Making Progress on the New 65

[JettsPapa]

The used 65 gallon tank and stand that my wife got me for Christmas has just been sitting there empty since she brought it home. I finally got started with it yesterday. I wiped it down with vinegar, then water, then wiped it dry. Next I got the filter out of the box and got it put together (thank again coralbandit). Of course the stand was too close to the wall for it to fit so I moved it out enough to leave about 3/4" space between the filter and the wall. My daughter-in-law came over, and she couldn't stand waiting any longer to see if the light that came with it worked, so we plugged it in and turned it on. It worked. That was it for yesterday.

This morning I put 10 gallons of water in it, and then I had to wipe the sides down again to get rid of the water spots from the splashing. I'm going to let it sit like that for a few hours to see if any leaks show up.

This afternoon my daughter-in-law and I are making an excursion to a LFS or two (or maybe three) to get some plants. When we get home I plan to add the substrate (pool filter sand) and at least some of the plants.

I already have some crypts from Mcasella, and I'm pulling a sword out of the 40 gallon. I'm not sure what else I'll get, other than another sword or two. I have plenty of water wisteria I could put in it, but I already have that in both my other tanks, so probably not in this one.

 

[saltwater60]

Sounds like progress to me. Keep on trucking and have it running by Valentine’s Day!!

 

[JettsPapa]

Sounds like progress to me. Keep on trucking and have it running by Valentine’s Day!!

Thanks. I'm hoping to gain some momentum now and have it running well before then. I got some substrate in a little while ago, and now I'm waiting for the cloudiness to settle so I can see to put some plants in it. Hopefully I'll get at least most of them in this evening.

I'm hoping to have a few fish in it by next week this time. I have an old piece of filter media in the 40 I plan to put in it, along with a sponge filter that's been running in that tank for about 3 weeks that I'll move over, so I should have an "instant cycle."

I haven't decided 100% on the stocking, but I'm still leaning toward 10 or so bronze corys, a single koI angel, and one or two schools of rainbowfish. I'm looking hard at Turquoise and Boesemani, but I'm open to suggestions.

 

[saltwater60]

Thanks. I'm hoping to gain some momentum now and have it running well before then. I got some substrate in a little while ago, and now I'm waiting for the cloudiness to settle so I can see to put some plants in it. Hopefully I'll get at least most of them in this evening.

I'm hoping to have a few fish in it by next week this time. I have an old piece of filter media in the 40 I plan to put in it, along with a sponge filter that's been running in that tank for about 3 weeks that I'll move over, so I should have an "instant cycle."

I haven't decided 100% on the stocking, but I'm still leaning toward 10 or so bronze corys, a single koI angel, and one or two schools of rainbowfish. I'm looking hard at Turquoise and Boesemani, but I'm open to suggestions.

I’ve seen some dwarf rainbow fish lately that I’ve really liked. Those boesmanI rainbows are nice. KoI angels are near too. I’ve seen some great colors on some of them as well. Sounds like a fun project.

 

[Islandvic]

I vote for the Rainbowfish. I've got 2 BoesmanI and 2 Australian Rainbowfish and they are great. The Rainbowfish have become some of my favorite community fish. They put on size quick in a few months also. Very hardy fish in my experience.

I think your corydora, angelfish and Rainbowfish stocking plan is a very good choice !

 

[FinalFins]

I vote some sort of wild angelfish

 

[JettsPapa]

I got impatient and started sticking plants in the substrate before it really settled, so I was working by feel. It will be interesting to see how it looks tomorrow morning.

And it's full of water. By the time I decided to do that it was dark, and I didn't feel like dealing with hoses, so I did it the hard way. Some of you may not know this, but it takes a considerable amount of time and beer to fill a 65 gallon aquarium with a 2.5 gallon bucket.

 

[JettsPapa]

I have the heater, lights, and filter running. The tiny plants on the left are some little assorted crypts. They should look a lot better in a few weeks. The led light came with the tank. It's pretty bright, but all white. I'm not sure yet how I feel about that. I can change it out later if I want.

I'm tentatively planning to put 3 - 4 turquoise rainbowfish in it Friday. I'll put an old filter pad from the 40 gallon tank in it so there'll be some bacteria to get the cycle going, and check the water daily and do water changes as needed.

 

[JettsPapa]

 

[coralbandit]

Nice Melanotaenia / blue rainbows ?

 

[JettsPapa]

Nice Melanotaenia / blue rainbows ?

Melanotaenia lacustris, labeled turquoise rainbowfish. Is that the same thing as blue, or a different variety?

I planned to get three or four, but the store only had five. I couldn't leave one in the tank all alone, could I?

 

[coralbandit]

Melanotaenia lacustris, labeled turquoise rainbowfish. Is that the same thing as blue, or a different variety?

I planned to get three or four, but the store only had five. I couldn't leave one in the tank all alone, could I?

You got all that right !
Good for you and them taking them all ! One of my favorite thing to say when I see fish I want ..All !
5 is good group , you should enjoy them .

 

[JettsPapa]

You got all that right !
Good for you and them taking them all ! One of my favorite thing to say when I see fish I want ..All !
5 is good group , you should enjoy them .

