New Tank Setup 75 Gallon (new To Aquariums)

Hello,
This is my first post here so allow me to introduce myself. My name is Rebecca and I'm from upstate NY. I am currently setting up my 75 gallon aquarium for fresh water fish. I am very excited about having fish and I am doing everything I can to make sure I do this right. I want to have a beautiful natural looking tank with HEALTHY fish. Everything I have done so far and purchased for the aquarium is stuff I learned on YouTube and just by talking to people at my Aquarium store.
I have had this 75 gallon aquarium for about 15 years. I understand that after about 10 years you should replace the silicone, so last week I carefully removed all the silicone from the tank making sure I got it down to glass with no silicone remaining. I resealed it using ASI Aquarium Clear silicone on Monday August 13th and I'm planning to put water in it to test the tank on Monday the 20th. If there are no issues with leaks then I plan to set up the tank with all my gravel, rocks and fake plants and start the filter and cycle the water for a couple weeks with API Stress Coat.
The equipment I purchased are the Aquaclear 110 filter that hangs off the back of the tank. I bought the Fluval 300w heater with digital readout. and the Tetra Whisper 100 air pump and bubbler stones. I also bought a hinged glass top.
My question for you is, Am I missing anything? Is there anything else I need to monitor the health of my fish once I put them in there?
Thank you
Rebecca

 

Hello,
This is my first post here so allow me to introduce myself. My name is Rebecca and I'm from upstate NY. I am currently setting up my 75 gallon aquarium for fresh water fish. I am very excited about having fish and I am doing everything I can to make sure I do this right. I want to have a beautiful natural looking tank with HEALTHY fish. Everything I have done so far and purchased for the aquarium is stuff I learned on YouTube and just by talking to people at my Aquarium store.
I have had this 75 gallon aquarium for about 15 years. I understand that after about 10 years you should replace the silicone, so last week I carefully removed all the silicone from the tank making sure I got it down to glass with no silicone remaining. I resealed it using ASI Aquarium Clear silicone on Monday August 13th and I'm planning to put water in it to test the tank on Monday the 20th. If there are no issues with leaks then I plan to set up the tank with all my gravel, rocks and fake plants and start the filter and cycle the water for a couple weeks with API Stress Coat.
The equipment I purchased are the Aquaclear 110 filter that hangs off the back of the tank. I bought the Fluval 300w heater with digital readout. and the Tetra Whisper 100 air pump and bubbler stones. I also bought a hinged glass top.
My question for you is, Am I missing anything? Is there anything else I need to monitor the health of my fish once I put them in there?
Thank you
Rebecca

Lights if you light your tank up during the day. And thermometer just in case the digital readout is incorrect and a API Master Test Kit so you’ll be able to test for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, and ph level. Also some kind of water conditioner everyone recommends Seachem Prime. Instead of trying to start the cycle with stress coat use TSS+ or pure ammonia here’s a link to a good one. Dr. Tim's Aquatics Ammonium Chloride Solution for Cycling Aquariums, 2-oz bottle

 

Thanks for the reply. I forgot to mention that I do have lights. Ill get a thermometer maybe 2.. one for each end of the tank since it is a 75 gallon. I don't have a test kit yet so ill have to get one. I thought the stress coat was a water conditioner? If not then ill look into what you suggested. I already bought the stress coat.. So was that a waste of money? Is it bad to cycle the water with the stress coat.. I was told to use that by the pet store. I'm just a little confused on that.
Thanks
Rebecca

 

One thing to never do is listen to the pet store. Unless someone there owns a fish or a store that’s specializes in fish only. If not only trust people on the forums. They tell you whatever you need to hear just to get you to buy something. And stress cost helps the fish when you first add them in to prevent stress. And if you haven’t used the stress coat yet you can return it! You can try TSS+ but make sure you follow the directions or use ammonia to cycle the tank.

 

Sounds like you know about the cycle.

