New guy, newish to the hobby, am I doing this right?

Hello everyone! First post! Probably because I just got a fishtank! Quick briefing.. Had a couple 20 gallons in the past, nothing crazy. Just purchased a 75 gallon and am very excited as I love pets! So I have done a lot of research through youtube and forums and searches or whatnot and feel like my tank is setup pretty well. I just want some better 'experts' to tell me anything I could change or remove/add. I'll try to give all my details as well as a video to help. I appreciate anyone willing to look this over! Thank you in advance!

-75 Gallon Marineland Aquarium with lid ( No it doesnt leak )
-Fluval light set to gradually increase brightness from 8am-noon, then decrease from 5pm-8pm.
- Fluval 407 filter with powerhead on right side of tank.
-Fluval 207 filter with wavebar on left side of tank.
- Fluval Sea CP2 25 gallon in Left Middle of tank pointing up.
- Top Fin 75 gallon Sponge Filter in the middle.
- Fluval A402 Air pump rated at 160 Gallons powering sponge filter and bubble bar on left of aquarium.
- 2 Fluval 300 Watt heaters. One position vertically next to the left intake and the other positioned horizontally near the top middle/right of tank.

Have had it now for 1 week. Added Stability as directed and added 7 Diamond tetras who all seem to be doing very well. My plan as of now would be overtime to add an additional 8 Diamond Tetras, 15 Mollies, 1 dwarf guarami, 1 pleco, 2 angelfish and 1 other unknown. My water tests everyday for the last 5 days have come back with 0 ammonia, 0 Nitrite and around 10 Nitrate.

My main questions would be, is my fish selection adequate for this setup? Is this filter system adequate/too much/could be optimized? (Using bio rings and matrix as well as the usual sponges and floss and a pack of carbon). Should I get real plants? Ive had them before but they grew like crazy in the 20 gallon.. Then just maybe any tips on how to keep a long healthy tank. I love all animals and want to give every living thing I bring into my home the best life possible. So if im doing something wrong, please let me know. I am a willing learner! Thank you all so much for reading and watching!!

Ps : I know the backround is messed up, haha. New one is on the way. What's the proper way to put those on btw?

 

The gourami and angelfish might have issues with each other. Although if you break the line of sight enough it might work out.
Those mollies can also be aggressive. I've kept them in my 55g.

Real plants are always a good idea or at least some taller silk plants.
More of fewer species looks better than a ton of different types imo but overall that's up to you.

 

Hi, welcome to fishlore.
I think you're best off without Gourami, looks like you have some impressive flow in the tank which isn't suitable for them. Additionally I would avoid Dwarf Gourami regardless, I'll leave my article on why if you are interested. My thoughts on Dwarf Gourami/Trichogaster Lalius

 

Welcome to Fishlore! I would go with live plants, I think they help keep the tank healthy. Love the Diamond tetras,btw.

 

Hi, welcome to fishlore.
I think you're best off without Gourami, looks like you have some impressive flow in the tank which isn't suitable for them. Additionally I would avoid Dwarf Gourami regardless, I'll leave my article on why if you are interested. My thoughts on Dwarf Gourami/Trichogaster Lalius

Thats a good article. Ive owned a few gouramis before and come to think of it, never turned out well. One was a massive bully and another died quickly. Any suggestions for a good fish in similar size that is ok as a solo of its kind?

 

I agree with the above. I think the gourami would not be well suited to your higher flow. Nice tank overall though! I also have a 75 Marineland cichlid tank and love it. Your filtration should be more than enough as long as you continue regular maintenance. Only concern is it only being up and running for a week. I would slow down on adding things at this point because unless used stuff from a previously cycled tank it is not going to be ready for a full load after a week.

 

Welcome to Fishlore! I would go with live plants, I think they help keep the tank healthy. Love the Diamond tetras,btw.

Thanks! I think I have already decided to get some live plants cause im not a fan of the look of the fake ones. As well of course of the benifits of live. My only issue this time was a previous rank i put plants in I ended up with a snail infestation... That never xompletely went away. I never added any snails on my own. I assume i missed a step before adding plants?

