7ft Tank Ideas

[LisaLQ]

I'd have her in a shot if it were possible, I'm smitten with my new ones, and she's beautiful - and would love to help. But my tank's not here yet, then we have to make a stand, then save up for the £125 filter (bargain if you ask me - same spec as an FX5 but with added UV), sand, heaters etc. I'm seeding the new filter from my current FX5, but even so it's going to be weeks til it's even set up.

I'm really sorry (and mad at Kathy for getting your hopes up - she's been told off lol)

 

[Miss Wiggle]

I'd have her in a shot if it were possible, I'm smitten with my new ones, and she's beautiful - and would love to help. But my tank's not here yet, then we have to make a stand, then save up for the £125 filter (bargain if you ask me - same spec as an FX5 but with added UV), sand, heaters etc. I'm seeding the new filter from my current FX5, but even so it's going to be weeks til it's even set up.

I'm really sorry (and mad at Kathy for getting your hopes up - she's been told off lol)

no worries Lisa, honestly don't stress yourself about it, and don't you two start fighting either!!

it'll be fine we'll find somewhere for her.

but we can house her elsewhere temporarily if things get too bad and we've nowhere else for her to go, so if we can't find anywhere by the time your tanks set up would you like her then?

 

[DiscusAngel]

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm i on the discus subject if you over filter and syphon by digging it in the gravel at least every week 30% water change then its fine! discus are lovely and come in all colours i didnt rush into buying my discus at once i look around at all ym local lfs' and see what they have and if i see one there ill get my LFs to buy it as i only use them. to be honest... i think the plec latching onto a discus is a oad of poo! i have a L260 with my discus and hes fine!!! but int that tank i would get 6 discus a BGK and your plecs also you might want to think about your design with the discus. They like planted tanks but would have to be overly planted maybe a few amazon swords would be great and then what ever design you want.. to go along amazon swords. maybe a big bogwood or a rocky mountain ? whatever your going to do you will enjoy your discus so much they have such chracters! o yea shoaling fish can go with discus but not "dither" fish as there VERY FAST i had tetras with myn they almost took over the tank by swimming crazyly so got rid of them GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!

 

[Joemuz]

You should deffo have some Black ghost knifes with your plec as mine totally adore each other and they both have amazing characters! Have a look for your self.

 

[LisaLQ]

Although they're cute to look at (if and when they come out), a BGK isn't that appealing to me as you hardly ever see them - my plecs are more social

I'm very lucky to have met someone recently who breeds discus....and will do me them cheaply. Very cheaply. Oooh heck, it's getting hard to say no now...

 

[DiscusAngel]

well if you know a breeder and get them cheap then go for it !

i can understand what your saying about the BGK but they are very fun to watch also if you think discus wll be out all the time .. plecs you say are social so out all the time its fun to spot the BGK! lol i play that game with mine lol they have good characters and are cheap from small £3.99 mine cost me hes 3" lol

 

[LisaLQ]

I think I've changed my mind on the discus front. Now Jim (royal plec) has settled in, its evident the guy can poo for England, and even gravel vac-ing every other day doesnt get rid of it all.

I'm thinking of getting a large shoal of something. I dont know what. I was initially thinking tiger barbs, as they're cheap and colourful, but I'm worried about the nipping side of things. I also love the look of spanner barbs, although know nothing about them - whether they're shoaling fish or best kept in smaller numers (or singletons)?

Then part of me thinks I should get shed loads more angels. Then part of me thinks sod it - get platies, they'll stock themselves and they're nice looking.

But I want it to look really posh, as posh as it can on a limited budget. I want it to be understocked, not bare, just not too much maintenance on top of what I - ahem - I mean the hubby, already does.

My problem is, I still dont know how many is enough/too much. If I went for tiger barbs (or a similarly sized other species), how many would look nice enough to stop it from looking bare, but not so full it looks too busy?

Oooh I've had so much help off you guys, but I could do with some more *lol*

And on top of all that, I need to know what to do filtration wise. Do I get another FX5, a Resun 280 Cyclone (UV filter, but my LFS says they've had loads of returns - but that is my LFS, and they're not exactly the most clued up), or 2-3 Tetratec EX1200s? If I get either the FX5 or Resun, I'd have to get another cheaper one (eg. one of the Tetratecs) anyway as backup. Are there any other cheap but decent filters out there? My budget is around £150 give or take. I think I'm probably going to get the Tetratecs, start with two to get it up and running, then add another when funds allow (probably the next payday). They're good because a. they work (had one in the past, and they come highly recommended also), and b. they come with media. I'd go second hand, but the chances of finding 2-3 decent filters that can deliver are low enough, but with the added risk of disease and things, I think I'd rather go new - unless I knew who I was getting them from.

