180 Gallon Build

Being as you added stock yesterday I would have to fiat assume the possibility of a weak fish that succumbed to stress, and other tank mates turned opportunistic.
Is there a way to cover your overflows and intakes, maybe with some plastic or stainless steel mesh? Still allow plenty of flow just not curious fish.
If it is an aggressive fish, I’m not sure who it could be. My angels have not shown that kind of aggression toward other species, they just boss each other.

 

Being as you added stock yesterday I would have to fiat assume the possibility of a weak fish that succumbed to stress, and other tank mates turned opportunistic.
Is there a way to cover your overflows and intakes, maybe with some plastic or stainless steel mesh? Still allow plenty of flow just not curious fish.
If it is an aggressive fish, I’m not sure who it could be. My angels have not shown that kind of aggression toward other species, they just boss each other.

Honestly I hadn't even considered the fact of stress, and succumbing to weakness because of it. That is very possible. I don't think the intakes are much of an issue, and they have seemed to stay away from them today.

I do have some good news though! My Redfin Prochildous we'll be here tomorrow! Apparently the vendor decided to ship anyways. I got a tracking number for it. Looking forward to adding him, although he'll be in QT. I have enough into the main tank at this point to worry about stock from another vendor.

 

Hi,il just jump in because I see you are having some problem with loaches. Sadly this is hard true while they are babies(young and small) they are prone to die for illnnes or Stress, my last loach death was spring 2017 he got skinny illnnes. But since then are all okey, some are now bulky some are more skinnier 4-8 inch and few years old, I just have to say patience. Get a deco that is big enough for the loaches to get in with only 1 or 2 holes in total darkness they will feel much more Safe and have less Stress. And one more thing if you listen and get a deco big enought for them all don't worry if you won't see them for days its normal as they are very shy fish. When they will grow bigger they get less shy . Sorry english is Not my native language

Hi,il just jump in because I see you are having some problem with loaches. Sadly this is hard true while they are babies(young and small) they are prone to die for illnnes or Stress, my last loach death was spring 2017 he got skinny illnnes. But since then are all okey, some are now bulky some are more skinnier 4-8 inch and few years old, I just have to say patience. Get a deco that is big enough for the loaches to get in with only 1 or 2 holes in total darkness they will feel much more Safe and have less Stress. And one more thing if you listen and get a deco big enought for them all don't worry if you won't see them for days its normal as they are very shy fish. When they will grow bigger they get less shy . Sorry english is Not my native language

+ forgot to say Clowns are very curious fish they want to stick theyr nose in each hole better Cover up all the possible dangers. Once I found 1 of the Clowns in side my filter. He still lives until this day.
I don't know if you know but,Clown loaches have no scales that means they are very weak against medicine or Any Kind of liquid you Put in the aquarium,they may just die because of kh- liquids when you get loaches Check try to Check water Parameters they come in one of biggest posibility is that they lived in very diferent Parameters to your aquarium,this is one more thing why they possible die off in 1 week

 

Very helpful advice! I'm hoping they stay away from the intakes now. I updated my filtration last night. I went and got an FX4.

So now, I have the FX4 full of biological media, pulling from the overflows. This means less suction from that area. I have the FX6 with mostly mechanical media, sponges and floss. I am using the FX6's original intake in the middle of the tank. I'll adjust as needed, but in my mind, I'm hoping the FX6 does most of the cleaning, while the FX4 does the converting. If I'm doing my research correctly. The bacteria, and chemicals are light (Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates). So they'll always be getting pulled into the overflows. The lighter gunk will also make its way into the overflows, while the heavier stuff should stay in the water column and go into the FX6's input. My filters are setup like this.

FX4 bottom to top:
Using the original sponges in the outside rings of the baskets.
1: Bottom tray is a medium sponge, top tray is full of biological media
2: Bottom tray is full of biological media, top tray is my Purigen

FX6 bottom to top:
1: Original sponge in the outside rings, course sponge in the bottom, medium sponge in the top
2: Original sponge in the outside rings, biological media in the bottom tray, medium sponge in the top tray
3: Medium sponge in the outside rings, medium sponge in the bottom, floss top tray.


