# New Tank! Watch Me Try to Set it Up!



## NomiGold (Jan 22, 2011)

Hey, guess what!?

That's right, I got myself a tank! 

My parents, in reply to my many requests for more/bigger tanks, always told me that I could have as many aquariums as I wanted when I grew up and moved out. Haha! Luckily, it turns out that my roommates very much liked the idea of having an aquarium or two, so I went and got...










A brand spanking new 75G, stand and a very nice light if I say so myself! (An aquatic life dual-lamp T5 HO).

This will be the first tank I can truly call 'mine' that is bigger than 10G (the rest were at my parents truck shop, and thus were 'shop tanks'). Thus, I am super excited!

I'll be going to do a simple aquascaped, tropical community in this one. A couple nice angels, maybe some roseline sharks, cories, med-large tetras.... I was also entertaining the idea of trying to keep discus. Ah, the possibilities!

I'll most likely be picking up some more equipment this weekend. Exciting things like filters. And heaters. Blah blah blah ect... I'll have more pictures when my tank starts looking like something!

Thank you for reading all this nonsense! I know it's probably not as epic to anyone but me just yet.


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## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

Congrats on the new tank.

I like the 75's I have one in my bedroom. It's easy to reach into lol


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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

Sounds exciting! Can't wait to see how it turns out!


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## pat3612 (Jan 29, 2008)

Its always great to see someone get so excited about setting up a tank . No matter which way you go I bet you it will look good. Good Luck.


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## jimmyjam (Nov 6, 2007)

sounds like a great plan man. Let me know if you need some plants, I have some stock coming up in a few weeks (blyxa, hm, hc cuba, dwarf hg, hg, flame/taiwan/peacock moss, and lots more.. . Ill post it in the marketplace. 

Keep us up to date with pics .. pics are good =)


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## jimmyjam (Nov 6, 2007)

oh and if you want to hide your equipment. under the metal stand. I have always used black cloth, and I saw dollarrama velcrow to it and stick the other side of the velcrow to the stand. You can have two coming around so it meets in the middle or just one big one. You can also sow it on if you like.. just a suggestion. THen you can use little stands inside for fish food etc.


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## NomiGold (Jan 22, 2011)

Thanks! I'll keep an eye out for those plants! 

Great idea with the velcro/cloth! There is an empty dresser/table/thing to the right of the tank with lots of space for stuff under it, but knowing me all that multitude of stuff will migrate underneath the tank. XD Of course, I could always prevent that by putting another aquarium underneath, Bah, I am getting ahead of myself. One tank at a time! 

My roommates took me shopping last night for groceries and aquarium stuff. I didn't get much, just a couple HOB filters, a heater, a thermometer and a test kit. (god I love test kits. They make me feel like a scientist!) 

Almost everything I need to start cycling it now!


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## NomiGold (Jan 22, 2011)

Sorry, no new pictures yet! But I would like some critique on my possible future fish stock. 

So far, this is what I'm planning on: 

A pair of Angelfish (Pinoy, Wide Fin, Black Lace, or anything else neat) 
4-5 Roseline Barbs (puntius denosonii) 
10+ rummynose tetras (or possibly another type of tetra/schooling fish)
A pair or group of apistos
A school of 6 cories (I would love some sterbai) 
A couple otos 
A small - med pleco species. 

I also would like to add a couple dwarf gouramis, but I am unsure as to how well they would mix. Might just skip that.


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## PanzerFodder (Oct 15, 2010)

The C.Sterbai would be good to go with the Angelfish as they can be kept at 80F as well, (most other corys like the water a little cooler though!).
Think that the Otto's are OK at that temp as well, but you may want to get more than 2, they are small and a 75G in a biggish tank  .

Don't know about the other fish you mentioned as I have never kept any of those, but the tetras should be large enough not to fit in the Angelfishs mouth 

Cheer's...PanzerFodder...


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## NomiGold (Jan 22, 2011)

Ah, I ment a few (as in 3 or more) otos, not a couple. Whoops! Good to hear about the sterbais, because I really do like them. I may go with a pair of tank raised blue rams instead of an apisto pair if I can find them. I do like blue rams!

Sorry for the delay in updating. I haven't even been much more busy than normal, but the tank is still sitting dry (whaaaaa). However, I do have my hardscape in!

First I got some nice clay based substrate that I've worked with before and liked (excuse the mess, I was bringing a lot of stuff in).










I also picked up a couple pieces of driftwood and rock. Washed the rock as best I could and soaked the driftwood in hot water for about two days. I've not been too worried about cleaning/sterilizing as I will be doing a fishless cycle.



















And here is what I got so far, hardscape-wise:










I also managed to pick up some more planting supplies, basically giant tweezers and a little CO2 system/diffuser. YAY!

Speaking of plants, here is my plan so far: 
HC cuba in the foreground. Pogostemon Helferi and dwarf hairgrass (or dwarf chain sword) around the bass of the rock/woodwork and possibly mid foreground as well. Moss on some of the the branches, along with some anubias nana in and behind. Java fern as a main background plant. I also wouldn't mind having a red-leaf type of background plant as well. Any suggestions?

