New Tank Planning

[electropunk06]

hi ive just bought a 90L tank from a friend.
i need some information on:
-cycling (is fishless better?)
-best filter
-stocking
-anything else

i curently have a 60L comunity tank but didnt know about cycling until about a month after i got it so was to late then.
any input would be great
thanks

 

[Gvilleguy]

Hi Electro,

Have you had a read through the threads on this page yet? Very good resource center:

Beginners Resource Center

CYCLING:
Based on reading this information, I selected the fishless cycle method since it is most kind to the fish.

You might find a couple of challenges on a fishless cycle to be:
1. Patience, patience, patience. Your tank might cycle in 2 weeks. It might take 2 months. But it does work. Mine took 70 days.
2. It is difficult to find pure ammonia in the stores. In the USA, try Ace Hardware. Not sure about the UK.

If you can get some mature filter media from a friend it can really speed up the process.

FILTERING: I think you'll get many differing opinions here. I found the bundled hang-on-back power filter on my 26 gallon to be very quiet, but also not very good at growing large bacteria colonies quickly. I added an under-the-cabinet canister type filter (Fluval 205), and have been VERY happy with the results of the bigger, stronger filter. In either case I think you will find modern filters to be very quiet and efficient.

STOCKING: all depends on tank size, filtration, surface area, and your preferences. If you post with some fish types that you like, there is usually someone on here that can tell you "oh, you don't want this fish to be with that", etc.

ANYTHING ELSE: if you are serious about the cycling, get a good quality freshwater test kit that will test ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH (regular and high level). Perhaps even KH and GH. My only experience is with the API Freshwater Master test kits - but I like them.

 

[waterdrop]

Wow, excellent writeup from Gvilleguy! Agree with it! WD

 

[Gvilleguy]

Score a point for the rookie!!

(I try to retain what you all have taught me in 3 months time here)

 

[electropunk06]

thanks for the replys very impresive
that should give me some reading to do today
im still not sure which fish i want maybe cichlids but still not sure
thanks

 

[waterdrop]

In a 90L you'd want some of the smallest cichlids, which means that as you pull up pictures or run through lists of cichlids on the internet you want to be writing down the maximum size they grow to. That's a really key figure for all fish you speculate about. It might vary between different sites a little but it will be close enough.

Think of the making of your stocking list as a whole lot of trial and error with lots and lots of changes over the weeks while you are getting your biofilter grown and your tank ready for fish. You will learn the nitrogen cycle science and the water changing skills but all along the way you will be working on that stocking list. You will be basing your desires mostly on looks but to the members, the problems with the species will jump out and they will tell you about them, which may or may not move a particular fish off your list.

Besides the overall stocking limit of the tank, the next biggest characteristic you'll be struggling with will be the aggressiveness of the species under various conditions. Many, many tropical fish work will when stocked in particular numbers (one, two, six, 12...) Most of the larger shoaling numbers you see are just a minimum number and the fish will appreciate (if they are a shoaling fish) any increase beyond that that you can muster given your stocking limit and other fish.

Minimum shoaling numbers are actually a huge deal. Shoaling fish will indeed sometimes literally stess away and die when they are in too small numbers. Its a very physical thing to them and particularly hard for humans, who are social but not shoalers obviously, to understand in a gut way.

Yet another, albeit more subtle, issue of tank stocking is the general complexion of your tank in either the harder, more alkaline direction or the softer, more acid direction. Most tropical fish we obtain will live quite well in a rather wide variety of water conditions, provided we keep those conditions stable and provided we of course keep the water toxin free. But with experience we can learn which fish really prefer the "tilt" to be in which direction and learn to incorporate the limitations imposed by our tap water into our tank planning.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[electropunk06]

thanks,
what are the best type of barbs which could go in a comunity tank pos tiger barbs, what fish would go well with them and how many in a 90L?
cheers

 

[waterdrop]

OK, so you've got a 60L and a new 90L and it sounds like you've got some fish in the 60L. Could you tell us specifically what you have and more about your plans and planning ideas? How long has the smaller tank been running?

~~waterdrop~~

 

[electropunk06]

OK, so you've got a 60L and a new 90L and it sounds like you've got some fish in the 60L. Could you tell us specifically what you have and more about your plans and planning ideas? How long has the smaller tank been running?

~~waterdrop~~

right; in the 60L is 6 danios, 2 guppys, 3 plattys, 2 dwarf gourami, 4/5 otos and 4 bronze corys.
plan 1: move all these fish into 90L and put s betta or somthing into the 60L
plan 2: move some fish into the 90L (danios maby) and have two community tanks
plan 3: leave the 60L as it is and put some dwarf cichlids or similar in the 90L
plan 4: use one of the tanks as a breading tank for something

which do you think would be best?
thanks

 

[BethK]

I would move the guppies,corys and danios over to the 90ltr and then possibly add 1 male and 2 female apistos............that's just my view. You could have;

Apisto cacatuoides

Apisto agassizi

And the remaining would make a nice community for your 60ltr.

Lots of leveled plants, hiding places and sorted but that is just me

 

[electropunk06]

WOW, they look pretty cool. just doubt my lfs will have any thing like this in. ive been looking at Senegal bichir as well but not brilliantly colourful. which cichlids are bright and colourful which coud go with a Senegal bichir in a 90L
thanks

 

[BethK]

you can always order them from a breeder, who will ship them

 

[electropunk06]

you can always order them from a breeder, who will ship them

is there any breeders of these on this forum?
also how does shipping fish work? i cant really picture how to do it kindly and cheaply
thanks for the advise

 

[BethK]

you can always order them from a breeder, who will ship them

is there any breeders of these on this forum?
also how does shipping fish work? i cant really picture how to do it kindly and cheaply
thanks for the advise

You in the UK or the US?

I know a breeder, got my 'now' apistos from and they are thriving.

 

[electropunk06]

im in the UK (north west)