 

Thanks! I think I have already decided to get some live plants cause im not a fan of the look of the fake ones. As well of course of the benifits of live. My only issue this time was a previous rank i put plants in I ended up with a snail infestation... That never xompletely went away. I never added any snails on my own. I assume i missed a step before adding plants?

Have you had initial spike in ammonia or nitrite yet?

 

Have you had initial spike in ammonia or nitrite yet?

I added water and Prime conditioner on Saturday morning. I Added 2 bottles of Tetra safestart plus (meant for 50 gallons each) on Sunday night. I then added the 7 tetras on Monday afternoon. I started testing the water monday morning and my results were 0 ammonia, 0 Nitrite and hard to tell but very close to zero nitrates... Been testing everyday since. Today is Thursday. Test today showed 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite , 10ish nitrate. So i never saw any spike of ammonia or nitrite. 1 of my tests on like tuesday may have had a very trace amount of ammonia so i added a capful of Prime just incase. Been adding Seachem Stability everyday as directed on the bottle and will do so until sunday..

 

Thanks! I think I have already decided to get some live plants cause im not a fan of the look of the fake ones. As well of course of the benifits of live. My only issue this time was a previous rank i put plants in I ended up with a snail infestation... That never xompletely went away. I never added any snails on my own. I assume i missed a step before adding plants?

Ya, I'm gonna go without the Gourami now. Any other suggestions for a solo fish? I added the 7 tetras 2 days after adding water and bacteria. As well as continuing to add bacteria for the full week.. I was thinking of getting 7 mollies this weekend. (Approx 1 week after tetras.) Then adding 2 single specie fish in about another 2 weeks, then bi weekly after that i would add, 7 mollies, 7 tetras, 2 angles and 1 phantom pleco. Just havnt decided the 2 single specie fish yet. 1 was gonna be a gourami but not anymore! Is this all too quick?

Ahhhh, the lovely snail infestation. I've had the same problem with one of my tanks. I ordered plants online, received beautiful plants, failed to use a dip on them and wound up with A LOT of snails. To prevent that you can make sure to dip the plants you purchase, or be lazy like me and just buy the Top Fin brand at the chain stores. I have never found a snail on any of them, but they are MUCH more expensive.

 

Thanks! I think I have already decided to get some live plants cause im not a fan of the look of the fake ones. As well of course of the benifits of live. My only issue this time was a previous rank i put plants in I ended up with a snail infestation... That never xompletely went away. I never added any snails on my own. I assume i missed a step before adding plants?

its a risk you take when getting plants. It depends on where you get them from.

BTW the tank looks great!

 

Ahhhh, the lovely snail infestation. I've had the same problem with one of my tanks. I ordered plants online, received beautiful plants, failed to use a dip on them and wound up with A LOT of snails. To prevent that you can make sure to dip the plants you purchase, or be lazy like me and just buy the Top Fin brand at the chain stores. I have never found a snail on any of them, but they are MUCH more expensive.

Im not 100% sure what these top fin plants are... they are not fake? I dont think ive seen these...

 

I added water and Prime conditioner on Saturday morning. I Added 2 bottles of Tetra safestart plus (meant for 50 gallons each) on Sunday night. I then added the 7 tetras on Monday afternoon. I started testing the water monday morning and my results were 0 ammonia, 0 Nitrite and hard to tell but very close to zero nitrates... Been testing everyday since. Today is Thursday. Test today showed 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite , 10ish nitrate. So i never saw any spike of ammonia or nitrite. 1 of my tests on like tuesday may have had a very trace amount of ammonia so i added a capful of Prime just incase. Been adding Seachem Stability everyday as directed on the bottle and will do so until sunday..

Those will definitely all help! Should get an opinion from someone that knows their products a little better than I do. My concern is that a lot of those ammonia reducers bind the ammonia putting it in an inactive form, which is great, but then it can't be used by the bacteria to build up healthy colonies. So it will be all fine until you stop using it then you will get the spike because there will be no bacteria to start the cycle. Does that make sense?

 

Im not 100% sure what these top fin plants are... they are not fake? I dont think ive seen these...

I'm sorry, I guess I should have asked your location. It's a common brand of live plants sold in chain stores in North America.

