Tyguy7760's 75 Gallon Tank Build

Well I have been planning on upgrading to a 75 gallon for some time now and I took the first step this weekend.

I bought a 75 gallon tank with a 48 inch aqueon led light, 2 aqueon quiet flow 55/75 filters, and versatop lids for 100 bucks on craigslist this weekend. (Will provide pics later)

I plan on using this thread to keep up with the build. I plan on building a custom tank stand this spring.

I do have a question though. A friend of mine said that he didn't think I could leave a tank that had been holding water in it, dry for an extended period of time. I didn't think this was true as I see forum members buying tanks that have been in garages and such for an extended period of time. His concern was that once the seals are wet for the first time, leaving the tank dry for a while will cause the seals to dry out as well. Can anyone say one way or the other?

Looking forward to slowly upgrading from my current 36 gallon tank

 

Update: So I emailed aqueon directly. For those of you that may be curious about the same thing, they said as long as it was in a temperature controlled room and not in direct sunlight for an extended period of time then the seals should hold for years whether it has water in it or not.

As of now here is the planned stocking. I think it will be fun to see what the original plan is and what it will actually be by the time I stock the tank. Thank you Anders247 and Aquarist for the multiple questions I sent your way

3 Blood Parrots
1 Keyhole Cichlid
1 Dojo Loach (this one may or may not be added)
2 Red Breasted Smiling Acara
3 Sunset Thicklip Gourami
5 Zebra Loach
10-12 Lemon/Diamond Tetra
8-10 KuhlI Loach

 

I'll be following this thread. Thanks for sharing!

 

Thanks. Already probably going to change out the dojo loach for a pleco of some sort. Since I won't be able to have nerites in this tank.

 

Can't wait to see it finished with fish!

 

Subscribed! Good luck and I look forward to seeing the progress.

 

Thank you. Out of curiosity, if I decided to switch out the keyhole or one of the smiling acaras with an electric blue acara, would it be safe? I know the blue acaras are a bit more aggressive than the keyholes or dorsigeras, but what do you think of the rest of the stocking and the compatibility with whatever cichlids remain.

 

Small Update:

I sold the filters for $30 so the current damage for a 75 gallon tank, glass lids, and aqueon led 48 inch light is down to $70

Current stocking plan is as follows

3 Blood Parrots
1 Keyhole Cichlid
1 Sajica Cichlid
2 Red Breasted Smiling Acara
2 Pearl Gourami
6 Zebra Loach
12 Diamond/Black Phantom/Bleeding Heart Tetra
10 KuhlI Loach

Changes include: Removing Dojo Loach as the bottom of the tank was approaching being too crowded. Bumped up to 1 more zebra loach. Getting rid of the 3 sunset gourami's (as my 1 remaining female went homicidal and decided to murder the other 2) and switching them out for 2 Pearls. Using the room left over to get a Sajica Cichlid (if I can find one). Wife vetoed the lemon tetra idea as we had some when I first started and they murdered her guppy. So Leaning twoards diamond tetras with black phantoms a distinct possibility and Bleeding hearts an outside possibility as they seem to be impossible to find.

 

Sounds like a great stocking plan. When are you going to start setting up the tank?

 

Well the big project is going to be building the stand. I will probably start that in early March or maybe late February as I have a few other projects that I need to complete for the wife before she will let me start on the stand. I will start picking up the other things that I need like an additional filter and decorations this month though. I don't foresee this being a completed process until late March or early April

 

I like your wife

Well, the planning, buying and building is definitely all part of the fun anyway.

 

Lol absolutely. The research that has went into this tank stand has been enormous. And I've been doing research on blood parrots and tank mates for better than 6 months. Plus the amount of times I have bugged Anders247 and Aquarist ha been pretty hefty too.

 

Update: Well I took a trip to the fish store and picked up a nice piece of driftwood for the tank as well as some rocks for my wife to design a cave system with. Also ordered a sunsun 404b to go along with the 403. That should amount up to nearly 900gph for that 75 gallon before filter media. Needless to say it will be adequately filtered.

Current Tally: $240 For 75 gallon tank, 48 inch LED light, Glass lids, SunSun 404b filter, Rocks, and Driftwood

Also during my trip to the LFS, I happened to talk to the guy that orders their freshwater fish. I asked him if they ever carried T-bar/Sajica cichlids. He said it was really rare that they ever carry them but he'll keep an eye out and took my information. The next day he calls me and said he could get some in. BINGO! I told him to order some. Problem is that my tank is still at least 2 months away from being ready so they will have to live in my 36 gallon for now. Luckily they are young and only about 1.5-2 inches. With the recent departure of 2 of my gourami, I will have some room hopefully in my 36 for a temporary measure. I may have to rehome some of the fish I was planning on rehoming anyway a little earlier than anticipated.

 

Can anyone confirm that these are juvenile sajicas? They have them labeled as tbar and under that is a sticker called blue eyes cichlid. Anders247 hampalong chromedome52

 

The bar is there, though I'm not sure if there's other species that look similar. The other two will be able to make a better ID than I.

