[Juicebox]

Hi guys.im new to the forum,ive been using the betta forum for a few months now and have had lots of great info from there but now im trying to branch out from bettas and enjoy other fish..

ive currently got a 14g and a 5.5 gallon and a 10g npts. substrate is organic soil topped with sand..ive got bettas,guppies,ghost shrimp, pond snails,assasin snails.malaysian trumpet snails..


in a couple months when i have the funding id like to branch out and create a big vocal tank.. the tank size will be a minimum of 55 gallon with a maximum of 75 gallon.. right now im trying to do the research and find out what ill need..

heres where i need your help..

im not sure on what livestock ill want in my tank but i will for sure want live plants and possibly a sand substrate,maybe with organic soil underneath,im not sure if ill go npt yet..

FILTER.......

im going to get a canister filter,im thinking fluval because i hear they are best.. im thinking of going with an fx5 but im just not sure if that will be total overkill for a 55 or 75 and will do more harm then good,if i have shrimp and snails in my tank i dont know if a big canister will suck them up and also suck up any fry i might have??im also afraid an fx5 or any big canister might have too much of a flow output and will blow mt fish and plants and sand all over the tank?if not the fx5 then im thinking of goin for the 406,its rated up to 100 gallons.. but again not sure if its snail or shrimp or fry or plant safe..i do like to have some floating plants on surface

HEATER...

Is it best to go with 2 heaters,1 on each end of the tank??can anyone suggest a great trusty brand of heater that will last a few years?

HOOD AND LIGHTING...

Should i buy a tank that comes with a hood,like from petco or petsmart,or just buy a bare tank and then get seperate everything else?

for lighting,ive no idea what kind of lighting i need, do i get the tubes,or bulbs,what kind of lighting unit is needed for a tank or that size,any links would be really appreciated here

______________________________________________________________________

FISH....

Im aware that all my decor and lighting and plants and substrate will depend on what fish i have in my tank,so given that,if i want to have the plants and a sandy type substrate with some rocks and driftwood what are some nice fish i can keep in my tank.. im aware a 55 and 75 might hold different types of fish but right now i cant give a definate answer as to the size ill end up goin..

Id love some nice display fish,centre fish, colourfull fish, this could be a pair or a single fish..
I would like some shrimp in there but the fish come first,if theres nice fish i can have that would eat shrimp then i can leave the shrimp out,same goes for snails,id like some rabbit snails in my tank but if the nice pretty centerpiece fish would eat the rabbit snails then i can go with no rabbits..

i would like to have the possibility of raising some fry from my fish in the future,if its needed maybe i can get another tank to raise the fry in if they wont live in the main tank with the parents..


id possibly like a community of different fish but im also not opposed to just having 5 or 6 big fish in the tank if they are stunning beautifull fish..

some fish ive seen and liked the look of are as follows

rainbow shark
red tail shark
tiger barbs
rams
angel fish
fresh water puffer fish
i also like the look of some gouramis too..
cichlids,but i dont want to go brackish or salt water..
halfmoon betta


im aware that the fish ive listed may not be stunning fish to the advanced keepers but its just fish i saw and thought they were cool,im no expert on all the types of fish that are available,this is where i need your help..i want to be able to kick back after a hard days work and look at my fish and think wow,they are amazing fish to look at..



im really lookin forward to any advice and feedback you guys can give,im sure ill have dozens more questions, i want to get everything right first time and not waste money and time with rookie mistakes

thank you!!

 

[OSagent23]

Hello juicebox,

If you want to, take a look at my 75 gallon aquarium and see if you like the setup and fish. If you do I can help you identify the filters and all the goodies i have in the tank that make it successful. If you dont maybe someone here or myself can assist you further.

 

[Byron]

Welcome to the TFK side.:wave:

Before deciding on a filter, decide on the fish. With live plants filtration is minimal, and more of a mechanical movement of the water through media to keep it clear. The current depends upon the needs of the fish, which vary.

