Please Allow Me..

[nophtosh]

to introduce myself

I need to start out by saying how much I have appreciated this forum as i've lurked for the past few months. I'm going to be getting back into aquaria starting in the next week or so and would appreciate questions, comments, and any constructive criticism anyone would like to present. I consider myself a novice (I was 11 last time I had a tank and didn't really know squat) and therefore submit myself and my ideas before you all in hopes of gaining a bit more knowledge and understanding as I move forward.

I'll be starting with a 92 US gallon corner, a Rena XP3...and that's pretty much all that has been decided at this point. I plan on keeping a lightly planted, tropical community (no real stocking list yet though I'm definitely interested in some smaller loach and cat varieties). Really liking the idea of white sand (mainly) as substrate maybe mixed in spots with some black gravel for contrast. At this point, I'm not really sure if I want to paint the back of the tank, use some sort of blue background sheet, or just leave it up against my darker, paneled wall. I don't really want to get too involved with the planting (no CO2) though I'm thinking about replacing the stock hood light with some type of Marineland LED fixture because I like the idea of the daylight/moonlight many of those options provide. Should I bother? I'm also wondering about a decent in-line heater if it makes sense to use one with the XP3 as well as some sort of UV (only if necessary) and I suppose I'll need a powerhead for that.

I'll definitely be doing the add and wait fishless cycle. and I'm hoping to be able to "borrow" some used media to help speed things along. I had also looked into the 3d backgrounds but wasn't able to find any that looked any good. None of the ones I was able to find had much depth to them which is what i'd be looking for. I know that I could fashion something out of styrofoam or whatever but I honestly don't have the time right now to do something like that, plus I hear that they degrade over time which isn't really any fun (but I don't know how much 'time' we're talking about there).

That's all I can think of for now. Please do give me your thought and ideas because there's a good chance that I've left something out. Again, I appreciate your thoughts, comments, and whatever other type of criticism you choose to throw my way

 

[hillmar77]

Welcome back to the hobby!!
You are starting with a pretty decent size tank, wandering what are the dimensions since I don't see that many 92 Gallon corner units( Is it a tall or long unit). A XP3 will definitely be just enough filtration but its always a good Idea to put in a HOB or a second canister for even increased filtration and water turn rate. I've just picked up a 80lbs bag of silica sand, and it looks stunning as a substrate...just make sure you clean it up real good. As for background, its definitely a good idea since you would be seeing all the plugs and air hoses if you don't. I just stuck a gloss black sheet cut to size in the rear and taped on, that way its easy to remove whenever you want to change it up. I would also suggest using the rena smart heater for your xp3... It just hooks right up to your xp3 and becomes the new intake.

 

[Gilli]

Hello and welcome to the forum! Have you had a look on Ebay at the 3D backgrounds? I bought one from there - they are not cheap but i think well worth the effect (see my sig pic at the bottom of this post)

 

[waterdrop]

Welcome to our Freshwater beginners section! There are many of us "Re-Beginners" here, it's a valuable addition to your time in the hobby!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[nophtosh]

Thanks for that idea on the heater hillmar77. The tank is 34in from the rear 90 degree to any point on the bowed front. The distance from corner to corner (across the front..if it were a flat front) is 48in, and depth is 24in. From what i've read I'm planning on using play sand or similar.

Can anyone give me any input as to how deep the sand should be max? Since i'm definitely planning on some plants, loaches and possible some MTS I wonder if I need to worry so much about that. If a 1-2 inches would be too deep then I will either put some other sort of gravel below it or just use a shallower layer.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Joshwainwright]

2 Inches of sand is fine, you have to bear in mind that when you clean it you may well suck up a little. That's usually not a problem though as most people use play sand which is VERY cheap. Still, it looks great in any set-up.

 

[nophtosh]

Thank you Josh. I'm not really worried about sucking out much of the sand as I'll always be able to add more if I really NEED to.

As for the size, I didn't want to be upgrading in size any time soon as it seems like a real pain. When I finally get all the parts together I'll post again and get some stocking ideas and such.

Thank you all for your input once again!

 

[Joshwainwright]

Great, I look forward to hearing about your progress!