100 gallon build feedback and ideas!

Hey everyone, so this coming weekend, I’m picking up a 100 gallon tank (5’ x 2’ x 2’). I’m really excited since this will be the biggest tank I’ve ever owned, but also excited because I haven’t had a tank for the past 7 years.

I’ve been doing a little research, and have decided on using the Cascade 1500 filter. Ultimately I want a planted tank with some driftwood. I’m also a huge plant person, so the corner of the room where the tank will be, I plan to add some pothos and such to give the whole setup a plant vibe.

I’ve been playing around with AqAdvisor to kind of give me a feel for what I can stock. I know I can’t really rely on it to be accurate, which is why I’m coming to you all! I’d like to have a variety of fish, I love color, and I love unique/oddball fish. I will list below what I’ve kind of come up with, I’m not sure if I’m at max capacity or not. All suggestions and ideas are welcome and appreciated!

5 Discus
2 German Blue Rams
10 Cardinal Tetra
1 Dwarf Gourami
1 Fire Eel
5 Kuhli Loaches
2 Rainbow Kribs
1 Pleco L014

There’s many other fish I’d love to add, but like I said, I don’t know if I’ve maxed my capacity or not. So figured I’d start with this and see what everyone’s thoughts are. I’ve thought about shrimp and snails, but AqAdvisor says not a good idea. Thanks!

 

If I were you… I would either do the pair of Kribs or gbrs. Also I wouldn’t do a fire eel and I personally would get 2-3 smaller plecos instead of the sunshine pleco. I would add more cardinals by having at least 20 and do cories instead of khulis and if u do khulis do at least 10. I would also do at least 6-7 discus instead. If you haven’t had a tank in 7 years I would maybe do angels instead of discus. Also what’s the filtration on it?

 

If I were you… I would either do the pair of Kribs or gbrs. Also I wouldn’t do a fire eel and I personally would get 2-3 smaller plecos instead of the sunshine pleco. I would add more cardinals by having at least 20 and do cories instead of khulis and if u do khulis do at least 10. I would also do at least 6-7 discus instead. If you haven’t had a tank in 7 years I would maybe do angels instead of discus. Also what’s the filtration on it?

Thanks for replying! I’m going to use a Cascade 1500 filter. So you said you wouldn’t do the fire eel- what’s your thoughts on it? The fire eel is kind of the main one I’m wanting. If I could build around a fire eel, I’d love to do that. Lol. I thought about the Cory’s but opted for the kuhlis instead because they are more unique looking to me.

 

I would check temp compatability first for all the fish. Discus and GBRs need higher temps than a lot of fish.

 

That is a nice sized tank. I have a planted tank of a similar size, just a few inches longer. If you really want the fire eel I don’t see a problem but bear in mind that they can get to about a metre long and will probably eat cardinal tetras or any similar sized fish. Otherwise I believe they are quite peaceful, though I haven’t kept one myself.

Personally I like to keep fish from the same geographical regions together so if I was basing a tank around the fire eel I would look for compatible Asian species. (Though I would have a hard time having no cichlids!).

Other thoughts on your list - I would skip the dwarf gourami, they can be very aggressive and apparently prone to sickness. Both discus and German blue rams are not the hardiest of species, and depending on your previous experience, might not be ideal to start with, although if you do enough research first it shouldn’t be a problem, and is a very nice combination for that tank. Many people prefer to keep discus in a bare bottom tank for ease of cleaning, though I would rather try it in a planted tank. For an easier combination you could have angelfish and Bolivian rams or Laetacara or Apistogramma species.

I don’t have experience with khuli loaches but I know they are mainly nocturnal, and maybe they could be eaten by the fire eel, not sure. I would prefer Corydoras that would be seen more during the day, though if keeping discus and rams choose a species that is Ok in the higher temperatures that those cichlids require..

I agree with jackywacky not to have both kribs and rams, the kribensis can be very aggressive when they breed, the rams are rather more peaceful, you could easily have 2 or 3 pairs.

I don’t think you have maximum capacity with your list but you may like to rethink the combination some. Finally, what are your water parameters - these will help to determine how suitable certain species are.

 

Great points TClare… want to see this build tho!

 

That is a nice sized tank. I have a planted tank of a similar size, just a few inches longer. If you really want the fire eel I don’t see a problem but bear in mind that they can get to about a metre long and will probably eat cardinal tetras or any similar sized fish. Otherwise I believe they are quite peaceful, though I haven’t kept one myself.

Personally I like to keep fish from the same geographical regions together so if I was basing a tank around the fire eel I would look for compatible Asian species. (Though I would have a hard time having no cichlids!).

Other thoughts on your list - I would skip the dwarf gourami, they can be very aggressive and apparently prone to sickness. Both discus and German blue rams are not the hardiest of species, and depending on your previous experience, might not be ideal to start with, although if you do enough research first it shouldn’t be a problem, and is a very nice combination for that tank. Many people prefer to keep discus in a bare bottom tank for ease of cleaning, though I would rather try it in a planted tank. For an easier combination you could have angelfish and Bolivian rams or Laetacara or Apistogramma species.

