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Setting Up The New Tank!

7K views 38 replies 14 participants last post by  Falina 
#1 ·
Right, here's the promised photo log of the setting up of my new tank...

It's a 200l, 100cmx45x50 (you folks can use the new calculator to get that in your preferred system!)

The whole reason for getting this tank (apart from MTS...) was because My two Angel fish needed a 3rd (and hopefully final) home, along with Brian the plec (who will almost certainly need a bigger one in due course - yay!)

So Brian and the angels are going in, and i'm gonna see how many times i can change my mind as the what else will be whilst it cycles. (suggestions if you feel like it?)

First things first, build the cabinet, unusually it had all the necessary bits in it, so it wasn't to tricky to do!



So i got it all set up, but empty in the spot in my living room where my 35g used to be. (on a side note, it's surprisingly hard to move a half full 35g tank even just round the corner into the next room!)



Then it's time to add the decor, fun part. I thought i would go for a black substrate, as i had intended to do that on my last tank, but got a bit sidetracked by sand. So i thought with black gravel, and a bit of wood and some slate would do the trick...



And then all there is to do is to fill it up with water and see what it looks like!



I'm quite pleased with it so far, although the plants it has in there are the rubbish plastic ones that come with the tank as place holders till i plant it properly. And if you are wondering why there appear to be stones balancing on the wood, it's to keep it down till the vine wood soaks up enough water to stay sunk. If it still tries to float i'll wire it down to the bigger rocks with fishing twine.

I realise the whole decor scheme is quite low, only using the bottom half of the tank, but i plan to use something like wisteria, or another tall plant to fill up the background and give the fish somewhere else to play.

I'll keep you all posted as to how it goes, and any comments or suggestions are most welcome!
 
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#6 ·
I might even leave the rocks on the wood
Yeah, i might do that, although i'd have to affix them, as they are quite precariously balanced and i don't want to find my fish buried under a rockslide! I'm not sure though, as it does look a little odd. I've got a bit of a bacterial bloom going on in there at them moment so it's all a bit cloudy, but as soon as that's cleared itself up i'll get some better pics up.

Thanks for the nice comments, i'll keep you posted as to when it gets itself nicely cycled, hopefully it won't take too long with the stuff i'm using in it!
 
#8 ·
Cool setup.8)
 
#9 ·
I've read that grapevine tends to kick off this white mucusy crud for a while in a tank, so it might be that rather than a bacteria bloom
Might be, but i did soak the wood in the bath for a good couple of days before it went in the tank (i have a shower too, so i don't smell...) And the stuff Im using to cycle the tank is Bio Mature bacteria food combined with Cycle bacteria stuff. Since Bio mature consists mostly of ammonia and a bit of bacteria, and the Cycle is a condensed bacteria dose i suspect a bloom. It seems to be fading today too, so i'm hopeful that the cycle is getting under way.
 
#11 ·
what else will you put in it other than the angles?
Well, therein lies the rub... Choices choices. Brian the Plec is definitely going in, and probably two groups of cories, one likely albino, and one other...

I like the idea of having schools in there, so i thought maybe green barbs, but i don't know how many would be neccesary to stop them from fin nipping the angels, or if it is even possible to stop them without tiny muzzles.

Tetras are another option, and folks have suggested a school of 10 small ones and maybe 5 larger ones, so maybe some emperors and some gold's, (what are the little irridesant blue ones, the had some in my LFS the other day and they were lovely...)

Also thought about some Hatchetfish for the top, or a school of other top dwelling fish (any suggestions?)

I had considered getting a couple of rams, either bolivian or blue, but i'm leaning against this as i like the idea of having the two angels as the centrepiece with a few shoals of smaller fish surrounding them, as i've not done really shoals before, just fish in ones or twos (although i do have 8 pygmy cories who i think are awesome!)

that's the rough plan, if anyone has and ideas or criticisms let me know!
 
#13 ·
I like the muzzle idea, that might be interesting....
 
