Isabella

Hi all

For those who are interested, I am very happy to report that I have finally bought the 75 gallon tank I've been talking about for months now. I didn't have to work today, so I said that's it. I devoted the entire day today for "fishie" shopping. Otherwise, I'd have to wait even longer to buy the tank. I'm glad I'm done with this part. I went to Aquarium Adventure to finally see the store, and that's also where I bought my tank and an oak stand (this time, I didn't let my local unethical fish store make more money off me). Aquarium Adventure also had Eco-Complete substrate for planted aquaria, so I bought 6 bags of it (it was 29$ a bag, but it's still cheaper this way than ordering Eco-Complete online - with s&h costs, I'd pay about $30 more by buying it online). And I have FINALLY found the driftwood I was dreaming about! They have really really beautiful driftwood pieces of all shapes and sizes, plus they're all heavy and don't float (they're imported from Malaysia I think). They're not expensive either at all - you pay $30 - 60 for huge driftwood pieces for 75 - 200 - sized tanks. I don't consider this expensive, as my LFS has extremely ugly, small, and twice as expensive driftwood. So, it's definitely a GREAT deal over there, at Aquarium Adventure. As for the store itself ... man I loved it! They have ALL fish you'll ever need, and all of them are in large and clean and beautifully planted tanks. They have all fish that I want to buy for my 75G tank. As for the rest of the equipment (filter, heaters, lighting, etc ...), I'll buy it all online, as I can get it MUCH cheaper online and with FREE shipping (Big Al's Online and Marine Depot).

Now, I am not setting up the tank right now, as I'll first need to order the equipment and the plants. I'll order plants to arrive the same day that I'll be putting the substrate in the tank. Oh, yes, and I want to soak and boil the driftwood for like a week or two. So, those who are interested, bear with me I'll start an online journal of my tank's progress once the tank is set up and has plants in it.

So, that's it for now. I can't wait to put my hands on all of that stuff ... !!! LOL

Isabella

P.S. I already want a 150 - 200 gallon tank next !!!

Butterfly

Thats wonderful news!! I know you'll love it Now the fun begins
Carol

atmmachine816

Congratulations, will follow your tank journal. Isn't traveling the distance to AA worth it, I love going to mine, it has so many display tanks, they have one really pretty one that's planted that curves around a wall and it's soooo cool, does yours have any. Might I suggest you having your plants arrive whenever you will have nutrients for them whenever that is. Now you get to spend the money though before you can set it up. Hope all goes well

Golden Fish

congrats Isablella!
What are you planning on putting in there?

Isabella

Atm, actually the store is very close to me (15 - 20 minute drive), but it's that I never have the time, you know. But I just had to do it: designate entire day just for this purpose. And yes, even if I had to drive 3 hours one way to see the store, I'd do it - it really is worth it

Golden Fish, I will transfer 2 or 4 Angels to the 75 gallon tank, and will buy some other small schooling fish (particularly Cherry Barbs and Harlequin Rasboras), plus 3 Ram Cichlids. Besides, it will be a fully planted (low-light) tank with driftwood and maybe some petrified wood (it's a rock - fossilized wood). Substrate will be black Eco-Complete for plants. Lighting will be 48" Freshwater Coralife fixture containing a total of 130 watts of 7,600K spectrum (or 6,700K - I always forget which spectrum it is). My 8 neons will go to the 30 gallon tank. With time, I want to make the 30 gallon tank fully planted as well.

atmmachine816

6,700K, 7,600 will promote growth of algae more.

One bad thing I'v heard about AA is I talked to a plant company in Singapore on a planted tank forum and they said they heard they don't always hire very knowledgable staff, that I saw in a betta being in a tiny tank when I went, kinda made me mad for having everything else be so nice.

Isabella

Actually, over my 10 gallon tank I have a 10,000K light and the tank is FULL of green and brown algae. In my 30 gallon tank, I have a 6,700K (or 7,600K) light and there is no algae at all, except some black brush algae which I remove with tweezers. This is because my Chinese loach doesn't eat this type of algae. I have read on many websites that it is actually lamps of 10,000K and above that promote algae growth, and those below 10,000K do not. And from my own experience, this is actually true. This is why I am getting 6,700K lamps + an algae eater that eats black brush algae.

atmmachine816

Anything much above 8,500K starts to promote algae so that would be why you have algae in your ten gallon, why not just buy a new bulb. Sorry meant you want 6,700K for plant growth, if you get 7,600K it will promote slightly more algae than 6,700K Black brush algae do you mean beard algae, blackout removes that. I would get a school of oto's, a bn pleco, and amano shrimp if you can for algae crew or siasmese algae eaters if you can find them.

Butterfly

A couple of Bristlenose(just 'cause their ugly/cute ) would be perfect for the 75G but would wait for the tank to mature a little.
Carol

cherryrose

8) That's wonderful! You are going to have so much fun setting it up and stocking it. I'm glad you are going to keep a journal. It will be fun to read. 8)

CherryRose

0morrokh

Congrats on the new tank!!! No fair, an entire day of fishie shopping........

Are you getting anything else besides the Angels, Cherries/Harlequins, and Rams? You must have room for more in such a big tank.

