My very own 75g stocking / build thread!

[mommytron]

Substrate Calculator
i selected flourite and it seemed to be the closest to PFS.

i used about 30lbs in my 20H (12x24) and got about 3". to rinse it, i just poured in a 5gal bucket and stuck the bucket in the shower. i let it fill up with water, and let the water keep running off the top as i stuck my arm in and swirled all the sand around. after a few minutes i'd dump as much water as i could, then filled it back up and started over. i just kept doing that until the water ran clear.

with our tank, we also rested it on it's side, and sprayed the heck out of it with hot water (small enough tank for the shower). we also let it fill up and wiped with paper towels.

good luck!

 

[The_Desacrator]

So I have purchased a 75 gallon and will be receiving it next week. So wanted to start my very own build thread.

I am still a novice here, so I will have a lot of questions. If what I am planning sounds like a terrible idea to you, please let me know.

I plan on going with 2 Aquaclear HOB filters (a 70 and a 110).
Pool Filter Sand for Substrate
It isn't going to be planted. I don't think I am quite ready for that yet So it will be artificial.
Planning on doing the fishless cycle.
I also plan on taking the set up very slowly, trying to avoid that point where the tank is full of water (or worse yet full of water and fish) and I think "Darn, I wish I would have done this this way". I would have done my current 10g differently than I did if I could do it all over again.

My current stocking plan:
8-10 White Clouds (6 are moving over from my 10g)
10-12 Cardinal Tetras (a favorite of my wife)
8-10 Cory Catfish (would love recommendations on types)
6-8 Cherry Barbs
6-8 Dwarf Rainbowfish

And then after that I was thinking of some non-schooling fish in the "centerpiece" vein of things, though not so big that they will eat my other fish.

Some ideas I had were perhaps a pair (male/female) of dwarf gouramis and then perhaps 2-4 Angelfish? Any other ideas?

Any fish that you think I am missing? I have read a lot of good things about Otos. Recommend? There will be at least one piece of driftwood in the tank.

I don't think this will be totally overstocked as far as bio-load. But obviously I could be wrong (if so please tell me).

Also, does anybody buy fish off the internet? I have a few fish stores around me (of differing quality) but was thinking that if they don't have a breed of fish that I want could I get them off the internet? Or is that crazy talk? If you have ordered fish off the internet I would love to hear your experiences and recommendations.

Whew... quite the load of info / questions.. sorry about that. Just very excited.

The angelfish will murder your tank when they get bigger. avoid them at all costs. they get very territorial when they get larger.i am not familiar with those other fish but i am assuming they ae pretty docile.

I just opened a thread on buying online in this forum. check it out.

 

[meegosh]

I disagree with the angelfish 'murdering' your tank. I have a large koi angel in my 30g long with some community fish (10x von rios, 2x neons, 1x diamond, clown loach, and upside down cat) and have no problems. I did have problems when I was breeding guppies - the angel would eat full grown adult guppies. Doesn't bother my neons at all and everyone else is too fast for her to catch.

 

[Crepe]

I disagree with the angelfish 'murdering' your tank. I have a large koi angel in my 30g long with some community fish (10x von rios, 2x neons, 1x diamond, clown loach, and upside down cat) and have no problems. I did have problems when I was breeding guppies - the angel would eat full grown adult guppies. Doesn't bother my neons at all and everyone else is too fast for her to catch.

I would say that Angels do get a little nippy during breeding time. They just need to be paired properly.

 

[meegosh]

Yes, that is true but the OP was looking for a centerpiece fish. So I was assuming he meant a single angel. My female laid eggs out of the blue a few weeks ago and she was busy keeping the tetras away from the eggs. She would chase them to the other side but that was about it.

 

[MartinBlank]

I have moved away from the Angels actually.

Right now my planned stocking is:
8 white clouds
8 cherry barbs
10 false julii corys
5 oto catfish
8 neon dwarf rainbowfish
6 Boesemani rainbowfish
Pair of swordtails (have not decided on type yet)

So in essence, the schools of rainbow fish + the swordtails will kinda combine to be the centerpiece....

I am still getting Cardinals, but they will be replacing the white clouds in the 10 gallon (when the 6 white clouds move to the 75). So the 10 gallon will be 6 cardinals and a male betta (a very mellow male betta).

Oh, and I got the tank cleaned and rinsed last night and up on its stand. My filters should arrive on Thursday or Friday, and I will get the PFS this weekend and get that rinsed real well and in the tank. Then it is time to start decorating!

