Tank Upgrade - Complete Revamp

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Limits2005

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Hi everyone, I've got a few questions on various topics. I am in the process of upgrading from my tank that's been set up a few years to a bigger tank.

I apologise already for how long this post is going to be...

Firstly, a bit of background. My current set up is 80x35x40 (Fluval 125) with Gravel and an internal filter. I've got mainly tetras (Cardinals, Black Neon, Rummy Nose, Serpae), pencil fish, Harlequins, a few BN plecs, Cory's and clown loaches and a couple of dwarf gouramis. I keep the tank around 27 degrees with the lights on from about 6-11.

The tank I'm upgrading to is 120x40x?? I'm not too sure how high it is, internet says 55cm - It's a fluval 4ft tank so I'm guessing Fluval Roma 240l. It's got an external Fluval 306 filter, which from what I understand, has its pipes drilled through the base of the tank. With the measurements and the current community tank mates in mind, any suggestions on some different fish? Maybe slightly larger ones too?

I'm wanting to use sand instead of gravel this time (First time ever used sand and I've been keeping fish on and off for about 15 years). I know I can use Play Sand which is cheaper but I understand it needs a lot more pre set up cleaning and maybe even cooling to steralise it properly. That and it compacts down a lot more and creates toxic gas pockets. So I'm going to use Pool Filter Sand instead - Any good guides on how to prep this? And any cheap sources and how much should I get? I'm thinking 25KG is enough from the calculators that I've used.

I'm also wanting put some live plants in, but I know nothing about plants so I'm a complete beginner. I want some smaller foreground plants and taller ones for the background but I don't want the complete jungle look. Any ideas on these?

Thanks in advance!

Chris!
 
I'm wanting to use sand instead of gravel this time (First time ever used sand and I've been keeping fish on and off for about 15 years). I know I can use Play Sand which is cheaper but I understand it needs a lot more pre set up cleaning and maybe even cooling to steralise it properly. That and it compacts down a lot more and creates toxic gas pockets. So I'm going to use Pool Filter Sand instead - Any good guides on how to prep this? And any cheap sources and how much should I get? I'm thinking 25KG is enough from the calculators that I've used.

There is no problems with play sand, any more than with other sand or even fine gravel. I have play sand in all my 8 tanks, changed over starting about 6 years ago and wish I'd done it long before. Initial rinsing is tedious, but you don't need to get it all that clean. Pool filter sand may work, but not white; darker substrates are better for the fish, and your viewing too for that matter. Frankly I would go with play sand. Two 25kg (55 lb) bags will be sufficient, with some spare which is always handy for touch-ups down the road; my 70g and 90g are both 120 by 45 cm and I used two bags (minus a bit). It does not need any sterilizing (assuming it is brand new).

Sand compaction, like gravel compaction, is caused by too deep a substrate. Depending upon the plants, you could have roughly a 2 to 2.5 inch depth when flat before aquascaping. Plant roots help to aerate the sand, and Malaysian Livebearing Snails are ideal. I do not dig into any of my sand substrates, just leave them alone; aerobic and anaerobic areas are essential to a healthy substrate, and the substrate is the most important item in an aquarium because of the host of different bacteria species.

I'm also wanting put some live plants in, but I know nothing about plants so I'm a complete beginner. I want some smaller foreground plants and taller ones for the background but I don't want the complete jungle look. Any ideas on these?

First thing to ascertain is your lighting; different plants have differing needs when it comes to intensity. Also, what are your source water parameters (GH and pH especially)? This leads us into fish species too. You might want to increase some of the present species groups now that you have more space. Shoaling fish always do better the more there are, and we don't have the current numbers. You might want to leave out the Serpae Tetra, this is a known fin nipper, and I can immediately see your gourami being targeted; even if this is not apparent now in the smaller tank, it might well become the issue in the larger space. There are some other possible species to consider, like Diamond Tetra, Congo Tetra...but not with Serpae Tetra present.
 
I am not sure what to do about your sand but I have an idea of what plants you may want to put in their. I'm guessing you do not want a co2 system so you are going to want to go with a low tech tank. All this means is no co2, only a small amount of fertilizer, and low light. Some good, easy foreground plants are cryptocoryne lutea, cryptocoryne affinis, and cryptocoryne walkeri. You could also add some small Anubias like Anubias barteri var. nana. This is one of the smallest Anubias and makes and ideal foreground plant.

Background plants could be hornwort, Brazilian penny wort,the temple plant, Amazon swords, water wisteria, giant Vallisnera, or pond weed. I have had great success with these and can grow like a weed in the right conditions.

I also recommend using driftwood. You can attach Java fern, Java moss, and Anubias to it if you want. You could also use some floating plants like water lettuce but these do better in an open top aquarium.

I would use tropica plant growth premium fertilizer. I use this every week after water changes with great success.
 
Thank you both for your prompt and info filled replies. I'm buying the tank second hand but I'll ask him what bulbs he had in there.

With regards to the Malaysian Snails, would my clown loaches be a problem with these? I will look into rehoming the serpeas .