Two heaters definitely for any 4+ foot tank. Or, consider a canister with a built-in heating unit. I have one of these and really like it, much more preferable to hanging heaters. More accurate, better heat dispersal, and two less things dangling in the tank.

Lighting will depend upon the type of planted tank. Generally speaking, fish prefer less light so I base the light on the fish and then select the plants that work. You can range from a low-tech or natural planted tank up to a high-tech with mega light, diffused CO2 and daily dosing of nutrients.

Your fish list I understand is just some ideas; some of these will not work together. You might want to check the info in our profiles, second heading from the left in the blue bar across the top of the page, I think all those listed are included.

Most of us have photos of our tanks in our logs, under the "Aquariums" tab below our name on the left.

Byron.

 

[Juicebox]

thank you very much for the replies.. yes the fish i mentioned were just fish i saw and liked the look of,i was not suggesting i will keep them all in a tank.. just more of a guide for you guys to see which kind of fish ive taken a liking to so far..

i was hoping somebody could tell me of some nice fish that will fit well in that size of a tank and then i can chose a fish and then work from there as far as plants and lighting and substrate..

i would not like to use co2 or dosing every day into the tank unless i absolutely have to..

what fish can you guys recomend for me to look at? my aim with the 55 - 75 is to get a couple nice big fish in there. ones ranging from mayb 6 inch to 10 inch or as big as possible with my size of tank..i understand certain fish need certain size for swimming and such, i have no got alot of knowledge on the types of fish


osagent i love your tank,it looks great,your fish are some fish i would not put in mine though,id rather something different

 

[MMAfish35]

Have you looked at Discuss fish? They are beautiful fish, but on second though, are hard to take care of. Hmm a good looking hardy, beginner fish... How about Rainbow fish? They are hardy and easy to care for. You could also put a good amount of them in a 55 or a 70. As far as I know they dont mess with live plants either. Also, I'm a beginner too so my word is far from gospel.

 

[MMAfish35]

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en...0.0...1ac.1.2.mobile-gws-serp.CI8ec1Xy-6E#p=0 Thats some pics of rainbows.

 

[thekoimaiden]

Have you looked at Discuss fish? They are beautiful fish, but on second though, are hard to take care of. Hmm a good looking hardy, beginner fish... How about Rainbow fish? They are hardy and easy to care for. You could also put a good amount of them in a 55 or a 70. As far as I know they dont mess with live plants either. Also, I'm a beginner too so my word is far from gospel.

Discus are beautiful, but certainly not for beginners. Even experienced fishkeepers shun them for the maintenance they require.

Juicebox, there are a LOT of fish that work well in a 75/55 gal tank. You have a lot of options. The majority of common aquarium fish would work in that tank. I think the best way to go about this would be to pick a fish you REALLY want to have and base the rest of the stocking around that.

For example, if you wanted tiger barbs, we would suggest other large and boisterous barbs and tetra like congo tetra or black ruby barbs, but they would not do well with angelfish. Most of the fish you like wouldn't go together well. This is why I suggest this method instead of us blindly suggesting things. What I would like to stock a 55 gal community with is probably not what you would want judging from the list of fish you like.

 

[Juicebox]

thanks for the replies guys..

i guess im lookin for some big 6 - 10 inch fish that i can have at least 1 pair or more of and will possibly mate..

if they are peacefull fish and wont eat rabbit snails and red cherry shrimp then thats a bonus but not a must..

i know most big fish will find anything smaller than them food,especially shrimp but maybe theres some exceptions?

i also like the rams fish,bolivian rams i believe they are called,they look like chiclids but i wouldnt need to make my water brackish so this is appealing to me, if a pair of them will get along with my big fish that would be great but if not then ok i can go without the rams

maybe some botom feeders would be good too as id like fish at all levels or at least 2 levels, it seems everyone raves about cory cats and how great they are,but is there any other alternative for soome attractive bottom dwelling fish that would get along with any big fish you suggest for me? i would not be against gettin a small school of cory cats,serpai colour or some other..



