Tank coming along nicely

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pbecot01

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Dec 27, 2004
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McGuire AFB, NJ
Got my 75, have the sand in it, finally found some rocks, got the plants in, ordered my lighting...

So here are the current issues and questions :) 1. I washed my sand, and spent 3 days siphoning out cloudy water and putting in more, but it still gets the water cloudy when it gets dusty. I have been told this goes away, but want some reassuring words :)

2. I want to get some fish at different stores... the one where I found the rocks at had my cories, so I went ahead and got 6 of them, which are now swimming around in my tank. The store I go to tomorrow has the biospira... but since I now have fish in my tank, I now have to hurry up and decide what other fish I want :) So I need more stocking tips lol... want really colorful fish that will not tear up my plants, won't get bigger then 4-6", and are active. I am thinking a nice school of cardinal's, some guppy's, maybe angelfish or rams? What do YOU guys like? :)
 
It can be days until your tank settles from sand. Keep the filter running and turn off any air stones. You want the water to be as still as possible to let the sand settle.

If you didn't this time, next time you might put the sand in the tank first then fill it with water slowly. Its also recommended to cover the sand with a plastic bag in the area you fill it to reduce the amount of particles that get stirred up. This method has been much more effective for me than putting the water in first.

The main fish to avoid with live plants are cichlids and plecos. I would recommend a few ottos to remove any algae. They seem to be the hardiest algae eater to me. They never stop eating and haven't shown the agression that the chinese algae eaters sometimes do.

You are wide open for the most part after that. Maybe some white cloud mountain minnows would be a good choice. Guppies are a good choice too. Zebra danios are also very hardy fish. I would highly recommend them if your tank isn't cycled. Make sure your cycled before you buy fish.

Your plant choices depend on the amount of light you have. Rotalia are a good choice for medium light. They grow very fast.
 
My tank isn't cycled, but I will be putting biospira in it tomorrow... would have done it today if the BIG fish store was open today :)

Going up to a bit more then 2 WPG when my light fixture arrives.
 
I have read that angelfish eat neons... does this go for other small tetras (like cardinals) as well?
 
If your tank has never been running and you jhave gravel, then taking out the undergravel filter won't be so bad. I would still take out the fish though.

You can look through the plants up to the medium lighting level at http://www.plantgeek.net/plantguide_cat.php?category=1 Ask any other questions here. They give a fair amount of detail on each plant.

Angelfish can be agressive and I would hesitate to mix them with neons. I'm sure it can be done with adequate space though. Try and keep fish that will be about the same size. Nearly all fish are cannibals to the degree of what fits in their mouth.

Be very careful what you stock when your tank isn't cycled. I wouldn't put in any fish that costs more than 99 cents. There is an extermely high chance of losing fish when your tank is cycling. Zebra danios have been the best fish I have used to cycle. The are usually 99 cents too.
 
I think the best advice of all is just to be patient and go slow in stocking your tank. it's easy to get all excited and start buying fish before your tank is ready. I woudn't buy anything else right now until that tank gets cycled with those 6 corys you have in there. Well, being a 75 I suppse you could pick up some danios and that wouldn't be bad. They're a pretty hardy fish all around.

Good luck with your tank ! Enjoy the process and post a pic when you get it all settled ! Love to see it ! :D
 
The sand will settle. I promise. As the bacteria form on it it tends to do better so you may see some improvement with the fish and BIO-Spira. Angels will eat cardinal tetras when they are big enough. Don't forget, some of the cloudiness you are seeing could very well be bacterial blooms that new tanks are famous for. If you want a slower moving tetra like a cardinal, guppies are a great choice for a tankmate. I don't know much about rams, having never kept them, but they certainly are colorful fish. Barring that, a pair of the calmer, gentler gouramis might pay off as colorful kinds of showfish. Dwarves and chocolates are community-minded, less aggressive fish. Plus, in a planted 75 they have a lot of room. Personally, for a little more color, I would throw in a school of lemon tetras, too. Good luck and let us know how it comes along.
 
I'll be posting pics when it clears up enough to be impressive... it's allready quite pretty with just the cories, the plants and the rocks :)

Angelfish are really cool looking, but it just doesn't look like they're the answer :/ Too many behavioral problems and they like different water then I have.

But with the little tetra's, it seems to be more difficult to find something that WONT eat them then something that will. I am just so conflicted lol. How would tiger barbs go with angelfish... I don't know whether angelfish would be able to avoid being nipped, or if the tigers could stand up to the angelfish if they get in a bad mood.
 
Okie, here are some pics :)

For stocking right now I think I want to get a bristlenose pleco if I can find one. My options for the top are 1. angelfish, tiger barbs, a larger gourami or 2. cardinals, guppies, a gourami and another kind of bigger fish (need to keep those schools together :) )

IMG00033.jpg IMG00032.jpg IMG00031.jpg
 
Nice looking tank.

Don't get any more fish for at least a month. The chances of fishing dieing during cycling are very high. If you get a bristlenose (or any pleco) or most of the other fish you listed while your tank is cycling your wasting your money and the fish. Its almost certain that some of the fish will die. When the tank is cycling its not uncommon for half the fish to die. I know your excited but cycle your tank first. Bristlenose plecos are fairly expensive too.

Think less than a dollar.I used 10 zebra danios to cycle my 55 gallon tank and it worked well.

Petsmart is also good for cycling. They have a garuntee and will at least give you a new fish.
 
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