New Tank Setup Precautions?

[Creature Seeker]

Hello, I have had a 100 litre fish tank for about 8 years with an undergravel filter system.

Recently I bought a Rio 180 off a friend at work which has an external filter system with it. I have never used an external filter before and was wondering about what I need to know about setting up a new tank with an external filter.

I am also making my own 3D background (can this be made out of ordinary polysterine?), which will include plenty of hiding places. I want many plants with lights that arn't too bright and black sand within the tank.

The kind of fish I am hoping to stock in it include:

Clown Loaches
Humbug Catfish
Apollo Shark
Upsidedown Fish
Pitbull Pleco
African Butterfly Fish
Headstander (only if he gets on with African Butterflies!)
Brown African Knifefish
Elephant Nose (have been researching heavily and I appreciate they're hard to keep, any extra advice would be great!)
?Dolphin Mormyrid (really like this fish but havn't found out enough about it yet, anyone know more about it?)

My current planned shedule is:

-make background
-set up filter
-put sand in
-add water
-leave for 3 weeks
-add plants
-leave for a week
-add fish

So bascially just asking if there is anything I should be aware of (I'm sure there's plenty! )

Any help greatly appreciated.

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[OohFeeshy]

Indeed, you missed out fishless cycling. Not much use going to all that bother if you don't do that.

Out of your planned stocklist, don't bother with the two mormyrids. They are specialist fish, not suited to community tanks and even then they often don't do very well.
Clown loaches will, eventually, get too big for the tank, as I suspect will the apollo shark. African butterfly fish will eat any fish small enough to fit in their mouths, so watch out on that.

 

[Creature Seeker]

Indeed, you missed out fishless cycling. Not much use going to all that bother if you don't do that.

Out of your planned stocklist, don't bother with the two mormyrids. They are specialist fish, not suited to community tanks and even then they often don't do very well.
Clown loaches will, eventually, get too big for the tank, as I suspect will the apollo shark. African butterfly fish will eat any fish small enough to fit in their mouths, so watch out on that.

Thank you for replying.

I alreayd have clown loaches and the appollo shark from my previous tank. The two clown loaches have been with me for years and havn't grown much bigger (about 4" at the mo).

With regards to the mormyrids, I'm kind of gearing my tank towards them so I'd rather sacrifice another fish than them in order to make the livestock work. What fish do they got on with?

...

 

[Creature Seeker]

Anything else I should be thinking about?

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[chris1974]

I alreayd have clown loaches and the appollo shark from my previous tank. The two clown loaches have been with me for years and havn't grown much bigger (about 4" at the mo).

With regards to the mormyrids, I'm kind of gearing my tank towards them so I'd rather sacrifice another fish than them in order to make the livestock work. What fish do they got on with?

...

i was told buy my lfs that fish will only grow to suit the tank you put them in wich would explain why your clown loach are happy and only about 4"

as far as starter fish go i'd stick a couple of plattys in there

 

[Creature Seeker]

I alreayd have clown loaches and the appollo shark from my previous tank. The two clown loaches have been with me for years and havn't grown much bigger (about 4" at the mo).

With regards to the mormyrids, I'm kind of gearing my tank towards them so I'd rather sacrifice another fish than them in order to make the livestock work. What fish do they got on with?

...

i was told buy my lfs that fish will only grow to suit the tank you put them in wich would explain why your clown loach are happy and only about 4"

as far as starter fish go i'd stick a couple of plattys in there

Thanks for your reply.

I think the 'fish growing to the size of your tank' idea is a bit of a myth.

Not really interested in plattys to be honest, I like more unusual fish. I've had most community fish in the past and want something more challenging this time round.

...

 

[chris1974]

I alreayd have clown loaches and the appollo shark from my previous tank. The two clown loaches have been with me for years and havn't grown much bigger (about 4" at the mo).

With regards to the mormyrids, I'm kind of gearing my tank towards them so I'd rather sacrifice another fish than them in order to make the livestock work. What fish do they got on with?

...

i was told buy my lfs that fish will only grow to suit the tank you put them in wich would explain why your clown loach are happy and only about 4"

as far as starter fish go i'd stick a couple of plattys in there

Thanks for your reply.

I think the 'fish growing to the size of your tank' idea is a bit of a myth.

Not really interested in plattys to be honest, I like more unusual fish. I've had most community fish in the past and want something more challenging this time round.

...

no worrys