Cadd’s First Community Tank

[cadd]

I will use this thread to document my journey of my first tank set up. I decided to start with a 50+ gallon lightly planted tank and I’m open to stocking options. I'll try to be as financially responsible as possible, searching for deals on pre-owned equipment on Craigslist if possible. I set an initial budget of $500 and hope to stick with it. I'll document the cost of everything I purchased in case there are other new hobbyists looking for an idea of what to expect budget wise.

I invite you to join me along for the ride. Your advice, ideas, guidance, suggestions and constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated!!

Over the past week, I've been slowly procuring equipment.

Rummaging through my parent's basement, I found the following items from the 80s & 90s. Not sure if any of these still work though.

20 gal tank (free):

HOB filter (free):

Pumps/powerheads (sponge filter???) (free):

Holy fish poop! NOT made in China

Heaters – two 200W and one 100W (free):

20 gal tank with equipment above:

I also purchased newer equipment as well.

Penn Plax Cascade 1000 Canister filter ($79 Amazon):

API Freshwater Aquarium Master Test Kit ($23 PetSmart):

Running Total: $102
Remaining Budget: $398

 

[fishorama]

Wow, you found some good stuff! But, I would not use any clamp on style heaters ever again, they're a tragedy waiting to happen. I've been there more than once, don't do it! Heaters, especially old heaters, are probably the worst for reliability of any aquaria technology even now. The Ebo Jaeger, if it still works without condensation inside (it looks iffy), were the "gold standard" . Newer blue topped Ebos (or is it Jaebo now?) are not up to the old quality.

Even if you want a larger tank, the 20g can make an awesome quarantine/hospital tank, always a great idea. The filter needs to be cleaned with scrubby pads (no soap) & see if it runs well. Clean the impeller too. If so, then you probably should buy a new "bio-wheel" .

I have a Quick Filter too, but use it mostly just for clearing up a cloudy/silty tank but powerheads can be useful in other times.

 

[cadd]

Wow, you found some good stuff! But, I would not use any clamp on style heaters ever again, they're a tragedy waiting to happen. I've been there more than once, don't do it!

Thanks! Would you mind explaining why clamp on heaters aren't good? Additionally, could you point me to a few reliable/popular heaters most members here use?

Even if you want a larger tank, the 20g can make an awesome quarantine/hospital tank, always a great idea. The filter needs to be cleaned with scrubby pads (no soap) & see if it runs well. Clean the impeller too. If so, then you probably should buy a new "bio-wheel".

Exactly! I will start my cycle using the 20 gal tank for now until I find a more suitable tank. When I do find a more permanent tank, I'll keep the 20 gal for QT/hospital. Quite honestly, the HOB filter is pretty much garbage. If it doesn't run, I'll just toss it out. The filter media is brittle and ripping apart. I doubt they'll have the proper size media. I don't even know if they have bio-wheels in the size I need as well. Would you know a popular HOB filter made for 10 - 20 gal tanks? I'll look to purchase a small HOB to run along with the canister filter. If I ever need to put fish in the QT tank, I can just move the small HOB from main tank into the QT tank.

I have a Quick Filter too, but use it mostly just for clearing up a cloudy/silty tank but powerheads can be useful in other times.

I hear people talking about a sponge filter. Would the powerheads be able to achieve that for me as well?

 

[fishorama]

Back in the "olden days" clamp on heaters were the norm. We had a couple brands but none were reliable for temps or for even hanging on tanks well. If you bumped them or moved them & loosened/tightened the clamp there was no telling what might happen...stuck on was very possible & fish would get cooked...or it wouldn't come on at all (not as bad but certainly not good). There are no "great" heaters that I've heard of that any normal hobbyist can afford. I have had pretty good luck with visitherms (not the recalled Stealths)...Ebo (or Jaeger, the newer blue tops) & Aqueon sound fairly good but I don't use heaters much where I live now. Inline heaters (connected to canister filter tubes) have very mixed reviews. Pay attention to tank temp no matter which you choose!

Powerheads can be used to move water (& crap) around the tank toward your filter's intake. I actually prefer a second HOB or canister for that. They can also power a sponge filter but are more forceful & use more power than an airstone & air pump driven sponge. A more gentle flow is better for fry, I use a PH for my hillstream loach tank, they like flow & the aeration. I also have prefilter sponges on my filter intakes that are similar in function...they are a place to grow beneficial bacteria & micro-goodies for fry food but keep fry & large detritus from getting sucked up. These need to be rinsed every week or 2 but then you don't have to clean the filter as often.