The only thing you're missing is the actual ammonia. Buy pure ammonia from ace hardware and increase your water to about 2 ppm.

Also, don't forget to dechlorinate the water. I suggest buying a big bottle of SeaChem Prime. It will last your a couple years.

 

HI peeps,
Please forgive me as I am a complete noobie at this. I just want to do it right and not kill my fish when I get them. Ok so I ordered the Test Kit, TSS, Seachem Prime from chewy along with some tank decorations. Now my question is when I start my cycle do I use both the TSS+ and the Seachem Prime? And when it comes time to put my fish in there will be no need for anything else like the stress coat correct?
Thanks
Rebecca

 

You're doing a fishless cycle right? I highly suggest doing this because fish will likely die if you don't. After you get experience it's possible to do safe fish in cycles but it's A LOT of work. Note the cycle takes about a month.

Step by step, here's what you do. Doing fishless is very easy you just need to be patient. No fish will die doing it this way and it takes about 3-4 weeks.
1. Setup the tank and fill with water. Dechlorinate the water with SeaChem Prime. Let the tank run for 24 hours.
2. Add pure ammonia. Dr Tims sells some or you could buy cheap ammoniam hydroxide from Ace Hardware for like $3. A little bit goes a LONG way with the Ace Hardware stuff. Dose your tank from 2 to 4 ppm.
3. Let run for 12 hours, then add your TSS. This will add live bacteria that will kickstart the cycle. Put it directly in the filter or close to the intake tube.
4. Check water parameters daily. If your ammonia drops below .5 ppm, add more ammonia to get it up to around 2 ppm.
5. Monitor nitrite. If your nitrite gets about 3-4 ppm, do a water change to lower it. Then add more ammonia back to 2 ppm. You want to keep nitrite under 3 to 4 ppm because having a ton of it can stall the cycle.
6. Check nitrate to see your progress. Once it starts rising, you're close to being done.
7. Once your tank turns 2 ppm of ammonia to nitrite/nitrate simultaneously in under 24 hours, you're cycled.
8. Do nearly a 100% water change to get rid of your nitrate. It will be very high at this point and isn't great for fish, plus it will cause crazy algae blooms.

Some other tips, turn the heater to about 84F for the cycle only. It will really help speed the process up. Then turn it back down when you're ready to add fish. Also keep the light off during the process as it will cause algae to grow.

 

HI peeps,
Please forgive me as I am a complete noobie at this. I just want to do it right and not kill my fish when I get them. Ok so I ordered the Test Kit, TSS, Seachem Prime from chewy along with some tank decorations. Now my question is when I start my cycle do I use both the TSS+ and the Seachem Prime? And when it comes time to put my fish in there will be no need for anything else like the stress coat correct?
Thanks
Rebecca

Whichever way you chose to do just come back to the forums and people will help you with whatever you need

 

Welcome to Fishlore Rebecca!!!

 

I'll have to disagree on this one. Fish IN cycling with TSS is safe and effective not to mention the easiest method I've used. Many users (myself included) use TSS with great success without losing fish and cycling our tanks in about 14 days. Regardless what method you decide to use to cycle your tank you will find plenty of help on these forums

 

You're doing a fishless cycle right? I highly suggest doing this because fish will likely die if you don't. After you get experience it's possible to do safe fish in cycles but it's A LOT of work. Note the cycle takes about a month.

