kennya

Hello everyone, I am so glad I found this site as I have just purchased a 75g tank from a friend and am itching to get it going. I am going freshwater to start out with.

The only equipment I received with it was a 4 foot light hood, no bulb and 2 plastic under gravel panels. He told me they are under gravel filters, but there is no "filters" attached to them, they are just plastic with slots in them. So I don't know if they are something I should use or not. He told me to hook up two power heads to them, add a filter that hangs on the back, and I would be good to go. After reading through this site, I know that there is more to it as far as equipment goes, than what he said.

I have no idea what kind of fish we are going to get, but I need to know what kind of equipment I need to get started. Money is an issue, so the cheaper the better. I do understand that some items you may not want to be cheap on. I have never owned a tank before, so be gentle, I really need it spelled out for me.

Thanks for the help and again, the site is great!!!

Lucy

Hi kennya Welcome to Fish Lore.

I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying the site. We're glad you're here.

Instead of trying to write everything in this post I'm going to give you a link to read. It should answer many of your questions but if you have more, please ask.
http://www.fishlore.com/

Our members have a wide range of knowledge and are always happy to help.

Good luck.

mathas

I'm of the opinion that the tank inhabitants should influence which equipment is chosen, and therefore should be decided upon first. As a quick example, goldfish do best in cooler water, meaning that purchasing a heater for the tank would be unnecessary. If you can visit a local pet store or two and get a feel for what's available locally that you are interested in, it would be easier for us to suggest equipment tailored to the needs of the fish you want to keep.

Some things that will be of immense value, regardless of what fish you choose, are a good test kit, a good water conditioner, and some type of gravel vacuum/water change system.

The test kit will help you determine when your tank is cycled and therefore safe to add fish. If you don't understand or know about the nitrogen cycle, now is the time to read up and learn. You can save yourself and your future fish a lot of trouble by getting the water chemistry correct before adding any inhabitants to the tank. If there's anything in that article you don't understand, please ask... there are a lot of people on this site that can and will answer questions.

The water conditioner will help make new water safe for fish by removing chlorine/chloramine, and if you choose one such as Prime, will also detoxify ammonia and nitrites for up to 24 hours.

The water changer/gravel vac can save a lot of time and physical effort on water changes, which are a required part of maintaining a healthy tank. I believe there are some DIY methods of making your own, if you look around on the forum.

kennya

mathas, thanks! I understand what you mean by the type of fish will determine the types of equipment I need. I guess right now what I am confused about is the powerhead. Do I really need them? Should I be using the under gravel "filter"? Do I need a separate filter? I have read the article on here about the cycle that happens and I am sure I have a ton more reading to do, but I am trying to keep from wasting money by buying equipment I don't need. I am just having a hard time finding info that really spells out what I need to get. Again, this is all so new to me that I am just lost on where to begin.

I know I probably wont do live plants, and we will be going with colorful fish. I know that is a broad range, but we just haven't decided yet.

Again, thanks for the info and I hope you can help me some more!

shih-tzu mom

Kennya;- I don't think you will need the underground filter but you will need the HOB one and you can also buy, a little box filter that you can put floss in and will keep your tank clean and they run around $3.99 but are hard to find.Hope this help's you butwhen, money is tight this little filter is great. I have a lot of goldies so they produce a lot of waste and i find the little box filter helps a lot. And you might find some at walmart lol. bella

shih-tzu mom

Sorry; Kennya- i don't think you need the power head either as your tank is not huge, but someone will come on and say for sure lol. But you will deff; need a filter lol and try to get 2-sizes bigger than your tank lol bella

mathas

Should you use the undergravel filter? I don't personally care for them, my preference is for external canister and hang-on-back type filters. But with the appropriate maintenance and substrate choice, they can work just fine, especially if you're not looking to do live plants.

If you decide to stick with the undergravel filter, you will need the powerhead. To understand why, here's a quote from a decent article on undergravel filters:

Dozey

For a heater I would recommend at least one 300W and two would even be better. I personally use stealth heaters that are shatterproof and fully submersible.

For filtration I am not a fan of under ground filters (UFG). It’s a big and very smelly job to clean them.