I'm hoping by doing this, I can go without a Powerhead. I tried to downgrade, because it just seemed like way too much flow in the areas it was. The flow just seems much more even now, and everyone is able to utilize the entire tank more. Not to mention I wasn't happy with how the overflows were keeping the tank clean. So I'm hoping with the extra filtration intake in the column, things will clear up. I'll keep an eye on the mechanical media and adjust as needed, but in theory this setup should work. This brings my water turn over rate to nearly 10x volume (1625 GPH). I can possibly see the floss in the FX6 becoming an issue, but I'm hoping it works.

 

Very helpful advice! I'm hoping they stay away from the intakes now. I updated my filtration last night. I went and got an FX4.

So now, I have the FX4 full of biological media, pulling from the overflows. This means less suction from that area. I have the FX6 with mostly mechanical media, sponges and floss. I am using the FX6's original intake in the middle of the tank. I'll adjust as needed, but in my mind, I'm hoping the FX6 does most of the cleaning, while the FX4 does the converting. If I'm doing my research correctly. The bacteria, and chemicals are light (Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates). So they'll always be getting pulled into the overflows. The lighter gunk will also make its way into the overflows, while the heavier stuff should stay in the water column and go into the FX6's input. My filters are setup like this.

FX4 bottom to top:
Using the original sponges in the outside rings of the baskets.
1: Bottom tray is a medium sponge, top tray is full of biological media
2: Bottom tray is full of biological media, top tray is my Purigen

FX6 bottom to top:
1: Original sponge in the outside rings, course sponge in the bottom, medium sponge in the top
2: Original sponge in the outside rings, biological media in the bottom tray, medium sponge in the top tray
3: Medium sponge in the outside rings, medium sponge in the bottom, floss top tray.


I'm hoping by doing this, I can go without a Powerhead. I tried to downgrade, because it just seemed like way too much flow in the areas it was. The flow just seems much more even now, and everyone is able to utilize the entire tank more. Not to mention I wasn't happy with how the overflows were keeping the tank clean. So I'm hoping with the extra filtration intake in the column, things will clear up. I'll keep an eye on the mechanical media and adjust as needed, but in theory this setup should work. This brings my water turn over rate to nearly 10x volume (1625 GPH). I can possibly see the floss in the FX6 becoming an issue, but I'm hoping it works.

Sounds alright I am Not an expert of the other fish you have there but loaches apreaciate big water Flow constant moving water etc. By the way I have a question how you do exactly the water changes? I mean when you change the water Do you go direct from the tap? Do you heat up the water to aquarium temperature? Keep an eye for the small things. Some People overlook the small things

 

Sounds alright I am Not an expert of the other fish you have there but loaches apreaciate big water Flow constant moving water etc. By the way I have a question how you do exactly the water changes? I mean when you change the water Do you go direct from the tap? Do you heat up the water to aquarium temperature? Keep an eye for the small things. Some People overlook the small things

I fill directly from tap, but I fill in the overflows. This keeps things calm in the water column, and allows me to put my internal thermostat in there to monitor the incoming water temperature. This also allows the water to be treated with Prime before reaching the water column, again, in theory. When I fill, I put 200 Gallons worth of Prime in (20 ml). 5ml in each overflow, and 10ml in the water column just to be safe. The remaining 5 Loaches seem to be very happy, and shoal together constantly. They definitely don't seem shy at all. They are all over the tank, even joining the Rainbows shoal from time to time. I have a feeling it was mainly stress related, both from the new additions and the current residence.

 

Just got my Flagtail Prochildous. He's big compared to everyone else in the tank. Thankfully he's peaceful. He's in my 35 Gallon QT for now, I'll monitor him closely for about a week or two before introducing him into the main tank.

Such a beautiful specimen, I'll post pictures tomorrow when he's a bit more settled in. I can't imagine how he's feeling right now. I don't think he was under any sedition at all. He started flashing the moment I pulled the bag out of the box. He was in a much smaller bag than I personally would have sent him in. I won't be buying from this vendor again.

