Setting up 75 Gallon Tank+ Fish Recomendations

Misomie

Right now I have a well-established (3-4 years) twenty gallon tank with a filter that can supply a 170 gallon tank. I am looking to buy a 75 gallon+ tank.

Fish that I currently have:
7 Danios (x2 Zebra, x2 Purple Passion, x3 Glolight *one with only one eye*)
5 Barbs (x2 Tiger, x1 Green Tiger, x1 Albino Tiger, x1 LF Rose)
1 CAE (pretty docile, around 4", that still eats algae)

Fish that I plan to add:
+10 danios (17 in all)
+4 or 6 barbs (9 or 11+ in all)
+1 Red Finned Shark

So, my questions are:
1. What other kind of fish might go well with them? (ones that aren't in the same family and ones that enjoy powerful currents. Note: My danios are as equally as obnoxious as the barbs)
2. How should I add them? (I was thinking danios first, but I'm not sure.)
3. What kind of plants should I use? (to keep algae low but present)
4. I was thinking of using ammonia and plants to cycle the tank. Would combining two different ways work well? (I haven't cycled a tank before, but I know enough about chemicals to try the pure ammonia method)

I have never "correctly" set up a tank before (thankfully I was lucky in the past). ^^;

Geomancer

I can't offer any advice on the fish, as I don't have experience with them. I would just use caution, both the CAE and the shark can become aggressive as they get older and full grown (your CAE is still small).

For introducing them to the new tank, I would start with the hardiest first, and also the least aggressive. I would probably add aggressive fish last, otherwise they may declare the tank 'theirs' and attack anyone new.

In a strong current your plant selection could be rather hard... most do not like strong currents. Java Fern will work well though, it is slow growing though so won't have a dramatic affect in terms of sucking up nutrients. How agitated is the surface? If it's relatively calm you could use floating plants, they grow very fast, and also provide shade that the fish will like.

For cycling ... are you buying a different filter for the 75 gallon? If so, use media from your 20 gallon to seed it. If you are cycling from scratch, then just be careful with the Ammonia and don't go over 1 ppm. Too much can hurt the plants, it is a nutrient up to the limit they use for photosynthesis beyond that they'll take it up the extra as a toxin but isn't good for them in excess. Sounds like you are breaking down the 20g anyways, so even if you use the same filter (it is certainly beyond large enough) you probably won't have to worry about cycling anyways.

Misomie

Ah, ok. ^^ Yeah, I'll be using the new powerful filter (the reason I already bought it, plus my old one was becoming obsolete).

Hm, I thought cycling would be some really complicated thing. X3 (well, all of my fish are really hardy so that helps for me. Except one of my danios is around 5+ years old so that's the reason I want to be careful adding my fish.)

I am really tempted to buy this 100 gallon tank (with a stand) for $150. (If I'm spotted the rest of the money it's mine. :K)

I figured it'd best to add danios --> barbs --> CAE but I just wanted more opinions. (I'll make sure I have TONS of large hiding places set up for the guy to keep aggression low)

1077

I agree with Geomancer.
You can use some filter material from your already established aquarium, along with a cup or two of gravel in nylon stocking, and stuff this in your new filter temporarily to help establish the (cycle) in your new tank.
This would allow you to place a few fish at a time in the new aquarium from the established one with a week in between new additions,and use the established one for quarantine tank for new fish.
Course you can tear down the smaller established tank and move the filter to the new larger tank, but then you take the chance of introducing possible sick fish to your brand new tank.
Barbs,(Ruby Barbs,tiger,cherry,rosy,) along with swordtails,mountain minnows,danios,would all do well with moderate current and not too warm temperatures .
Would keep tight lid on the tank for most of these fish WILL jump.
Were it not for the shark,Chinese alage eater,a group of cory's or perhaps smaller loaches would be my choice for the bottom.

Misomie

Yeah, I was going to use the 20 as a quarantine tank. I can always bring back the old filter (once I buy it a new lid and give it a good cleaning). I'll most likely keep the 20 stocked with a few ghost shrimp and feeder guppies to keep everything normal when new fish aren't there. :3 (I like these little guys, but my fish would abuse them if they were together)

I had a cory before, but both my danios and barbs would pick on him. D:< (my danios are bigger buttheads than the barbs) The barbs would flush the cory up and the danios would then chase him. @_@ The LFS I buy my fish from is locally owned and pretty good and allows you to bring back fish that don't work out. I swapped out a shark (he died of ick a few days later; none of my fish caught it though) and as soon as I released him the group swarmed to attack him. He chased them back though (which was the response I was looking for).However, if I add a danio or barb, it is instantly accepted. :K