75g build, first "bigish?" tank.

Finally getting my 75g set up for stocking.
Figured it's time to start a build thread.

So far materials are:
75g Marineland tank/stand combo
Seachem tidal 110
2 power sponge filters(no airpump required type)
Fluval e 300w heater
100lbs of pool filter sand
About 3 pounds of decorative rock.
Going to add two larger stones, one bigger than the other and maybe some drift wood.

Not many plants in there now lol but I'm going to add some tall stems and a sword to the back, a dwarf tiger lotus to the center and some anubias, java fern and bucephalandra around the Dino bone island.

Stock idea is: 3 or 4 pictus catfish(definitely getting them, everything else is subject to change)
8-12 schooler(turquoise rainbowfish or congo tetra)
And either 2-3 electric blue acara or some other "centerpiece " fish.
Here's some pics so far.

More to come.

 

Hi, I'm just dropping by to say I also have the Fluval E300W heater in a 75 gallon and it will not keep up with a 10 or more degrees difference between the room temp and set point. (even though 300w should be enough)

I had to add a second heater to keep up. (room temp 62-64, set point 77) And mine is an extra thick glass Oceanic tank with full cover. It's something in the way these heaters are programed at the factory, they are limited to how long they will run for whatever reason. Lots of people have noticed the same, and Fluval even mentions the 10 degrees difference design limit in the instructions. Better to know upfront!

 

Hi, I'm just dropping by to say I also have the Fluval E300W heater in a 75 gallon and it will not keep up with a 10 or more degrees difference between the room temp and set point. (even though 300w should be enough)

I had to add a second heater to keep up. (room temp 62-64, set point 77) And mine is an extra thick glass Oceanic tank with full cover. It's something in the way these heaters are programed at the factory, they are limited to how long they will run for whatever reason. Lots of people have noticed the same, and Fluval even mentions the 10 degrees difference design limit in the instructions. Better to know upfront!

Thanks for the info! I always keep an extra thermometer on hand to monitor temps in my tanks. I had my turtle in this tank with the e300 for a week and never experienced this. I have the e series in my other tanks as well and honestly, this might just be my own experience with them but, they hold temp better than the aqueon or even the ehime ones I've used. My other tanks are in a cold basement and they never dip below 77. I keep my tanks between 77 and 79 degrees Fahrenheit and this one is on a heated main floor. I'll definitely keep a close eye on this though.

 

Ordered the rest of the plants from buceplant. Should be in soon.
Ended up getting
1 echinodorus grandifolius.
Some egeria densa , rotala coin leaf, crypt wendtii green, brown and geco, java fern sunrise, anubias heterophylla, 2 bucephalandra godzilla and a tiger lotus. I'm also going to add more ludwigia repens from my 40breeder. I'm open to other plant suggestions as I'm known to add as i go, fill in a spot here and there. More pics to come.

 

Looking forward to seeing the progress of the tank.

 

Plants came in from buceplant. Went to work right away. Pretty happy so far, just needs some hardscape and fish.
Still trying to work out centerpiece fish, I'm still leaning towards the electric blue acara but idk if there's anything more colorful i could go with that will pair with some pictus catfish and about 8-12 either turquoise rainbowfish or congo tetra. Any suggestions are always welcome and appreciated. Also open to plant ideas to fill in space here and there. Looking for specific species suggestions(i.e rotala rotundifolia instead of just "more rotala lol)
Here's some pics of what I've got going on now.

 

Scarlet Temple (Alternanthera reineckii)