He was nice enough to let me snap a photo of him

 

Just a quick update. The Redfin Prochildous is doing really well. He's still really skittish, but swims around happily otherwise. I did notice a couple scales missing, likely from shipping or from me netting him out of the bag. So far shows no sign of any illness, which I'm sure would have been exasperated from the injured scales.

This being the first "Big" fish I've kept. I wasn't prepared for the size of the waste . It's crazy, and I've ordered a new power head just to get ready for it. I ordered one of the Gyre generators, which is supposed to remove dead spots completely while not disturbing my sand bed. Of everything I've encountered so far, I think this is by far going to be the most challenging thing to figure out. Getting enough flow to keep the waste floating for my filters to remove, while not constantly disturbing my sand bed.

Anyone else with a large tank have any advise on this matter? I just can't find the right amount of flow to keep everything moving off of the sand bed while not constantly kicking up sand.

Oh! To anyone who hasn't used the vacuum feature on the FX filters... I only have one thing to say... You don't know what you're missing. I rigged some hosing to allow me to use the siphon from my Aquaeon water changer, and the power of this vacuum is AMAZING. I'm definitely going to have to get a filter setup, so it catches the sand before it goes in the filter, but wow. It takes cleaning to a whole new level. Definitely worth the extra for these filters just for this feature alone. Not to mention the water change feature. I don't fill directly into the filter, due to chlorine/chloramine in my water, but draining is amazingly easy.

That's my pat on the back for the Fluval FX series filters, lol. I've always liked the Fluval filters. The customizable media in even their HOBs has been a huge selling point for me. Anyways, before I sound like a Fluval commercial. I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!

 

I picked up a fluval fx6 with my 135 I bought a few weeks back...i'm going to have to look into this vacuum feature you speak of.

 

I picked up a fluval fx6 with my 135 I bought a few weeks back...i'm going to have to look into this vacuum feature you speak of.

Trust me, it's AMAZING. I normally turn my water off once I start getting a vacuum to my sink in my water changer. Then I grab a "regular vacuum" I put into a tub that I clean with. It wasn't picking some of the heavier stuff up, and then I remembered the vacuum feature of the FX series. I took some of the extra 5/8" ID tube I had, and put a 1/2" reducer at the end. Then hooked my siphon up from my water changer. Closed the intake, turned the filter on, and it picked up anything I put it over. You'll have to be especially careful if you're using a fine sand. It didn't pick up much of my BDBS, but it didn't miss a single piece of waste. Just a quick swirl of the siphon tube above the sand to get it moving upward, and it did the rest. I can put the "regular vacuum" by the smaller tanks now that I've used this. I won't go back. If you're not much into DIY, there's a Fluval made vacuum you can buy that has a filter on it for the fine particulates. You just empty the filter after each use.

 

Hmm...interesting..

Maybe i'm missing something, but doesn't that just bring the water right back into the filter? So really there is no water removal?

 

Hmm...interesting..

Maybe i'm missing something, but doesn't that just bring the water right back into the filter? So really there is no water removal?

Absolutely correct. I plan on vacuuming while having the water changer in the tank pulling water out. It negates the ability to drain with the filter, but the gain in the power of the vacuum is worth it.
EDIT: plus it gives you the ability to vacuum between water changes without water removal, or you can vacuum, then drain. Whatever works for you

 

ahh gotcha

 

Update to my stock list... After doing more research, I've decided against Red Shoulder Severum, they require too acidic water for my current setup. I would have to lower my pH in order to accommodate him. I found Electric Blue Acara online, and almost immediately fell in love.

Blue is my favorite color, they are a more peaceful cichlid, they'll shoal with their own species, they get to be about 5-6", they have a pretty large temperature and pH range. So they should fit right in with everyone, add another school, and some beautiful color that will go with the BoesemanI Rainbow without taking away from them.

Planning to get 4-6 of these. Not 100% on the amount yet. TexasDomer what do you think of this stocking arrangement.