I don’t have experience with khuli loaches but I know they are mainly nocturnal, and maybe they could be eaten by the fire eel, not sure. I would prefer Corydoras that would be seen more during the day, though if keeping discus and rams choose a species that is Ok in the higher temperatures that those cichlids require..

I agree with jackywacky not to have both kribs and rams, the kribensis can be very aggressive when they breed, the rams are rather more peaceful, you could easily have 2 or 3 pairs.

I don’t think you have maximum capacity with your list but you may like to rethink the combination some. Finally, what are your water parameters - these will help to determine how suitable certain species are.

I’ll do some thinking on the combination! I didn’t think about the tetras being a snack for the fire eel lol. Also, I’m getting the tank this coming weekend, and plan to set it up within a couple weeks so it can begin cycling. I do think I’m going to try and stick to the discus and the GRB’s, and maybe change from the sunshine Pleco to 3 smaller Pleco a like JackyWacky suggested.

 

Welcome to fishlore!
First your tank is a 150. Don’t think that filter is enough. Don’t think it’s enough for a 100. Discus and rams are not easy fish to keep. Can be done but are you up for the work? If so just corys and the cardinals or just the eel. Eel will eat whatever fits in its mouth. Here my thread for beginner discus keepers.For Beginner Discus Keepers | Discus Fish Forum

I also wouldn’t recommend a planted tank for a beginner discus keeper. Both discus and plants are harder to keep and very hard combined.

 

Welcome to fishlore!
First your tank is a 150. Don’t think that filter is enough. Don’t think it’s enough for a 100. Discus and rams are not easy fish to keep. Can be done but are you up for the work? If so just corys and the cardinals or just the eel. Eel will eat whatever fits in its mouth. Here my thread for beginner discus keepers.For Beginner Discus Keepers | Discus Fish Forum

I also wouldn’t recommend a planted tank for a beginner discus keeper. Both discus and plants are harder to keep and very hard combined.

I kind of skimmed through your thread, and I don’t think I would have a problem with keeping discus since I am a stay at home mom and I would have plenty of time for them, but what does turn me off from them is how keeping them would affect having a planted tank. Having a thriving planted tank is important to me. Thank you for the information about them!

I read somewhere that if I were to add a young fire eel with the cories at the same time, I would have a better success rate at keeping them together.
I’m considering exchanging the Discus out for angelfish or maybe something else? Do you have any recommendations other than angelfish? I really want a centerpiece that’s grabs attention. Thanks!

 

For me, assuming you don't do the fire eel, no individual fish would be more attention grabbing that a big school of 50+ cardinal tetra

 

Hi and welcome to the site!
This sounds exciting, and that is quite a large tank. I am not familiar with the fire eel or some of the other stock you mention. However I have had discus a number of times over the years, and in planted tanks a few times. I probably wouldn't have very young Discus in a fully planted tank, If it were me I would have them at least 7cm size perhaps, but I am not an expert on Discus. With the Angel fish, I found them ok but not as eye catching and interesting as Discus fish. Discus fish can be hard work sometimes but I would not turn you away from them, I believe if you are willing to do the work then you should definitely have them, just know there can be trials and tribulations with them
That said, I look forward to hearing more about this tank. With the filter, you can also add a large sponge filter in the back corner of the tank as well or 2 they are fantastic, as well as your other filter system. I added a photo below..
Good luck & we are always here to help!

 

First your tank is a 150. Don’t think that filter is enough. Don’t think it’s enough for a 100.

Yes, I was thinking afterwards, how come the tank is only 100 gallons when mine, which is just 3" longer, is 152? Also I am not familiar with that filter but I meant to look it up as I was doubting that it would be sufficient. My tank that size has a canister filter rated at 1100 litre per hour as well as two top filters, one operated by a separate pump. I have found that sponge filters (or pre filters) aren't ideal on larger tanks as they get clogged up too easily and are more difficult to remove and clean. This may be because one of my big tanks is heavily planted and the other has large cichlids that dig a lot. My two smaller tanks have sponge pre filters.

I do not really agree with planted tanks being more difficult, my biggest tank is not planted (well, it has water lettuce and a few pieces of struggling Vallisneria that get chomped by Uarus and severum),and this tank takes much longer to do cleaning and maintenance on than my planted tanks, not just because it is bigger, it gets much more algae on the glass and a lot of mulm building up, this may be just because of the bigger fish though. Usually for my other tanks a simple water change is enough most weeks, occasionally trimming, and nitrates always remain low even at the end of the week.