Step by step, here's what you do. Doing fishless is very easy you just need to be patient. No fish will die doing it this way and it takes about 3-4 weeks.
1. Setup the tank and fill with water. Dechlorinate the water with SeaChem Prime. Let the tank run for 24 hours.
2. Add pure ammonia. Dr Tims sells some or you could buy cheap ammoniam hydroxide from Ace Hardware for like $3. A little bit goes a LONG way with the Ace Hardware stuff. Dose your tank from 2 to 4 ppm.
3. Let run for 12 hours, then add your TSS. This will add live bacteria that will kickstart the cycle. Put it directly in the filter or close to the intake tube.
4. Check water parameters daily. If your ammonia drops below .5 ppm, add more ammonia to get it up to around 2 ppm.
5. Monitor nitrite. If your nitrite gets about 3-4 ppm, do a water change to lower it. Then add more ammonia back to 2 ppm. You want to keep nitrite under 3 to 4 ppm because having a ton of it can stall the cycle.
6. Check nitrate to see your progress. Once it starts rising, you're close to being done.
7. Once your tank turns 2 ppm of ammonia to nitrite/nitrate simultaneously in under 24 hours, you're cycled.
8. Do nearly a 100% water change to get rid of your nitrate. It will be very high at this point and isn't great for fish, plus it will cause crazy algae blooms.

Some other tips, turn the heater to about 84F for the cycle only. It will really help speed the process up. Then turn it back down when you're ready to add fish. Also keep the light off during the process as it will cause algae to grow.

Yes I'm doing a fishless cycle. Even though I want to see fish swimming around now I will wait the necessary 3-4 weeks for the cycle. I am extremely patient. Thank you for the step by step instructions.. that's exactly what I needed. Ill let you know how it goes. I may have more questions along the way. But I think I have the basic idea of how it works now.
thanks
Rebecca

 

Yes I'm doing a fishless cycle. Even though I want to see fish swimming around now I will wait the necessary 3-4 weeks for the cycle. I am extremely patient. Thank you for the step by step instructions.. that's exactly what I needed. Ill let you know how it goes. I may have more questions along the way. But I think I have the basic idea of how it works now.
thanks
Rebecca

That’s good. Fish in cycles are possible but it requires a lot more water changes and constant monitoring. It’s much easier and safer to wait a few weeks.

And of course. Post on the forum with any questions. Everyone here is super helpful.

 

ystrout

I have a couple questions for you. I have followed your instructions for a fishless cycle. Using the API fresh water master test kit, in the beginning on 08/23 I was reading: 0 nitrites, 10 nitrates, LR ph 7.6, HR ph 8.0, and ammonia at 2ppm.

7 days into the cycle on 08/30 I started seeing some changes. My nitrites hit .25 and everything else stayed the same. On 08/31 nitrites hit .50 and nitrates hit 20 and everything else stayed the same.

Today 09/01 my nitrites are .50, nitrates appear to be 30ppm, and ammonia appears to be dropping at 1.5 ppm.

It appears my cycle is in motion. Thank you for the help getting this going.
I have been a little confused since I started the cycle because I thought you weren’t supposed to have nitrates until you had nitrites. So I tested my tap water this morning and found the following: 0 nitrites, 10ppm nitrates, 7.4 ph, .50 ammonia.

So my questions for you are:
1. Is it normal or bad to have nitrates and ammonia in tap water and should I take special steps when doing water changes?
2. If my nitrates continue to rise should I do a water change before my tank is cycled?
3. After my tank is cycled and I have fish in there should I treat my water with prime before I put it in the tank during water changes or is it ok to do let’s say a 50% water change by putting the tap water directly into the tank with the fish in there and then treating it with prime? I know I’m not there yet but I will be soon enough.
Thanks
Rebecca.

 

If your tap water already has ammonia and nitrates its not great but its workable. I strongly suggest you plant your tank as the plants will further help deal with that ammonia. Simple easy to grow plants like gupoy grass, hornwort, anacharis, dwarf salvinia, java fern and frogbit would help soak up that extra ammonia and nitrates.

Also, when doing water changes, just dump the dechlorinator into the tank and then add water directly to tank. This is how anyone who uses a python water changer does it. Works fine.

 

Nataku Is it ok to put in real plants now since I already started my cycle? I thought if you were going to do it at all you should do it before the cycle starts. Sorry for my ignorance. I read a lot of conflicting info and I just don’t know what’s correct.

