Starting a 29 gallon freshwater tank

Gunney87

Whats up everyone im going to be purchasing a tank later this evening used from craigslist but basically brand new, come with the light , filter, heater, hood. Ive been reading up on starting a tank for a while but i figured if i started my own thread it would just be easier. I originally had a 55 gallon but sold it cuz i just didnt have the money to put into it.

So im thinking im gonna go with crushed coral for the bottom? I also will be purchasing a powerhead so im hoping to have it all set up tonight. Does anyone know how many bags of crushed coral i will need for this size tank?

As for the fish im not to sure what im getting yet id like to get an eel though eventually. Right now my main concern is just cycling the tank and getting it going

Any tips or suggestions are welcome! hopefully i can get some pics up of my set up later on :D

iamntbatman

Why did you settle on crushed coral? Crushed coral will increase the pH and hardness of your water substantially, so in freshwater tanks it's usually only used with African Rift Lake cichlids that prefer those conditions. Most tropical fish (tetras, barbs, loaches, dwarf cichlids, etc etc) generally prefer softer water and a lower pH.

Also, if you're looking to get some sort of eel, they'd really prefer a soft sand substrate rather than that jagged coral. Keep in mind that you're somewhat limited when it comes to eels, especially in a tank that size.

Why the powerhead? Generally powerheads used just for water movement purposes are reserved for saltwater tanks. For freshwater, you don't need to add water movement unless you're keeping river fish or something. Usually the filtration you'll have in the tank provides enough water movement to keep the fish happy.

Gunney87

hmm lol ok these were things just recommended to me at of course petco id rather not have to deal with sand so what would you suggest?

also can someone explain then purpose of the things at the bottom of the tank that creat bubbles? sorrry for the noob questions i just wanna do everything right the first time

Gunney87

anyonee????????

1077

I would look at natural colored gravel as opposed to colored gravel. Some of the painted gravel over time can leach out into your water.I have used river pebbles in a couple aquariums. If you think you may want live plants at some point it might be wise to consider a substrate designed for planted aquariums. You can cover it with a layer of gravel or not. But it is difficult to add this type of substrate after you have already went with gravel. DrsFosterSmith.com is a good place to explore and perhaps help you to decide what you may like in substrates, lights, plants, and even fish. The first thing I would purchase would probably be a test kit such as API freswater master kit. It will help you monitor your water quality and is an important tool for setting up a new aquarium and preparing it for fish. I am not sure what bubble things you are referring to except for possibly air stones which help bring more oxygen to the fishes. Hope some of this helps.

Gunney87

yea ok that sounds good i will be picking up a test kit today and the air stones are what i was thinking of as well.

Gunney87

heres some pics just got done setting it up !!!

1077

:) :) :) I like!

Flashygrrl

I love the ship decoration, where'd you get it? LFS?

Gravels a bit to bright for me, you may or may not notice your fish being jumpier with the white.

iamntbatman

I've seen that ship decoration for sale before. I think it was at a LFS in Pittsburgh. I don't normally go for the artificial decorations but I really liked that one. I almost bought it myself!