I have often read about not keeping young discus in a planted tank, but I am not really sure why. If there are fish such as Corydoras or plecos or snails to eat any left over waste, and if there are plenty plants to use up ammonia and nitrates, as well as good filtration, I would have thought the water would keep in good condition for them and provide them with cover to make them feel more secure??. But I defer to those more experienced with discus - their price plus the apparent need for daily water changes when young has put me off trying them, though I have considered it at times, they are fantastic fish. At the moment I have a group of young altum angels, which are also supposed to be delicate, and they are doing well in the 152 gallon planted tank with weekly 40% water changes.

 

What about a severum
Also known as the poor man’s discus
Thier much easier to keep and still soooooo pretty
They might eat your plants though
I always winter them but my biggest tank is a 55 so to small for them

 

What about a severum
Also known as the poor man’s discus
Thier much easier to keep and still soooooo pretty
They might eat your plants though
I always winter them but my biggest tank is a 55 so to small for them

Nice fish but they will eat and/or dig up most plants. Another possibility woud be a group of festivums (Mesonauta). I really like these and they are pretty hardy and peaceful. I have read mixed reports about them eating plants though. Mine are with the severum and Uarus so I have only tried them with Vallisneria and water lettuce, which they do not eat. But they like lettuce.

Another point, whichever cichlids you decide on it is a good idea to have a spare tank available for any eventuality, health or behavioral.

 

Or a group of goephagus
Or a group of keyholes not as pretty but still cool
With a school of rummynose tetras and maybe some Congo tetras
And some corydoras on the bottom

 

Thing with planted tanks is mulm builds up by all the plants. Yes the tank is reading 0 nitrates but the waste is still there. For most fish this isn’t a problem. But for discus it is. Discus are grown in huge vats or pools. These are emptied 2-3 times a day. So these fish grow in very clean water. You’re buying these small fish and they’re weak. The traveling has made them weaker. You add them to a less than sterile tank with plants (a very foreign item) and the stress builds. These fish are grown in Asia. So the water used may be river water. So certain bacteria or parisites may be there. But the clean water and lots of food keep these young fish healthy and growing. Now back in your planted tank after their long trip. These guys start stressing. The stress weakens the immunity system and all these bad things from the river water start growing and these fish get sick and die. Thing is these fish could be sick and dying for a year before new keeper realize it. They could be eating. But the parisites and worms are using all the food.
This is why it’s recomended if growing out small discus to change lots of water and feed a lot. Even if buying big 5-6” fish you should still do the water changes for at least 2 months. Cause these big fish are still coming from the same place. Me I qt for 2-4 months and add plants in planters as I go. But still 1 out of 5 gets sick and needs meds to kill off whatever it has. I’ve kept discus for months in qt and they were fine. Movedthem into main tank and just the stress of the tank set some off. Within a month they were back in qt. So they are hard fish to keep.

 

Since you want a Fire eel and it will occupy the bottom of the tank, I would limit the number of other bottom feeders. If you decide to go with cories, there are some that get decent sized. Most articles on Fire eels recommend Barbs as good tank mates. Possibly an Electric Blue acara as a center piece? I think an acara and barbs might look nice. Whatever you decide, I'm excited to see it!

 

Yes, I was thinking afterwards, how come the tank is only 100 gallons when mine, which is just 3" longer, is 152? Also I am not familiar with that filter but I meant to look it up as I was doubting that it would be sufficient. My tank that size has a canister filter rated at 1100 litre per hour as well as two top filters, one operated by a separate pump. I have found that sponge filters (or pre filters) aren't ideal on larger tanks as they get clogged up too easily and are more difficult to remove and clean. This may be because one of my big tanks is heavily planted and the other has large cichlids that dig a lot. My two smaller tanks have sponge pre filters.

I do not really agree with planted tanks being more difficult, my biggest tank is not planted (well, it has water lettuce and a few pieces of struggling Vallisneria that get chomped by Uarus and severum),and this tank takes much longer to do cleaning and maintenance on than my planted tanks, not just because it is bigger, it gets much more algae on the glass and a lot of mulm building up, this may be just because of the bigger fish though. Usually for my other tanks a simple water change is enough most weeks, occasionally trimming, and nitrates always remain low even at the end of the week.

I have often read about not keeping young discus in a planted tank, but I am not really sure why. If there are fish such as Corydoras or plecos or snails to eat any left over waste, and if there are plenty plants to use up ammonia and nitrates, as well as good filtration, I would have thought the water would keep in good condition for them and provide them with cover to make them feel more secure??. But I defer to those more experienced with discus - their price plus the apparent need for daily water changes when young has put me off trying them, though I have considered it at times, they are fantastic fish. At the moment I have a group of young altum angels, which are also supposed to be delicate, and they are doing well in the 152 gallon planted tank with weekly 40% water changes.

