# What to do what to do... 90 gallons... pre set up



## breeze905 (Feb 1, 2009)

So I picked up a 90 gallon... just the tank. I was planning on creating a damn jungle in there. Like lots of plant and animal life. I've been looking around online at pictures and stuff and trying to get a feel for what i am trying to accomplish. I'm thinking i even want to put 3 or 4 watts a gallon lighting on this. i'm thinking t5ho... like 6 bulbs? I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions as to how i should approach this? Should i maybe look into different type of lights instead of t5ho?

Also i was curious to filteration? Seems canister filter is the only way to go? HOB just won't have sufficient filteration for a tank so big? 

I have never setup a high tech, high light, high gallons aquarium before and am probably gonna need as much advice from my friends here at gtaaquaria as i can! Right now just looking for opinions on how they would set it up... especially with the lighting... how would you achieve 3-4 watts a gallon on 90?! I look forward to reading your responses and thanks for taking the time to read my posts.


----------



## breeze905 (Feb 1, 2009)

ok so i think i f'd up... 

I recieved the 90 gallon with a substrate in it. I started pouring water in to fill up the tank and the water is so murky and swamp like... I'm wondering if it will settle over time or maybe i should just fill the water up just enough that the filter can start filtering the water? Right now i only have about 2-3 inches high of water in there and i'm thinking i'm gonna let it clear up a lil before adding more water... cause if it's too bad i gotta dump the water out! And 90 gallons is a lot of water to be dumping!

What should i do?


----------



## xr8dride (Feb 24, 2009)

No you can continue to fill it and let the filter do the work. It may be necessary later to clean your filter but you won't have to dump 90G of water. Whatever is in there will settle, you can then just give the substrate a vaccuming to clear it later.


----------



## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

Yup you'll get it clear 

What kind of substrate did you go with? Some of them can be a bit cloudy, esp. if it was used before.


----------



## greenterror23 (Oct 20, 2008)

breeze905 said:


> ok so i think i f'd up...
> 
> I recieved the 90 gallon with a substrate in it. I started pouring water in to fill up the tank and the water is so murky and swamp like... I'm wondering if it will settle over time or maybe i should just fill the water up just enough that the filter can start filtering the water? Right now i only have about 2-3 inches high of water in there and i'm thinking i'm gonna let it clear up a lil before adding more water... cause if it's too bad i gotta dump the water out! And 90 gallons is a lot of water to be dumping!
> 
> What should i do?


did u rinse the substrate b4 adding it in ur tank?


----------



## breeze905 (Feb 1, 2009)

actually the substrate is used already.. it came from the tank that the person before me had. I did not rinse it figuring that whatever was in the substrate probably ain't that bad as it was in their tank before. 

Soil Master Select Ciddian... Came with the tank when i purchased it. I read up on it and it seems to be pretty ideal.  

So I'm then filling it up with water just enough for my filter to start filtering... thanks guys and gals!


----------



## xr8dride (Feb 24, 2009)

Anytime Breeze


----------



## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

3-4 watts/gallon without pressurized co2 is going to be problematic, guaranteed.


----------



## breeze905 (Feb 1, 2009)

who said i wasn't gonna use pressurized co2? I'm just not at that stage yet. Right now i'm just setting up the filter and the water in the tank! Next is some of the lighting. can always add more later. for now i plan on having about 2.4 watts a gallon. 1.2 hopefully this week. maybe even 2.4... we'll see. before i step up to 3-4 watts a gallon i will definitly be looking to setup a pressurized co2 system. Thanks for your concern chris!


----------



## xr8dride (Feb 24, 2009)

hehe, I was waiting for a rebuttal on that comment.


----------



## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

Roger. Sorry for interrupting the thread!


----------



## breeze905 (Feb 1, 2009)

Chris S... It's all good! I posted this thread so people would say things about what i need! 

So I've almost filled up the 90 gallon with water... and damn am i getting excited! Looking at this big body of water makes me think about all the different kinds of fish i couldn't get before that i can get now! I never thought i'd have a fish tank this big... always wanted one but now it's a reality. loving it! Now it's just a waiting game for all the darkness to filter out of the water or settle down on the bottom... anyone know how long it might take?


----------



## breeze905 (Feb 1, 2009)

oh and now that i got the filter working properly.. it definitly is completely silent! I recommend canister filters for anyone who has a noise issue with the hob's... i have 2 hob's and this new ehiem and the ehiem is silent... the hob's are too as long as the water level is at the top but they produce a slight hum. the canister does too but for the amount of water it's filtering... the hum is almost non existent!


----------



## xr8dride (Feb 24, 2009)

Breeze, I keep my canister within my tank stand and have my air pump for bubble wall on top of it and yet I can never hear it running, they are quite amazing! As for the cloudyness in your tank, it will settle or be filtered out eventually, sometimes it does take a little while. You can also purchase product that traps debris and such so it's easily filtered but it's not necessary.


----------



## Calmer (Mar 9, 2008)

breeze905 said:


> So I've almost filled up the 90 gallon with water... and damn am i getting excited! Looking at this big body of water makes me think about all the different kinds of fish i couldn't get before that i can get now! I never thought i'd have a fish tank this big... always wanted one but now it's a reality. loving it!


You never forget your first 90  So much water and so many possibilities. Enjoy and savour the moment!


----------

