75g Freshwater - Fish/Plants Advice?

Darter02

Darter02

Cool Beans!
Feb 4, 2007
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0
0
58
Greensburg, PA
www.myspace.com
Here’s the scoop. I have had aquariums over the years and been somewhat successful, though mainly die to trial and error. Recently, I was suddenly given a LOT of free fish. Not wanting to pass up the opportunity, I quickly set up a new tank. I know it’s better to cycle a tank well in advance of getting fish but, in this case, I just didn’t have time. After a little over a month, things are OK, but I would like some advice on how to make it even better.

I set it up with the intention of having it well planted and am now in the process of adding the plants.

Here is the set up.

75-gallon

It has two Penguin 350 Biowheels (http://www.marineland.com/products/consumer/con_penguinfiltersnew.asp ) I keep the water high enough so there is no major splashing coming out of the filters. I added extra media baskets containing carbon pellets and Ammo Carb. The Substrate is a mixture of Flourite and gravel. This past weekend, in an attempt to lower the ammonia levels even more, I swapped out the extra carbon media baskets with more Ammo Carb filled ones. Now I have an algae outbreak to deal with! Yoinks!

Temp is kept at 82° F (~27° C), Ph is maintained at 6. I also use Black Water Extract in the tank. I also use Flourish Excel for the plants.

In this tank I have 4 large, Wild Discus, around 20 Bleeding Heart Tetras, around Marbled Hachetfish, 5 Cory cats, 1 Bushy-nosed Pleco and a lonely One-line Pencilfish (waiting for me to find some tank mates.)

The fish seem to be doing OK. I was doing a lot of partial water changes and then one 20-gallon change during the week. I’ve been slowing down the partial changes a bit, but still doing the weekly 20-gallon change. After this past Saturday’s change, and swapping the extra carbon filters with the Ammo Carb ones, now I have algae spreading.

For lights, I bought a Coralife Brand Fresh Water Aqualight Compact Fluorescent lamp fixture with four 65 Watt 6700K Plant/Daylight Bulbs – totaling 260 Watts.

I’ve been carefully selecting plants that I think will thrive in the same conditions as the fish. To that end, I have added:

Bacopa australis ( http://www.tropica.com/productcard_1.asp?id=043A )

Echinodorus parviflorus ( http://www.tropica.com/productcard.asp?id=071D )

Echinodorus quadricostatus ( http://www.tropica.com/productcard_1.asp?id=068 )

Echinodorus 'Ozelot' ( http://www.tropica.com/productcard.asp?id=073F )

Gymnocoronis spilanthoides ( http://www.tropica.com/productcard_1.asp?id=053F )

Lilaeopsis brasiliensis ( http://www.tropica.com/productcard_1.asp?id=040 )

Sagittaria subulata ( http://www.tropica.com/productcard_1.asp?id=079 )

Plus there are a few Java Ferns and a little Java Moss and a reddish, stem plant that I am not 100% certain what it is. Oh, and a regular Sword Plant.

I plan on adding more plants too.

The plants had been doing well, glowing and new leaves sprouting. On Friday I had noticed a little, green fussy algae beginning to grow on the leaves of the sword plant and the the Ozelot, as well as on the glass. I figured this was a normal part of the cycling process, since it’s a new tank and a bit crowded. As I mentioned before, after doing a 20-gallon water change and swamping out the extra carbon filter for ammonia reducing ones, the algae has literally taken off.

On the Java Ferns it’s a brown color and it’s spread to other plants and onto the rocks. On the drift wood, it’s a greenish color and grows tight to the wood. On the broad surface of the plants and the glass, it’s a light green fuzz.

My plan is to put the carbon filters back in. Add some Poly Filters to the Biowheels, buy about 10 Otocinclus Catfish and introduce them. I also turned off the lights for today, until I can get things straightened out.

What else can I do to ensure healthy plants and fish while limiting the growth of algae?

RO filters? CO2 injectors? And if so, what type? I have no experience using such equipment.
 
You have alot of light over the tank so I think you should add some pressurized CO2. That will probably help alot of your algae problems. You should consider adding more stem plants as well, as these are fast growing and will use up nutrients before the algae can. Fertilizers will greatly help, especially with CO2 injection.

For pressurized CO2, the startup cost is alot, but will greatly pay off. You'll need a CO2 cylinder (check around at local welding shops), regulator w/ or w/out solenoid and bubble counter, tubing, and diffusor or reactor. Alot of regulators are sold on Ebay. Rex Grigg, who posts on this site, sells his own regulator, plus other things you'll need.
For fertilizers, I'd go with dry ferts. http://www.gregwatson.com is a good place to buy them. They are pretty cheap and will last a long time. I wouldn't try using liquid ferts on a 75g tank. They won't last as long.

Also, I wouldn't say that you are overcrowded. To me the stocking sounds about right (though I didn't see the number for the Hatchets). ;)
 
Even with 20 Hatchets its just a tad overcrowded. I'd probably scale down to 12 each of the hatchets and tetras, if I was stocking the tank like that, but they are small fish, so really the added 6 to each group is fine. I'd up the water changes to around 50% which would be around 35 gallons or so. If you are using buckets, have you thought about a Python? Its a gravel vac that connects to a faucet and takes water from the tank to the sink and then water from the sink to the tank (add dechlor as the water is going in). Its a good investment if you can get one. ;) Online look for one at http://www.drsfostersmith.com if you are in the US.
 
I do have a python from when I had tanks from before. I have not used it to siphon out water or to clean the substrate since introducing plants. While I am not completely full as far as the plantings go, I am reluctant to disturb the substrate too much.