I feel like the amount of work a tank is depends on you
If it’s heavily stocked with low filtration than more water changes and more work
If you have good filtration and light to mid stocking less work
With plants it also depends on you if your willing to put in the work than thier not hard
Invest in a co2 system depending on the tank and plants invest in ferts and keep up on pruning
I prune my plants weekly I also do weekly water changes but I do small water changes even though my tanks are heavily stocked I have good filtration and a deep gravel bed very important

Since you want a Fire eel and it will occupy the bottom of the tank, I would limit the number of other bottom feeders. If you decide to go with cories, there are some that get decent sized. Most articles on Fire eels recommend Barbs as good tank mates. Possibly an Electric Blue acara as a center piece? I think an acara and barbs might look nice. Whatever you decide, I'm excited to see it!

Eletric blue acara totally past my mind

 

Ok next being a 150g tank you’re going to need a filter to move at least 800-1200gph. Even though it’s big you still need to filter the water. For that tank I’d recomend a wet/dry or a sump. Something at least 3’x14”x20”. If you can find one with 2 outlets that’s even better. Look used these are much cheaper. They will also need a pump to move the water. Something able to move 1500gph. A dc pump is the best way. It gives you the option of how much water to move.

I feel like the amount of work a tank is depends on you
If it’s heavily stocked with low filtration than more water changes and more work
If you have good filtration and light to mid stocking less work
With plants it also depends on you if your willing to put in the work than thier not hard
Invest in a co2 system depending on the tank and plants invest in ferts and keep up on pruning
I prune my plants weekly I also do weekly water changes but I do small water changes even though my tanks are heavily stocked I have good filtration and a deep gravel bed very important

Eletric blue acara totally past my mind

This is so true for a planted tank and so false for a discus tank. This is why it’s so hard to have both. Plants like the deep substrate. But the deep substrate will just create problems for discus.
If you’ve never used CO2 don’t start on a 150. Get a 30g and getting it running with CO2 for a year or so and understand the system before you attempt it in a big tank. CO2 can kill fish! It’s constantly recomended for beginners but it’s not a beginner thing. It’s taking plants (which are hard enough) to the next step!

 

Thing with planted tanks is mulm builds up by all the plants.

It is strange, but I get far, far more mulm building up in the non-planted tank than in the planted tank. Maybe from all the wood and cichlids digging, and the Vals being not too healthy, I don't know.

 

It is strange, but I get far, far more mulm building up in the non-planted tank than in the planted tank. Maybe from all the wood and cichlids digging, and the Vals being not too healthy, I don't know.

You should try a powerhead moving the water on the bottom of the tank. I’ve been using odyssea filters for this. They have 2 sponges and a powerhead. Powerhead sends everything on the bottom up and into the sponges. These things work well. I rinse them with every water change and they’re black with what they pick up. Cheap too! About $20 delivered. Found online

 

You should try a powerhead moving the water on the bottom of the tank. I’ve been using odyssea filters for this. They have 2 sponges and a powerhead. Powerhead sends everything on the bottom up and into the sponges. These things work well. I rinse them with every water change and they’re black with what they pick up. Cheap too! About $20 delivered. Found online

Sounds like a good idea...

 

Hey everyone, so this coming weekend, I’m picking up a 100 gallon tank (5’ x 2’ x 2’). I’m really excited since this will be the biggest tank I’ve ever owned, but also excited because I haven’t had a tank for the past 7 years.

I’ve been doing a little research, and have decided on using the Cascade 1500 filter. Ultimately I want a planted tank with some driftwood. I’m also a huge plant person, so the corner of the room where the tank will be, I plan to add some pothos and such to give the whole setup a plant vibe.

I’ve been playing around with AqAdvisor to kind of give me a feel for what I can stock. I know I can’t really rely on it to be accurate, which is why I’m coming to you all! I’d like to have a variety of fish, I love color, and I love unique/oddball fish. I will list below what I’ve kind of come up with, I’m not sure if I’m at max capacity or not. All suggestions and ideas are welcome and appreciated!

5 Discus
2 German Blue Rams
10 Cardinal Tetra
1 Dwarf Gourami
1 Fire Eel
5 Kuhli Loaches
2 Rainbow Kribs
1 Pleco L014

There’s many other fish I’d love to add, but like I said, I don’t know if I’ve maxed my capacity or not. So figured I’d start with this and see what everyone’s thoughts are. I’ve thought about shrimp and snails, but AqAdvisor says not a good idea. Thanks!

Oh man, I don’t know what I was thinking when I typed the dimensions of my tank. The seller I’m buying from told me it is 5’ x 1.8’ x 1.8’

Which if I’m calculating right, is still not 100 gallons, it’s around 121 gallons right? I’m sorry for the confusion! I’m going through and reading everyone’s comments, y’all have given me a lot of insight and ideas!

 

but what does turn me off from them is how keeping them would affect having a planted tank. Having a thriving planted tank is important to me

Angel or uraru (poor man’s discus) can be your friend here!

 

Angel or uraru (poor man’s discus) can be your friend here!

Uarus will destroy all plants (except water lettuce).