 

[mommytron]

how is your filtration on your 10gal? because if you can, you should try for 2-4 more cardinals. with just 6 they may not school together. with 8-10 of them , they will form a school and look VERY cool in your tank

 

[MartinBlank]

Hmmm. I have an AquaClear 20 running on it. But I would be hesitant having 10 Cardinals in there plus the Betta... Something to think about though.

 

[MartinBlank]

Ok, my filters arrived and I got 100 lbs of PFS. It isn't Quikcrete brand, but I like the looks of it. Didn't have time to get it rinsed, but I hope to do that after work tonight.

Anyway, in my Aquaclear 110's I was thinking about going Sponge-Sponge-Biomax pellets (bottom to top) and skipping the carbon entirely.

What do you guys think? Good idea? Bad? More mechanical / bio filtration appeals to me vs the carbon. But don't want to do something that might have negative consequences.

 

[BigJim]

The second sponge won't hurt anything, but I'm not sure it would do much for you. I use the sponge and the biomedia only. I actually have two bags of biomedia in two of my ACs.

 

[meegosh]

I agree with BigJim here, skip the second sponge. I run some polyfiber cut to fit instead of the second sponge. Seems to polish the water a little better than without it). I think it makes a big difference when you do trimmings and get stuff floating all throughout the water column.

 

[MartinBlank]

I agree with BigJim here, skip the second sponge. I run some polyfiber cut to fit instead of the second sponge. Seems to polish the water a little better than without it). I think it makes a big difference when you do trimmings and get stuff floating all throughout the water column.

Hmm. I think I will try this. Thanks meegosh

 

[MartinBlank]

Ok, so got the PFS sand rinsed and in the tank. Tank filled and 1 of my AC 110's is running. I really like the way the sand looks. I will try and get some pictures up tonight.

I had scrubbed out the tank really well with paper towel + vinegar.. but it looks like not good enough, as after it was filled and the aquarium's light turned on I noticed some hard water stains I missed.

I am going to first try and scrape them off with a razor blade scraper... if that doesn't work it looks like I will be draining the tank and letting a vinegar soaked rag lay on the stains for a half hour or so to loosen them up and then wipe them away. Should have done that to begin with, but in the end the only thing lost will be time.. not a big deal (though I do hope I am able to scrape them off )

 

[MartinBlank]

Ok, stains resolved, sand in tank, both filters running.

I am basically at the state where I could start my fishless cycle (no decorations yet, but I figure I would add them during the cycling period).

I am hesitant though. I will be out of town over the 4th (2nd through the 5th I believe). The main thing, though, is that I will be gone for 5 or 6 days the first week of August.

I don't think that my tank would be done cycling before I leave, and it would stink to have it close to cycling, go camping, and then come back and all the bacteria is dead. Any ideas on keeping the cycling going when I am away? Short of dumping a bunch of fish food in there?

Right now I am sorta leaning towards getting my tank decorated, taking my time, and starting the cycle after I get back.... sucks to have to wait so long... but I am not seeing another option that appeals to me.

 

[BigJim]

Do you have someone you'd trust to work on the tank? You could always measure out some ammonia and have them dump it into the tank if you're close to cycling. A dead feeder in a media bag would also work.

 

[Aquarium1]

Nice Build. Looks like you've gotten some pretty good advice so far. Following

 

[MartinBlank]

Actually, if I dumped a bunch of fish food (I am thinking sinking pellets or even a couple of those "7 day feeder pellets") into say like a small container with a lid, but the lid had holes in it, I could put that in the tank.. and the food would rot and produce ammonia, which could seep into the rest of the tank, but I wouldn't get fish food gunk all over the bottom of the tank. Once I return I carefully remove the container and continue on with cycling...

The main concern is messing my tank with a ton of fish food, this might be a way around that. What do you guys think?

 

[MartinBlank]

Here is what may be an odd, silly question:

Does aquarium decoration with holes for hiding need 2 entrance/exits? Like if stacking rocks, or purchasing a piece, or whatever, should you have 2 holes....

Just thinking an aggressive fish my "trap" another fish in there with the other fish not having a way to get out.

Or am I just crazy?

 

[meegosh]

I wouldn't worry too much about it. One way or another it will get out - as long as it can physically fit through the opening.

 

[SnailPowered]

I'm pretty sure that if the predator can fit inside the hole the prey will realize that. And I don't think the predator will stalk that one fish that long unless it is really hungry.