Tfreema’s New 75g Build

So, I picked up another 75 gallon tank with plans to replace the 55g. I really love the wider tanks.

Phase 1 was to rearrange some tanks. That has been done and it is finally set where I want it.

Water test is done, black background (window cling) is on, and half a bag of black diamond blasting sand has been washed. It has barely covered the bottom so I am thinking I need another bag.

I have wood soaking and will be washing more sand and playing with rocks and wood to try to figure out what the scape will be tomorrow.

Anyhoo here is a picture to get this thread kicked off. I will be reaching out for help on scaping and whether I should put the 55 gallon angelfish stock or EBAs into this new tank. More about that later.

 

A great start.

Rinsing BDBS can be a chore, but worth it.

 

A great start.

Rinsing BDBS can be a chore, but worth it.

Thanks! I bought a used tank and nice pine wood stand first of October. Then I sold the used tank and bought a new one from petco half off with the dollar per gallon sale. It has taken me a while to get this far.

Yeah, it is really dirty stuff. Takes a long time to get the water to run clear. I have learned to use the jet sprayer to really churn it up and not worry about losing some of the sand dumping off the water. I gotta get it and the wood washed today while it’s in the 60’s. No telling what the temp will be after the holiday. Probably 40’s. Plus I got a canister filter to clean which is much easier to do outside.

 

Is that the Marineland 75 set up?
That’s what I have. Looks like the same stand.

 

Is that the Marineland 75 set up?
That’s what I have. Looks like the same stand.

No, the stand is made out of pine wood frame and plywood siding and bottom. I think the marineland stand is pressed board (which is what my 2 big tanks 125g and 120 gallon are on so not dissing it).

 

Love the dark background. Can't wait to see the new beginning

 

Whew! What a day! Finished up water changes in three small tanks, cleaned the fx6 canister, washed 50 pounds of sand, and was blessed with a friend that came over with his power washer and did a fantastic job cleaning the wood.

What would y’all do with this?

One thing is that I think I need another half bag of sand. Have to go get more. I just threw wood pieces in to see how they fit and to try to decide which ones to use.










And here is the selection of gray toned rocks I have.

 

Another 75 gallon Just kidding!
The possibilities, do you have a plan?!
You know I'll be watching. Since I am downsizing at home, but might get one for the office.
Just saw a Beautiful 2.6g tank by The Dude on the other forum

Maybe Santa will have it under the tree. I think I was a "Good" boy this year.



For now.I will have to live vicariously through you.
Just remember to have fun.

 

Haha! I know I have a real sickness.
I am replacing my 55 gallon with this one.
The plan has been to move the 2 angelfish pairs, cories, and a bn pleco currently in the divided 55g. I am rethinking possibly moving the EBA to the 75 gallon instead and separate the angelfish pairs to the 40b and 45g. That just means I don’t take down one of the tanks I have been trying to clear out to downsize.

I had really convinced myself that once I got the larger tanks, I would take down the smaller ones, but keep finding reasons to keep the smaller ones up, lol.

Stocking option #1:
2 angelfish pairs (likely require a divider)
Shoal of cories
longfin green dragon bn pleco pair
Nerite snails

Stocking option #2:
Electric Blue Acara pair
Marble angelfish (their current tankmate)
Shoal of cories
Green dragon bn pleco pair
Nerite snails

Since I am looking to have breeding pair(s), I will not be adding any schooling fish.

 

Man I miss setting up a new tank. Cant wait to see how this turns out

 

Thanks for the input. I am kinda leaning towards #2 as well. My husband is going to think I was lying about getting new tanks to take others down, lol. I really have had every intention.

Man I miss setting up a new tank. Cant wait to see how this turns out

I love a new tank, but stress way too much over it. I will try to take jmaldo’s advice and have fun.

 

I'm following. And thoughts about going high tech with this tank?

 

Option #3? Just an idea, how about "Discus".
Been thinking about them for awhile, hopefully by Spring I'll give them a go.
75g or 125g?
Still Learning.