 

Uarus will destroy all plants (except water lettuce).

Good to know! I didn’t know that

 

According to the tank calculator those measurements would put your tank at about 84 gallons, which would be a very odd size. Is he sure of the measurements?

 

For me, assuming you don't do the fire eel, no individual fish would be more attention grabbing that a big school of 50+ cardinal tetra

Definitely want to stick with the fire eel, but a big school of cardinal tetras would certainly be neat!

Hi and welcome to the site!
This sounds exciting, and that is quite a large tank. I am not familiar with the fire eel or some of the other stock you mention. However I have had discus a number of times over the years, and in planted tanks a few times. I probably wouldn't have very young Discus in a fully planted tank, If it were me I would have them at least 7cm size perhaps, but I am not an expert on Discus. With the Angel fish, I found them ok but not as eye catching and interesting as Discus fish. Discus fish can be hard work sometimes but I would not turn you away from them, I believe if you are willing to do the work then you should definitely have them, just know there can be trials and tribulations with them
That said, I look forward to hearing more about this tank. With the filter, you can also add a large sponge filter in the back corner of the tank as well or 2 they are fantastic, as well as your other filter system. I added a photo below..
Good luck & we are always here to help!

Discus are so vibrant! Did you have different color varieties of the angelfish?

That said, I look forward to hearing more about this tank. With the filter, you can also add a large sponge filter in the back corner of the tank as well or 2 they are fantastic, as well as your other filter system. I added a photo below..

Im gonna do some research on filtering my tank! I had thought the filter I chose would be sufficient but I’ve never had a tank this large, so it’s unfamiliar territory.

At the moment I have a group of young altum angels, which are also supposed to be delicate, and they are doing well in the 152 gallon planted tank with weekly 40% water changes.

Altum angelfish? Are they different than just Angelfish?

Another point, whichever cichlids you decide on it is a good idea to have a spare tank available for any eventuality, health or behavioral.

I have an empty 35 long that I eventually plan to use for an axolotl, I could use as a quarantine for now. Just need to clean it up and get some filtration for it!

What about a severum
Also known as the poor man’s discus
Thier much easier to keep and still soooooo pretty
They might eat your plants though
I always winter them but my biggest tank is a 55 so to small for them

I thought about Severums, I think they are very pretty! Also was thinking about blood parrots? I wonder if blood parrots would be a problem for a planted tank..

Thing with planted tanks is mulm builds up by all the plants. Yes the tank is reading 0 nitrates but the waste is still there. For most fish this isn’t a problem. But for discus it is. Discus are grown in huge vats or pools. These are emptied 2-3 times a day. So these fish grow in very clean water. You’re buying these small fish and they’re weak. The traveling has made them weaker. You add them to a less than sterile tank with plants (a very foreign item) and the stress builds. These fish are grown in Asia. So the water used may be river water. So certain bacteria or parisites may be there. But the clean water and lots of food keep these young fish healthy and growing. Now back in your planted tank after their long trip. These guys start stressing. The stress weakens the immunity system and all these bad things from the river water start growing and these fish get sick and die. Thing is these fish could be sick and dying for a year before new keeper realize it. They could be eating. But the parisites and worms are using all the food.
This is why it’s recomended if growing out small discus to change lots of water and feed a lot. Even if buying big 5-6” fish you should still do the water changes for at least 2 months. Cause these big fish are still coming from the same place. Me I qt for 2-4 months and add plants in planters as I go. But still 1 out of 5 gets sick and needs meds to kill off whatever it has. I’ve kept discus for months in qt and they were fine. Movedthem into main tank and just the stress of the tank set some off. Within a month they were back in qt. So they are hard fish to keep.

Yes, I think I will hold off on the discus for now til I’ve been back into fish keeping for a while.

Since you want a Fire eel and it will occupy the bottom of the tank, I would limit the number of other bottom feeders. If you decide to go with cories, there are some that get decent sized. Most articles on Fire eels recommend Barbs as good tank mates. Possibly an Electric Blue acara as a center piece? I think an acara and barbs might look nice. Whatever you decide, I'm excited to see it!

I was just reading on the Electic Blue Acara last night and had it written down to ask everyone about!

I feel like the amount of work a tank is depends on you
If it’s heavily stocked with low filtration than more water changes and more work
If you have good filtration and light to mid stocking less work
With plants it also depends on you if your willing to put in the work than thier not hard
Invest in a co2 system depending on the tank and plants invest in ferts and keep up on pruning
I prune my plants weekly I also do weekly water changes but I do small water changes even though my tanks are heavily stocked I have good filtration and a deep gravel bed very important

Eletric blue acara totally past my mind

I’ve never had a planted tank before, so this will be a first for me, but I definitely don’t mind the work to do so! Plants are a big hobby for me, so this would only add to my hobby

Ok next being a 150g tank you’re going to need a filter to move at least 800-1200gph. Even though it’s big you still need to filter the water. For that tank I’d recomend a wet/dry or a sump. Something at least 3’x14”x20”. If you can find one with 2 outlets that’s even better. Look used these are much cheaper. They will also need a pump to move the water. Something able to move 1500gph. A dc pump is the best way. It gives you the option of how much water to move.