lets assume i go for some angel fish if no one else can suggest anything else, i do like the look of them, what can i put with these,will any of my above mentioned fish go with them

 

[Byron]

thanks for the replies guys..

i guess im lookin for some big 6 - 10 inch fish that i can have at least 1 pair or more of and will possibly mate..

if they are peacefull fish and wont eat rabbit snails and red cherry shrimp then thats a bonus but not a must..

i know most big fish will find anything smaller than them food,especially shrimp but maybe theres some exceptions?

i also like the rams fish,bolivian rams i believe they are called,they look like chiclids but i wouldnt need to make my water brackish so this is appealing to me, if a pair of them will get along with my big fish that would be great but if not then ok i can go without the rams

maybe some botom feeders would be good too as id like fish at all levels or at least 2 levels, it seems everyone raves about cory cats and how great they are,but is there any other alternative for soome attractive bottom dwelling fish that would get along with any big fish you suggest for me? i would not be against gettin a small school of cory cats,serpai colour or some other..



lets assume i go for some angel fish if no one else can suggest anything else, i do like the look of them, what can i put with these,will any of my above mentioned fish go with them

I would suggest you browse our fish profiles, second heading from the left in the blue bar across the top. Data on many species are included, including water parameters (this is important), tank sizes, numbers, compatibility, etc. At the least you will get some ideas from those, and learn the limitations of various species too which will help you narrow it down.

 

[thekoimaiden]

thanks for the replies guys..

i guess im lookin for some big 6 - 10 inch fish that i can have at least 1 pair or more of and will possibly mate..

if they are peacefull fish and wont eat rabbit snails and red cherry shrimp then thats a bonus but not a must..

i know most big fish will find anything smaller than them food,especially shrimp but maybe theres some exceptions?

i also like the rams fish,bolivian rams i believe they are called,they look like chiclids but i wouldnt need to make my water brackish so this is appealing to me, if a pair of them will get along with my big fish that would be great but if not then ok i can go without the rams

maybe some botom feeders would be good too as id like fish at all levels or at least 2 levels, it seems everyone raves about cory cats and how great they are,but is there any other alternative for soome attractive bottom dwelling fish that would get along with any big fish you suggest for me? i would not be against gettin a small school of cory cats,serpai colour or some other..



lets assume i go for some angel fish if no one else can suggest anything else, i do like the look of them, what can i put with these,will any of my above mentioned fish go with them

Breeding fish isn't easy in a community tank. If you want to bred, it's best to set up a dedicated tank to that. I have a friend with a pair of breeding angels and had to remove all of the other fish in her tank because the angels became too aggressive towards the other fish. Rabbit snails are safe with angels, tho. She has rabbit snails in the tank.

A school of angels would be great in your tank, but unless it's heavily planted you will not have many RCS left. Even my small gourami pick them off. If you wanted to make an angelfish tank you want to look into thicker-bodied tetra like lemon tetra or bleeding heart tetra. The angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare) profile will have more suggestions.

 

[Juicebox]

thank you again for the replies.. ive looked through the fish profiles some and think i am steering towards angel fish as my main fish in my tank.. now that we have that sorted we can start moving onto the rest..

i will probly go with dirt capped with some black sand.. ill use driftwood some rocks, plants,ill go for dwarf water lettuce or duckweed floating as i have both allready. ill put in marimo moss balls. 2 or 3. ill have a couple swords. some anubias,some java moss.some dwarf sag.im open to other suggestions on plants..

can we discuss other tank mates,then discuss the lighting and filters? i had my heart set on a fluval canister, possibly the fx5,but the profile says the angels like really still water,im asfraid a big canister will blow them all qround the tank,or can the flow be lowered to be good for angels?

im still not sure if goin for a 55 or 75. could you guys tell me how many of each fish i could fit in each tank??