1 Redfin Prochildous
1 Black Ghost Knife
1 Rainbow Shark
6 BoesemanI Rainbow
5 Clown Loach
4 Electric Blue Acara
2 Angelfish

 

I haven't checked temp compatibility for all of the species, but if they're compatible with Boesemanis at 80 F, should be great! I would even add more BoesemanI or another schooling fish or more angels (or all three) - 8' is a lot to fill!

Lchi87 or bizaliz3 might have a few EBA available if you want to get some from them.

 

I haven't checked temp compatibility for all of the species, but if they're compatible with Boesemanis at 80 F, should be great! I would even add more BoesemanI or another schooling fish or more angels (or all three) - 8' is a lot to fill!

Lchi87 or bizaliz3 might have a few EBA available if you want to get some from them.

So far everything has fallen into the 80 degree range, and not at the extremes that I've researched so far. I'm letting my wife pick out the Angels, and she's picky on them. I'll add more to both the Electric Blue Acara, and BoesemanI Rainbows though for sure!

Keep in mind I switched to the 6', but it has a bit larger water volume, and is wider than the 8'. Still, it's a lot to fill I know! Thanks again for the advise!

 

Oh that's right. In that case, I might hold off on adding more EBA, though a few more angels should be fine.

 

Oh that's right. In that case, I might hold off on adding more EBA, though a few more angels should be fine.

Sounds good. I'll keep the number at 4, and have my wife keep an eye out for any Angels she likes. 2 more should be good, for another pair?

 

I think in a 6 ft tank, that would be fine! Even if you don't get another pair, there should be room in the tank for two more.

 

I think in a 6 ft tank, that would be fine! Even if you don't get another pair, there should be room in the tank for two more.

I was worried about that, because the 2 in the tank have definitely paired already. They don't leave each others side lol.

 

I haven't checked temp compatibility for all of the species, but if they're compatible with Boesemanis at 80 F, should be great! I would even add more BoesemanI or another schooling fish or more angels (or all three) - 8' is a lot to fill!

Lchi87 or bizaliz3 might have a few EBA available if you want to get some from them.

I got a breeding pair of EBAs from Lchi87 about a month ago and they already laid eggs. I have about 150 fry that are 2 weeks old. They are peaceful but will be territorial when breeding. I would be concerned with the angels as they can be territorial and/or aggressive.

 

In a 6 ft tank, I would think there'd be room. But keep an eye out, just in case!

 

I got a breeding pair of EBAs from Lchi87 about a month ago and they already laid eggs. I have about 150 fry that are 2 weeks old. They are peaceful but will be territorial when breeding. I would be concerned with the angels as they can be territorial and/or aggressive.

I had the same line of thinking TexasDomer had, and I can only see the aggression issue if the EBAs decide to breed. At that point I can watch everyone. I would be more concerned with the Rainbow being the retaliator.

 

So here's my plan going forward. Considering the rest of my stock has the possibility of being territorial, or is. I plan on getting 4 EBA's first, since they will likely only be territorial if they decide to breed. Allow them to acclimate in the main tank. While they are acclimating, get the next 2 Angels in QT. Then introduce the Angels.

I'm still holding off on the Rainbow Shark. I've read they will grow pretty quickly, and definitely don't want him running around the tank bullying everyone when he gets bigger.

While it is a 6ft tank, and everyone should have room to swim around and get away. I just don't want to offer anyone as tribute while my Rainbow Shark plays Hunger Games, lol.

Pretty much everyone in the tank has at least a semI aggressive personalty, and should hold their own against him. It's his growth rate that worries me. Pretty sure the Redfin will keep him humble until he gets the same size though.

 

Lchi87 Tagging you with interest in your EBA's, could you PM me with any information? They'll have to wait until things warm up obviously, just wanted to get the ball rolling. I looked at my LFS today, and the EBA's they have look more like regular Blue Acara. I would be looking at 4 that are approximately 2", non sexed.

