Question on setting up a larger tank

[NutterB]

I've had a 29 gallon tank set up for several years and now I'm looking into getting a much larger tank, but I don't know what equipment I need. Several months ago I bought 3 tiny silver dollar fish and then as they quickly outgrew my black skirt tetras, I realized they're going to need a bigger tank. They seem happy and hang out with the tetras and enjoy eating every plant I consider putting in. The tank is pretty heavily stocked w/ about 15 neon tetras, 3 blk skirt tetras, 3 Cory cats, a pleco (kids convinced me again, but they usually die on me), a snail, a couple ghost shrimp, and the 3 silver dollars. Everyone gets along well and water tests come back fine. If it makes any difference, I probably wouldn't add much to a larger tank.

Right now in the 29 gallon tank, I have the heater, a marineland 50 gallon hanging off the back, couple airstones, and UV filter. But looking at bigger tanks (90-125 gallons) it appears that's not going to be sufficient and I have no idea what's necessary vs just what others are putting in because it's 'super cool'. I do plan on continuing to try to find some plants these guys won't destroy, but don't plan to add CO2. What components do I need?

 

[ColdKoi]

I guess there’s a lot of personal preferences that go along with what you really ‘need’ for a new tank setup

If you just want to go simple and foolproof I’d say stick with hob filters. I’d get a pair sized a bit on the large end of things (say 2x 70g filters for a 90g tank or 2x 90 or 110s for a 125). They’re much cheaper than a canister filter and sized a bit on the large side can provide you some redundancy if one were to fail. The other filter should have no problem picking up the slack till you fix the other.

On the other hand, if you hate the noise or just don’t want to see the filters, canisters are great. But quite costly compared to a hob that would do the same job. You can even get canister filters with built in heaters, so there’s one more thing you don’t have to see in the tank. But you’d better be ready to pony up, those suckers are ridiculously expensive!

Personally if I was going to put together another setup and just go basic and practical. It would be a pair of hob filters and a submersible heater. The filters should provide a fair amount of surface agitation so an air pump shouldn’t be necessary.

If you’re going with “low tech” plants, without co2, you also don’t need a ton of light. Depending on the tank you get, the lights that come with it may be fine, or just a cheap Amazon light will be good enough. You won’t need a $300 plant specific light! Just be sure to buy a timer for the lights to keep the tanks light cycle consistent or it can do weird things to the plants.

Depending which plants you want to go with, you also likely don’t ‘need’ a fancy substrate. Not the greatest example but I have some red ludwigia that grows just as well in cheap aquarium gravel as it does in seachem Flourite plant substrate. But it doesn’t hurt to spend a little on a good substrate if you want to keep it live planted.