id like a school of angels, it says i can keep ram chiclids with them so id like some rams.. would it be a good idea to have a school of corys also?

as mentioned prevoiusly,im goin to put in up to 4 rabbit snails and hope to get them breeding in my tank.ill also be breeding some red cherry type shrimp in a 5 gallon so ill throw in 10 - 15 and hope some survive,if not its ok as ill just throw more in,it will be free food for my fishes..

im still not sure what lighting ill need,what kind of canopy/hood will be good,ive never set up a tank before..all help is really appreciated..

i have one last question in this post,are thhem 55 tanks they sell in petco any good?they ciome with a stand cabinet to sit the tank on.im wondering if the stands are any good,are they reliable to take all that weight or is there begtter places i can buy tanks and stands from

 

[MMAfish35]

I can help with one question. I would go with the 75 gallon because the more water you have, the more forgiving the tank is to a mistake with ph and what not. Also, if you are going to have a school of angels 75 gallon is better because you are more than likley going to get males and females. When they pair off they like to defend a spot in the tank, so the more room, the better. Hope I helped.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[boxercrazy156]

I would go with the 75 gallon because as most of us when we set up an aquarium we always want to go bigger plus angel fish can get pretty big I have a 120 Gallon with rainbows and my parkinsons are 6 inches and I don't think they would fit in anything smaller since they are active fish. Also Angels can be fairly aggressive when mating and are fin nippers so you will have to get fish without long fins do be their mates

I have titanium heaters in my 120 gallon so they can't break plus they are digital and the temperature is outside the tank and more accurate then my glass ones.

I have 2 cannisters a fluval and an eheim then fluval top is really hard to get off the eheim top is easier both have shut off valves for easy cleaning the eheim is harder to prime when you start off I have the extenter on mine with a cap on top so it was easy for me but if I didn't have that it would have been alot harder my tubes are hidden in a 3d rock wall so I had to buy the extender with siphoner built in which added more money to my eheim when purchasing the reason I didn't go for the fx5 is my cabinet has a smaller cupboard on each side with shelves in the middle and the fx5 would not fit in I didn't want it outside it is very large

 

[Juicebox]

should an fx 5 on its own be enough filtration for a 75. i know its rated for up to 400 gallons or so but ive seen videos of people with big canisters and they are also running hob filters on the same tank,my reason for wanting the fx5 is so i can just use 1 filter which allows me more room in my wall sockets and not having a big bulky hob hanging on the back of my tank

 

[Byron]

For the fish being talked about, and with plants, a good canister that is rated for a 75g tank is sufficient. Most have ways to reduce current, such as using a spray bar aimed into the end wall, or a flow control.

Rams can go with angelfish, but be careful. Rams themselves have issues, as noted in the profile. And with angelfish in the tank already, you don't want a second set of property hogs.:lol:

Any of these cichlids will "own" the tank, or expect to. I have a sole Bolivian Ram male in my 5-foot tank, and in spiote of there being well over a hundred other fish, this is his space, and he makes that absolutely clear to any fish when the mood strike.

Byron.

 

[Juicebox]

what kind of lighting should i use? i think i will go with a 75.where would be the best place to buy the tank and also the lighting? ive never bought a lighting set up before so ive no idea what im doin all i know is that i should probly go with flourescent tubes instead of light bulbs

 

[Byron]

what kind of lighting should i use? i think i will go with a 75.where would be the best place to buy the tank and also the lighting? ive never bought a lighting set up before so ive no idea what im doin all i know is that i should probly go with flourescent tubes instead of light bulbs

The 75g will be 4 feet in length, so the best lighting for a natural planted tank will be T8 taking two 48-inch tubes. I have this over my 70g (also my 90g and 115g). The tubes that come with most fixtures are garbage, but you can get good Daylight tubes with 6500K from stores like Home Depot and Lowe's. GE, Phillips and Sylvania all make them, just make sure they are 6500K.

Fixtures will likely be less expensive online. I've no idea what might be available in stores where you live.