 

Those will definitely all help! Should get an opinion from someone that knows their products a little better than I do. My concern is that a lot of those ammonia reducers bind the ammonia putting it in an inactive form, which is great, but then it can't be used by the bacteria to build up healthy colonies. So it will be all fine until you stop using it then you will get the spike because there will be no bacteria to start the cycle. Does that make sense?

Ya, that makes sense. Is the Seachem Stability an ammonia reducer? Are you saying I will most likely see a spike after sunday when I stop using it daily? I will still use it when adding new fish and water changes. Im just thinking i should wait for new fish until after this spike if thats whats coming. The diamond tetras are apparently quite hardy so I think they should do ok.

I'm sorry, I guess I should have asked your location. It's a common brand of live plants sold in chain stores in North America.

I am in canada and have many Top Fin items. I have just never heard of top fin live plants. And how would they be gauranteed to not have snails? Do you happen to have a link to this product from somewhere? Very curious.

 

Ok just did some quick reading and it looks like seachem prime (not stability that you are using) that binds the nitrogen compounds and supposedly leaves them active for bacteria. So both the products from Seachem and Tetra are supplements to the bacteria in the tank which is better option.

You definitely don't have the tank completely cycled just because there is not enough time. But with the supplements and the larger volume of water in relation to the juvenile fish you should be able to control it. If you want to add the fish I would continue your supplements but taper off. Like do every other day and then move down to none or something and continue checking quality. That way you dont get a sudden large spike. Then if you start to see ammonia or nitrite rapidly increase you can change some of the water column to bring it down until you get your levels to a sustainable rate. Its kind of a supplemented fish in cycle.

 

Tropica also do blister style packs of plants that are guaranteed snails safe, I’m in Europe though so I’m not sure if that’s an available brand to you. However , there’s plenty of tips if you use the search option on here of how to do plants dips to rid plants of pest snails . I will add that snails can be a great addition to your tank , especially if you have sand, although I do understand your trepidation!

Your tank is lovely by the way, that wood is something special ! You’ve had some fantastic advice above so there’s not much more for me to add. enjoy !

 

Ya, that makes sense. Is the Seachem Stability an ammonia reducer? Are you saying I will most likely see a spike after sunday when I stop using it daily? I will still use it when adding new fish and water changes. Im just thinking i should wait for new fish until after this spike if thats whats coming. The diamond tetras are apparently quite hardy so I think they should do ok.

I am in canada and have many Top Fin items. I have just never heard of top fin live plants. And how would they be gauranteed to not have snails? Do you happen to have a link to this product from somewhere? Very curious.

I'm sorry, but I'm not finding any links for them. Do you have Petco or Petsmart in Canada? That is where I buy mine. I've seen some people online say they have found a snail on theirs, but the package says snail free and for the MANY plants I've bought I have always found that to be true. I have a 55 gal, 29 gal, 13 gal, and 2 shrimp jars. All heavily planted and snail free.

 

Ok just did some quick reading and it looks like seachem prime (not stability that you are using) that binds the nitrogen compounds and supposedly leaves them active for bacteria. So both the products from Seachem and Tetra are supplements to the bacteria in the tank which is better option.

You definitely don't have the tank completely cycled just because there is not enough time. But with the supplements and the larger volume of water in relation to the juvenile fish you should be able to control it. If you want to add the fish I would continue your supplements but taper off. Like do every other day and then move down to none or something and continue checking quality. That way you dont get a sudden large spike. Then if you start to see ammonia or nitrite rapidly increase you can change some of the water column to bring it down until you get your levels to a sustainable rate. Its kind of a supplemented fish in cycle.

That all sounds like really good advice that I will be following! Thank you for your research and input! I have promised myself to be MUCH more diligent with this tank than previous tanks.

 

I'm sorry, but I'm not finding any links for them. Do you have Petco or Petsmart in Canada? That is where I buy mine. I've seen some people online say they have found a snail on theirs, but the package says snail free and for the MANY plants I've bought I have always found that to be true. I have a 55 gal, 29 gal, 13 gal, and 2 shrimp jars. All heavily planted and snail free.