 

Yes. I always add my live plants on day 1

 

Yes. I always add my live plants on day 1

So it’s too late for my tank then correct? Since I’m 10 days into my cycle

 

You can add plants at any time. They can actually be added while you are cycling without worry of killing the plants. Ammonia and nitrates are food for plants so they actually help with the cycle. Big part of why they are so beneficial in a fish tank, they help get rid of things that are toxic to the fish.

 

Exactly, there's really no wrong time to add plants as long as you have sufficient lighting for them!

And I totally agree, they're super good for your tank. Mine are actually keeping my nitrate down below water change levels, so I had to change water just to replenish nutrients!

 

Sorry for another noobie question. Will I need some kind of soil in there under my gravel? Or will plants just grow and root right into my aquarium gravel?

 

If you stick to simple easy plants like the ones I listed you will be fine with a gravel substrate. Of the ones I listed the only ones that are planted are anacharis. The rest either float at the surface or in the water column, no planting needed.

And honestly you could get away with hardy root plants like amazon swords if you are sure to put a root tab under their roots in the gravel each month. Roots tabs are pretty cheap - look up osmocote plus root tabs on ebay. A bag of a hundred will last you for a couple years as you only need to put one under each main root feeder in your tank once per month, if that.

But start with those easy ones I listed in my previous post. They will all be fine with gravel as none of them really need planting (anacharis can be planted, or left to float).

 

Thank you all so much. This forum is the best. I hope to be a seasoned fish keeper like you all soon.

 

Hi,

To answer your questions.

1. It’s fine to have ammonia. My tap ammonia is .5 ppm too. Detox it with Prime when doing water changes. Make sure to put the Prime in water before pouring into tank though because the chlorine can hurt fish and kill your bacteria. As for the nitrate, use plants and hang pothos plants out the top of the tank. They really help with nitrate removal.

When you’re cycled, the filter will remove the small amount of detoxed ammonia in an hour or so
2. Do water changes when nitrite is over 3 ppm. I wouldn’t worry about nitrate unless it gets over 60 ppm or so.
3. YES!!! This is super important. It will remove the chlorine which can kill your cycle and fish. It will also detox the small amount of ammonia you’re putting in the tank from the tap.

 

ystrout
Thank you for answering my questions. So I’m thinking I’m going to get a few 5 gallon buckets to treat my water using prime before it goes into the tank. How long does it take prime to detox the water before I put it into the tank. I was thinking that maybe I would prepare my water in the 5 gallon buckets and treat with prime the day before I do my water changes.

 

ystrout
Thank you for answering my questions. So I’m thinking I’m going to get a few 5 gallon buckets to treat my water using prime before it goes into the tank. How long does it take prime to detox the water before I put it into the tank. I was thinking that maybe I would prepare my water in the 5 gallon buckets and treat with prime the day before I do my water changes.

Prime works instantly. I fill a bucket with tap water as close to the temp of my tank water as I can get and add prime. Give it a little swish in the bucket to mix it and pour slowly into your tank

 

Prime works instantly. I fill a bucket with tap water as close to the temp of my tank water as I can get and add prime. Give it a little swish in the bucket to mix it and pour slowly into your tank

Ok that’s great. I didn’t know it worked so fast. Thank you

Can you overdose with prime? My tap water has ammonia and nitrates in it. I was wondering if I should up my dose of prime during water changes

 

Prime can safely be added up to 5x the normal dose in emergency situations. If it is a minimal amount of it in your tap I would think a normal dose would suffice. In theory the Prime should render the ammonia in your tap non toxic for 24-48 hrs which should be long enough for your BB to take over and convert it to nitrates. Small amounts of nitrates shouldn't be an issue since they don't get toxic until reaching higher levels.

 

For emergency situations you can dose Prime to 5x the recommended dosage, this would be for Ammonia spikes or a cycle crash.

