Help Requested: Newbie setting up new 90G Tank

[SkyLight]

Hi everyone,

I've had a 10G goldfish tank for a few months and loved taking care of them! I've been loving this hobby so much that I have just placed an order for a 90G tank that will arrive next weekend! Yippie!

I intend to keep freshwater fish. In some years, I'd like to graduate to a planted tank, but I will start with plastic decor for now. Will likely keep fish that are what PetSmart would call "needs intermediate knowledge" to handle. So, maybe rainbows to start me off? Eventually, would love a cichlid tank, but maybe not to start off with.

And here is where the questions start! Looking for lots of advice, so whatever you have, please send it my way. I have the following questions to start off, but I don't know what I don't know - so any additional advice you have for a newbie is welcome.

1. Which canister filer should I get?
I am thinking of getting a Eheim Classic 2217. Why? Because I hear it lasts forever, is easy to take care of, and has biological filtration. I hear the filter cartridges are more expensive, but I'd rather pay a little more for cartridges than for fish replacement. Any advice would help

2. Which light should I get?
Given that I eventually want to have plants, I'd rather go for a light that can eventually support plant growth. I read that "Finnex Planted+ 24/7" is a good choice. Is it? Are there any disadvantages to getting a light for plants even when I don't have plants? Any other brands/models that I should consider?

3. Which heater and how strong?
I was thinking of getting that EHEIM Jager 300W. I assume I'll need 300W for a 90G aquarium. Will 1 heater be enough given the tank is 4ft wide? Should I instead think of getting 2 smaller heaters, one for each side?

4. Air pump, tubing and air stone: Do I even need these?
I heard from one of the aquarium shop keepers that this is really only helpful if I like the aesthetics of it. Otherwise, I could skip it. I was thinking of skipping it. Should I?

5. Cycling my tank: Whats the best resource?
I have been reading up on cycling and am reading a lot of different opinions. Are there any instructions that have worked well for you that you could point me to?

6. Gravel and decoration: When should I get this?
I am going to get the gravel now so I can cycle the tank with the gravel in it, but was thinking of waiting on the plastic decorations until I can decide exactly what fish I want.

7. Lastly, when I am ready, what fish should I consider?
Any handy guides you can point me to?

Lots of questions, but I want to do things right and keep happy healthy fish. Any help you can provide will be greatly appreciated!

 

[FreshyFresh]

Welcome to the site! Congrats on the 90g. That's a really nice size tank that will give you tons of options.

I'm not sure where to begin on all your hardware choices. For sure Eheim classic canisters have been around for ever, but I'm not sure they are the quality they used to be. The same can be said for most aquarium hardware these days, be it filtration, lighting, heaters, etc.

I'm all for buying locally when I can, but mail-order is almost always cheaper. I like Sunsun canisters because of cost. You can buy 3 of them for the price of one Eheim in most cases. I'd personally go with a Sunsun 304B or larger for your 90g.

I like Aquaclear for hang-on-back style power filters. You'd need a 110 model for your 90g.

Heaters are all good IMO, if you keep the dial end out of the water. I hear that Sera brand are really great quality, but I've never tried one.

In term of air/bubbles, I don't see the point in that unless that air is powering a sponge bubbler filter or some other type of filtration.

With substrates, keep in mind, finer, softer grained is better if you intend to keep corydoras.

Sorry I'm all over the place there! Just some thoughts for you.

 

[tanker]

Some very good advice from Freshy (Joel). Eheim use to be the best, but not sure of their quality now. I too hear that the Sunsun filters are very good. PS--All filters have good BIO filtration.
You have a while to go yet. How do you plan on cycling your tank? Where are you located at?

PSS-- Welcome to AC forum.

 

[FreshyFresh]

Skylight, do you know anyone with a nice, well established aquarium? If you could get some of their filter's bio media to run in your filter, or a bio bag or pantyhose of their gravel, this should give you enough of a cycle to begin stocking your tank immediately. This is the easiest method and an instant start. Fishless cycling by adding ammonia works well too, but takes a good 6 weeks. Typcically lots of measuring and fiddling.

 

[SkyLight]

Thanks everyone - some really good advice here.

I am sold on fishless cycling. I'll gift my goldfish to a local pet shop that accepts goldfish and use the filter, gravel and plastic plants from this 10G aquarium to speed up cycling in the new 90G. I assume that would help? I don't have any other friend with an established aquarium, but I could ask the shop that sold me the fishtank...

I live in Chicago. And thanks again for the warm welcome! You are all making me feel less anxious! And more excited!

 

[Rbishop]

The use of the established media would definitely help.

 

[SkyLight]

Any thoughts on substrate? I think I like the bright look of a white substrate, so was thinking of going with Sand - and hoping to add some fertilizer to it to grow some plants. I researched eco-complete etc, but thats quite expensive and its unclear that its actually better than sand anyway. Your thoughts?

 

[FreshyFresh]

I tried a bright white substrate once. It was a bag of landscaping "marble chips" It's not really marble, just small white rock chunks. It turned a brownish-green in a matter of weeks.

My current personal favorite for substrate is a very fine grained natural gravel found at Petsmart under their National Geographic brand. I've seen it offered in brown as well. It's great to use for rooted plants and fine/soft enough for corys.

For my big fish (oscar and severum) I like a mix of black and natural gravel. It allows for their giant turds to blend in between WCs/gravel vacs.

 

[dougall]

For substrate, my suggestion would be to go with something that you will want to use in part of future plans.

Sounds like you want to try plants, so my suggestion would be to go with something along those lines... Rather than something completely inert, like sand. Look for something with a high CEC, so it will take ferts from the water, and store them until needed by roots, something like flourite, eco complete, something more expensive like scapers soil, or Amazonia, or something cheap like safe t sorb.
Unless you choose to use something like floating or epiphitic plants, you will do yourself a service to have a substrate that will deliver something to the roots also.

 

[SkyLight]

Thank you everyone!

I am not graduating to thinking about how I'll design my tank. With the plants, I'll need driftwood. Any considerations between Malaysian driftwood, spiderwood and Manzanita? Also, any good sources to buy them?