I have also used the ones you are talking about. Sold at petsmart or petco in the plastic cylinders. Not sure they are top fin brand as that would be pet smart only but sold at both. Little pricey but never had a snail.

 

I'm sorry, but I'm not finding any links for them. Do you have Petco or Petsmart in Canada? That is where I buy mine. I've seen some people online say they have found a snail on theirs, but the package says snail free and for the MANY plants I've bought I have always found that to be true. I have a 55 gal, 29 gal, 13 gal, and 2 shrimp jars. All heavily planted and snail free.

Yes, we have a petsmart. So they are pre packaged? Hmmm, ok I will ask about them next time im in there. Thanks!

 

That all sounds like really good advice that I will be following! Thank you for your research and input! I have promised myself to be MUCH more diligent with this tank than previous tanks.

Goodluck! Love the look of the tank, very nice setup! Keep posting pictures as you add more.

 

I have also used the ones you are talking about. Sold at petsmart or petco in the plastic cylinders. Not sure they are top fin brand as that would be pet smart only but sold at both. Little pricey but never had a snail.

I think I have seen those. I didnt know they were real....

 

I think tropica are the uk equivalent of what you have ! They come pre packaged , usually in some sort of gel at the base if needed which you rinse off in the tap easily. Have you had a good internet search of local fish shops ? I have one great local run one that has plants just alone in there own set up , another local run one that used to have a tank but with fish that changed to the blister style packs. My local brand is tropica, but if you find your brand and Google it you’ll find local stockists. Although again you can just do a plant dip , which should rid your of ‘pest’ snails

 

Thats a good article. Ive owned a few gouramis before and come to think of it, never turned out well. One was a massive bully and another died quickly. Any suggestions for a good fish in similar size that is ok as a solo of its kind?

Thank you

Maybe look into Dwarf Cichlids, Rams, Apistos etc.. I think they would suit the setup better. Maybe something like Keyhole Cichlids, though I believe a small group would be best for them, also not a Dwarf species but not particularly big either.
I will say I have very little experience with Cichlids so take my suggestions with a grain of salt.

 

Thank you

Maybe look into Dwarf Cichlids, Rams, Apistos etc.. I think they would suit the setup better. Maybe something like Keyhole Cichlids, though I believe a small group would be best for them, also not a Dwarf species but not particularly big either.
I will say I have very little experience with Cichlids so take my suggestions with a grain of salt.

I had no idea those would be an option in a community tank! Just did some more reading, thanks for the idea! I really like the idea of the keyhole guys!

 

First and foremost: Welcome to FIshlore! It's great to have you! You seem very well read and set up, a lot more prepared than most beginners, including when I started.

So a few things, the filtration is way overkill. You don't need that much.

I agree with above for prime and not cycling.

Also agree with above about gouramis, most are super aggressive and die quite quickly. Though I have seen even some very aggressive fish back off when they see the angelfish's size. So it might be fine, but the death is still a factor, maybe consider honey gouramis?

As far as the angelfish, I would start with 4 (Easily okay to be in a 75g) and then if 2 pair off, get rid of the others, but if none pair off, they should be okay to live in there their whole lives, why I suggest 4 can be explained in my article here, I'd read the whole thing also if you are considering keeping them: Resource 'Freshwater Angelfish Care'

And though I don't have experience with mollies, I have heard they can be quite aggressive and may not be ideal tankmates with angels, though there is the factor of the angel's size, though mollies do get 4-5 inches if I'm not mistaken. Some similar fish that I know can go with angels are guppies, they are marked as nippy, but they backed off when it came to my angels. Though you'd probably want some size on your angels before you add the guppies or mollies. emeraldking may be able to say something about the aggressiveness of mollies.

Also, just wondering, what type of pleco are you getting?

 

Is it bad though?

No, it's fine, but as far as price goes it would add up, though there are a few fish that may not like such a high flow.

I have it on a timer that the fluval sea thing and the large sponge filter turn off between 9pm and 9am..

You shouldn't have your filters ever turn off, the bacteria in them is what is known as aerobic bacteria, so it constantly needs water going through it, and the fish don't stop making waste during the night, so, I'd just always leave it on.