Here's a beauty from the OCA Extravaganza on Saturday

 

I'm following. And thoughts about going high tech with this tank?

No high tech planned at this point. Future goals, lol.

Option #3? Just an idea, how about "Discus".
Been thinking about them for awhile, hopefully by Spring I'll give them a go.
75g or 125g?
Still Learning.

Here's a beauty from the OCA Extravaganza on Saturday
View attachment 502663

MTS enabler!! Discus are on my bucket list, but I am not ready for them now.

This tank is for my current stock to rearrange and have a large growout with the 55 gallon for plecos, EBA, and MAYBE angelfish. There is a divider if I need to mix it up.

 

MTS enabler!!

I have some small/medium/ large Red Tiger Lotus also Bacopa caroliniana, if interested?

 

Yeah a 125 gallon hightech planted discus tank next?

 

I have some small/medium/ large Red Tiger Lotus also Bacopa caroliniana, if interested?

I have a small tiger lotus that has not done well in a 20L. I have it in my plant nursery and plan to add it to the new 75g. Also have a bulb where the plant died back but the bulb still has a bud.

Yeah a 125 gallon hightech planted discus tank next?

Haha! I am out of space. I have got to clear some angelfish out and take down a tank or two.

 

I have a small tiger lotus that has not done well in a 20L. I have it in my plant nursery and plan to add it to the new 75g. Also have a bulb where the plant died back but the bulb still has a bud.



Haha! I am out of space. I have got to clear some angelfish out and take down a tank or two.

Trade you a known female angel for a bunch of plants?

 

Trade you a known female angel for a bunch of plants?

I am not comfortable with shipping fish. I am too much of a nervous nellie..... Getting too cold even here now too.

 

I am not comfortable with shipping fish. I am too much of a nervous nellie..... Getting too cold even here now too.

Here too. We just got a foot of snow and more on the way.

 

tfreema
Agree, about the shipping of fish. I have shipped some, but...Still apprehensive (No losses). Plus the weather window is very short, (end of April to Early June then Middle of Sept to End of October).

 

I am getting my threads mixed up. Been posting about this build on my main thread. ‍♀️

Ok, here is where we are right now. No filters moved over yet. Just a wavemaker for water movement and oxygenation.








I need ideas for plants to cover the divider with. I hate mosses that shed and collect up gunk.

 

Ran out of time before I could work on this some more this weekend. Family visiting and getting ready for my granddaughter’s birthday next Saturday so it will be a couple more weeks.....

 

Spending some time on the new scape with hopes of getting filters and fish all moved around today or tomorrow. This is like scaping two tanks with the divider. I debated just putting one angelfish pair in here so I could do one full scape, but that would mean keeping up another display tank for the other pair. I decided to keep it a divided tank for now and may later remove it, shuffle fish, and do a rescape. That would be a fun way to change things up without adding/keeping tanks designated for takedown or fry growout at least for now, lol.

Sorry for the glare. It is bright and sunny today.






Plants if anyone is interested are:
Back right corner - jungle val
Back left corner - ludwigia repens
In front of val - small amazon sword, hope it grows nice and big in here. It has struggled in the 40b.
In front of rock - crypt balansae
Around small rock by divider - crypt pontederiifolia
In front of that - bronze crypt wendtiI (or lupens, I seem to have gotten those mixed up)
Wood has various size anubias, large fern, small lacy fern, and a couple small buce.

Here is a FTS. The other side is next for scaping.

 

Walked by what will become the fry growout tank and decided to swipe the swords out of it and put the small ones in their place.




Now that’s much better, lol. No waiting forever for the amazon swords to grow.

 

My swords can grow into monster 16"+ within 2 months in my 20g. I need to pull one out of the corner as the leaves are starting to die off because it doesn't have room.

 

My swords can grow into monster 16"+ within 2 months in my 20g. I need to pull one out of the corner as the leaves are starting to die off because it doesn't have room.