EDIT: I added the Redfin Prochildous in the main tank today, I'll post pictures this afternoon. He's definitely king of the tank. Went around showing his dominance and size almost as soon as he was put in. He hasn't actually nipped at anyone. Just chased them around if they got too close. I've named him Godzilla, due to his sheer size difference to everyone else in the tank.

 

Question for the green thumbs following. I'm getting ready to order my second Beamswork fixture, which should be more than enough for more light demanding plants. I am not looking for anything that will require Co2 injections, just wanting to fill out the tank with more life at this point. I have root tabs ready, and currently dose twice weekly with Flourish (Normal, not Excel).

I've heard Excel having issues with invertebrates, which won't work with my Ghost Knife.

What are some suggestions?

 

A few of the green thumbed ladies on this forum recommended an ebay seller for plants so I took a chance since they had great prices. They also give you 1 free if you buy 2 of the same (3 total). I ordered amazon swords and anubias barteri. The swords are growing like crazy with BDBS, tabs and maybe once a week dose of Flourish. I'm guessing the anubias is a slow grower but they seem to be doing well too. I left 2 in the pot and buried it half way into the gravel and unraveled the other one. There's 2 rhizomes in each pot. I planted the roots but not the rhizome and they're doing well. I got the small ones because my tanks are 12-16" tall. The Swords in my 40 gallon (16") are about an inch short of touching the surface already. They've also grown an additional 3-8 leaves.






1 bunch of swords and 1 anubias unpotted in my 20 gallon long:



2 bunches of swords and 2 potted anubias (3 weeks ago):

 

A few of the green thumbed ladies on this forum recommended an ebay seller for plants so I took a chance since they had great prices. They also give you 1 free if you buy 2 of the same (3 total). I ordered amazon swords and anubias barteri. The swords are growing like crazy with BDBS, tabs and maybe once a week dose of Flourish. I'm guessing the anubias is a slow grower but they seem to be doing well too. I left 2 in the pot and buried it half way into the gravel and unraveled the other one. There's 2 rhizomes in each pot. I planted the roots but not the rhizome and they're doing well. I got the small ones because my tanks are 12-16" tall. The Swords in my 40 gallon (16") are about an inch short of touching the surface already. They've also grown an additional 3-8 leaves.






1 bunch of swords and 1 anubias unpotted in my 20 gallon long:
View attachment 392474

2 bunches of swords and 2 potted anubias (3 weeks ago):
View attachment 392475

I already have 3 Anubias and an Amazon Sword. Was looking for more. There's a lot more surface area to fill lol

 

Different or same? The ebay vendor I linked has great prices and quick shipping.

 

Different or same? The ebay vendor I linked has great prices and quick shipping.

Different, but I'm not sure which would require a Co2 supplement outside of root tabs

 

Lots of choices. One of my favorites that grows quickly is water wisteria/hygrophila difformis. Really, almost any hygrophila is good. There are also different species of Anubias and swords for variety. Ludwigia, cryptocoryne, vals. That seller he mentioned has lots of plants to choose from. I placed an order with them as well. Plants look good, but we’re grown emersed so they take some time to adapt to tank life. Quick google searches can help weed out the more demanding plants.

 

Thanks again AngelTheGypsy, I'll look into those once my lights come in

 

Just a quick update. As I'm sure most, if not all of you know. The extreme cold that swept across the US has prevented any shipping of fish. So I'm waiting on warmer weather for my EBA's. Once I get them in the QT I'll post pictures. Godzilla (Redfin Prochildous) has adjusted to the tank really well. He's still pretty skittish when there's sudden movement around the tank.

Otherwise, everyone seems to be doing very well. I think I'm going to pick up my Rainbow Shark soon as well. Going to try to get him small, so it'll allow everyone to get big enough that he leaves them alone.

 

Looks like I should be getting the EBA's today. No idea why they shipped last night, as it seems way too cold. Thankfully they have a arrive alive guarantee. So any losses will be recovered. I'll post pictures when they arrive

 

Sorry for the lack of update on the EBA's. I've been dealing with everyone nipping at my Ghost Knife, now that the tank is becoming more stocked. I may have to put him in my 35 as a grow out, until he gets big enough that they won't nip him. It's primarily frustrating, because he hasn't been shy, and I don't want them to force him into hiding all the time. I've enjoyed watching him.