For schoolers, some of my favorites are:

Purple emperor tetras
Furcata rainbowfish
Chili rasbora
Kubotai rasbora
Galaxy rasbora
Lambchop rasbora
Cherry barb

For pair ideas: Bolivian rams, appistos (All of them are cool), a pair of moonlight gouramis (These I hear have some of the biggest personalities ever), electric blue acara, or some other species of gourami.

 

Rummynose tetras and Harlequin rasboras are nice shoaling fish.

 

First and foremost: Welcome to FIshlore! It's great to have you! You seem very well read and set up, a lot more prepared than most beginners, including when I started.

So a few things, the filtration is way overkill. You don't need that much.

I agree with above for prime and not cycling.

Also agree with above about gouramis, most are super aggressive and die quite quickly. Though I have seen even some very aggressive fish back off when they see the angelfish's size. So it might be fine, but the death is still a factor, maybe consider honey gouramis?

As far as the angelfish, I would start with 4 (Easily okay to be in a 75g) and then if 2 pair off, get rid of the others, but if none pair off, they should be okay to live in there their whole lives, why I suggest 4 can be explained in my article here, I'd read the whole thing also if you are considering keeping them: Resource 'Freshwater Angelfish Care'

And though I don't have experience with mollies, I have heard they can be quite aggressive and may not be ideal tankmates with angels, though there is the factor of the angel's size, though mollies do get 4-5 inches if I'm not mistaken. Some similar fish that I know can go with angels are guppies, they are marked as nippy, but they backed off when it came to my angels. Though you'd probably want some size on your angels before you add the guppies or mollies. emeraldking may be able to say something about the aggressiveness of mollies.

Also, just wondering, what type of pleco are you getting?

Hey! Thanks for the response! I guess the actual type of fish I get doesnt matter as much as the ratio I have in my head. If I can explain it I would like to have 2 schools ( hence the 15 mollies and 15 diamond tetras ), I would like 1 'pair' of fish. So 2 of the same species that would be like buddies. 2 larger individual fish of different species. And 1 pleco. And the Pleco i was looking at was a phantom pleco or ghost pleco it may be called? Any suggestions on fish types would be great. I only really know the basic same ol ones... And I sort of like that my filtration is way overkill. Is it bad though? I have it on a timer that the fluval sea thing and the large sponge filter turn off

No, it's fine, but as far as price goes it would add up, though there are a few fish that may not like such a high flow.

You shouldn't have your filters ever turn off, the bacteria in them is what is known as aerobic bacteria, so it constantly needs water going through it, and the fish don't stop making waste during the night, so, I'd just always leave it on.


For schoolers, some of my favorites are:

Purple emperor tetras
Furcata rainbowfish
Chili rasbora
Kubotai rasbora
Galaxy rasbora
Lambchop rasbora
Cherry barb

For pair ideas: Bolivian rams, appistos (All of them are cool), a pair of moonlight gouramis (These I hear have some of the biggest personalities ever), electric blue acara, or some other species of gourami.

Ok awesome. I will look into all those fish. You think an electric blue acara would be ok in this community tank?

I only had that sponge filter turn off at night for 2 reasons.. I also thought my filtration was a little overkill already and thought it would give the fish a break from the current at night to help rest. Also its a bit noisier with the air pump than my other 2 fluval filters.. but I was wondering if it was ok to turn a filter on and off with the bacteria and such... Good to know. I will leave it on.
Also, how many schooling fish do you think I could put in here along with those others i mentioned?

 

Hey! Thanks for the response! I guess the actual type of fish I get doesnt matter as much as the ratio I have in my head. If I can explain it I would like to have 2 schools ( hence the 15 mollies and 15 diamond tetras ), I would like 1 'pair' of fish. So 2 of the same species that would be like buddies. 2 larger individual fish of different species. And 1 pleco. And the Pleco i was looking at was a phantom pleco or ghost pleco it may be called? Any suggestions on fish types would be great. I only really know the basic same ol ones... And I sort of like that my filtration is way overkill. Is it bad though? I have it on a timer that the fluval sea thing and the large sponge filter turn off

Ok awesome. I will look into all those fish. You think an electric blue acara would be ok in this community tank?

