XP3 as I can have 3 sponges, and have 3 more media baskets for things like cylinders, stars, and lava media. The XP2 I believe only has 2 extra baskets. Same with most other cannisters as well, the bigger the size, the more flow, and the more media available to use.

If you decide on the 2 heaters, I'd probably go with 2 250's, as I like going a little above recommendation. But in my 55G, I only have 1 300W, and it's doing just fine. And plan on replacing it about every year and a half to two years.

As for buying online, there's places like bigalsonline.com for good prices. You can even try ebay. I got some good stuff cheap on ebay, and I'm looking at these lights on ebay for my planted tank I will be setting up eventually.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7732479515&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT&rd=1

The link just gives an idea what kind of deals you can find on ebay. You might not need that much light, but it's just something to throw out there for you to see.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Also, if you choose driftwood, remember it will leech tannins in the beginning, and give the tank a brownish look. One thing that helps is to soak it for 3-4 weeks in a bucket first, then add to the tank. You can also boil it or pour boiling water on it. Even in doing that, you might get some tannins, but won't hurt the tank or the fish, and will eventually taper off. You can even use AC in the filter to help remove the tannins til it does taper off. I love driftwood myself. Nothing better than a natural looking tank.

If you want to see my tank with pool filter sand, here's the thread...
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=66899&start=0

The 55G has the pfs, and the 26G bowfront has regular aquarium gravel.

 

[QTOFFER]

FYI, Big Als is waiving shipping charges on orders over $50 until Jan 2.
http://www.bigalsonline.com/splash.html

 

[Japola44]

You got some great advice from the others.. i'm just curious what kind of fish do you want?

Also if your considering drift wood i got a fake driftwood decor from petsmart, and so far everyone thought it was real. If you want to see a picture of it let me know. I just like it cuz you don't have to boil or soak it.

good luck with your new tank, i wish i could hve gotten a 75 for my first tank!
Happy Holidays!

 

[Vikeologist]

I really like Tiger Barbs...they are probably my favorite! The only downside is that they nip other fins...i know it helps to keep them in larger quantities...

I like dwarf gouramis but they probably wont go well with the barbs...

I also like cardinal tetras...


So what do you guys suggest? A canister filter or a HOB filter like the Emperor?

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I guess to me it's a personal preference. With the Emperor, you have the sound of running water as it comes off the biowheels. The cannisters are pretty quiet. Just depends on the person. I like the sound of the running water, and that's why I got the Emperor. I'm also adding a cannister as well, as I like a little larger load of fish, and the cannister will help with that. And if you get really good deals, might look into maybe getting 2 filters, one for each end of the tank like I'm doing. If you only get 1 filter, then more than likely you will need to get a powerhead for the other end, or you will start seeing more particles in the water at that end, as there's very little movement.

Tiger Barbs are awsome fish. I love the 9 I have in my 55G. They are still babies, as they were really small when I got then a few weeks ago. If you had them with gouramis or angels, would definitely have to watch and make sure there's not any fin nipping. But you can get just about any other fish with them. Might even check into Rams. They do need better water quality, so not sure if you'd be up to that yet. Might even look at some loaches for the bottom, as well as a shark of some kind, like some balas, or a single red tail or rainbow. Or you can look at the eels or bichirs. There's a wide range of different fish you can get with the tiger barbs that you won't have the problem of fin nipping. And as for the barbs, can do a mixture like I have of tiger barbs, albino tiger barbs, and green tiger barbs. They are so fun, even as babies.

Other than that, for the filters, whatever you think you would prefer is what I'd say. Hope some of these pointers helps in your decision-making.

 

[Vikeologist]

what about frogs? I have heard bad things about frogs...they jump out...they eat fish, stuff like that? is that true? how many do you get, how big do they get?

 

[QTOFFER]

Vikeologist, tiger barbs really aren't as bad as their reputation, so long as you keep a group of six or more. I have eight, and they never bothered any of the tetras when they were all in the same tank. If you keep a big scool of them with other fast fish, you shouldn't have a problem. I just bought some brilliant rasboras to keep with my tigers.

The African CLAWED frogs are the mean ones. I've seen ones the size of my hand in my lfs. They will eat slow fish and each other if given the chance.
African DWARF frogs are very peaceful - trouble with these is that they have a hard time finding food if there are fish present.

 

[Japola44]

O I would get a bichir senegal! I have one and he is my favorite fish. I have heard of pretty mean ones, but mine is just the opposite. Just don't get fish big enough to fit in their mouth they have a large appetite. They are easy to care for, cheap (i think mine was $6!), and really active. I think they are good beginner fish. Also, it could live forever happily in your 75gal tank. I would really suggest one.

 

[RoK]

Dwarf frogs would be fine as long as you make sure they get fed, no openings at the top of the tank for them to jump out, they are not put with fish that will eat them, and intakes on filter(s) don't have big enough openings to suck them up.

 

[SpaceButler]

First off, I don't know your experience with tanks, but if this is your first, hats-off for going about it the right way.

These guys have all the right idea about equipment, but I'd just like to say (in case you weren't sure already) if you're holding off learning about Cycling, just make sure you start asking before you put your fish in. Cycling in a nutshell is the process that "flushes your tank's toilet" so to speak; therefore, it's just about the most important topic to ask about before stocking the tank.

Good luck! Although, who needs luck when you're as conscientious as this, hehe.