999 questions for a new setup :)

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Krall

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May 6, 2005
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Hi all,

I haven't had an aquarium with fish in it in quite some time! Yesterday I ordered a 65 gallon 24x24x24 (Marineland) rimless tank based totally on it's sexy good looks and threw caution to the wind. I'm a cart before the horse kinda guy ;)

Prior to that I kept and bred Frontosa, fish from Lake Malawi and some awesome Oscars.

I know the most important question is what am I going to keep now and I don't have a solid answer. Initially I want to master plant keeping and have a tank that is alive with bottom, middle and top swimmers. I'm used to pretty anti-social fish so I want to change that up.

Hopefully you guys won't mind if I bother you with a few zillion questions:

I want to keep the plumbing as hidden as possible since you'll be able to see it from all 4 sides, so if I can find an undergravel filter that fits I was thinking I could use that tube to start the filtration process.

For actual filters what do you guys think of the Lifegaurd in-line modular system? I was thinking of using 1 mechanical, chemical, heater and fluidized bed filter.

Heater?
LED lighting for plants and fish. I can hang it from the ceiling.
Fish? :D
Anything I should use for water treatment, slime, etc? I have to check again buy pH should be 7 and soft.

Thanks!
 

OrionGirl

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I wouldn't recommend a UGF. They do not work with plants--the roots grow in and fill the substrate, blocking water flow, plus the roots are happier with less water movement through them. A canister filter with an intake and out flow will be your best bet. They can be located above the tank, if you're putting on a canopy, otherwise the tubing can be run along a corner.

Heater: depends on stock, and ambient temp of the space. I only have a few tanks with heaters--house is kept 73/74 year round and the most fish are just fine at that. If your house is cooler, you need to consider how much you will need to heat the tank, and go from there. Look at inline heaters, perhaps, to minimize equipment in the tank, or plan on running a sump.

In terms of fish, I'm a fan of pencils, labyrinth species, and aspidoras, but for a planted setup I like shrimp. So, 30 coral red pencils, shrimp (cherries, in one of the many color forms available), 15 zebra ottos would be lovely.

Lights will depend on what kind of plants you want, if you want lots of growth, run CO2, etc.

Check if you have chlorine/chloramines in your water supply. Prime or Safe are good products for them.
 
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Rbishop

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For a four sided viewed tank, I'd drill and run a sump.
 
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FreshyFresh

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Krall, welcome!

Waiting on new equipment is exciting for sure. To me, the footprint of the tank you ordered is an odd one, but perfectly fine if you plan your stock well.
 
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Krall

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May 6, 2005
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For a four sided viewed tank, I'd drill and run a sump.
I don't think I have the ah 'heart' to try to pull that off. I wanted to order one that way, but unless I heard incorrectly they were upwards of $600.

Krall, welcome!

Waiting on new equipment is exciting for sure. To me, the footprint of the tank you ordered is an odd one, but perfectly fine if you plan your stock well.
Thanks.

I like the cube look and it fits in well with the size of the room. I'm used to having those long 55 gallon tanks. I was mainly planning to go with schooling fish so hopefully that plays well with the dimensions.
 

FreshyFresh

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.. I was mainly planning to go with schooling fish so hopefully that plays well with the dimensions.
Sounds like a plan! Lots of options there. You could do something like an angel as a centerpiece fish, if you wanted a CP fish, and then some schoolers, shoalers, etc.

There's just not a ton of footprint space there for a fish that needs the space to do best.
 
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Krall

AC Members
May 6, 2005
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I wouldn't recommend a UGF. They do not work with plants--the roots grow in and fill the substrate, blocking water flow, plus the roots are happier with less water movement through them. A canister filter with an intake and out flow will be your best bet. They can be located above the tank, if you're putting on a canopy, otherwise the tubing can be run along a corner.

Heater: depends on stock, and ambient temp of the space. I only have a few tanks with heaters--house is kept 73/74 year round and the most fish are just fine at that. If your house is cooler, you need to consider how much you will need to heat the tank, and go from there. Look at inline heaters, perhaps, to minimize equipment in the tank, or plan on running a sump.

In terms of fish, I'm a fan of pencils, labyrinth species, and aspidoras, but for a planted setup I like shrimp. So, 30 coral red pencils, shrimp (cherries, in one of the many color forms available), 15 zebra ottos would be lovely.

Lights will depend on what kind of plants you want, if you want lots of growth, run CO2, etc.

Check if you have chlorine/chloramines in your water supply. Prime or Safe are good products for them.
Thanks.

I kinda remembered from before that UGF weren't good for plants, but you confirmed it for me :)

Funny you mention that, I was thinking of building a canopy to contain the filter. Wasn't sure how it would look with a tube coming down from the 'mothership' to suck the water out and put it back in.

Thanks for the fish recommendations, those pencils look spectacular in particular.
 

Krall

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May 6, 2005
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Sounds like a plan! Lots of options there. You could do something like an angel as a centerpiece fish, if you wanted a CP fish, and then some schoolers, shoalers, etc.

There's just not a ton of footprint space there for a fish that needs the space to do best.
Discuss would be out of the question for CP fish right? I like your idea, I hadn't thought about doing something like that. I know what angels are, just not familiar with keeping them.
 

FreshyFresh

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A few discuss and a big school of cardinal tetras would be excellent in this setup too IMO. Just need to do your homework on Discuss keeping and the time/resources needed for proper care. The reason Cardinals go so well with them is they do well in the higher water temps discuss need to do best in.
 

OrionGirl

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*Discus*. Better search results that way. Discus can and will eat cardinals. So will angels. Just a thought to keep in mind. There are a huge variety of discus available. Be prepared to spend and research in order to get quality animals, preferably ones that were bred locally--best odds of them acclimating well to your water conditions.
 
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