First Aquarium

[Dave Cushing]

Hello everyone, I just found this forum and I am impressed at the level of help people can get. I have always enjoyed other people’s aquariums, and I have decided to finally set up one of my own.

I have been reading all sorts of articles and books over the past several months, and I am on a first name basis with my LFS owner (my wife thinks I go there too much:D ). I have decided on a Central/South American theme planted aquarium. I would like to run by you all what I am intending, and see what recommendations you have. Nothing is set up yet, I am still working on cleaning and getting it all ready, I am hoping to start putting water in next week.

The Equipment:

50 gal (36Lx15Hx21D) acrylic aquarium
Magnum 350 canister filter
96w PC lighting

Substrate:

15 lbs Flourite
25 lbs Red Sea Flora Base (recommended by LFS)

Plants:

Various Vallisneria
Various Swords
Cabomba
Anacharis

Arizona Gardens (www.azgardens.com) has a plant package that I has everything I am interested in. Has anybody used them before, any comments?

Fish:

2 Angelfish
3 Swordtails
6 Sparkling Gourami
6 Cory Cats

I will also be using RO/DI water (the water from Los Angeles is pretty bad) and treating it with RO Right.

I want to see how everything goes before adding the expense of a CO2 injection system. But I am not opposed to doing so.

Thanks for anyone’s help. If I have left something out, let me know.

Dave

[superjohnny]

Sounds nice, but I think you can do better than a Magnum filter. Eheim, Rena and Fluval all make nice canister filters. I think I'd inject CO2 before RO/DI water as well. I guess that depends on just how bad the LA water is though ;)

From what I've seen the it's nice supporting the LFS, but bigalsonline.com will charge you 1/2-1/3 of what you'd pay at the LFS. For example, a Custom Sealife 96w PC light was $325 at my LFS. I got it at Bigals for $130 shipped. Rena Filstar was $200 at LFS (on sale in fact), half that at BigAls. I like to support local businesses, but there comes a point where being ripped off to do so isn't right either.

Good luck

[Tempest]

Dave, you might want to post this over in the plant forum. I don't think you should need to use RO water or distilled. What is the particular reason you believe you should? You have less than 2 watts per gallon so you probably won't *need* CO2 but even low light tanks can *benefit* from the addition. I think yours would be more called a moderate light tank and it should grow loads of plants for you. I have a high light tank and a couple of low light ones.

[fishfood]

Since this is your first aquarium, I would highly suggest reading through the threads about cycling your tank (fishless cycling). Best of luck to you!

[Tempest]

Fishless cycling and plants don't mix well. :) If you try to fishless cycle a planted tank, you will end up with algae feasting on the ammonia to the detriment of the plants.

[ChilDawg]

I would suggest holding off on most of those fish until the cycle starts...also, I would recommend against six of any variety of gourami in any size aquarium. Other than that, it sounds viable, and sounds like pictures are in order!!!

[125gJoe]

Flourite is all you need for the substrate, don't let them sell you "extra" substrate. :)

One bag per 10 gallons...

[Dave Cushing]

Thanks for the replies. I intend to cycle the tank with just the swordfish to start. I am looking at the different fast cycle products, but I am not sure about them.

Childawg - the research I have done shows that this particular gourami is fairly peaceful and shy and would do well in a community tank. Is there something that I am missing?

I hope to start putting water in the tank middle of next week and get it planted on the weekend.

Once again, thanks for the help.

Dave

[carpguy]

Gouramis in general have a (well-deserved) reputation for being aggressive towards each other. A male defending his nest will be aggressive towards anyone who gets to near, the spawning behavior can be violent, and two males will have very serious issues with territory. I wouldn't put more than one male trichogaster in a tank, with one or two or maybe three females. But you're talking about trichopsis gouramis. They may not be quite as hardcore. Territorial aggression is normal over the whole anabantid group (think Siamese Fighting Fish). They're from SE Asia, and while mixing regions is certainly fine… have you looked at dwarf cichlids, rams, that sort of thing? Similar niche, very beautiful, and maybe more in keeping with your theme. I'd also be concerned about the gouramis having trouble with the swords and especially the angels.

Speaking of the angels… if you're tank is going to be 15" tall, the angels might not be a good choice. They like tall.

Also with the tank. Compact (or power) flourescents get much hotter than regular flourescents, closer to incandescents. You'll want to make sure they're mounted well above the acrylic an properly vented.

I wouldn't go RO unless you really had a reason to. Plant Forum a better place for that.

40 lbs of substrate may not be a whole lot for a 50g. I'm not familiar with the footprint, but you may want to think more along the lines of 60 lbs+ for planted.