I only had that sponge filter turn off at night for 2 reasons.. I also thought my filtration was a little overkill already and thought it would give the fish a break from the current at night to help rest. Also its a bit noisier with the air pump than my other 2 fluval filters.. but I was wondering if it was ok to turn a filter on and off with the bacteria and such... Good to know. I will leave it on.

Also, how many schooling fish do you think I could put in here along with those others i mentioned?

I personally don't know, I know it could definitely work in a 75g, though I don't know about their aggression. I would research it and ask around, I was just shouting out possibilities.

Depending on which fish you go with with them and which schoolers you decide on it could vary. With the smaller schoolers, you could probably have 2 schools of 16.

 

If you go with the blue acara, I would pass on the smaller tetras. I've heard they like to snack on them. I have a rainbow cichlid that does well in my community tank. It is very peaceful. If you decide to go with either of the above cichlids, I wouldn't keep a pair of them in a community tank. They can get very aggressive during breeding.

 

Good advice to keep the filters running. Yes they are overkill, but better over than under. If you are concerned about too much flow you can direct your heads in different directions to minimize the impact on the water column. The school of diamond tetras will be nice. I'm not sure that mollies will be your best option for you other school. From my experience they tend to be more of a shoaling and sometimes hang around each other but also go on their own. I like the suggestion above of another tetra species or rasbora to get another school. Acaras are beautiful fish, but once they get large I think they will start seeing your schools for lunch if you go with something smaller. So use caution if you want to go that direction. I love the german blue rams and those are very friendly from my experience.

 

Good advice to keep the filters running. Yes they are overkill, but better over than under. If you are concerned about too much flow you can direct your heads in different directions to minimize the impact on the water column. The school of diamond tetras will be nice. I'm not sure that mollies will be your best option for you other school. From my experience they tend to be more of a shoaling and sometimes hang around each other but also go on their own. I like the suggestion above of another tetra species or rasbora to get another school. Acaras are beautiful fish, but once they get large I think they will start seeing your schools for lunch if you go with something smaller. So use caution if you want to go that direction. I love the german blue rams and those are very friendly from my experience.

I just looked up those blue rams. They are gorgeous! I will definitley look into one of those. We were also thinking Mollies may not be the best option. Leaning more towards a rasbora or maybe cherry barbs? My gf is pretty set on having 2 black angel fish. Will they get along? Also any suggestions on pleco type?

 

Black veil angels are very pretty fish. They can have some aggression, but with a 75 gallon tank it should be enough space for the barbs or blue rams and there should not be a lot of competition there. Also look at the advice above about angels and their aggression towards each other. I have only ever had common plecos because I like them and they are cheaper. But there are endless options it seems, just consider size and competitive space (not too much since you are getting mainly upper and mid column fish).

 

Black veil angels are very pretty fish. They can have some aggression, but with a 75 gallon tank it should be enough space for the barbs or blue rams and there should not be a lot of competition there. Also look at the advice above about angels and their aggression towards each other. I have only ever had common plecos because I like them and they are cheaper. But there are endless options it seems, just consider size and competitive space (not too much since you are getting mainly upper and mid column fish).

Ok great! Ya i will read up on angels right now. Thanks again!

 

Ok great! Ya i will read up on angels right now. Thanks again!

Sweet! Good luck!

 

Don’t go for a common pleco ( unless you are ready to commit to one for a long time and a big size ) Choose a smaller species . I say this from experience … although I love my guy he’s 10+ years old and needs a lot of room, he is also messy and limits my tank with his size.

What about cories instead of a pleco ? Cute, lots of variety and a tonne of personality! I love pandas personally, but if you’re going rams sterbei’s like the warmer temperatures

 

I just looked up those blue rams. They are gorgeous! I will definitley look into one of those. We were also thinking Mollies may not be the best option. Leaning more towards a rasbora or maybe cherry barbs? My gf is pretty set on having 2 black angel fish. Will they get along? Also any suggestions on pleco type?

If you do get rams, most of them are so overbred that they are super sensitive. Though many people on here have gotten rams from coralbandit and said they are a lot more hardy and less overbred.

 

If you want a pleco in the tank, I've had good luck with bristlenose plecos. They stay small, are peaceful, and are good little algae eaters.