And where is the best place to go for plants that is close to oakville?


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## Carlito (Feb 10, 2011)

Very nice setup!

Those filters look small for a 75G, I guess that's why you got 2. For the price of those 2 filters, you probably could have got a good canister filter.

Over the years, I have used many types and brands of filters and I found that the replacement media can be an expense. With my canister filter, I bought charcoal in bulk and use reusable bags and I bought a big piece of filter floss pad and cut 15 pieces from it, I have enough for a year and it cost me $10.

I bought some angelfish and plecos from a breeder in Etobicoke. He has many tanks and many varieties of fish at good prices! Worth a look before buying any fish. Let me know if you want his phone# and I'll send you a pm.


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## NomiGold (Jan 22, 2011)

Thanks! 

I'm going with HOBs on this tank for a couple reasons (though of course I love canisters). Mainly because I am planning on putting another tank underneath in which I want to keep goldfish, which will absolutely need a canister! Other than just space, I love having dual filters, which is a bit pricier to do with canisters. 

Also I find that the only media I need to replace on a regular (aka monthly or so) is carbon, and I'm planning on replacing the carbon with more biological media once everything is stable. Good tip about cutting down a big pad of foam or filter floss, though, thank you. 

I may take you up on getting the phone number of that breeder, though my tank is nowhere near cycled yet. I'm going to have to look up where Etobicoke is though (I'm new to the area).


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## Carlito (Feb 10, 2011)

That angelfish breeder lives south west of Hwy 401 and Hwy 427. He has angelfish, plecos, cichlids, fancy tail guppies and other species.

Good luck with your aquarium!


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## NomiGold (Jan 22, 2011)

Thanks! 

My ammonia is still only reading about 0.3, and nitrates and nitrites are both still 0. CYCLE FASTER TANK! *shakes fist*


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## NomiGold (Jan 22, 2011)

My ammonia is finally going up. FINALLY! 

Also, I need to go get a new cord so I can upload photos.


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## camboy012406 (Jun 11, 2010)

NomiGold said:


> Ah, I ment a few (as in 3 or more) otos, not a couple. Whoops! Good to hear about the sterbais, because I really do like them. I may go with a pair of tank raised blue rams instead of an apisto pair if I can find them. I do like blue rams!
> 
> Sorry for the delay in updating. I haven't even been much more busy than normal, but the tank is still sitting dry (whaaaaa). However, I do have my hardscape in!
> 
> ...


for the red plant try rosefolia its a beautiful plant. look at my shrimp planted tank. the middle one.


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

Nice tank. If you want to skip some cycle time, come get a cycled AC50 sponge from me.

W

PS. I would use a pair of AC70s minimum on a 75g. 2x AC50s really aren't enough for a 75g.


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## NomiGold (Jan 22, 2011)

KhuliLoachFan said:


> Nice tank. If you want to skip some cycle time, come get a cycled AC50 sponge from me.
> 
> W
> 
> PS. I would use a pair of AC70s minimum on a 75g. 2x AC50s really aren't enough for a 75g.


I am starting to realize that (doh! >_<). I'll most likely move the AC50's to smaller tanks (If I can get some, depends on the roommates) and find a nice canister for the 75G once I get to stocking. Until then, I'll have to keep up on WC's and understock.


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

You could get one AC70 for now, and run an AC70 and AC50 -- The AquaClear 70 is currently $46.99 at mops.ca.

Even if you do buy an cannister, I recommend leaving the AC50 on there, it's great place to put carbon, or purigen, or things like that.

Warren


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## NomiGold (Jan 22, 2011)

That's another good possibility. 

In other news, my ammonia is starting to go back down. Hopefully I'll see the nitrites climbing up a bit more. 

Also, I need to get some new pictures up here! *looks for camera cord* Aaaah, where did it go!?


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## 03pilot (Oct 7, 2010)

Your layout Looks great! Can't wait to see your latest pictures. Do you have problem with your driftwood leaching tannins? I used the same kind of wood before and it took a long time to get rid of its tannins even with purigen. I made a mistake to just soaked the wood without boiling it first. Hope that is not a problem for you!


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## NomiGold (Jan 22, 2011)

My pieces were too large to boil properly, but I was able to soak them in very hot water for about two days in a rubbermaid bin (I would pour boiling water over every so often) and then ran them in the water with carbon for a few days. I had surprisingly little tanin showing in the water, and now there is none to speak of. 

I'm sorry I've not been updating with photos, I've lost the cable that connects my camera to my computer and I've been slow in replacing it. >_< I'll see if I can borrow one from my roommates for now. 

Also, cycle seems to be done (Four weeks, I think, on the mark) and the first fish are in and doing lovely! I ended up getting 6 Schwartzi corydoras and they have been cruising around like bosses and eating like horses.


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