[flowerspowers68]

Hey! Flower here. Nashville!!! So Howdy to all....
The summer I turned 19, got my first apartment. All I had to my name was a mattress, Black and White TV,and a 29G fish tank, ahhh those were the days....so I've always had a tank, until one day, about 8 yrs ago.... I just stopped, maybe the 3 kids got to me ...lol who knows, but anyway....Now, here I am, and here's the deal.....Okay, my neighbor gave me a 150 G Aquarium, I have never had anything over a 55G. So, I've decided to start out with a general freshwater community. Choosing to leave out any gravel substrate with lime (for Africans). And, no under gravel for the time being, I chose to go with a canister filter, I am curious about any thoughts on the Rena API Filstar XP3, this is 350- GPH, or at least 175 Gallons.. that should be okay for me right?
I really wanted to purchase two smaller canister filters, and move a higher GPH total, curious of any thoughts on using just the one canister filter, and a couple of surface power-heads for total equipment.
I have everything else, lighting, heat..... I'm ready to fill the tank up and start the cycling.... Also, since this is my first big tank, does anyone have the general numbers and timelines for me.... like, how long should the fishless cycle run, and with 150 G... small community tank fish, a number of fish, generally??? I'm just trying to get any outside thoughts before I pull this together.
Thanks, and Hey!
T:lol:

 

[Byron]

At the start, welcome to Tropical Fish Keeping forum.:cheers:

Filtration should be based on the fish and aquascape. You mention small community fish, so the next question is live plants. Forest fish will appreciate a nice planted home, and plants make things simpler. If this is the route you choose, the Rena Filstar will be fine. I have an XP3 on my 5-foot 115g tank and it is a good filter. I have an Eheim Pro II on my two other tanks and most everyone considers Eheim the best filter; more expensive, but they have the track record of durability which the newer brands do not. I've had my two Eheims running non-stop for 17 years now with no problems. I bought the Rena 3 years ago, for reasons I won't bog down this post with, but aside from how long it may last, it is doing a good job for the money. [Eheim are more expensive.]

With small fish, you won't want powerheads. The Rena moves a lot of water, and forest fish generally like calm water anyway. As do plants.

Here we are at the plants again.:lol: We can pursue this if interested.

Byron.

 

[flowerspowers68]

Believe me, being a Horticulturist, Aquascaping will be the Ultimate....right now, I'd like to begin...simple(especially since the tank is so large 150G) allowing my tank to get started basic, without any restraints from changing down the road.
So your saying no powerheads needed. Thank you! I have tons of old equipment and this is my first experience with a canister. It sounds perfect. I'm really exited. I plan on enjoying a friendly community tank for awhile, once I've done that,(knowing me) I'll move to another aspect. Who knows, maybe aquascaping, maybe, brackish, (always wanted to play with Discus) never know what may happen. Right now, my funds are low and, my patients as well ..... LOL. So getting this going will be a great feature to my life and home right now. I really appreciate you letting me know, the canister is enough.... I'll update soon. Now, brainstorming on a Theme , hehehehhe.
T

 

[Byron]

Believe me, being a Horticulturist, Aquascaping will be the Ultimate....right now, I'd like to begin...simple(especially since the tank is so large 150G) allowing my tank to get started basic, without any restraints from changing down the road.
So your saying no powerheads needed. Thank you! I have tons of old equipment and this is my first experience with a canister. It sounds perfect. I'm really exited. I plan on enjoying a friendly community tank for awhile, once I've done that,(knowing me) I'll move to another aspect. Who knows, maybe aquascaping, maybe, brackish, (always wanted to play with Discus) never know what may happen. Right now, my funds are low and, my patients as well ..... LOL. So getting this going will be a great feature to my life and home right now. I really appreciate you letting me know, the canister is enough.... I'll update soon. Now, brainstorming on a Theme , hehehehhe.
T

You will have better luck with the planned fish if you have plants, believe me; these fish need and expect this. Now, having said that, and to answer the purists before they ask, many of these fish occur in streams with no vegetation. But they are dark streams filled with bogwood, branches, leaf litter and overhanging if not floating vegetation. The fish always remain close to all this. So having live plants solves this need, but more aesthetically, and in addition you have the water quality benefit which is significant. The fish will be "happier" if that is a trait we can apply to them, and certainly healthier due to less stress and the water quality.:-D

Many of us here do natural planted tanks, meaning very low-tech. Photos are under the "Aquariums" tab below the person's name on the left. Below is a sample of what suits these fish.

 

[flowerspowers68]

I appreciate the all- natural tank, and respect the ecosystem the fish are coming from and how it all works together. my only reasoning was..... keeping my tank as least restrictive for change as possible.
So, now my Question is this, not having used live plants in an aquarium, don't I need to make the decision to use a growing medium before placing my substrate(lg gravel) in the tank....Duhh....????? I have already done that. And, how difficult would it be to remove that down the road????? I wanted to be allowed to move to salt water eventually. The "keeping my options open" concept here. I'm really bad about limits..and, final decisions,.hehehe.

 

[Byron]

I appreciate the all- natural tank, and respect the ecosystem the fish are coming from and how it all works together. my only reasoning was..... keeping my tank as least restrictive for change as possible.
So, now my Question is this, not having used live plants in an aquarium, don't I need to make the decision to use a growing medium before placing my substrate(lg gravel) in the tank....Duhh....????? I have already done that. And, how difficult would it be to remove that down the road????? I wanted to be allowed to move to salt water eventually. The "keeping my options open" concept here. I'm really bad about limits..and, final decisions,.hehehe.

Plants will grow in almost any substrate. I have always used plain fine gravel or play sand. I have experimented with underlayers of laterite, and with so-called enriched substrates, but these had no real effect so they are a waste of money.

The fine gravel or sand is up to you, but should be geared to the fish. For example, with substrate fish like corys, sand is much better because it is natural--they sift it through their gills. Fine gravel works too, not so good for corys, but some loaches are fine. Others need sand for burrowing.

Marine substrates are very different; you use calcareous substrates. I would never consider any move either way without a complete teardown.

I have a series A Basic Approach to the Natural Planted Aquarium stickied at the head of the Aquarium Plants section.

Byron.