I was trying to avoid doing a sump. I was looking at the Fluval Fx6, but afraid it might be too much flow for a planted tank?

According to the tank calculator those measurements would put your tank at about 84 gallons, which would be a very odd size. Is he sure of the measurements?

Are you calculating with US gallons? I come up with 121 us gallons.

 

Definitely want to stick with the fire eel, but a big school of cardinal tetras would certainly be neat!

Discus are so vibrant! Did you have different color varieties of the angelfish?

Im gonna do some research on filtering my tank! I had thought the filter I chose would be sufficient but I’ve never had a tank this large, so it’s unfamiliar territory.

Altum angelfish? Are they different than just Angelfish?

I have an empty 35 long that I eventually plan to use for an axolotl, I could use as a quarantine for now. Just need to clean it up and get some filtration for it!

I thought about Severums, I think they are very pretty! Also was thinking about blood parrots? I wonder if blood parrots would be a problem for a planted tank..

Yes, I think I will hold off on the discus for now til I’ve been back into fish keeping for a while.

I was just reading on the Electic Blue Acara last night and had it written down to ask everyone about!

I’ve never had a planted tank before, so this will be a first for me, but I definitely don’t mind the work to do so! Plants are a big hobby for me, so this would only add to my hobby

I was trying to avoid doing a sump. I was looking at the Fluval Fx6, but afraid it might be too much flow for a planted tank?

Are you calculating with US gallons? I come up with 121 us gallons.

My mistake, I was figuring in US, but put in 60 x 18 x 18. I may be having an off day, but if I put in 60 x

Definitely want to stick with the fire eel, but a big school of cardinal tetras would certainly be neat!

Discus are so vibrant! Did you have different color varieties of the angelfish?

Im gonna do some research on filtering my tank! I had thought the filter I chose would be sufficient but I’ve never had a tank this large, so it’s unfamiliar territory.

Altum angelfish? Are they different than just Angelfish?

I have an empty 35 long that I eventually plan to use for an axolotl, I could use as a quarantine for now. Just need to clean it up and get some filtration for it!

I thought about Severums, I think they are very pretty! Also was thinking about blood parrots? I wonder if blood parrots would be a problem for a planted tank..

Yes, I think I will hold off on the discus for now til I’ve been back into fish keeping for a while.

I was just reading on the Electic Blue Acara last night and had it written down to ask everyone about!

I’ve never had a planted tank before, so this will be a first for me, but I definitely don’t mind the work to do so! Plants are a big hobby for me, so this would only add to my hobby

I was trying to avoid doing a sump. I was looking at the Fluval Fx6, but afraid it might be too much flow for a planted tank?

Are you calculating with US gallons? I come up with 121 us gallons.

My mistake, I did calculate in US, but put in 60 x 18 x 18. I may be having an off day, lol, but if I put in 60 x 20 x 20, I STILL don't get 121g.

 

I was trying to avoid doing a sump. I was looking at the Fluval Fx6, but afraid it might be too much flow for a planted tank?

My canister in the planted tank is probably equivalent to the FX6 (JAD or Boyu EFU-45), I have an additional powerhead too that supplies one of the top filters (they other top filter receives the return from the canister before returning to the tank). There is a fair amount of flow and plants have always done well in that tank. Also I think you can reduce the flow rate on the fluvial filters if necessary.

According to the tank calculator those measurements would put your tank at about 84 gallons, which would be a very odd size. Is he sure of the measurements?

It is 121 gallons (1.8' = 21.6" not 18")

Altum angelfish? Are they different than just Angelfish?

Yes, they are a different species, Pterophyllum altum, the common angelfish are P. scalare. Altums are bigger and taller than scalare and have a kind of notch before the nose. According to some reports the are less aggressive, but that remains to be seen, mine are still juveniles. They are nearly always wild caught and may not be that easy to obtain. Also they have a reputation of being difficult to keep, probably as they come mostly from blackwater rivers with very low pH, are often caught as adults, may suffer a lot of stress in the capture and transport process and may have a difficult time adapting to dried food. Mine were small juveniles that had been already kept for a few months and were already eating dry food. I live in Ecuador, they come from Colombia, so no nowhere near as long traveling time for them. My water is not especially acidic, but it is very soft with very low TDS, so that s probably good for them. From what I have read, once adapted they are pretty hardy, and mine seem very similar in behaviour to domestic angelfish, they are not particularly nervous or skittish and always come to the front to beg for food when someone goes near the tank. Here is a shot of mine (they are a bit bigger now), google to find shots of adults.

I thought about Severums, I think they are very pretty! Also was thinking about blood parrots? I wonder if blood parrots would be a problem for a planted tank..

