Langy

hey guys,
i might be able to source a free 75 gal tank. awesome i know!!! it is just the tank though. So i was wondering what size filter i would need, heater, lights and basically any other equipment i would need. besides the obvious, gravel, air filter etc. thanks guys

cheers!!!

agabr123

for a 75 you might want to look into two heaters, one for each side of the tank. it's not really necessary but it helps distribute the heat more evenly. as far as a filter, i'd recommend a canister filter, definitely. you could probably also put a HOB on the other side of the tank for extra filtration and water movement (i'd recommend a biowheel). and you can always stuff lots of extra media in the HOB in case you ever need to quickly cycle a tank.

you'll definitely need a hood for it, and i'm not sure which wattage of lighting but basically whatever fits the hood and whatever you like
if you want live plants that's something to consider in terms of lighting, otherwise it's really personal preference unless you have a fish that's very sensitive to light or likes a lot of light.

Regal

Ditto on everything Agabr123 said. My 75 has a bio-wheel 350 and a c series 220 and it seems to be doing great. There is a HOT magnum on there too but its not really needed I just move it from tank to tank for water polishing with the micron filter.

I had one heater when I first got it but I couldn’t get the temp as high as I wanted it. It was not so much a matter of uneven heat it was just that it was running constantly and still not getting warm enough. So ya, you'll want two heaters.

Glass tops are pretty cheap and would give you more flexibility in your lighting. A 48 inch strip light is a standard size and you could probably do three with the glass tops.

I see you have plants in your other tank, will this one be planted? If so, look for some info on the web about Shultz aquatic plant soil. It’s like $5 bucks at Home Depot, it’s good for your plants and won't alter your pH.

A free aquarium? must be nice, I'm sooo jealous

Regal

Oh I forgot, I was gonna ask what you meant by an air filter. If you mean an air pump then I don't think you need one for your tank. It makes it too noisy and doesn't really help anything.

Langy

yeh i had a bit of a typo. i meant air pump. gotta love the bubbles. ok thanks for your helps guys. yer i was thinking two heaters might be the way. also with the filter/s what size should i get. like whats the minimum size. hopefully i can get this tank! i just have to work out how much all the stuff i have to get for it is going to cost me. don't wanna have a sick tank a be broke.

Langy

ok i've done some calculations. i believe i need 2, 200w heaters, a 750gph filter or 2, 350's or round about. This would be a hard question but could someone give me a rough estimate to how much all this is would cost me? also if you could add the cost of plants and substrate into the equation. yer that would be very hard to add up, the costs would be fantastic though. i just want a rough estimate so i know whether i can do this or not, and not get halfway and realise i can't afford it.
thankyou soo much to anyone that can help!!!!!!!

cheers!!

agabr123

depends what brand you're looking at.....

for brands, i've never had anything made by marineland fail me they're more expensive than some, but they're definitely top of the line. i also have hydor theo heaters, i haven't had any problems with those.

did you want a canister or a hang on the back filter (i'd recommend the canister, but they're more expensive)?

Langy

hmmm good question,

well i guess something about middle of the bunch, so the average cost of a heater etc etc. also are canister filters the ones that sit fully under water? i think thats the one? and a hang on the back is where you basically have a tube running into a tray at the top and it filters through, back into the tank? given this tank wouldn't have a hood i would say i need a canister filter.

So do you reckon you could give me a rough estimate of the costs of equipment and plants and gravel that would be super awesome. or am i asking too much?

cheers!!!

agabr123

let me see what i can come up with for price

if you're going with sand for substrate, you can get a 50LB bag of pool filter sand for around $10
i added up everything else i think you would need on petmountain.com

2x 200w marineland heaters
1x API freshwater master test kit
1x whisper air pump (rated for 60 gallons)
2x marineland biowheels (the rating is a little less than what you specified, but they were out of stock of the bigger one so i couldnt add it to the cart )

price for all of that plus shipping comes to 146.99
price without the API freshwater master test kit (if you already have one) 124.04

(they give free shipping over $150, so i'd add in some more things, or order when the larger biowheels are available as that should put you over)

you'll also need a hood and lights if it doesn't come with those, they don't have the hood that you'll be looking for on petmountain.com, and you're better off buying a hood that comes with lights, so you'll need to look somewhere else for that

decorations can get pretty pricey, depending on what you want. are you looking for rocks, live plants, real driftwood, fake plants, fake driftwood, fake decorations, etc?

agabr123

here are the sites for all the equipment i added

http://www.petmountain.com/product/a...le-heater.html
http://www.petmountain.com/product/p...er-filter.html
(that's the one where the item you want is actually out of stock)
http://www.petmountain.com/product/a...air-pumps.html
http://www.petmountain.com/product/a...-test-kit.html

agabr123

lol, i didn't notice you were in australia! i have no clue what kind of difference that will make in terms of price....i know of at least a few members here who are from australia that might be able to give you a better estimate and from local suppliers

Langy

wow thankyou very much!!! yer i think the tank will have lights. lol, yer im in aus. i changed your price to aussie dollars and it came out at about $215... hmmmm thats is quite a bit for me on a tank. i guess the tank is free, can't imagine what that would cost me to buy. Ouch!! but i have to buy fish aswell, and that would prob be another $100. lol i also have to find a place for this tank.

my dad says that there might be a filter and other stuff lying around that he could scab aswell. i'm getting this tank from a university lab, because they're throwing them out. the rest of the tanks are damaged, except for this one. pretty good if i can get the tank and a filter and heater etc as well!!! i'll just make sure i give it a really good clean.

thanks for your help!!! i'll keep you posted on what happens. im sure i'll have a stack load of other questions that need asking as well.
cheers!!

Mike19

Give me around 30-45minutes to get an estimate

Mike

Langy

ok cheers mate!

Mike19

I found this site apparently its a fish shop in Victoria not sure if you have heard of it you might be able to find some estimates. http://www.boroniaaquarium.com.au/about.php

Langy

no i hadn't heard of them, just so happens boronia isn't too far away from me. hmm i'll have a look. thanks heaps.

Regal

You should consider what type of fish you plan to get when you choose a filter. For example, a bunch of tetras would not be nearly as messy as an oscar.

MARINELAND ROCKS! All my filters are Marineland and I have been happy with all of them.

Langy

well i would definatly be getting small - medium fish. no oscars, or other big ones. hmmm i'll go check out a fish store on the weekend hopefully. and i'll see what they tell me to buy. and then i can check it with what you guys think.

seedy

Boronia is a great LFS to have . They are well known for thier range of plants as well as having everything else you will need .