Thanks. I'm starting with these five. I'll add more of something in about a week. Maybe more of the same?

 

[JettsPapa]

I'm happy to report that all five seem to be doing fine this morning.

 

[Islandvic]

Most excellent!

What light do you have on the 65g ?

 

[JettsPapa]

Most excellent!

What light do you have on the 65 gallon ?

It's an LED that came with the rest of the setup, but it's all white. I don't know much about lights. Should I get one with more colors? And if yes, would that be for the benefit of the fish, or plants?

 

[StarGirl]

Looks great so far. Keep updating!

 

[Islandvic]

Plant requirements for lightning I'm not very well versed at.

Only asked because I have a 65g tank my friend gave me and still in the process of building a stand for it after numerous delays..... the fish he gave me are still in their temporary housing.

The pic of your 65g looked well lighted, so just curious what it was.

Please keep us updated with your progress!

 

[JettsPapa]

I called the Pet Supplies Plus to see if they have more of the Turquoise Rainbowfish since I bought all of them Friday. They didn't, and the kind young lady said to check back next week. I don't think I want to wait until next week on the off chance that they get some in then. It looks like I'll be heading to Houston this weekend to try to find some. I believe 360 Aquatics has fish labeled "Blue Rainbows." I think that's just a different name for the same fish. Does anyone know for sure?

 

[coralbandit]

I believe 360 Aquatics has fish labeled "Blue Rainbows." I think that's just a different name for the same fish. Does anyone know for sure?

I believe they are usually the same . Sometimes called Turquoise also .
Blue Rainbowfish | Tropical Fish Keeping

 

[JettsPapa]

I believe they are usually the same . Sometimes called Turquoise also .

Thanks.

 

[Islandvic]

If you go to H-Town to check the inventory of their local fish stores, check out the YouTube channel "IFG". He has a couple of tours of fish stores in the Houston area. He probably has them listed on his video playlist. That way in case 360 Aquatics doesn't have what you're looking for, you have back up places to go.

Check out the Millennium Rainbowfish if they have them. They have a red'ish color. They might contrast well with your Turquoise Rainbowfish.

 

[JettsPapa]

If you go to H-Town to check the inventory of their local fish stores, check out the YouTube channel "IFG". He has a couple of tours of fish stores in the Houston area. He probably has them listed on his video playlist. That way in case 360 Aquatics doesn't have what you're looking for, you have back up places to go.

Check out the Millennium Rainbowfish if they have them. They have a red'ish color. They might contrast well with your Turquoise Rainbowfish.

Thanks. I'll do that, and speaking of contrasting with the Turquoise Rainbows, what do y'all think about a school of ember tetras? That way I'd have contrasting colors and sizes.

 

[Islandvic]

That would look very good !

 

[JettsPapa]

I just left 360 Aquatics and heading home. I have 4 male and 4 female turquoise (blue) rainbowfish to add to the 5 at home, and 1 koI angel.

 

[Islandvic]

Good score !

 

[JettsPapa]

 

[JettsPapa]

I noticed ich spots in some of the rainbowfish yesterday evening, and some of them had a lot of spots. Otherwise they weren't behaving different. I was surprised by that, because when I had ich in the 40 gallon when the tetras would have that many spots they'd be hanging out in the back of the tank and barely moving, and dead the next day.

I had some ich-X so I started dosing the tank with it. After putting the first syringe full in I saw one of them at the bottom of the tank. It was a dark purple, like the medicine, and died soon after. When it saw my hand with the syringe I think it might have thought it was food and got a big mouth full, but I'm not sure.

So far that's the only one I've lost. The rest look a little better today, and I'm still not noticing any change in behavior, but I haven't had them long, so if there was a subtle behavior change I'm not sure I'd notice.

I'm about to do a 30% water change and dose the tank again, as the directions say to do. Wish me luck.

 

[JettsPapa]

So the fish have looked better every day since the first treatment, and I haven't lost any more after that first one. I don't see any signs of the ich today. I did a 30% water change and added another dose Saturday and Sunday evening, but didn't do anything with it last night. I plan to do another water change and another dose of Ich-X tonight and then let it sit for a few days.

Does that sound like a good plan?

And by the way, this empty 20 gallon long I'm looking at will be set up and running soon, and any new fish for the 40 or 65 will spend several weeks in it first.

 

[coralbandit]

Do you see any spots anymore on any fish ?
I usually treat for 3-6 days after the last spot is seen ..

 

[JettsPapa]

Do you see any spots anymore on any fish ?
I usually treat for 3-6 days after the last spot is seen ..

Thanks for replying. I didn't see any spots on them last night, and very few Monday night. Do you think I should treat again?

 

[coralbandit]

Yea .Better safe then sorry .
The meds only kill the ich when it is off the fish so now is the time to get the meds in the water IMO .

 

[JettsPapa]

Yea .Better safe then sorry .
The meds only kill the ich when it is off the fish so now is the time to get the meds in the water IMO .

Okay. I dosed the tank last night. Maybe do one more tomorrow night, or should I do one tonight also?