You will hear a wide range of suggestions for filtration methods. Your choice might be partly based on cost. I believe canister filters are generally more expensive the HOB (hang on back) filters. In either case you want a filter that can cycle all the water in your tank a minimum of 4 times an hour.

You could also benefit from a bubble stone or wand. This will require an air pump strong enough for the stone you choose.

A gravel vacuum is also needed. Preferable a Python vacuum which hooks up to a faucet for water changes. A standard vacuum will work but will require you to carry a lot of buckets of water.

Water conditioner is another must as is food specific to the needs of the fish you have chosen to keep.

Other equipment would include a net, algae sponge, 5 gallon pail, décor, gravel and I’m sure I’m forgetting many other items but a basic list.

Your toughest chose will likely be filtration. You could likely start a new thread on just that question alone.

Good luck and welcome to FishLore

kennya

Thanks to all for the suggestions.

So, if I do not use the underground filter, what do I need for air sources? A couple of the air stones? One of them? Or would a HOB filter provide enough oxygen to the tank?

If I do go with the under gravel filter and powerheads, do I still need a second filter, such as the HOB? Speaking of the powerheads, would I have to get two and both be rated for a 75g tank, or could I get two and the sum of those hit the 75g mark? Would I need one (HOB filter) rated for that tank or could I go smaller since I would have the under ground filter? Lastly, I read about protein skimmers, is this something I need to purchase also?

I know I ask a lot of questions, but I want to do this right and enjoy what we have. You all have been a tremendous help and I greatly appreciate it!!!

fishlover78

Hi welcome to fishlore! here's what I would recommend for your tank:

aqua clear 110 power filter http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...10&pcatid=3610

visi therm stealth 300 watt heater http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...0&pcatid=12060

whisper air pump 60 http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...8&pcatid=12738

airline tubing http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...27&pcatid=6127

2 airstones / bubble wands of your choice http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...1&pcatid=19781

2 check valves http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...9&pcatid=10109

thermometer http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...21&pcatid=3921

bulb for the hood http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...3578+3733+8066

I really discourage you from using the undergravel filter, they are good for biological filtration but after a little while alot of crud starts to accumulate under the filter plate, and in that junk little organisms start to grow, I recommend ditching the UGF (undergravel filter) and using a HOB filter, the airstones will aerate the water for you, the air pump I have requested comes with 2 output holes, so you can use two airstones with one pump. the check valves are to prevent the water from back siphoning into the pump if the power goes out. and the water changer system will help tremendously when doing maintenance on the tank. the links I have provided with the items are to a very reliable site that alot of fishlorians order from, they have very fair prices compared to petco and petsmart. If you have any questions just ask. hope this helped!

kennya

Thanks fishover! I do get the feeling the under gravel filter isn't a good way to go. Do the air stones need to sit on top of the gravel or can you bury them a bit to help "disguise" them? As for lighting, I read 1-2 watts per gallon, and I see there are many different types. Have a good choice? Also, do they make a 70 - 150 watt bulb or do I need to go with 2 bulbs? The hood I have is only for one bulb.

Thanks again for the in-depth list!!

fishlover78

your welcome, the airstones can be buried or sit on top, its a personal preferance, I don't think you can get a 75-100 watt bulb unless you go buy a bulb that would go in a regular flouersecent (spelling?) light fixture, I would go with a good GE bulb either way. do you plan on putting real plants in the tank? you can also replace the lighting with a stronger light with room for a double bulb, like this one: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...2&pcatid=13612

your welcome again for the list, no one listed one so I figured I mind as well.

kennya

No, we don't plan on putting real plants. I guess with the different sizes of lamp hoods and different wattage of lights, I am not sure what is the best/cheapest way to go. The hood I have now is for a 48" bulb, does it need to be that big? From what i am seeing, it looks like I need to go 2 - 48 bulbs, which means a new hood.

Thanks again!!!

fishlover78

well, if you aren't putting in real plants then you really only need the one 48" bulb, because it will be more then enough for an unplanted aquarium. here is the bulb that I use: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...10&pcatid=3810 like I said before, its a good quality GE bulb. hope this helps!

agabr123

just to make a note, did that come with a stand? if not, you'll need to get one. a 75 gallon i could plan for weighing approx. 750lbs. personally, if the tank is over 20 gallons i either buy a stand that is specifically designed for the weight of the tank, or i make absolutely sure that what i'm buying has the capacity to hold at least 50 lbs (depending on the size of the tank, for you i'd say at least 100 lbs) more than what the tank will be.

fishlover78

WOW! how did I forget that! do you have a stand Kennya?

kennya

Yep, have a stand! Guess I didnt throw that in when I started this thread.

