Tell me about your dream tank

[Tench]

Hi folks. I am the proud owner of a 135g (72" long) aquarium. Over the next few months I'll be getting it up and running and deciding on what to stock it with.

It'll be awhile before I have any pictures to share but in the meantime tell me about what you would do with a tank this size. Literally a blank slate, I haven't even decided on which canister filters, lighting, substrate, live vs fake plants, etc. Just an empty glass box in my living room. The only thing I'm not interested in pursuing is saltwater.

if you were in my position, what fish (and plants) would you choose? Give my brain something to chew on

here's a picture of my pugfish for now.

 

[LyraGuppi]

That's a great aquarium, you've got a lot of options.
Personally, I'd like to keep a severum. Just a lot of onion plants (crinum) and a lot of driftwood would be good for me, but I like sparsely stocked tanks. For a more aesthetically intriguing aquarium, a big school of some sort of small fish (harlequin rasboras are one type that I've been admiring) and a giant shoal of cories would be very cool to watch.
Bichirs are another fish I'd like to try, but don't have the time or space for.
I like the pugfish though, he looks very happy

 

[cooledwhip]

I wouldn't do big fish. Do a school or two of tiny schooling fish and a couple BIG fish. The big fish really set the schooling fish in their place, they school really tightly.

Try some neons, rasboras, rummynose tetras, and some boesemani rainbows.

Is that stand going to support the tank?

 

[flchamp89]

Imo nothing looks better than single species with large schools. In that tank theres alot of options. Imagine 50 chili rasbora that would be awesome

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[cooledwhip]

Imo nothing looks better than single species with large schools. In that tank theres alot of options. Imagine 50 chili rasbora that would be awesome

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That would be awesome and I agree, having a few species is better than some noah's ark tank lol.

But if you have all of a single species they won't school. You need two different species to be in a tank if you want tight schools. For example, my neon tetras by themselves in a 40 gallon won't school. My neon tetras with some GBR's and other fish in a 40 gallon school tightly.

 

[NickAu]

First the dog in the tank thing wont work once its full of water.


What are your water parameters? PH soft or hard? This is the important bit If you have hard water soft water fish wont work and vice versa.

 

[Aquatony]

That stand does not look like it can hold over 1000 pounds of water??

 

[Zante]

Strong lighting and fairly dense planting in a soil substrate (as in proper soil you get from the garden centre). Plenty of wood with plenty of the wood emerging above water. Have some anubias planted on the wood so that it will eventually climb out of the water.

On the emersed wood plant a few bromeliads and a few orchids and in one corner have a few stems of pothos draped over the side. The pothos will grow a root system that is excellent breeding ground for live food for fish fry and excellent hiding space for the fry themselves.

Population-wise I'd keep it fairly sparse. Six angelfish or six discus, a dozen corys, a couple of bristlenoses and about 20 tetras.

If you set it up properly and let it mature, those numbers will increase by themselves.

 

[Tench]

good point on the stand, i'll take a closer look at it before filling her up. I got the tank for $150 so with or without a stand I consider that a good deal.

First the dog in the tank thing wont work once its full of water.


What are your water parameters? PH soft or hard? This is the important bit If you have hard water soft water fish wont work and vice versa.

straight out the tap the water is

gh 150
kh 80
ph 7


and what do you mean the dog won't work? pugs sink like rocks, it'll be great just kidding, imagine all the hair in the filter. also i love her so...

 

[TekFish]

Discus tank? If you have the time and the money lol XD

An idea that I've always liked is to try having like a metric tonne of teeny fish, 4cm or less, in a HUGE heavily planted tank. Paracheirodon Simulans, Boraras Brigittae, Dario sp., the smaller Hatchetfishes, Sparkling Gourami, etc.

Or maybe a Rainbowfish tank?

 

[Gruntle]

If it were me and my tank (hint to the wife, I'd love a tank this size or bigger)...

I'd try and recreate something local (Northern Australia). Gravel bed, plenty of submerged logs/branches, plenty of plants.

For fish I'd go for as big a school each of Rainbowfish, Pacific Blue-Eyes and Glassfish. If they'd fit, I'd get a couple of different Gudgeon species (purple spot and others). A strong filter to recreate the fairly fast flowing streams would help too.

Then I'd sell the TV...

 

[SnailPocalypse]

Haha I would love a heavily planted tank of water wisteria and a nice carpeting plant like baby tears with plenty of wood and a huge school of neon tetras.

 

[Ch4rlie]

First the dog in the tank thing wont work once its full of water.

Does that make it a Dogfish then?........

Boom da boom tissshhhhh

Alright, I'll go get my coat

TAXIIIIII

 

[thrujenseyes]

here's a picture of my pugfish for now

A bare tank with a pug is just unfair, at least add some toys and a cozy place to sleep

That stand does not look like it can hold over 1000 pounds of water??

That was my fist thought...right behind blind jealousy over the tank!

Strong lighting and fairly dense planting in a soil substrate (as in proper soil you get from the garden centre). Plenty of wood with plenty of the wood emerging above water. Have some anubias planted on the wood so that it will eventually climb out of the water.
On the emersed wood plant a few bromeliads and a few orchids and in one corner have a few stems of pothos draped over the side. The pothos will grow a root system that is excellent breeding ground for live food for fish fry and excellent hiding space for the fry themselves.

That sounds amazing!

For fish I'd go for as big a school each of Rainbowfish, Pacific Blue-Eyes and Glassfish. If they'd fit, I'd get a couple of different Gudgeon species (purple spot and others). A strong filter to recreate the fairly fast flowing streams would help too.

I love these fish together as you'd have a Gem Filled aquarium!

I honestly can't wait to see what you do....the options are plenty!

 

[Tench]

A bare tank with a pug is just unfair, at least add some toys and a cozy place to sleep

I was going for the minimalist look, it's all the rage these days.


Thanks for all these awesome ideas yall. I'm loving reading them! I have a 40G breeder set up with fake plants and sand subtrate filled with livebearers. I'm happy with that tank but ever since I saw my brother in law's planted tank I've had some major tank envy. His isn't anything super special (in fact there's a lot I'd have done different) but there's just something beautiful about a fish swimming around live plants that can't be recreated with the fakies.

Here's my 40g breeder which is fun to look at, but I will probably do something completely different with the 135g.