I also took the added risk of putting the EBA's in the main tank, because I had one that was really unresponsive. The 35 was going through a minI cycle still, and I wanted him in water I knew was going to be safe. I blocked off part of my tank for him, and he recovered quickly. Since I was already risking exposure with the 1, I figured I might as well add them all. Plus I got them from the same vendor I got most of my stock from. So I was relatively confident in their health.

Thankfully my stocking is complete. So I can put my Ghost Knife in the 35, which is stable now, if needed for long term.

Oh, speaking of. I picked up my Rainbow Shark as well. I got one of the Glo Sharks, which is essentially an Albino Rainbow that has the Glo coloring. I couldn't help but want to make sure at least one went to a proper home, plus he was the size I wanted. It's small enough that the others in my tank should be more than big enough. Right now, he's the one hiding. He's definitely intimidated by the larger fish in the tank, but he has plenty of hiding spaces. So he should be fine until he gets a bit bigger.

I'll post pictures of the EBA's, which are absolutely beautiful btw, this afternoon when the lights come on.

 

Top left corner, you'll see the BGK playing in the current








This was originally supposed to be just the Acara's, but everyone wanted to show off this afternoon apparently, lol. Figured I would take the opportunity.

 

Oh, Angel. Since you're active this morning! You may have seen the leaflet's from the Amazon Sword. I've had a couple fall off, but the current in my tank took them into my filters. When they fall off, can I glue them to some Driftwood and they'll grow out from that point? Is there a point before falling off I could remove them and glue them? This way I don't have to worry about my filters eating more leaflet's? Lol

 

You mean the Java fern by the fish's tail in the first photo? Yes if they fall off you can attach them somewhere and they should grow. Usually if a leaf produces plant lets, said leaf may be dying. Just a heads up.
The fish are looking great. The big fish you have in the first pic is very interesting!

 

You mean the Java fern by the fish's tail in the first photo? Yes if they fall off you can attach them somewhere and they should grow. Usually if a leaf produces plant lets, said leaf may be dying. Just a heads up.
The fish are looking great. The big fish you have in the first pic is very interesting!

Yes, that one. Lol. Sorry, still not really versed on the plant side of aquariums. Yeah. I knew those leaves were dying. I was told to leave them on so they would produce the plantlets.

That's the Redfin Prochildous, he's a beast of an Algae Eater, and produces beast size waste . He's amazing to look at, and the way he feeds is just mesmerizing. I like that he comes right up to the glass to eat the algae growing on it. He's still pretty skittish, and just started eating flakes today. I'm sure once he settles in, he'll be more calm. He definitely recognizes me, and isn't skittish. It's anyone else in the house.

 

Another update on how everyone is doing, what equipment I've added/changed, and future plans.

So, I got the Maxspect 260 Gyre, and I absolutely love it. I ordered another one for the other side, and have full confidence these will keep the waste build up I've been experiencing floating for the filters to do their job.

The Acara's, Rainbows and Clown Loaches shoal really well together. The only aggression issue I've had is with the Ghost Knife. Everyone seems to think he's food when he's out and about. So I've put him in QT to grow out some. I'm hoping they didn't scare him into hiding. He's doing really well in QT, and is still really social. I just hope he stays that way when I move him back. If not, I'll look into another aquarium for him and go from there. That's a story for another day. Plants seem to be thriving and have even taken root in the sand. I learned this the hard way moving one of my Driftwood that my Ghost Knife was hiding under while I was trying to catch him to move him. I pulled some roots out of the sand.

The future for this tank is working more on the hardscaping and planting. Getting the second Maxspect set back getting another light fixture for now, but I'll for sure get one next.

My stocking is complete, happy with plumbing currently, happy with current in the tank but will be happier with a second Gyre. So finishing the planting and completing the hardscaping is all that's left on my list. Then it's fine time to watch these beauty's grow out.