Recommendations For Beginner With New 75 Gallon Tank

That's good
Just out of curiosity, what do you need another $7.50 for? Free shipping?
Your substrate/gravel should get you there

Free shipping. I am likely going to get something else instead of the substrate there. I will add something and return in store if needed. Even a net is less than 7.50.

 

Whatever works for you, do you have a siphon for water changes? That might do it, just get a big one. Plus all the size really does is change the drainage speed so you wouldn't really have to take it back

 

Deleted all the videos and posts made by your brother I like fish2345678765

Perhaps log out if you’re stepping away from the computer so that he can’t mess with you.

 

Some suggestions of items I have used and have worked for me.....

Tetra Safe Start +, to help jump start your cycle.

Kordon Rid Ich +, to have on hand in case of a future Ich outbreak


Also, cross check pricing at the Dr. Foster and Smith website.

They have a 15% off sale (4U15SAVE - code) on your purchase, even sale and clearance items. They have free s&h on purchases $19 and above.

I have bought from them many times. Great customer service!


Kensfish.com is a good place to check pricing also. Ken's has great pricing on a lot of stuff, and free s&h on orders over $49. I have bought from them a few time and will again.

 

Depends on the brand, some can make it impossible to sleep, some are dead quiet. The AC110 fits the latter

I'd get an adjustable aqueon pro 300w, better safe than sorry

If you want to be on the safe side, get a temperature controller too to go with the heater,I have an Inkbird and it's keeping my tank 79F, I don't have to worry about any malfunctions of the heater,getting my fish cooked, etc.

 

Some suggestions of items I have used and have worked for me.....

Tetra Safe Start +, to help jump start your cycle.

Kordon Rid Ich +, to have on hand in case of a future Ich outbreak


Also, cross check pricing at the Dr. Foster and Smith website.

They have a 15% off sale (4U15SAVE - code) on your purchase, even sale and clearance items. They have free s&h on purchases $19 and above.

I have bought from them many times. Great customer service!


Kensfish.com is a good place to check pricing also. Ken's has great pricing on a lot of stuff, and free s&h on orders over $49. I have bought from them a few time and will again.

I received an email that Dr. Foster and Smith is now Petco. They still have a separate sale and website right now. I have a Petco gift card that I am trying to use.

Actually they will be Petco beginning Feb. 19.

 

Wow, that's cool.

Maybe after the merger, I wonder if purchases made on that website can be picked up in store?

 

I am a beginner, but have been reading information. I purchased a new 75 gallon tank with a glass top, stand, and LED light (it came with a 3' light though it's a 4' tank.) I plan to do fishless cycling and have the patience to do it correctly. I have not totally decided on fish, but am interested in harlequin rasboras and my husband likes sharks. I would like a variety of colorful fish that would do well together. I like bettas, but I know they are better alone. I would prefer a planted tank.

Except for the API master test kit, I have not purchased anything else and would like suggestions for equipment. Equipment that is "easier" to maintain is preferred. I was looking at HOB filters (I may prefer a quieter one). One filter better or two smaller ones? Same with heaters? Type of substrate? Basically suggestions for all things needed to get the cycle started. I am looking for good quality but not the necessarily the most expensive.

Thank you.

Return the API test kit, API is not very reliable. Hanna checkers for Phosphate ULR, Calcium, alkalinity, and PH. Inkbird makes a heater controller. NYOS for nitrate, salifert for magnesium, nitrites, and ammonia.

 

Return the API test kit, API is not very reliable. Hanna checkers for Phosphate ULR, Calcium, alkalinity, and PH. Inkbird makes a heater controller. NYOS for nitrate, salifert for magnesium, nitrites, and ammonia.

API master test kit is accurate enough for freshwater, but I have heard it's not really great for salt.

 

actually I have the perfect idea get pea puffers!
1 they stay 1 inch
2 they are really cute
3 you could get maybe more than 20
4 it just might be hard to find them
5 they usually live over 10 years
6 they have a ton of personnality
7 and are freshwater

 

actually I have the perfect idea get pea puffers!
1 they stay 1 inch
2 they are really cute
3 you could get maybe more than 20
4 it just might be hard to find them
5 they usually live over 10 years
6 they have a ton of personnality
7 and are freshwater

He is looking to set up a saltwater tank. Your suggestion while it is a good one, not usable for what the OP is looking for.

 

I don't know a thing about saltwater so goodbye

 

He is looking to set up a saltwater tank. Your suggestion while it is a good one, not usable for what the OP is looking for.