BettaBuddy ~ Miley

Congrats!!!!!!! Miley

Isabella

Thank you all so much

Omorrokh, yes there is a lot of room, but I won't be stocking the tank fully. I want light work with this tank. Of course, I will perform weekly water changes, but I don't want those water changes to be 50% due to a heavy stock. I don't want overcrowding. I want my fish to have lots of space and to be happy Next to Rams, Angels, Harlequins, and Cherries, maybe I'll add some Diamons Tetras and Zebra Danios as well - I'll see I will let you know of every thing I do to - or with - my tank, lol

I love this hobby so much, and getting a big tank is so much fun. For some reason, I just love to play with the gravel, aquarium equipment, plants, and just getting my hands in water in general ... lol Setting up a new biotope, especially a nicely-planted tank, is a fascinating occupation to me. While to some people water changes may seem like a nuisance, they're actually a hobby for me. They give me an opportunity to spend time with my fish, and even touch my fish (my Angelfish actually let me touch them ). Water changes also bring you closer with your fishies in a way - you actually feel like this is your tank and your hard work, which is rewarding too. Simply having a tank and staring at it, and never putting your hands in there, is sort of too "empty" in the fish-keeping hobby, isn't it? Or at least it seems so to me. Also, I feel like water changes and a maintenance of a nicely planted tank bring us somehow closer to nature.

skippi

congrats isabella.. sounds like you are on the road to having loads of fun... Now you have me wanting to get my larger tank like now... am jealous but glad for you it sounds like it will be very cool


HEidi

atmmachine816

I do that with my aunt, it's so fun, I'm sure Isabella can testify to that. I think some shrimp would be a good idea

Butterfly

ATM unless their huge shrimp the Angels will make lunch out of them
Carol

atmmachine816

Not sure on that, my angels don't eat my ghost shrimp and don't touch my bamboo shrimp and the stay right by my filter tube which my angels breed on. I could have very nice angels though if it's going to be a planted tank they probably would have enough places to hide, I don't know, I just know mine don't bother mine, might just have weird angels I don't know

Isabella

That's a nice suggestion and I love shrimp - they're very cute. But I won't be putting any shrimp or snails in this tank. I just want a light stock (or medium at most) of fish - including an algae eater at some point - and a tank full of plants. That's all I want it simple

atmmachine816

Okedokey just make sure you have enough for the plants

Isabella

Enough of what for the plants? Space? If so, then - of course - I'll plant the plants so that they're not too close to each other . Planting them too closely can affect the plants adversely, as their roots may compete for nutrients when they're in too close a proximity.

atmmachine816

waste from fish, if your not going to use ferts.

Isabella

What I plan to do, is to use some liquid fert in the beginning to get the plants to grow, like a "start-up". Then, when the tank has been running long enough, and fish wastes have accumulated in the substrate, I will stop using ferts. Unless my plants start dying, I don't want to use ferts at all. The reason I want to get my tank fully planted is that I want the entire substrate to be filled with plants' roots, so that whatever the fish wastes get trapped in the substrate, the plant roots will consume these wastes. In a planted tank, you can't really do a "deep gravel vac" as this will destroy the roots. But the good news is that if the tank's bed is entirely filled with plant roots, the roots should take care of the wastes. Well, we'll see this by nitrate readings

atmmachine816

Yup, I don't think you need to worry about ferts too much in the beginning unless you put the plants in a long time before the cycle, I haven't had a problem with that. You know to plant your substrate 2-3 with plants with lots of fast growers in the beginning until the other plants get established to avoid algae right

I'm just wondering have you ever tried putting shrimp with your angels or you Isabella because I'v been told after I put ghost shrimp in that I shouldn't because they are cichlids but I never had any problems

atmmachine816

If you use ferts, tetra florapride is cheap and comes in a large bottle and it actually works pretty well, I'v tried a week with and without using it and have seen much more growth with it.

Jmarcus

I am glad for you and sure it will be a great tank looking forward to seeing pictures as progress transpires

Isabella

Atm, I will be planting my tank the same day that I put the substrate and the water in the tank. This is the best way to plant (in my opinion). Plants help to cycle the tank faster, and they use ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate as nutrients actually. This should help them grow better in a new tank. Besides, it's easier to plant with the tank 1/3 full of water rather than 100% full of water. I'll have small, medium, and tall plants - so I'll plant the small plants first, when the tank is about 1/3 full of water; medium plants when it is about 50% full, and tall plants when it is about 2/3 full (or maybe 50% full too). I'll see how it will be once I have the plants. I will order the plants when all of my supplies (heaters, lighting, filter, etc ...) have arrived. I expect them to arrive in about a week or two (I'm ordering them either tonight or tomorrow, as I am still waiting for some advice on PlantGeek).

Marc

If you're ordering plants online, be prepared for them to either appear to die or lose lots of leaves. Alot of the plant websites I've seen grow them emersed so they ship better, so they need to switch to fully aquatic leaves when placed in a tank. Don't get me wrong, they should be totally healthy and will do well - but it may appear as though they have died as they grow new leaves. Just my personal experience.

Isabella

Thanks for the info Marc ... hmm . As long as they will grow and I'm not gonna gave to throw them away ... and as long as they don't start to rot and infest my tank with algae - it's OK. But ... provided that these things DON'T happen! What do you think? I'd buy the plants at Aquarium Adventure but they don't have most of the plants I want. I only saw Java Ferns and Java Moss in there - didn't even see Anubias. Maybe they'll have some more soon? So, do you think ordering online is not such a good idea? I was going to order from AquariumPlants.com ... Haven't you ordered from them? (I think it was you.)

Marc

Ordering online is fine. It was more of a warning in case you see some leaves die.

I've ordered twice from AquariumPlants and wouldn't really recomend ordering some stem plants from them. The Bacopa and Myriophyllum I ordered from them pretty much rotted away. The Bacopa are barely regrowing and I don't have any Myrio left. I did, however, get anacharis and hornwort, both of which did well.

atmmachine816

I'v talked to aquaspot and they ship plants. aquaspotworld.com pretty sure they ship to individual customers and I'v talked to them before too. Talk to AA about ordering plants for you. Couldn't you get some plants off of plantgeek too?