Setting Up My First "proffesional" Fish Tank. 45 Gallon Show T

[cooledwhip]

Hey everyone. I plan on making this thread a journal somewhat. Basically I was on LetGo which is basically like craigslist and I found this 45 gallon show/tall and the wooden stand for $65. I purchased it and I am very happy. I know this was a great investment because the stand itself can be very expensive in this hobby and the fact this is a wooden one and not cheap plastic or metal is great.
 
Anyway, this tank is for my dad at his law office, so I bought it for him and we are going to work on it together. (he knows nothing about aquariums, I'm just guiding him choosing fish and layout and stuff) It's freshwater and I want it to be planted. I do have knowledge about planted tanks from other threads I made ab out my other tanks on this forum, so I want this tank to be VERY low tech and VERY low requirement plants.
 
Here is the tank set up in the office:  http/imgur.com/a/BIphZ
 
I basically wanted help on where to start and stocking list as well as hardware.
 
First things first I want to purchase the heater and filter and lights.
 
My budget for that is about $120 for lights, heater and filter. I was going for a canister filter, and a fully submersible heater because I plan on hiding it behind hardscape maybe.
For scaping it, I will have a peice of manzanita driftwood come down from the left top corner and spread out into the substrate like a tree trunk and its roots. I will have lots of rocks around it, and of course, PLANTS!
 
I wanted to have some nice swords, ferns, pearlweed, some other lowtech stem plants. Some riccia and mosses for the wood and rocks, and other low tech plants. 
 
For the stocking plan, I really don't know where to go here. The highest requirement fish I currently have are some rainbowfish and neon dwarf rainbowfish AND some threadfin rainbowfish. For the 45 tall I was thinking of maybe 1-2 angelfish, some boesmani rainbowfish, millenium rainbowfish, other species of rainbowfish. I want a nice school of them. I also wanted a couple schools of smaller fish, a school of some corycats, also a school of some tetras and maybe another smaller schooling fish. I really know what exactly to put in.
 
I also wanted help picking substrate too. I understand that for the plants I need a nutrient rich substrate, and I also need to have some sand for the corycats. I really need some guidance here. Thanks much!!
 
 
pH 6.5-8.5 (On the harder side)
I live in a suburb of chicago if that helps with the water.
 
THAASANNKSSS

 

[fishmad135]

This sounds like it's going to be a fun thread - I'll deffo be following!!
 
The tank is lovely, not often you see tall ones like this!! The plan for your driftwood, rocks and plants sounds great, very natural 

! The low-tech plants you have mentioned sound for low maintenance. Don't forget some anubias, cryptocoryne or maybe even some java fern might look nice attached to the driftwood or rocks! The corys will love the sand and the extra foliage!!! 

 Good luck, I hope your Dad is enjoying it!!

 

[cooledwhip]

This sounds like it's going to be a fun thread - I'll deffo be following!!
 
The tank is lovely, not often you see tall ones like this!! The plan for your driftwood, rocks and plants sounds great, very natural 

! The low-tech plants you have mentioned sound for low maintenance. Don't forget some anubias, cryptocoryne or maybe even some java fern might look nice attached to the driftwood or rocks! The corys will love the sand and the extra foliage!!! 

 Good luck, I hope your Dad is enjoying it!!

Yeah for sure some crypts and ferns. Idk about anubias. Maybe bucafelandra? 

 

[fishmad135]

 

This sounds like it's going to be a fun thread - I'll deffo be following!!
 
The tank is lovely, not often you see tall ones like this!! The plan for your driftwood, rocks and plants sounds great, very natural 

! The low-tech plants you have mentioned sound for low maintenance. Don't forget some anubias, cryptocoryne or maybe even some java fern might look nice attached to the driftwood or rocks! The corys will love the sand and the extra foliage!!! 

 Good luck, I hope your Dad is enjoying it!!

Yeah for sure some crypts and ferns. Idk about anubias. Maybe bucafelandra? 
 

 
Bucafelandra is stunning, I'd deffo go for it even to try it out - may not be quite suitable for a low tech tank but worth a try!!!

 

[techen]

The issue with that tank is its super tall but there's no real swimming place. Stocking will suffer.

 

[cooledwhip]

The issue with that tank is its super tall but there's no real swimming place. Stocking will suffer.

 
It is very tall I agree. 30 tall 20 wide 18 depth. How will they suffer? I know for sure the small schooling fish will be fine, the cories.
 
Don't angelfish require more space to go up and down? Would rainbowfish be ok? 
 