Hi, this is in the Freshwater section & unless I missed it the op doesn’t mention saltwater

 

He is looking to set up a saltwater tank. Your suggestion while it is a good one, not usable for what the OP is looking for.

Not sure where you saw a saltwater but I’m pretty sure this is a freshwater setup.

 

Hi, this is in the Freshwater section & unless I missed it the op doesn’t mention saltwater

same

 

He is looking to set up a saltwater tank. Your suggestion while it is a good one, not usable for what the OP is looking for.

I am setting up a freshwater tank.

 

well then what are you gonna get

 

He is looking to set up a saltwater tank. Your suggestion while it is a good one, not usable for what the OP is looking for.

lol, okay, did not read that bit okay. Either way, API test kits are not reliable weather fresh or salt.

 

lol, okay, did not read that bit okay. Either way, API test kits are not reliable weather fresh or salt.

I agree they're not the best, but they're close enough and that other brand you suggested is probably not as readily available. But do you use it? How do you think it compares to the API kit?

I am setting up a freshwater tank.

Do you know of anything you'd like beyond rasboras and a redtail or rainbow shark? If not you could do an absolutely massive school of rasboras with a shark

 

They are all readily available and and near dead on accurate. Granted they will cost much more, but you do get what you pay for. The Hanna Checkers are right about $50 for each checker, the PH checker is around $30, the other test kits are right about $20 each. Salifert is highly recommended, as for NYOS I am unsure if they make a freshwater kit, but salifert makes a nitrate test kit that is just as reliable.

Do you know of anything you'd like beyond rasboras and a redtail or rainbow shark? If not you could do an absolutely massive school of rasboras with a shark

Retail sharks are relatively peaceful. I used to have them when I was a kid, kept them in a community tank with zero issues from the redtail sharks. So they should do fine.

I agree they're not the best, but they're close enough and that other brand you suggested is probably not as readily available. But do you use it? How do you think it compares to the API kit?

API test kits do not even come close. I started with the API test kit on my reef tank, and not a single test from API has given me a close reading. I have had water sent off for the Triton testing which is what I based my info off of, professional testing. The kits I mentioned are really close to the professional testing results.

 

well then what are you gonna get

I haven't even started to put the tank together to start cycling it so I have time to figure it out.

actually I have the perfect idea get pea puffers!
1 they stay 1 inch
2 they are really cute
3 you could get maybe more than 20
4 it just might be hard to find them
5 they usually live over 10 years
6 they have a ton of personnality
7 and are freshwater

From what I have seen online pea puffers are cool and I really like them. However, I do not think I will get them.

 

kathy7878 I have a stocking list for you
20-30x harlequin rasbora
1x redtail shark or rainbow shark
10-15x corydoras catfish or 4-5 pictus catfish
2x bn, or clown pleco or 1x gold spot pleco or marble pleco
Then a few centerpiece fish

 

I saw ghost glass catfish at a couple of stores and they caught my eye. I haven't researched them. In a video with a redtail another other fish caught my eye. I think it was a roseline shark/denison barb. I haven't read about it yet.

 

I love glass catfish! I haven't seen them in years, but they seem to be coming back. You could add a school of them to the stocking list I have you

 

kathy7878 I have a stocking list for you
20-30x harlequin rasbora
1x redtail shark or rainbow shark
10-15x corydoras catfish or 4-5 pictus catfish
2x bn, or clown pleco or 1x gold spot pleco or marble pleco
Then a few centerpiece fish

What would you consider centerpiece fish? I understand what it means, but maybe a couple of specific ones for an idea.

I love glass catfish! I haven't seen them in years, but they seem to be coming back. You could add a school of them to the stocking list I have you

Petco is the nearest store to me and I saw them there one day, but were soon gone. Another store, more of an LFS that's 30 minutes from me had some.

 

I don't really know but you could get red belly piranhas

 

What would you consider centerpiece fish? I understand what it means, but maybe a couple of specific ones for an idea.


Petco is the nearest store to me and I saw them there one day, but were soon gone. Another store, more of an LFS that's 30 minutes from me had some.

Such as angelfish, or gouramis. Not sure exactly what you want though

 

Such as angelfish, or gouramis. Not sure exactly what you want though

I do not either. Still trying to fugure it out.

Angelfish are nice. I didn't know what fish could be tankmates.

Gouramis are nice too.

Just asked my husband...he doesn't care for angelfish.

 

For substrate, pool filter sand works great and has a nice, natural look (pale tan with a few darker flecks). If you're going for a more striking, dramatic look, black diamond blasting sand is black sand and also works great. Both are easy to find and cheap (around $5 for 50lbs). Neither will provide any nutrition for plants, but there are root tabs and liquid fertilizers that can take care of that. I use pool filter sand, and my plants grow fine.

