New to AC - 45G setup

[KenJ]

I've been browsing these boards for the past week or so and I really like the community here. So many educated people who really care about helping others out. I'm fairly new to the whole aquarium thing. I've tried to do my research on this so that I do it right. I made the mistake of assuming it was fairly easy to set up a freshwater aquarium in the past and so I'm doing my homework this time (with your help).

So I have a 45G freshwater setup with a 30w Aqua-Glo Flourescent light and a Marineland Penguin 350 Bio-Wheel filter. I did the cycling and have got everything stable from what I can tell. Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates and everything check out fine except the Alkaline was fairly high. I'm not sure what this means, any help? Over the last week I've added a couple live plants (camboda and another I can't remember the name of right now). There are also 5 Black Neon Tetras and 3 Red-Blue Tetras.

I'll continue to monitor the Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate levels very closely for the next few weeks to make sure it really is in good condition. I'd like to add 2 or 3 more Red-Blue Tetras and either some cory cats or smaller loaches though I don't know enough about the loaches to decide yet. I'd also like to add a colorful unique fish that doesn't need to be in a community but will get along with others (maybe something from the Chichilds family?).

All your suggestions and tips for maintaining a good aquarium and adding fish/plants are greatly appreciated.

[oscaremmy]

Welcome to AC!!!

It's great that you have cycled your tank. I am a bit concerned about the 30w/45g light levels, which may not be enough for the plants you have already put in - if these start to die back, you may get a nitrite spike. Just watch them carefully and if possible, try to find a way to increase lighting levels to at least 90 watts. (yes, that's a big jump). Your pH levels are due to the normal alkalinity in your tap water. You might want to add some peat or bogwood or both. This will 'soften' your water, which simply means make it more acidic. You don't mention what the pH is. If it's anywhere in the 7 range, you really should not have any problems, provided you don't select fish that need very neutral pH of 7.0 to 7.2. This would include things like Discus and a few other South American species. If you cannot get your pH to under 8, you might want to consider species that thrive in alkaline water. This would include Rift Lake Cichlids, which are colorful but not generally ideal community fish, preferring a species tank because of their behavior and potential aggression. I am sure you will get a lot of other great advice from more seasoned ACers. Good luck.

[PieterE]

Welcome KenJ

AC is a very nice place indeed. You'll find plenty of info in these forums.
3 Tips that I can give as a noob: Be patient, Don't rush, And most of all...have fun.

[Windy]

:welcome:to AC enjoy your stay here. Our operators, therapists and counselors are standing by to help you.:grinyes:

[KenJ]

Thanks for your responses! I did confirm the bulb I'm using is the 18000K 30W Aqua-Glo bulb. I'll keep a close watch on the plants to see how they do. How often should I keep the light on per day? I've read too much light will cause algae to grow, but the plants will also keep down algae by using up the nutrients.

The water tests I did were with the Jungle Test Strips (which I've read isn't the best thing to use). What water testing kits do you recommend? The last water test I did was a couple hours after a 50% water change and the pH was about 6.5 and the KH was in the 200-300 range, which was very high on their chart. The tap water I'm using is coming off a water softener, so I don't know how much that will make a difference.

On a side note, I do like the Discus a lot. I'm thinking of getting some cory cats, what is a good amount for 45G? Also, what are some other good combinations to go with the tetras and a Discus?

Thanks again for the help!

[irishspy]

:welcome:

It sounds like you've made a nice start! I do think you need a different light, however. 18000k is the rating for the color temperature and, at that level, is more for marine tanks. Something around 6700k is more usual for freshwater plants.

Also, you'll still need more watts per gallon, since the K rating has nothing to do with how much light the plants are getting. The suggestion for 90 watts is a good one. With 2 watts per gallon (2 wpg), you can grow plenty of low to medium light plants. With the lights you have, your plants won't grow fast enough to out-compete the algae for nutrients.

I know little about keeping discus, but I'm of the impression that they like to be in at least a small school, and a 45g may be too small for that.

Anyway, welcome to AC. Don't be afraid to ask questions, even if they sound dumb to you. The only truly dumb questions are ...well... the ones I ask after a couple of martinis. :grinyes:

[Marinemom]

Thanks for your responses! I did confirm the bulb I'm using is the 18000K 30W Aqua-Glo bulb. I'll keep a close watch on the plants to see how they do. How often should I keep the light on per day? I've read too much light will cause algae to grow, but the plants will also keep down algae by using up the nutrients.

The water tests I did were with the Jungle Test Strips (which I've read isn't the best thing to use). What water testing kits do you recommend? The last water test I did was a couple hours after a 50% water change and the pH was about 6.5 and the KH was in the 200-300 range, which was very high on their chart. The tap water I'm using is coming off a water softener, so I don't know how much that will make a difference.

On a side note, I do like the Discus a lot. I'm thinking of getting some cory cats, what is a good amount for 45G? Also, what are some other good combinations to go with the tetras and a Discus?

Thanks again for the help!
Discus are a schooling fish and must be kept in groups of at least four with more then tht being the better option. Because of this a 45 gallon tank is not appropriate for them. They have the potential to grow to the size of a small dinner plate so there is simply not enough room for a group of these beauties. Sorry.

Marinemom

[KenJ]

Does the type of bulb matter (i.e. Fluorescent, Incandescent, Halogen)? I'll look around for a new bulb today that is 90 Watts and 6700K.

Thanks for the info on the Discus... I'll eliminate that from my options.

[injunear]

The water tests I did were with the Jungle Test Strips (which I've read isn't the best thing to use). What water testing kits do you recommend? The last water test I did was a couple hours after a 50% water change and the pH was about 6.5 and the KH was in the 200-300 range, which was very high on their chart. The tap water I'm using is coming off a water softener, so I don't know how much that will make a difference.



I have been advised to forego the water softener as it depletes the TDS in the water.
Additionally, it adds sodium chloride to the water at twice the concentration as the calcium it removes.

I had to bypass my home water softener to provide for my aquarium needs.......

Here's a thread that advises against it but I've since seen the same advise elsewhere......

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=149697&highlight=softener&page=2

Here's what I had to do one weekend.......

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=49135&stc=1&d=1209308843

[irishspy]

Does the type of bulb matter (i.e. Fluorescent, Incandescent, Halogen)? I'll look around for a new bulb today that is 90 Watts and 6700K.

A lot of people use compact fluorescents. Coralife makes a good fixture, the Aqualight (http://www.bigalsonline.com/edealinv/servlet/ExecMacro?omni_scAdd=scAdd&nurl=control%2FBrowseCatalog.vm&eurl=control%2FBrowseCatalog.vm&rurl=control%2FBrowseCatalog.vm&ctl_nbr=3684&queryType=0&path=&offset=0&hits=&sortby=&query=coralife+aqualight&submit.x=0&submit.y=0). :idea: