Returning to the hobby...teach me!!

[Biggie343]

Hi all,

As the title indicates I have kept fish before and am giving it another go. I had fish in my teens but unfortunately I was not a responsible keeper, I got fish that got too big for their environments, overstocked, and mixed species that I probably shouldn't have. I always had success keeping the fish alive, and I was always diligent with water changes, feeding, and maintenance but I think they could have had better lives if I didn't buy more fish every time I went to the lfs.

It has been more than a decade since i last had a tank and would like to use my experience in failure and your knowledge to do it right this time....with a plan.

I have an 80 gallon tank that I bought 10-12 years ago that has been sitting in my folks garage since, I decided that while I was renting I shouldn't set up a 800+pound furniture item in a house i would likely leave in a few years, but i recently purchased my first home and i think its time.

This will be my first planted tank and I hope the forumites can help me with choosing the right substrate, filter, lighting, and what kind of and how many fish.

Here is what I was thinking and hoping they will create a happy, peaceful and beautiful centerpiece for my home.

Angelfish
Apistos
GBR
Cardinal tetra
cories?
any other suggestions will be appreciated

oh and i plan on building a background I found made out of vinyl gutters with multiple cave structures, I will try to find a link.

Thanks in advance

 

[discuspaul]

You have a good-sized tank for creating a dramatic display environment.
Have you ever considered the 'king of the aquarium' .....Discus ?
Rather than the Angels, your other choices would be super tankmates for a half dozen sub-adult discus. You might think about a medium-planted set-up with a real nice piece of driftwood, a reasonable variety of plants, and pool filter sand as the substrate. It needn't be either high light nor high-tech, and I'm certain you would get a real kick out of the little 'challenge' of keeping these beautiful fish, which are in fact hardy and relatively easy to keep, so long as you buy quality, healthy stock to begin with, and particularly since you're not adverse to doing the wcs and maintaining a good tank routine to keep them healthy and thriving.
Just as food for thought, have a gander at my low-tech planted discus tank, which is just about the same size as your tank:
http://s1105.photobucket.com/albums/h357/discuspaul/Sept2011
Be glad to help you out getting started, if there's any interest.

 

[Biggie343]

Thank you Paul for your quick response

I have always liked discus but in the past avoided them I had heard they are difficult to keep and were always a bit pricey due to limited availability, but my wallet has grown since my register jockey days.

I will certainly consider this option but have been drawn to the angel for a long time, a fish I never kept too many long fins, most of my experience has been with aggressive species that would nip at an angel.

I did raise a severum though, one of my favorites, and i got him because he looked like a discus. I will have to think on it, thanks again.

 

[Biggie343]

btw your tank looks great

 

[discuspaul]

Thanks.
After sleeping on it and you think you might like to give it a go, don't hesitate to PM me at any time if I can be of any help at all.
I've been fish-keeping for a ton of years, and have done many SW & FW tanks, bred many species of egg-layers, but I have kept coming back to discus, which have given me the utmost satisfaction in this humbling hobby.

 

[jpappy789]

What plants are you thinking about going with...low tech, high tech?

 

[Biggie343]

Not real familiar with plant species or the tech required, I know I like the short plants or moss that looks like a manicured lawn, just have to figure out how to do it.

Also I found that link http://www.diyaquarist.com/archives/208 I wanna cover this with all green planty goodness

 

[jpappy789]

Most mosses are pretty low tech...do you want to invest in CO2/ferts?

 

[Biggie343]

I have been looking around at co2 equipment and i think for now i would prefer to stay low tech. can ferts just be added to the water? can ferts be useful without co2? can ferts and co2 be used in a sump tank/refugium? not that I am familiar with those either

 

[gmh]

A liquid fert like Flourish can be a helpfull addition in a non CO2 tank, and your proposed setup looks like it would look fine with easy care mosses, java fern, crypts, anubias and other low light plants. That background looks like it would be apisto heaven.