Your borederline moderate on light and may not need CO2 at your light level, but you may find yourself looking for more light before long. I'm at 2.5 wpg, and wish it was a little brighter. Have to say that pressurized CO2 made a world of difference in my tank.

You're looking at several territorially aggressive fish and no real schoolers. 36" isn't that long. I'd get a school of something or other in there and forego one of the turf-protectors.

Sorry to be so clipped, but I'm late and its Friday.

HTH

[Dave Cushing]

My mistake, the tank is 36Lx15Wx21H, the base footprint is 36x15, so I think I have enough verticle for the Anglefish.

I also agree about the light, the more I study, the more I think that I don't have enough. I am thinking about the 2X96w that www.ahsupply.com has. This would give me twice what I have now (about 3.9 wpl). But I am going to go with what I have for a few weeks, hopefully it won't cause too much problems.

As for the gourami, I am not so set that I will kill fish to make my point. I am looking for a nice schooling fish, that would also add a liitle color, how about a school (6-8) Rummy-Nose Tetras?

Dave

Edit: Changed my mind. I ordered the brighter lights. Will probably have to delay getting everything in while I wait for them though.

Dave

[wetmanNY]

It's always interesting to me, to hear that someone begins by reading up on the subject.

I don't know whether you're in "hardwater" California or "softwater" California.If you're in "hardwater" California, you're wise to be avoiding Amazon basin fishes like tetras and Apistogramma.

[Dave Cushing]

Is it interesting to you because most peolpe don't read, or because some say they do, but really haven't?

I live in "hardwater" Southern Ca, that is why I am using the RO system, and basically creating my own soft water.

Dave

[carpguy]

The WetFeller is an old Reader of the first order, and while he's very generous with his knowledge and experience, he's also a Skeptical Aquarist (http://www.skepticalaquarist.com) (go there now and bookmark it, trust me).

I googled www.ladwp.com/water/quality/Annual/AnnRep01/WQARCE-F2.pdf+water+report,+los+angeles&hl=en&ie=UTF-8 (http://216.239.39.104/search?q=cache:4I-hMAA8YdgJ:LA water and it didn't seem that especially hard. pH mid 7s with a KH around 5 or 6 degrees (sentral and eastern LA). Good water to CO2 down into the 6s. And with that much light you'll definitely need CO2 and a survey of fertilization over in the Plant forum or you'll be very unhappy.

I also found a nice little write up on the sparkling gourami (http://http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?siteid=21&pCatId=1562). The key bit: : "The Sparkling Gourami can be housed with a variety of tank mates that are of similar size and temperament. While males can be territorial with each other, they become timid around other, more aggressive fish." Personally, I'd favor these guys over the angels, but I like small and I like SE Asian. To each their own.

[Tempest]

Dave-- If you are doubling your light I think you would find down the way that you would be better off investing in CO2 injection rather than RO water. Check out the /stickies/ post in the plant forum for some info on fertilizers and look at the links plantbrain has listed also.

I have a 55 gallon high light tank that is almost a year old now. It's main inhabitants are two angels, 1 dwarf guarmie, 11 Cardinal Tetras, 5 Cherry Barbs, 6 cories, 2 otos(had more that died), 1 bristlenose pleco..

I live in a moderately hard water area. Aged out of the tap ph is about 7.6, gH 8, kH 10.. The plants certainly don't mind the hardish water... The cherry barbs spawn regularly to the delight of the angelfish. :D

My main problem with the tank has been the fight with algae. I attribute most of that to the fact that I use DIY CO2 rather than the more sophisticated injection of pressurized.

[ChilDawg]

Very few read before they start out. I was lucky to have done so and you will find that you were, too!

[Dave Cushing]

My main reason for using the RO is I already have it. A friend of mine gave it to me. I read a few articles that talked about the benefits of RO water. I understand that since all minerals are removed, that I will need to reconstitute the water with R/O Right or another similar product.

Chemistry has always been a hobby of mine. I feel that it is best to start with a known base and add what is necessary to reach the desired end point.

If I am way off base, tell me.

Red Sea's flora base advertises that no additional CO2 is required (I know, never believe marketing). They also recommend that it be replaced very year, well I know I am not going to do that.

Installing a pressurized CO2 injection is not out of the question. I tend to make sure about what I am doing before I do it. If a CO2 system is required, then so be it.

With that in mind, I did a little looking around. Has anybody really have good luck with a DIY system, or is it better just to go all out to begin with?

What is the forum consensus.

Dave

[ChilDawg]

Most Saltwater buffs would agree that stripping down water (via RO) and then reconstituting it to a known composition is a great way to keep the aquarium in balance. I've seen it done with FW as well, so I think that you'd be on the right track in filling your tank that way!