Don't use blasting sand. It's coal slag from unknown areas/factories in the country, can contain a variety of pollutants like boron, arsenic etc. and has not been proven safe for aquatic environments (probably why manufacturers aren't allowed to dump it in rivers, lakes and aquafers). Use a commercial sand FOR fish or a sand you would use for filtering your own drinking water (pool sand or play sand are fine).

 

Just asked my husband...he doesn't care for angelfish.

Goiramis would fit nice then. I think I left some wiggle room in the list I gave you

 

Don't use blasting sand. It's coal slag from unknown areas/factories in the country, can contain a variety of pollutants like boron, arsenic etc. and has not been proven safe for aquatic environments (probably why manufacturers aren't allowed to dump it in rivers, lakes and aquafers). Use a commercial sand FOR fish or a sand you would use for filtering your own drinking water (pool sand or play sand are fine).

I really like the look of black, but do not want to harm the fish. Yet, it would be nice to save money on substrate especially for a large tank. I wish there was a safe and inexpensive black sand substrate.

 

Black sand from CaribSea should be $15 for a 20 pound bag with the online price match

 

I really like the look of black, but do not want to harm the fish. Yet, it would be nice to save money on substrate especially for a large tank. I wish there was a safe and inexpensive black sand substrate.

Hundreds of people use bdbs without problems... Its up to you, but I would have no qualms about using it!

 

Hundreds of people use bdbs without problems... Its up to you, but I would have no qualms about using it!

I'd say thousands not hundreds. I Have BDBS in all my tanks. Even tanks with young sensitive fish.

Maybe I have been lucky, as have the other thousands of folks who use this coal slag in their tanks. But I have personally never had a problem.

 

blood red parrot cichlids

Get a flowerhorn no seriusly maybe you could do that

 

Ma

I'd say thousands not hundreds. I Have BDBS in all my tanks. Even tanks with young sensitive fish.

Maybe I have been lucky, as have the other thousands of folks who use this coal slag in their tanks. But I have personally never had a problem.

May I ask how long have you used it? I did buy some but the bags are unopened.

 

Ma


May I ask how long have you used it? I did buy some but the bags are unopened.

At least 4 years.

 

Recipe for BDBS.....

 

Hundreds of people use bdbs without problems... Its up to you, but I would have no qualms about using it!

Anecdotal information. Yes many people seem to have no problem with it. But look it up and read the MSD sheets. I wouldn't even put that garbage in my garden, let alone in my fish tank! It's not approved for ANYTHING that has anything to do with human or animal use and it's causing much the same lung problems silica sand caused to people who breathed it. Too much is unknown about that waste product. Coal burning plants are trying to figure out legal ways to get rid of it AND make money on it at the same time. Silica sand was banned from use as a blasting sand because of silicosis and other catastrophic inhalation issues and replaced with something that is proving to be just as bad and may prove to be worse.

Recipe for BDBS.....

View attachment 528592

Source please? Where was that sample taken? The coal and factories that burn the coal are all over the country. What did that factory produce? Teflon? Where was the slag stored before the BDBS manufacturer picked it up? What ELSE is in that BDBS? They aren't required to list everything in it that are at levels that aren't toxic to humans. Copper, arsenic, boron, formaldehyde etc. But what about aquatic animals, birds, amphibians? They can't dump it. So they're selling it as blasting sand. Use it in your aquarium if you want.

Coal Slag blasting companys colluding to harm workers by not reporting all Hazardous chemicals on M.S.D.S.

Read the special precautions sections:
Safety Data Sheet - Black Diamond ...
PDFBlack Diamond Abrasives › media › coal...



Scroll down to #6-Accidental release precautions:
material safety data sheet - Custom ...
PDFCustom Abrasives › MSDS
In my book, anything that cautions against polluting waterways with it, doesn't belong in MY aquariums.


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"Scroll down to #6"...link

 

Coal Slag blasting companys colluding to harm workers by not reporting all Hazardous chemicals on M.S.D.S.

Read the special precautions sections:
Safety Data Sheet - Black Diamond ...
PDFBlack Diamond Abrasives › media › coal...

Elemental properties of coal slag and measured airborne exposures at two coal slag processing facilities

Scroll down to #6-Accidental release precautions:
material safety data sheet - Custom ...
PDFCustom Abrasives › MSDS
In my book, anything that cautions against polluting waterways with it, doesn't belong in MY aquariums.

I might use PFS. I read some reviews that Caribsea stopped selling their Tahitian moon sand because of contamination.