 

I'd say it's probably sajica. Of the Cryptoheros that I've kept, it's the only one where the fry have the bar.

 

Thank you. Probably too young to gander a guess at the sex but any ideas?

 

Yes, I have one idea. BE PATIENT.

 

Haha.

 

Acclimating the new tbar cichlid I just picked up. The T is very evident so that's pretty comforting I didn't get a different species. It's only about an inch long right now.

Going to have to watch him in the 36 for now with my larger dorsigeras. If things start looking sketchy I'm going to have to move someone.

 

How are things looking in the tank? Everyone getting along so far?

 

So far so good. I took the homicidal gourami back as well as the baby cories I had been growing. So the tank has a little more elbow room

 

Well it's bed time but I've been watching them most of the night. The dorsigera's are definitely letting him know boundaries and they aren't pursuing him so hopefully that means they will get along for now. I have an emergency tank that I can put him in if things start getting harry. But I put some food in and he ate really well zooming around eating everything he could.

 

Looks like things are going well. He's about the same size (length wise) as my full grown cherry barbs. It looks like the dorsigeras are accepting him for now but he spends quite abit of time up in the top corner looking down watching the other fish. But he's spending more and more time around the plants and exploring. If I can grab a good pic of him I'll post one.

 

Update: Now that I no longer have any gouramis in my tank, I have seen my dorsigeras so much more. They are freely swimming constantly all over the tank. Which is great. But it makes me concerned that once they get added to the 75 gallon with blood parrots and my sajica eventually gets larger than them, they'll go back into hiding more. So I'm starting to think that the dorsigeras may not be the best dwarf cichlid to keep in my 75 once I have it set up. We'll see. I'll do some more research.

Current proposed stocking

3 Blood Parrots
12-14 Diamond Tetras
6 Zebra Loaches
10 KuhlI Loaches
1 Sajica Cichlid
1 BN Pleco
2 Red Breasted Smiling Acara

Really the biggest change I made was eliminating the keyhole. I'd love to have one but I think I'm pushing the limits a bit much with 4 different species of cichlid in the 75. And as timid as the keyholes seem to be, I'd be afraid one would get bullied and outcompeted for food. I also settled on the diamond tetras as well as added a pleco. With my algae issues in my current tank, I think I'll need all the help I can get in that realm.

Any comments welcomed on potential stock or thoughts.

 

Here are the pics I keep promising

View attachment 20160209_054834.jpgView attachment 20160209_054844.jpg

 

So I'm rethinking some of this stock and wanted to get you guy's opinions

3 BP's
1 Sajica Cichlid
2 Dorsigera Cichlids (I will have to observe these once I get everyone in the tank, afraid they may be too shy for the other inhabitants)
10-12 KuhlI Loaches
12-14 Diamond Tetras
1-2 Raphael Catfish

I am considering switching the zebra loaches out for the raphael catfish. I've been worried that the bottom of my tank is approaching too much. So instead of 6 4 inch zebra loaches, I'd do 2 6 inch raphael cats (or another peaceful cat if anyone has any suggestions). My only concern would be that would they eat my kuhlI loaches? Because if they would then they can't be added.

Really the ones I want the most are the 3 BP's, the Sajica, and the Kuhli's. I'll have some dithers so Diamonds are the pick right now. Outside of that I'm open to suggestions. Anders247 @TexasDomer chromedome52 you guys are typically very helpful with helping me stock but all opinions are welcomed.

 

I don't think raphael catfish would eat kuhlI loaches, but I'm not sure. I've seen a few people who've kept them together.

 

Thank you. Any other suggestions if I remove the zebra loaches?

 

How about hoplos?

 

Thanks. I like those over the raphael's. But suggestions don't neccessarily have to be bottom dwellers. mid or top dwellers would be fine since I am already going to have a pretty stocked bottom with the kuhli's and sajica and potentially dorsigeras.

I could revisit the dojo loach idea. They are always so active when I see them at the store.

 

Would a blue/gold/opaline gourami be ok in here? My fear would be they would bully/kill the tetras

 

Yeah, they should be fine. Each individual has a different personality with this type of fish, but every one I've had has been peaceful when in a large tank, which yours is, so IMO it's fine.

 

What is your opinion on Tiger Barbs for dithers? Would they have a similar bioload as a diamond tetra? School tightly? Planning on doing 12-14 diamond tetras...would 12-14 tiger barbs be similar? Enough to eliminate nippiness?

 

If you want them as dithers, then no.
I personally wouldn't do them.

 

Gotcha. They were cheap lol. Probably stick with diamonds then.

 

Yeah, probably a better idea.

 

I mean unless you have a better suggestion of course ande anders lol

 

I don't see why 12-14 tiger barbs wouldn't work. That should be a large enough school that they won't nip. Anders doesn't seem to like tiger barbs haha

 

I don't see why 12-14 tiger barbs wouldn't work. That should be a large enough school that they won't nip. Anders doesn't seem to like tiger barbs haha

I do like them, it's just that I don't trust them when it comes to having them with other fish..... especially when one wants them as dither fish. I don't think they fit the description of a dither fish, personally. If one wanted them just to have, then sure, but not as a dither....