It would be nice if you explained how the "Stocking would suffer"

 

[techen]

Fish don't really swim up or down, If you get what I mean. They swim back and forth, Length wise.  So angels fit height but not length wise,Small fish such as neon tetras and such would be fine. I'd go for a large shoal of smaller fish and cories work too yea.

 

[cooledwhip]

Fish don't really swim up or down, If you get what I mean. They swim back and forth, Length wise.  So angels fit height but not length wise,Small fish such as neon tetras and such would be fine. I'd go for a large shoal of smaller fish and cories work too yea.

Large school check. For sure some tetras or barbs, (recommend me some)
I really wanted some bigger fish as well though. Would rainbowfish need more space to swim? I really wanted to put an angelfish in there.
 
What about german blue rams?

 

[Mark Z.]

The tank is really cool!! Is that where it will be in your dad's office? It looks like a good location.
 
I think the rainbow fish would need a longer tank. They like to swim! 

 

[cooledwhip]

What about 2 angelfish, ( a pair)
Large school of neon tetras,
Boesemani rainbowfish
corydoras.
I have some dwarf neon rainbowfish but I don't know how to breed them. Otherwise I would put all the fry into the 45 tall.

 

[Munroco]

I agree with other posts about Rainbows and Angels not having much room for swimming around. A pair of Rams or other dwarf cichlids would work along with 1 or 2 large schools of tetras and some cories, or as an alternate to one school of tetras, how about some marble hatchet fish to inhabit the top part of the aquarium.

 

[cooledwhip]

I agree with other posts about Rainbows and Angels not having much room for swimming around. A pair of Rams or other dwarf cichlids would work along with 1 or 2 large schools of tetras and some cories, or as an alternate to one school of tetras, how about some marble hatchet fish to inhabit the top part of the aquarium.

Ok. I plan on going to my LFS (an actual fish store not a petsmart or petco) and ask his opinion about the rainbowfish and angelfish
 
For the 100% sure stocking plan:
 
German Blue rams (If I can't do the rainbows and angels)
school of neon tetras
Neon dwarf angelfish
Kuhli loaches or cories, ( I was thinking of doing seachem flourite, then layer seachem sand on top of that)
Some hatchet fish to swim at the top
 
I really wanted some boesemani rainbowfish and some angelfish. I really don't see why the angelfish won't work. 

 

[Robbo85]

 

I agree with other posts about Rainbows and Angels not having much room for swimming around. A pair of Rams or other dwarf cichlids would work along with 1 or 2 large schools of tetras and some cories, or as an alternate to one school of tetras, how about some marble hatchet fish to inhabit the top part of the aquarium.

Ok. I plan on going to my LFS (an actual fish store not a petsmart or petco) and ask his opinion about the rainbowfish and angelfish
 
For the 100% sure stocking plan:
 
German Blue rams (If I can't do the rainbows and angels)
school of neon tetras
Neon dwarf angelfish
Kuhli loaches or cories, ( I was thinking of doing seachem flourite, then layer seachem sand on top of that)
Some hatchet fish to swim at the top
 
I really wanted some boesemani rainbowfish and some angelfish. I really don't see why the angelfish won't work. 
 

 
Neon dwarf Angelfish? the only dwarf angelfish im aware of are marine.did you mean rainbow fish?
 
if not I want some dwarf angelfish!

 imagine how popular they would be.

 

[Munroco]

Angels might be ok, but it is a smallish swimming space and I'd say rainbow fish being much more active swimmers would be less suited.

 

[cooledwhip]

 

 


I agree with other posts about Rainbows and Angels not having much room for swimming around. A pair of Rams or other dwarf cichlids would work along with 1 or 2 large schools of tetras and some cories, or as an alternate to one school of tetras, how about some marble hatchet fish to inhabit the top part of the aquarium.

Ok. I plan on going to my LFS (an actual fish store not a petsmart or petco) and ask his opinion about the rainbowfish and angelfish
 
For the 100% sure stocking plan:
 
German Blue rams (If I can't do the rainbows and angels)
school of neon tetras
Neon dwarf angelfish
Kuhli loaches or cories, ( I was thinking of doing seachem flourite, then layer seachem sand on top of that)
Some hatchet fish to swim at the top
 
I really wanted some boesemani rainbowfish and some angelfish. I really don't see why the angelfish won't work. 
 

 
Neon dwarf Angelfish? the only dwarf angelfish im aware of are marine.did you mean rainbow fish?
 
if not I want some dwarf angelfish!

 imagine how popular they would be.
 



HAHAH . Yes I did mean rainbowfish.. Mondays man.
 
My only problem now is the substrate. What should I use? I was thinking of using seachem flourite as it works great for plants but I don't really like the color. Anyone have any ideas for substrate? I'm not gonna do cories as it limits me to sand.