Both would be.

I have an empty 35 long that I eventually plan to use for an axolotl, I could use as a quarantine for now. Just need to clean it up and get some filtration for it!

I would keep it free or get another. You never know with cichlids when you might have to separate any.

 

My mistake, I was figuring in US, but put in 60 x 18 x 18. I may be having an off day, but if I put in 60 x

My mistake, I did calculate in US, but put in 60 x 18 x 18. I may be having an off day, lol, but if I put in 60 x 20 x 20, I STILL don't get 121g.

I was confused at first too, but I asked my boyfriend who is good with math and measuring, etc, and he said it doesn’t work the way we are thinking in our heads with 12”+8” lol. So I just googled what the answer was and it comes up to 1.8’ = 21.6”

My canister in the planted tank is probably equivalent to the FX6 (JAD or Boyu EFU-45), I have an additional powerhead too that supplies one of the top filters (they other top filter receives the return from the canister before returning to the tank). There is a fair amount of flow and plants have always done well in that tank. Also I think you can reduce the flow rate on the fluvial filters if necessary.

It is 121 gallons (1.8' = 21.6" not 18")


Yes, they are a different species, Pterophyllum altum, the common angelfish are P. scalare. Altums are bigger and taller than scalare and have a kind of notch before the nose. According to some reports the are less aggressive, but that remains to be seen, mine are still juveniles. They are nearly always wild caught and may not be that easy to obtain. Also they have a reputation of being difficult to keep, probably as they come mostly from blackwater rivers with very low pH, are often caught as adults, may suffer a lot of stress in the capture and transport process and may have a difficult time adapting to dried food. Mine were small juveniles that had been already kept for a few months and were already eating dry food. I live in Ecuador, they come from Colombia, so no nowhere near as long traveling time for them. My water is not especially acidic, but it is very soft with very low TDS, so that s probably good for them. From what I have read, once adapted they are pretty hardy, and mine seem very similar in behaviour to domestic angelfish, they are not particularly nervous or skittish and always come to the front to beg for food when someone goes near the tank. Here is a shot of mine (they are a bit bigger now), google to find shots of adults.
View attachment 882300

Both would be.

I would keep it free or get another. You never know with cichlids when you might have to separate any.

I am only just realizing that there’s a variety of angelfish.. veiled angelfish, koi angelfish? Are all varieties acceptable for my build? Or is there temperamental and behavioral differences that would affect tank mates?

 

Hi DandyDuster
I had Angel fish that were yellow faced and white bodied, they were nice looking fish.

There is a lot of information here in this thread, take your time and process each reply but remember it's your tank and your decision in the end. We all learn by experience and fish keeping isn't strictly by the book, each tank & fish is different. It is wonderful to have a world of knowledge on this site from other people, but it can be somewhat overwhelming at the same time.. But we are all here to support each other and share our experiences

 

All pretty much the same as far as behavior is concerned. All the varieties are the same species and can breed together. The only thing I will say is that the veil varietes tend to get their long flowing tails nipped and shredded by other fish and eachother, for that reason I prefer the normal finned type. Colour is jus a matter of taste.

 

Hi DandyDuster
I had Angel fish that were yellow faced and white bodied, they were nice looking fish.

There is a lot of information here in this thread, take your time and process each reply but remember it's your tank and your decision in the end. We all learn by experience and fish keeping isn't strictly by the book, each tank & fish is different. It is wonderful to have a world of knowledge on this site from other people, but it can be somewhat overwhelming at the same time.. But we are all here to support each other and share our experiences

Thank you, I’ve definitely learned a lot already, and have a lot to think about!

All pretty much the same as far as behavior is concerned. All the varieties are the same species and can breed together. The only thing I will say is that the veil varietes tend to get their long flowing tails nipped and shredded by other fish and eachother, for that reason I prefer the normal finned type. Colour is jus a matter of taste.

Oh yeah the fin nipping wouldn’t be too fun.

 

I was trying to avoid doing a sump. I was looking at the Fluval Fx6, but afraid it might be too much flow for a planted tank?

I use the FX6’s in my 330gal planted tank and there is no problem they come with the split return fitting so you can split the water return to go in 2 different directions. The FX6 also makes for the easiest of water changes as the filter pumps the water out and then sucks the water back in eliminating the need to carry buckets or has reduced my work load down so much I can do a 75% change in about 1.5 hrs that includes cleaning glass.
Since getting the FX6 I would never go back to a normal canister.

 

So much information to take in and sort through, but isn't it fun and exciting?!?

 

I use the FX6’s in my 330gal planted tank and there is no problem they come with the split return fitting so you can split the water return to go in 2 different directions. The FX6 also makes for the easiest of water changes as the filter pumps the water out and then sucks the water back in eliminating the need to carry buckets or has reduced my work load down so much I can do a 75% change in about 1.5 hrs that includes cleaning glass.
Since getting the FX6 I would never go back to a normal canister.