Also, I have never used water straight out of the tap. I always thought that was a "bad" thing to do. Something about compressed gasses and allowing the water to sit out over night? I pre-fill 5-gallon buckets and place them on the radiators in the house to keep them warm. I also add water conditioner to help eliminate harmful stuff.

Do I not need to do this?

On the way home from work I picked up a dozen Otocinclus catfish ( http://www.fishlore.com/profiles_otocinclus.htm ). Usually, I place new fish into my quarantine tank for a few days but I got them off someone I know keeps a clean tank and they all appeared very healthy. After a slow acclimation process they are now all over the tank. Mainly, they are grazing on the stuff that is growing on the glass. Tomorrow I plan on wiping down the glass and doing a partial water change.

I also took a Poly Filter ( http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=PB1111 ), cut it in two and placed in the top of my biowheel filters. They're placed in such a way that all of the water has to pass through them. I am hoping this will help get rid of excess phosphates.

I'm also having trouble with ammonia. I don't think the tank has fully cycled due to the many, small water changes I keep doing. My nitrites never move above 0ppm, nitrates have also been 0ppm. Phosphates have climbed to 2ppm and my ammonia keeps going up to 3 or 4ppm!! Copper is also 0. I bought the hardness test kits but don't quite know how to use them yet...

One of my Discuss is suffering from the ammonia too. Three of them are acting fine but the fourth is lethargic and dark, it’s keeping to itself in the back of the tank and seem to be listing to the side a lot. I’m tempted to do a partial change now but am hoping the poly filters will help over night and then to do a change tomorrow.

Any advice would be appreciated!
 
You are not cycled. Adding more fish to the tank is only going to make the issue far worse.

I'm also not the over-stock police... but adding those 12 ottos pushed you well over the limit that you were already over. Your main goal should be healthy fish which also makes for less fish. you only have a 75!!

You need to do a 50% water change immediately and keep monitoring that ammonia. I suggest one tonight before bed, and waking up a bit earlier in the morning to do another 50% swap before heading off to work. That will still leave you with ammonia and an escalating ammonia problem. I would keep feeding to a minimum to keep /waste/ammonia production down, and come home for lunch to do another 50% water change and another after work, and another before bed.

Really... I'm not kidding. That's phase 1.

Phase II should be the combination of the following.

1. Buy some bio-spira to kick start your cycle
2. Visit you friend and do the following:

a) give him some of your fish to tend to inthe short term
and b) Ask for him to give you some seasoned filter media to help get your cycle going.

I hope you have the time to do so... Your fish are slowing being poisoned to death and gill structure and function permanatly damaged by the ammonia.

Good luck.
 
Cool beans. I set out many 5-gallon buckets last night so I can do a water change when I get home. I will do another in the AM as well.

I did put in some bio-spira, so I hope that will help. I think I will also get rid of some of the Bleeding Heart Tetras. They're nice, peaceful fish but there are just too many of them...
 
Darter

cycling a new tank with wild discus is going to be troublesome..if they are truely wild they will need pristine water..
adding biospira will help get the cycle going..
water changes will not hurt the cycle..bacteria fix themselved to object and do not reside in the water in any large amounts..most of the bacteria(nitrifying) will reside in the filter..I would not clean the filter much short of a light rinse in tank water if it is clogged.

you should consider large water changes(50%) to minimize the impact ammonia (and eventually nitrites ) will have on the discus and other fish.
a 5 gallon water change on a 75 is a very small water change..
I would either get a large container(if you chose to try and gas off the water-chloaramine will not gas off)
or use the python and prime to treat the water..add enough [rime to treat the entire tank volume..1.5 caps for your 75..add this to the new water you are adding with the python.

even with bio-spira keep a close eye on the water parameters. and be prepared to do water changes daily if need be to keep the ammonia <.25 ppm


good luck..do you know which discus you got??
there are several very nice looking wilds out there.
 
I initial set up the tank on January 2nd. The fish went in a week later. I really had no choice. They were part of a traveling exhibit about South American fish and the display was being shipped out, sans fish.

I was doing 10-gallon water changes every other day and then a 20-gallon change once/week. I will increase the volume I am changing, beginning tonight.

I fill 5-gall9n buckets and let them sit on the radiators in the house over night. I also add Tetra AquaSafe Aquarium Water Conditioner (http://www.petsparade.co.uk/aquarium/aquarium-treatments/?p=4153 ) to the water.

What happens if I just filled a bucket from the tap, and added the Aquasafe and don’t let it sit out over night? Is this OK?

Also, I have been maintaining a constant pH of 6, my tap water is around 7 or 8ish. I was using Seachem Acid buffer (http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=4124&N=2004+113923+113924 ) very carefully to maintain the level. Once though, I went only an 1/8th tsp over and had Hydrogen Sulfide!!! DANG!!! It killed the handful of Cardinal Tetras in the tank… %$&@#($(@ Since then, I have not used the stuff when changing water.

Doing these larger water changes, won’t my pH get messed up?

The Discus I have look like this: http://www.sunrisetropicals.com/imagelib/sitebuilder/misc/show_image.html?linkedwidth=560&linkpath=http://sunrisetropicals.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/51212WildGrnAndy.jpg&target=tlx_new&title=4.75"%20Wild%20Discus

All but one seem to be doing OK. Their colors are bright, the blues and reds are very vibrant. The fouth one, the smallest of the bunch, seems to be pushed around a lot by the other three. Its stripes are darker, and it tends to list to the side on occasion. I’ve planted so that there are areas for it to get away from the other three when it wants, which is usually most of the time.

I have noticed that, even though they are usually very peaceful fish, when I feed them, they do a lot of sparing for space.
 
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