Freshwater Setup Question

Crew,

Starting a freshwater tank in a jbj45 (27” wide”). Here’s a few questions…
What’s a good light to use on this tank?
Recommended substrate for plants and fish?
Tank additive solution when begin cycling?
Can cycle a tank without substrate yet?
What size or model recommendation in gph for a - single or double power head (45 gal. tank) ?
Best hardy fish and plants when starting after cycle?

Promise I’m not that guy who posts 5 messages in a day asking redundant questions. Thanks for the help.

• Any light that can be dimmed, ideally different intensities for different times during the day; this way you can deliver some light in the morning for plants, while keeping it ultra dim in the evenings; this way, you can enjoy your tank in the evenings without disturbing biology.
• Recommended substrate, plain quartz sand, for many reasons. If benthic fish species have a preference for substrate, it is probably sand, but many species won't care much I assume. Plants won't care either. That leaves personal preference.
• Tank additive solution.... mostly "time". Some organic source to enable development of microbes/biofilm involved with cycling. This can be anything from fish food, to live plants, to dead tree leaves. All are of organic nature.
• Cycling occurs in the presence of an organic source and water. Cycling is not a single event that is exclusive to the beginning of a new tank. Cycling is never-ending and very multi-faceted. The story you have heard, is just one route. When you think your tank is ready, and start introducing plants, the game starts pretty much over, but in case of plants you will hardly notice it because plants are "cycling-agents" also, no different from "beneficial bacteria".
• Size or model... I have a tiny aquael mini-PAT, without filter media, in my 30 gallon tank. Some of my tanks don't have any filter, just an airstone. I'm probably the wrong person to ask . I'm mostly an "aquatic gardener" that happens to keep fish in the tanks.
• Hardy fish... fish from subtropics, like Danio fish or Medaka. But I wouldn't select fish for a specific phase. You like Danio's (very active) or you don't.
• Best plant to start with: pearlweed, Hemianthus glomeratus. For all sorts of reasons. If no care is taken, pearlweed will dominate your tank and suffocate other plants and even inhibit fish from swimming; it looks very tiny and fragile, but collectively it becomes a huge plant biomass. That said, it is very easy to trim and keep small and beautifull. Anyways, I always recommend this plant species, but the listener then later tells me he found some species at a local shop (the "I forgot the name"-species) or some discount deal online; next the suffering starts .

Cheers and enjoy the ride.

Hi and welcome to FL.

In addition to what ruud said, please test out your tank water and new water source (tap) for pH, GH, and KH. Knowing these parameters will better steer you in the right fish direction.

For filtration, non-cartridge HOB filters are great for servicing, media choice and amounts, and water circulation.

• Any light that can be dimmed, ideally different intensities for different times during the day; this way you can deliver some light in the morning for plants, while keeping it ultra dim in the evenings; this way, you can enjoy your tank in the evenings without disturbing biology.
• Recommended substrate, plain quartz sand, for many reasons. If benthic fish species have a preference for substrate, it is probably sand, but many species won't care much I assume. Plants won't care either. That leaves personal preference.
• Tank additive solution.... mostly "time". Some organic source to enable development of microbes/biofilm involved with cycling. This can be anything from fish food, to live plants, to dead tree leaves. All are of organic nature.
• Cycling occurs in the presence of an organic source and water. Cycling is not a single event that is exclusive to the beginning of a new tank. Cycling is never-ending and very multi-faceted. The story you have heard, is just one route. When you think your tank is ready, and start introducing plants, the game starts pretty much over, but in case of plants you will hardly notice it because plants are "cycling-agents" also, no different from "beneficial bacteria".
• Size or model... I have a tiny aquael mini-PAT, without filter media, in my 30 gallon tank. Some of my tanks don't have any filter, just an airstone. I'm probably the wrong person to ask . I'm mostly an "aquatic gardener" that happens to keep fish in the tanks.
• Hardy fish... fish from subtropics, like Danio fish or Medaka. But I wouldn't select fish for a specific phase. You like Danio's (very active) or you don't.
• Best plant to start with: pearlweed, Hemianthus glomeratus. For all sorts of reasons. If no care is taken, pearlweed will dominate your tank and suffocate other plants and even inhibit fish from swimming; it looks very tiny and fragile, but collectively it becomes a huge plant biomass. That said, it is very easy to trim and keep small and beautifull. Anyways, I always recommend this plant species, but the listener then later tells me he found some species at a local shop (the "I forgot the name"-species) or some discount deal online; next the suffering starts .

Cheers

Click to expand...

• Any light that can be dimmed, ideally different intensities for different times during the day; this way you can deliver some light in the morning for plants, while keeping it ultra dim in the evenings; this way, you can enjoy your tank in the evenings without disturbing biology.
• Recommended substrate, plain quartz sand, for many reasons. If benthic fish species have a preference for substrate, it is probably sand, but many species won't care much I assume. Plants won't care either. That leaves personal preference.
• Tank additive solution.... mostly "time". Some organic source to enable development of microbes/biofilm involved with cycling. This can be anything from fish food, to live plants, to dead tree leaves. All are of organic nature.
• Cycling occurs in the presence of an organic source and water. Cycling is not a single event that is exclusive to the beginning of a new tank. Cycling is never-ending and very multi-faceted. The story you have heard, is just one route. When you think your tank is ready, and start introducing plants, the game starts pretty much over, but in case of plants you will hardly notice it because plants are "cycling-agents" also, no different from "beneficial bacteria".
• Size or model... I have a tiny aquael mini-PAT, without filter media, in my 30 gallon tank. Some of my tanks don't have any filter, just an airstone. I'm probably the wrong person to ask . I'm mostly an "aquatic gardener" that happens to keep fish in the tanks.
• Hardy fish... fish from subtropics, like Danio fish or Medaka. But I wouldn't select fish for a specific phase. You like Danio's (very active) or you don't.
• Best plant to start with: pearlweed, Hemianthus glomeratus. For all sorts of reasons. If no care is taken, pearlweed will dominate your tank and suffocate other plants and even inhibit fish from swimming; it looks very tiny and fragile, but collectively it becomes a huge plant biomass. That said, it is very easy to trim and keep small and beautifull. Anyways, I always recommend this plant species, but the listener then later tells me he found some species at a local shop (the "I forgot the name"-species) or some discount deal online; next the suffering starts .

Cheers and enjoy the ride.

Click to expand...

Thank you. Great information.

Hi and welcome to FL.

In addition to what ruud said, please test out your tank water and new water source (tap) for pH, GH, and KH. Knowing these parameters will better steer you in the right fish direction.

For filtration, non-cartridge HOB filters are great for servicing, media choice and amounts, and water circulation.

Click to expand...

This helps. Thank you.