Argh, I dont know...then I've got to think about what kind of sand to use, but I am getting the wood to make the stand in the next couple of days, so that's a start

 

[nurglespuss]

What about a lovely shoal of Glass cats, and a small army of corydoras spp. ?

Add some constant activity, then maybe a small doradid or two, and finally some hatchett fish for top flying?

 

[black angel]

How about these http/www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_Puntius_denisonii.php a school of 6 would be fantastic in a tank your size but they are pricey.

I love angels so that would be my first choice along with a large shoal of rummy nose tetras.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

yeah denisoni barbs are nice

i think congo tetra's are lovely too, i've always wanted a nice big group of them in a lovely big community tank.

to keep it classy i'd stick to a colour scheme for your major groups of fish and i'd stick to just a couple of different species but have larger groups instead of lots of little shoals

 

[kniesh]

I love Tiger barbs so I'm gonna say go with these. A school of about 30 would look amazing in that tank, with Cories scavaging around to keep the poo moving around towards the filter. Tiger barbs in a group of 30 would not show any interest in nipping at anything other than themselves. Also you could have different varients to add colour, i.e 10Green 10Tiger 10Albino or more as there is plenty of room for more without looking crowded and all these will school together. Also the Cories are the same, in that you can pick different varients and watch them all school. I personally think that would look amazing and dont worry any school of over 10 Tiger Barbs and there will be no agression towards other fish.

 

[LisaLQ]

I think that's probably how I'm going to go - I can get tiger barbs for 99p each, so not only are they nice looking, they're cheap too. If I got brochis rather than cories do you think that would look nice? Or should I just pick a nice cory species instead? I like brochis splendens, but cory wise would want to go for something different to what I've already got. Maybe some concolors seeing as I've wanted them so long.

It just depends on what would cope at 80f though.

 

[DiscusAngel]

i heard that Plecs often eat corys when there small. so if your going for corys then find some big ones!!

 

[OohFeeshy]

Seeing as you obviously don't want too many fish or expensive fish, but want a 'full' tank, for the mid/upper levels there are plenty of hyper fish that really fill the tank. Danios are a prime example- I've got four 1.5cm pearls in a 2ft tank, and somehow they manage to make it look like it's full to the brim with fish. They're not nippy either, providing they're in big groups- I'd reccomend giant, pearl or zebra for your tank. The latter two are pretty cheap. Maybe a group of tiger barbs and a group of danios, and then a small group of something larger to catch the eye? Rainbows of some type? Larger gouramis? Medium cichlids?

 

[LisaLQ]

Thanks folks again for all the ideas I think I've decided what I'm going to do. I think I'm going to get me some spanner barbs, it's a good excuse to go to Trimar again, and I could get that dull eye royal they have on there *lol* Well, the tank's taken a new direction (in that we're not getting the same tank, we've just been offered a 7ft x 2ft x 20" with stand and filters delivered for cheaper than it would have cost to do it ourselves - hey - Andy - the filters might be Eheims too - you might have your chance to see me eat my hat! ), so we wont be getting it for a couple of weeks - so if that dull eye's still there, I'll go to Trimar and get the spanner barbs. I really like the look of them. Or tiger barbs. See? Still cant make my mind up!

I didn't want multiple shoals of different fish, I wanted one big shoal (or medium shoal of bigger fish) of one type of fish, to keep it simple and not take the attraction away from the plecs. Obviously I'll probably change my mind once it's set up lol and end up getting something else. Maybe with the spanner barbs being bigger they might be nippy or poo tonnes - so if anyone's got any experience with them, let me know!

Tank is coming in half term - it's a real bargain too - £125 including stand, and then half-ers on the van rental (as he's coming over this way to pick up some tanks from Bradford). I just hope it all goes ahead as planned - cos if he backs out or sells to someone else, I'll have already cancelled my other one, and I will probably cry. Lots.

Ooh and how many spanner barbs would you put in there to make it look nice - not too full but not empty? They get to 7".