 

The ammonia in my tap water is .50 and the nitrates are 10ppm. I’m thinking the nitrates are concerningly high since 10-20 is my overall goal. And my tap puts it at 10 from the start

 

Prime will be enough to keep your fish safe until your BB can convert the ammonia in your tap to nitrates. 10ppm nitrates shouldn't be too big of a problem and may be something you just have to work around instead of try to fix. I've never had an issue with nitrates in my tap water so I can't say for certain, but if you keep a close eye on your water parameters and keep it under 20ppm you should be safe. Make sure to do water changes any time it gets too high. Fast growing plants can definitely help soak up those nitrates and keep them from getting out of hand.

 

I’ve started putting live plants in. I don’t know what they are called but I attached some pictures. I have two bunches of each of these two to start. I also have two moss balls in there. I plan to put a lot more plants in soon.

 

Cool looking tank! I can't identify the second picture but the first looks to be hornwart which is a plant I love. It is fast growing and my fish love to hide in it. Should definitely help soak those nitrates!

 

Yes I think that’s it. Hornwart. I want to get a bunch more of that. I hope it grows really tall. I attached a picture of my whole setup. I think it looks pretty nice but I want to replace all the fake plants with real ones. I really want live plants that basically carpet the bottom

 

It looks great even with the artificial plants, but fish do love the real ones the most. No need to rush things, I slowly added a new plant here and there until I removed all my artificial plants altogether. Hornwart will grow all the way to the top of your tank if you let it and make a nice big jungle that fish will love. Carpet plants usually require higher tech set ups to really grow and look how we want it. I run a fairly low tech set up with only root tabs for my swords and hornwart just floating. I don't use co2 either but have been trying to find a carpet plant that will grow without it. Monte Carlo seems to be doing decent but I added it within the last week so I can't say for certain yet.

 

Yes I think that’s it. Hornwart. I want to get a bunch more of that. I hope it grows really tall. I attached a picture of my whole setup. I think it looks pretty nice but I want to replace all the fake plants with real ones. I really want live plants that basically carpet the bottom

I highly suggest temple plant.
It's amazing and easy column feeder.

 

ystrout
Thank you for answering my questions. So I’m thinking I’m going to get a few 5 gallon buckets to treat my water using prime before it goes into the tank. How long does it take prime to detox the water before I put it into the tank. I was thinking that maybe I would prepare my water in the 5 gallon buckets and treat with prime the day before I do my water changes.

I usually treat my water and let it sit for 5-10 mins.

If you want to save yourself some work, you should look at a Rubbermaid Brute 32g trash can and a 550gph pump with enough hose (1/2" ID) to reach a window, door (outside) or drain. You will need to source adapters for the pump. I got everything from Lowes but Home Depot has the same stuff. I highly recommend Everbuilt clear vinyl tubing at HomeDepot as they hold their shape and don't kink as easily as the stuff from Lowes.

I fill my 32g can with tap water and dose with prime. Then I get the pump and attach it to a gravel vac on the intake and a 20' hose on the output to a drain. While my tank is draining, the trash can is filling up. The pump helps speed up draining. I have a mark (chalk marker) on my 75 gallon about 6" down from the frame that indicates 30g. Once it empties to that mark, I put the pump in the trash can with another hose for filling. It takes me about 30-45m to do a 30 gallon water change. When I need to clean my canisters, I run the hose into 2 5 gallon buckets and the rest drains into my shower.

I have about 12 5 gallon buckets for various work (pruning plants, adding/removing fish, small water changes, etc) and storing stuff.

 

A Python system works great for water changes. It will vacuum the substrate and you can refill straight from the sink. Once I get the syphon going with the sink I just close the valve on the system shut off the water, put the hose end out the door and finish the vacuuming once the valve is opened back up. When filling just treat the dechlorinator for the full volume of the tank, and refill. No messing with buckets or water pumps.