Good, glad I can stick to one bulb, those hoods arent cheap.

Thanks for ALL the help everyone! I can't wait to get started will post pics when we finally get everything running!

fishlover78

yeah some pics will be great! your welcome Kennya, we love helping people here at fishlore

mlfly

I just received and used a Python for the first time. I am totally sold. No mess, quick and easy. That was in a 29g tank. I can imagine how it would work even better in your 75g tank. Anyone want to buy some buckets?

Mike

fishlover78

no! I'll stick with my aqueon water changer system!

kennya

What about gravel... We have a lake here that has the perfect size and color we want. Can I wash it enough to make it usable, or will it contain harmful bacteria, etc.?

Dozey

Gravel would be a though one. Although it is common for people to use rocks from lakes and rivers as décor the process is to boil the rocks and then scrub them clean.

The boiling will kill any living creatures or organisms on the rocks while the scrubbing will remove the dead remains so that they don’t decay in your tank.

So gravel could certainly be boiled but scrubbing individual pieces of gravel could get a bit tricky.

kennya

Ok, so I have almost everything I need now to set up the tank. I know, I know, it has been awhile, but there are more important things to take care of first. But, we are finally almost ready to get it going. A couple more questions for you all though. First is we are heading out to get the rest of the things we need this weekend. Gravel, thermometer, background, etc., well, we decided to have a few, maybe 3 at the most, live plants. Nothing big, we don't want any that will get close to the top of the tank. So my question is, can I plant them as soon as I start filling up the tank? Or do I need to wait on the cycle to finish as you have to with the fish? Second question. We are going to be out of town for a week during the cycle process. No fish will be in the tank only plants depending on your answer to my first question. I am a little worried about leaving the tank running while we are gone, would any of you? Since it is just the cycle process, can I sut everything down and then kick it back on when we get back? I do have a friend I could have come check on it daily, but I really don't want to ask that of them. Oh, with only having maybe 3 plants, will one light be enough?

Thanks all! I promise, pictures will be coming soon!

agabr123

you can definitely go ahead and plant your tank, the plants can actually help speed up the cycling process for you do you know the wattage of the lighting that you have and the types of plants that you want to keep?

if you're going away, i suggest putting some raw shrimp in a mesh bag (you definitely want to use the bag, it will make a horrible mess otherwise) and just toss that in the tank before you leave. that will break down and provide a constant source of ammonia so that you don't have to start the cycle completely over. i'd definitely leave it running with the shrimp, the bacteria will die without a source of ammonia.

kennya

Thats the kicker, I am not sure yet if my hood even works. Here is the deal, I live far away from a good pet store, say almost 2 hours. So this weekend end we are going to that town and I am going to take a power inverter with me. Will go in, buy a light and then take it to the car and see if the hood works. If not, I will end up getting a new one. So, what bulb should I buy if the hood does work? Would rather stick with one bulb if that will provide enough light for about 3 plants.

Raw shrimp, are you talking like what I could get from Wal-Mart? Maybe a pound worth of it? 1/2 a pound?

agabr123

hmm, i see. again it will really depend on the type of plants that you want, if you're just going with basic low light plants (java fern, java moss anubias, anacharis, that kind of thing) then you'll only need about 1 watt per gallon of light, so you'll need a 75 watt bulb for a 75 gallon tank. if you go with plants that require more lighting, then you'll have to get a stronger bulb.

yep, just plain old raw shrimp with nothing else

kennya

Thanks for the info. I havent really read up on the plants we are wanting to get yet, so I will take the lighting into consideration.

Thanks again, you have been a lot of help.

jdhef

Buy 2 pounds of the shrimp. Take one shrimp out and cut in in half and put it in your tank. Take the rest of the shrimp and drop them off at my house in time for dinner please.

Seriously, you really only need a piece of shrimp.