I've just tested my current water ph and that's around 7 from what I can tell.

With regards to the plants, do you buy yours from a LFS or do you buy online?

Thanks again

Vhris
 
I have kept MTS and clown loach together. Clown loach do eat MTS but in my setup they never managed to get them all and things seemed to stay in balance.

FWIW 240 litres is on the small side for clown loach, who like to be in groups, live a long time and grow very large.
 
Your old tank and your new tank combined would not be big enough for clown loaches and should have a six foot tank at least, but since they are there...no the Malaysian snails would not be a problem for the clowns as they will eat anything if they get big enough -- clowns love snails and not in a nice way.

I urge you, if you are in a position to rehome fish, that you rehome the clown loaches.
 
I urge you, if you are in a position to rehome fish, that you rehome the clown loaches.

Ok, I got the Clown Loaches to deal with a snail problem I got from some plants from a LFS. On a brief bit of research, are these the Malaysian Snails I'm wanting to be getting?? I don't know how to describe them.
 
http://meethepet.com/mts-melanoides-tuberculata-and-melanoides-granifera/
I like to have MTS because they help with the clean up. You should hardly ever see them during the day in a sand substrate. Their population is pretty self regulating. Keep things clean, with a minimum of organic waste and their numbers decrease due to lack of food. Neglect the cleaning and they will multiply. If you do have an outbreak you can easily catch them by leaving a lettuce leaf in a small dish overnight.
 
Ok, I got the Clown Loaches to deal with a snail problem I got from some plants from a LFS. On a brief bit of research, are these the Malaysian Snails I'm wanting to be getting?? I don't know how to describe them.

Seangee posted a link about the snails. You probably have bladder or pond snails if they arrived with plants. Scroll down in that linked article to see these. They are harmless to plants, but the Malaysian Livebearing, with a long shell shaped like a cornucopia or horn of plenty, are the excellent substrate snails.

We all learn much as we make mistakes...one being in acquiring a fish to solve a problem. Never do this, unless the fish can be provided for according to its requirements (numbers as in shoaling species like loaches, very large tanks, etc) and you really want the fish as a species in its own right. "Problem solver" fish generally turn out to be more problem than they may solve. I completely concur with others who have suggested you re-home the clown loaches; they must have at least a six-foot tank but an eight-foot is better, and they need a group of at least five as they are very social fish and will establish an hierarchy. When these conditions are not provided, fish usually "rebel" because they are being stressed, and that can mean even more aggressive behaviours, ill health, and a shorter lifespan.

I've just tested my current water ph and that's around 7 from what I can tell.

The GH is more important, and with the KH it will determine what the pH may naturally do. We need the GH and KH...check with your water authority as I mentioned previously.
 
Thanks for that, I think they are different. To help keep the snail population in check, what do you think about s few assassin snails?

No, not a good idea. They may eradicate most of the other snails, but then you lose their benefit. Here again, it is better not to acquire another live organism to deal with a problem, if it is a problem (which it really is not anyway). There is nothing wrong with the small snails, they are your best friend in any aquarium because they get everywhere you cannot, and eat all organics (= fish excrement) breaking it down faster for the bacteria to handle. They eat some algae (but not sufficient to deal with problem algae).
 
Ok thank you, I think the clown Loaches are really nice fish but I will rehome.

I'll look into the kh and GH tomorrow And let you know .

Thanks

Chris
 
Also, what are your thoughts on this company and bundle. https://www.plantsalive.co.uk/30-collection.html

There are plants in this bundle with very different requirements in terms of light. We need to sort out your lighting before we can recommend plants.

A brief explanation may help. Plants need light to drive photosynthesis which is how they grow as you probably know. There are two important aspects to light, intensity (brightness) and spectrum (the colour wavelengths). Each species of plants has quite specific needs for intensity. As for spectrum, red and blue light drive photosynthesis, and red is the more important; adding green to the mix improves plant growth, probably because this mix of high red, blue and green closely replicates the sun at mid-day. And plants appear green (the green leaf ones) because they are reflecting green light.

If you mix plants with differing light requirements (intensity), you have to be careful. Shade plants that need less light will be in trouble if they receive too much light, just as high-light plants will be in trouble with insufficient light. When either issue occurs, algae takes advantage because unlike higher plants it is not fussy over intensity or spectrum. And with plants in the tank, algae must be kept in check or it will suffocate and kill the plants.
 
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Good morning everyone!

Is this what you need?

upload_2018-2-28_8-42-3.png
 
There are about half a dozen units for hardness and in fish keeping we use just two - dH (or German degrees) and ppm (aka mg/l calcium carbonate). Fish profiles will use one or other of these two.

For your hardness, you need to look at the text to the right of the table "Water hardness average: 36.7 mg/l calcium" If you click on "convert your water hardness" just below the number, that will give your hardness in other units as well.
However, I can tell you that your 36.7 mg/l calcium converts to 5.1 dH and 91.6 ppm.


UK water companies rarely give alkalinity, their term for KH.
 

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