 

[coralbandit]

I usually dose daily when treating along with water changes .

 

[JettsPapa]

I usually dose daily when treating along with water changes .

Thanks. I'll definitely do another water change and treatment tonight and tomorrow night then. I think the directions on the bottle say 30% water change. Is that what you do during treatment?

 

[coralbandit]

I usually do 50% just so my math is easy for my head !
I don't test anymore but even saying I take out half of the junk I put in seems shameful !
I know people say fish are sensitive or I can't do it but if you and the fish work up to it you can change what you want .
I am draining my 29 gallon with baby discus almost 6 weeks old to within 2 inches of empty and fill it back up every day ! Basically shooting for 90% in that tank ..For regular maintenance and treatment I like 50-75 % just for easy math .
Most get nervous treating with meds .They are used up in 24 hours or less in most cases and why we redose .
Few see on the Rid Ich Plus it says you can dose 2X daily !

 

[JettsPapa]

Pet Supplies Plus was having a sale on fish, so my daughter-in-law went there and picked up a dozen black neons for me today. They're in my new 20 gallon quarantine tank right now, but they'll be going in the 65 in a few weeks.

 

[GlennO]

How are the Rainbowfish going, no more Ich?

 

[StarGirl]

Pet Supplies Plus was having a sale on fish, so my daughter-in-law went there and picked up a dozen black neons for me today. They're in my new 20 gallon quarantine tank right now, but they'll be going in the 65 in a few weeks.

Your Pet Supplies Plus still has fish? I wish ours did. I like black neons.

 

[coralbandit]

New 20 gallon slid by many easy enough ..

 

[JettsPapa]

How are the Rainbowfish going, no more Ich?

They're doing great. Thanks.

 

[JettsPapa]

Your Pet Supplies Plus still has fish? I wish ours did. I like black neons.

Yes it does, and it carries fish they don't have at Petco or Petsmart. It's definitely my favorite chain store.

 

[Addictedtobettas]

New 20 gallon slid by many easy enough ..

I wish I could do that in my house.

 

[JettsPapa]

New 20 gallon slid by many easy enough ..

Yes it did, and there's a story behind "new" 20 gallon tank. I've had an empty 20 gallon long that I found on craigslist for $10.00 just sitting there for weeks waiting for me to set it up. Last Sunday was the day. It was time to set it up so I could quarantine new fish. So I got it onto my desk so I could work on it, and started trying to get it clean. I poured a little vinegar in it and laid it on it's side so it could soak. Left it for a while, and tried to get that side clean. Repeated for the other sides.

Several hours later I still wasn't satisfied, so I picked up my phone and started making calls. It turns out Pet Supplies Plus was having a $1.00 per gallon sale, and had a 10 long in stock. I said "I'll be there in 30 minutes."

So I loaded up the still not clean tank on my truck and headed for the store. I walked in and stood in front of the fish tanks waiting for someone to ask if I needed help. It didn't take long. I asked him if he had fish, and he did, and would he like a free 20 gallon long. It turns out he did. Problem solved. We were both happy.

 

[JettsPapa]

Look what the nice lady who delivers our mail just dropped off. I've really been looking forward to getting this package from coralbandit.

One of their new roommates is checking them out. I'll post more photos after I release them into the tank.

 

[JettsPapa]

 

[Islandvic]

SUPER RED BN's !!

Fantastic, hopefully some will breed in the future for you.

 

[JettsPapa]

SUPER RED BN's !!

Fantastic, hopefully some will breed in the future for you.

Thanks. I don't have any intention of going into competition with coralbandit, but I hope they breed also.

 

[JettsPapa]

So today I decided it was time to move the black neon tetras out of the quarantine tank and into the 65, so I did. I had been planning to leave them in there until I got more fish, but with all the craziness going on I don't know when that will be. I had 4 rummy nose tetras in quarantine also, so I put them in the 40 breeder with the 6 that were already in there.

I'm getting the brown and green algae that seems to be typical for all new tanks in the 20 long, so I put a nerite snail in it Sunday, and after getting the fish out today I pulled a few rams horns out of the 10 gallon shrimp tank and added them. Then I trimmed the water wisteria in the 40 and put the trimmings in the 20 also, so there's almost certainly some bladder snails that went along for the ride. That 29 long is going to be a regular snail paradise. Hopefully they'll at least keep some cycle going until I get more fish.

Edit: Just after I hit the button to post the above I spotted the nerite near the top of the 40, and since there's very little algae in there, and there's a bristlenose pleco and an oto in there too I grabbed him and dropped him in the 20 with the rest of the snails.

 

[JettsPapa]

An order went to Aqua Huna today for 20 lemon tetras to add to the 65. They'll go into the 20 gallon long quarantine tank first for a few weeks. I know there are differences of opinions out there about medicating new fish that don't show any symptoms, so I don't plan to do the full trio recommended by Aquarium Co-op, but I do plan to give them one round of General Cure.

Now I have to figure out what to do with the blue neocaradina shrimp in the quarantine tank that I brought home from the work tank while I'm working from home. I may have to go back to work some time when no one is there and bring the tank home.