Even the "crap" filter can be enough for a QT/hospital tank. I'm sure there are biowheels available online for any filters but if it runs you don't "have to" use a biowheel (I'm not sure I quite buy into that other than as theory, lol). I like Aqua Clear HOBs if you need to buy new, maybe a 20, 30 or even 50.

Ugh, it's past my bedtime, I'll have more tomorrow, as will other people I bet.

 

[fishorama]

Are you cycling with "pure" ammonia (no surfactants or perfumes)? You need to dose to ~2ppm to get the beneficial bacteria growing well enough to add fish. Patience!

 

[cadd]

Are you cycling with "pure" ammonia (no surfactants or perfumes)? You need to dose to ~2ppm to get the beneficial bacteria growing well enough to add fish. Patience!

I haven't started cycling yet. I haven't decided how to cycle yet.

 

[cadd]

Today was a good day.

But if something’s too good to be true, it usually is. When I got there, it was a 29 gallon tank with a HOB filter, hood & light. It was a really old grandma. I asked her how she knew it was a 50 gal tank. She said she guessed. Grrrr. But I took it home anyways. ($20 Craigslist)

The cleaning and testing begins

The filter to the right is my dad’s old 80s/90s filter. The filter on the left is the filter that came with this 29 gal tank

I also got notified that my tank stand came in. So, I went to pick it up ($11 Home Depot)

Some of my other goodies came in as well.
Aqueon gravel vac ($7 Amazon)
Seachem Prime ($13 Amazon)
Floating thermometer ($2 Amazon)
Python water changer 50ft ($60 Amazon)

Ok, time to assemble the fish tank stand. Only three 2x4s were needed

29 Gallon tank will be used for cycling until I find something larger.

Oh, by the way, the old school 80s/90s HOB filter puts the newer HOB to shame.

Running Total: $215
Remaining Budget: $285

 

[fishorama]

Looking ok so far...but budget for a different substrate. Please do not use the "clown puke" in the tub, lol. Sure it'll work ok-ish but you'll be sorry if you do. You can look up substrates, inexpensive ones include pool filter sand, oil-dri, turface but there are many options. Will you want to try live plants eventually? Let that thought influence you choice. Some don't even get planted, so sand would be ok but changing substrate is a PITA. A hospital tank doesn't need substrate at all.

 

[myswtsins]

So almost half the budget gone and you don't even have the tank, stand or properly sized equipment for the tank you want? Sounds about right in this hobby! lol.

I agree to not trust those heaters and with the brands suggested to replace with.

I agree for aquaclear for a new HOB but if what you have works you just need to find replacement media. Here is replacement cartridges for your 160. http://www.thatpetplace.com/replacement-cartridge-penguin-160-170-200b-300-330-350b-filters-6pk I might actually have a bunch of these I don't use, where are you located? I also agree that bio-wheel might be more hype than fact but I have no facts to back that up with.

If you are just cycling to get started for moving to the 50+ I would just use pure ammonia (for any cycle ever actually), your new penn plax AND one of the other HOBs (so you have 2 filters to move to the new tank with the option of moving one to the QT/hospital tank as needed) in the bare 29g.

I love the pictorial follow along. Keep it coming!

 

[dougall]

I thought I had replied here... Apparently not.

As always, everything is always mix of personal preference and experience, possibly with a handful of 'read it on the internet' thrown in.

I am not a fan of used heaters, unless I know who and how they were used.

Biowheels do work... But not so well for a planted tank... Think of a wet dry filter, the aerobic bacteria will have plenty of access to oxygen when spinning on the wheel... But due to gas exchange, it is not ideal for a planted tank.

Powerheads work fine to move water... They can do it through a sponge filter, undergravel filter or whatever. Depending of there being a prefilter, they should be fine for fry... A circulation pump may not be.

Your Craigslist post has North Jersey... Pretty sure there are deals to be had in the area... Check out Facebook groups too.

And I am not a huge fan of stands like that. The 200 lbs or so of the aquarium will mostly be on the shear strength of the screws used.. I prefer there to be a Continuous length of wood vertically.

I will try to add more details tomorrow.