It is amazing how plants can do really well in one tank, but not so much in another. My 20L with the betta cannot hardly keep plants alive. I think the bioload is just too low with one little betta and some snails.

 

I just ordered a cheap 48" light from CLL Pet Supplies to see if it'll help the swords in there. I'm starting to think they need more light than what gets to them. I read somewhere that swords LOVE light. The 20L has a new Aquaneat that's twice as strong as their other lights and it's fairly close so they get tons of light and do really well in there. The 40b has a Beamswork DA but not as much light as the 20L. The 75 gallon has a Fluval 2.0 but the tank is deeper so it could use the help.

Here's the light I ordered (48" 5500 lumens). I have the 30" (3600 lumens) on the 20L and it's been doing really well. It replaced a Beamswork ET (2100 lumens?). It runs pretty hot and it's 10000k so it can grow algae faster than my 6500-7500k lights.
12"-48" LED Light Ultra SlI'm Aquarium Fish Tank 0.5W White & Blue Marine FOWLR

CLL Pet supplies sells on amazon and ebay. I only recently found they have their own website with all their products and it's cheaper than both and free shipping on everything, no minimum. The checkout goes to paypal and shipping is by fedex and usually less than a week to deliver from ordering. They're in WI so they're central to the country. I've ordered from them a few times since I found the site a few months ago and they ship almost same day.

 

That is who I have bought all my aquaneat lights from. Bizaliz3 hooked me up a few years ago.
I get the full spectrum so the plants get some red too. Best light for the bucks that’s for sure.

Here is where I am right now. About to start the filter shuffle which consists of cleaning the Hydor I am moving from the 55 gallon that has not been cleaned since September.
Wish me luck, lol.



The left side has the following plants:

Amazon sword
Ludwigia repens
Crypt balansae, lucens, and pontederiifolia
Dwarf lily
Tiger lotus
Little grassy stuff I cannot remember, lol.
Wood pieces have various anubias, java ferns, and I think my last little buce sprig that could be anubias.

 

I cannot believe it took ALL DAY LONG to get this tank scaped and only one of the angelfish pairs and a few cory cats moved over with just the canister filter (and a seeded sponge filter). Now I gotta get the fx4 set up on the 125g so I can snag the AC110 off of it.

I am pooped. Now I know why people pay so much to buy wood with plants attached. It is tedious work, especially with those nana petites when you run out of thread and have to use slicky fishing line.

So, it looks like it will be a few days before I can move these two over. I have LJ a new mate when the smokey kept eating her eggs as soon as they were laid.

 

Well, dude decided to start eating eggs last night. By the time I caught him, half were gone. I scooped him up and put him on the other side of the divider since I had already moved Tilly and smokey girl out. Good news is that momma has been taking good care of them and what was left is still there.


He is a beautiful mischief maker.



Here is Tilly and smokey girl with the cories (plus 4 juvie green dragon plecos). I already plan to rearrange a few plants and add crypt retrospiralis to the back left corner (back right corner has jungle val that needs to grow). But I am done for now. It has been a real chore.

 

I just realized that I forgot the root tabs. Ugh!

 

Oh my goodness, this tank is covered with cory eggs!! They obviously love their new digs, lol. Unfortunately, I have a mix of aenus bronze and albino with corydoras venezuelanus so I don’t want them cross breeding.

I tested the water and it appears I got my instant cycle. 0 ammonia and nitrites and about 15 nitrates.

 

So how are the cories doing? Are the eggs hatching in your tank? I have been keeping cories for a year now, and I see absolutely no evidence that they are breeding or attempting to.

 

So how are the cories doing? Are the eggs hatching in your tank? I have been keeping cories for a year now, and I see absolutely no evidence that they are breeding or attempting to.

Cories are doing great. If any hatched, they did not survive. I did have one survive in the tank I moved them from that grew out with the pleco fry.

Here it is added to the big tank.

 

First picture didn’t work.

 

Wow he's barely visible!