#14 ·
hay
i love it,and agree about leaving the rocks.
keep them pics comming along,they're great.
watch if you have little tetras like neons,as if your Angels
are bigger then the neons will be lunch.
Tiger barbs,albino T barbs,Green moss T barbs,odessa barbs,
banded barbs, there is a large group,
this works for me,and the barbs Do not bother anyone else,
they pick within themselves.
this is JIME.
:)
 
#17 ·
You could try fu man chu barbs (though i dont know much about them, i just think they look awesome) or maybe some rummynose mixed with marbled hatchet tetra. If you have enough barbs they should leave the angels only and only nip each other. Maybe put in a couple of dwarf gourami or you could always do the genetically modified zebra danio's known as glo-fish. Cherry barbs area always a nice fish to consider too as the males amazing red color would look great with the black substrate. Those are a few fish off the top of my head that you can look into.

The tank looks great by the way, im going to have to agree with everyone else on leaving the rocks on the driftwood.

I was also thinking that some nice plants to put in there could be some ludwigia and maybe some corkscrew val if you can find it. Also if you want a little harder but amazing looking plant is Madagascar Lace Leaf. If i am remembering correctly it requires low PH too which would go right along with your angels but i have never had any success keeping it. you could also fill in the foreground with dwarf sagitarius or dwarf hairgrass and one or two pieces of anubius nana. Just some suggestions. Cant wait to see how the tank comes along!
 
#19 ·
I'll post more pics as soon as things get interesting, it's still looking like that at the mo, just waiting for the nitrites to drop down from 10ppm!

I reckon it'll be about a week or so, and i'll be putting the first few fishes in there, i reckon cories'll be good fish to start with, as they are apparantly quite hardy. they ain't gonna go in till the water's a-ok, but it's always good to start with something that can take a bit of new tank syndrome!

Oh, and is New Tank Syndrome just a term for the fact that people put fish in before the tank's ready, or a comment on the fact that an immaure tank isn't very stable and can go all wrong very quickly? Always wondered on that one.
 
#20 ·
Mating Slinkys said:
Oh, and is New Tank Syndrome just a term for the fact that people put fish in before the tank's ready, or a comment on the fact that an immaure tank isn't very stable and can go all wrong very quickly? Always wondered on that one.
Both.
 
#21 ·
Ok, we're nearly there with the cycle, and i've put some plants in (which i'll show y'all when the latest bacterial bloom settles down) I reckon it'll be monday or tuesday when i can get some fish in there (Current stats: Nitrate: 10ppm - Nitrite: 0.5ppm - Ammonia: 2ppm - pH: 7) So we should be good soon.

Just a couple of questions i'd appreciate answering, if you would be som kind. Firstly, as predicted by tophat the vine wood has a coating of white crud now, not too much, and only on a small part of it. Is this a problem other than being unsighly, and is there a way af getting rid of it apart from taking the wood out, rinsing it off in hot water and thus killing off all the good bacteria that have settles on it.

Also, there are some Giant Danios in my LFS, and they are really pretty, i have heard that these can be a bit overly playfull with some fish, and can stress them out a bit. Would they be ok with my Angels, of would that just be daft?
 
#22 ·
Mating Slinkys said:
Also, there are some Giant Danios in my LFS, and they are really pretty, i have heard that these can be a bit overly playfull with some fish, and can stress them out a bit. Would they be ok with my Angels, of would that just be daft?
It's your choice. I find them okay with angelfish. It's the discus that I would be more worry of as they get stressed easily by a lot of activities.
 
#23 ·
OK, the latest bacterial bloom has pretty much died away, it's still a bit cloudy, but you can at least see to the back of the tank now.

I've put some real plants in there, but i decided to keep the fake ones in there too, because i like the bushy look, i'll gradually replace them with real ones as i get the chance/money.

The cycle is over, and I've popped some fish in there to keep things going till i can get to the LFs (which won't be till at least monday now, since i have a stupidly busy working week this week!)

The fish in there are some mollies that i've had for ages now, they have been pretty much the first fish in every tank i've set up bar the first one. i know that they are just plain boring old mollies (and one balloon, which was a surprise, as they came as fry!) but i'm quite fond of them, and as you can see from the last pic, when the light catches them in the right way, they can be really pretty!

So, i just can't wait to get some more fish in there!







 
#26 ·
Yay! New fish time! Having had a ratch at the LFS they have got in some Boeseman's Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia boesemani), which I have purchased 6. They are still plain grey/silver at the moment, but i'm assured (and have looked up) what colours they will eventually become. Pretty fish!

They are still acclimitizing in the bag at the moment, but as soon as they have settled in, i'll get some pics up for you all!

Oh, and the tank is now no longer cloudy, which is nice. I do so like to actually be able to see my fish!
 
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