I haven’t looked into it much yet, but would a water changer that connects a hose to my kitchen sink not be necessary?

So much information to take in and sort through, but isn't it fun and exciting?!?

Yes it is exciting! Anytime that I plan to do something, whether it’s a project or a new purchase, I always do research and read reviews and compare, so this is lots of fun for me lol

 

Have you looked at the smaller geophagus species

 

Have you looked at the smaller geophagus species

Im not familiar with the species, I’ll have to do some research

 

Im not familiar with the species, I’ll have to do some research

Not ideal to keep with plants, they are eartheaters and will dig up plants from the substrate.

 

I haven’t looked into it much yet, but would a water changer that connects a hose to my kitchen sink not be necessary.

You will need to get an extension for the hose to reach outside when you empty and for the sink to refill but that’s it. I have a big 15 gal bucket that I use I fill a normal bucket with water and treat it and the tip that into the 15 gal (I actually use 2 normal buckets so one is filling while the other is being empty other wise it pumps back to the tank faster than you can fill the bucket.
They also have a self purging system where every 12 hours the pump stops to purge any air out of the system. Also means you can suck every last drop of water out of your buckets any air I just unplug the pump and plug it back in it will start pumping for 2 mins then purge all the air out of the system and start up again and run silent, so you don’t get that hour or 2 of small amounts of air being pushed out of the system. Honestly I would never go back to other filters I’ve always been a fluval user but the FX series is leaps and bounds ahead of the normal great fluval products.
I baulked at the price when I first looked into them but it is worth every cent.

 

You will need to get an extension for the hose to reach outside when you empty and for the sink to refill but that’s it. I have a big 15 gal bucket that I use I fill a normal bucket with water and treat it and the tip that into the 15 gal (I actually use 2 normal buckets so one is filling while the other is being empty other wise it pumps back to the tank faster than you can fill the bucket.
They also have a self purging system where every 12 hours the pump stops to purge any air out of the system. Also means you can suck every last drop of water out of your buckets any air I just unplug the pump and plug it back in it will start pumping for 2 mins then purge all the air out of the system and start up again and run silent, so you don’t get that hour or 2 of small amounts of air being pushed out of the system. Honestly I would never go back to other filters I’ve always been a fluval user but the FX series is leaps and bounds ahead of the normal great fluval products.
I baulked at the price when I first looked into them but it is worth every cent.

I hope it’s okay for me to share this link, but this is the water changer I was looking at. It allows one to empty into a sink or refill from the sink with one connection and a few valves.

hygger Bucket-Free Aquarium Water Change Kit Metal Faucet Connector Fish Tank Vacuum Siphon Gravel Cleaner with Long Hose 49FT Drain & Fill https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09LV7GV9K

 

I hope it’s okay for me to share this link, but this is the water changer I was looking at. It allows one to empty into a sink or refill from the sink with one connection and a few valves.

hygger Bucket-Free Aquarium Water Change Kit Metal Faucet Connector Fish Tank Vacuum Siphon Gravel Cleaner with Long Hose 49FT Drain & Fill https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09LV7GV9K

All you literally need for the FX6 is some tubing the length you need no connecting to taps I just use the bucket so I don’t have to prime the tank to total volume just each bucket you could run the tap into a bucket in sink and run the filter to suck it in. My main tank is 330 gal so dosing the whole tank uses a lot of extra prime.

 

All you literally need for the FX6 is some tubing the length you need no connecting to taps I just use the bucket so I don’t have to prime the tank to total volume just each bucket you could run the tap into a bucket in sink and run the filter to suck it in. My main tank is 330 gal so dosing the whole tank uses a lot of extra prime.

I see now. That’s awesome! It’s a pricey filter but my boyfriend has agreed to it so!

 

This is true
Didn’t think of that

Not ideal to keep with plants, they are eartheaters and will dig up plants from the substrate.

What about keyhole cichlids not as pretty but I still think thier cool

 

This is true
Didn’t think of that

What about keyhole cichlids not as pretty but I still think thier cool

Yes, they are lovely fish, peaceful, fine with cardinal tetras and won’t hurt plants. Do well in a group. Maybe not the most colourful but I find the very attractive.

 

Ok my 2 cents on the fx6. It’s a very big canister filter. But in the end a canister filter. Has so much sponge in it that other medias arn’t needed. Yes nice option the draining plug. My problem with it was it just didn’t have the flow rate it bragged about. Flow rate is reduced with just the sponge it comes with. The rating is when empty. At first I put a pre line sponge on it. That I cleaned at every water change. But it also reduced flow. Water changed twice a week and it still couldn’t keep up. My water would be cloudy on the second day. I replaced it with a wet/dry with a dc motor(pump). Much better system. Twice a year I clean the whole system and at every water change I squeeze out the sponges. Waters crystal clear.