Yes Yes Yes! Installing Tank for Dentist

[newbie101]

Yay!!!!!!!!!!
So now I can finally do something with my MTS!!!!!
I convinced my dentists office to get a fish tank and I'm going to set it up and take care of it for them.  It's going to be anywhere from 29-55 gallons, but they said the bigger the better (I was thinking "this is going to be fun" muahahaaaaaa)  The dentist is going to Petsmart tomorrow or saturday to look at the tank kits and stands.  A lot of the tanks are on super-sale but it ends on the 19th, so YES they have to hurry up...
I am leaning toward angelfish.  Because they are good-looking and fun to watch, and not too expensive either (I've seen some at my LFS and in fish catalogs for only $4-$5 for some nice ones)  If for some reason I can't get angelfish I would get gouramies, as they are pretty too.  What bottom feeder do you all think I should get?  Cories?  Or...Hillstream Loaches (since I wouldn't have sand for kuhlis and Hillstreams are almost as cool 8))?
I feel like I should be paying THEM for letting me do this, instead of them paying ME...
Woohoo this is going to be so fun!

 

[Gunnie]

Re: Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes!

Good going! I think angels would be good for that tank. Keep in mind that if it's in their waiting room, kids are constantly gonna be tapping at the glass and being mean to your fish, so you don't want to get anything too delicate to handle this. Gouramis would also be a good choice. I also like the cory idea. Man, if it's a 55 gallon, you could have a ton of corys all over the bottom of that tank. Not sure of the hillstream loaches though since Butterfly says they like cooler water. They would probably hide all the time anyway. Hopefully someone will also be able to keep an eye on the tank during the day to make sure no one opens the lid and feeds them or drops stuff in the tank that could hurt them. Kids do things like that. Congrats and have fun with this. And don't forget the low light live plants (anubias, java ferns, java moss, cryptocornes.......)!

 

[newbie101]

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Oh yes I want to plant it, something like Isabella's (gorgeous!)
And we were going to get a hex or octagon tall tank for that purpose, of keeping small hands out. I made some measurements and any little kid tall enough to open the lid (it's a pretty big stand) should also be old enough to know to keep their hands out of the tank.

 

[newbie101]

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We aren't getting a hex tall though because they are really expensive, the best price I could find at Petsmart was $170 for a 44 gallon hex and $120 for the stand. That doesn't even include filter heater etc.

 

[atmmachine816]

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Dont get a Hex or oct since you can't get as many fish in it due to the such small water surface what you should do is tell them to get a canopy that covers the light and everything and put a lock on it, my grandma's nursing home has this on a 125gallon tank and nobody can get in the tank who doesn't have the key or combination and they also have it on their 55gallon.  But angels would be so cool with cories, and if you got a 55 you could get like 6 angels and tons of cories and maybe a bristlenose pleco as an algae eater.

 

[newbie101]

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Yes the tallness is another reason I don't really think they should get a hex...Taller ones you can't put very many fish in also and they said they don't want the fish to look crowded in too small a tank.

 

[fish_r_friend]

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good for you I wish I could do somthin like that :-[

 

[Butterfly]

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Angels like warm water-80F and no current.
Hillstreams like cooler temps 68-75F and lots of current.
a large group of cories would be nice for the bottom.
Danios or neons would be nice for dithers.
Carol

 

[Craig]

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that sounds immense lol wish I could get a bigger tank maybe sum day I will !! but well done and good luck with it!

C W

 

[chickadee]

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You go, Girl! ;D

 

[0morrokh]

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Sweet! And they're paying YOU to do it??!!!!! I gotta pull something like that with my dentist! How did you talk him/her unto it?
Yes, Angels would be nice, and tetras too, although I wouldn't personally risk keeping tiny Neons with Angels. Off hand, I know that Lemon and Black Widow Tetras are bigger than Neons, and hardier than most tetras too. A bunch of Cories, maybe both regular and albino Bronze Cories, would be awesome too. Just a few ideas.
Maybe you could keep something heavy, like paperweights, on the door thingy on the canopy so little kids can't open it. I would also post a sign to parents telling them not to let kids tap on the glass, and a sign to the dentist employees that they are not supposed to feed the fish.
Wow, that's so cool that you get to do this! Let us know how the project is coming!!

 

[Marc]

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Yes, make a little guide for the basic care that they can keep ready. Then make a larger manual around for them for waterchanges and the like, then leave your number in case there is a death or they're acting funny.

It'd look nice to have several varieties in angels - koi, normal, and all of the different striped ones, just for color. They'd look lovely mixed in with some of the larger tetras and some live plants. Then a few Corydoras in the bottom (6 trilineatus, reticulatus, or juliI would look GREAT) to finish it off.

 

[newbie101]

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Okay I'm going over there in a few minutes...the office is closed today and the dentist went to petsmart and got a octagon tank and stand, and she said she talked to the employees (shudder) and they helped her get everything she needs. I just hope she didn't get fish. And I hope she didn't get too much junk...yikes!
And 0morrokh the staff actually are going to feed the fish, because I can't come in every day, so I'm going to keep the food at my house and put each day's portion in a little pill box with the days marked on it when I come in once a week for the water change and cleaning.
So in a taller tank, could I still have a pair of angels with some tetras? Or would that be too much for the tall tank.
And ugh, I'm going to have a harder time planting it. Does anyone have a picture of a tall, planted tank? I really need some ideas, I don't want it to look like a kelp forest with a bunch of stringy plants.

 

[off-ice]

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I might of missed it, but what size tank did they end up getting?

I would assume stock lighting, so I would suggest crypts, anubias and ferns for the plants.

Something like balansae, spiralis or retrospiralis for the back. (I'm partial to balansae, but it depends on the size of the tank.)





I can give you more ideas, but need to know the size of the tank first.

 

[atmmachine816]

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sorry to get a little off topic but off-ice what type of tall plants for the tank could I grow in my 29 under a 20w bulb

 

[off-ice]

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I would suggest the same plants I linked to in my post above. I have a couple tanks I do this very thing in. They don't grow fast, but they do grow.

 

[newbie101]

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Okay, I'm going to get a special plant light, they have some at Walmart (like FloraLight I think)
She's really enthusiastic about this whole thing and when she found out that she could have real plants she was even more enthusiastic, because she got a couple very fake-looking fake plants at petsmart and wasn't too excited about those.
The tank is 30 gallons, it is set up except for the decor, so it's not quite filled all the way to allow for that. Filter and heater are running, and there is Stress Coat andStress Zyme inthe water. And another ? will putting more Stress Zyme than the package says, make the cycle go faster? And will more of it, more often, have a negative effect somehow?
Now that I know it's 30 gallons, I think I have a flexible (except for the angels, I know we want those) stock plan. Is it ok?
2 or 4 Angelfish
6 or so either Hatchetfish or Neon/Cardinal Tetras
about 4 cory cats, or one small pleco (like bristlenose or bulldog)

If that is not fully stocked, any suggestions on other fish? And if it is...

 

[chickadee]

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I never had any luck with StressZyme doing anything to help with the cycling process at all, Emma. I wish I could give you something to use as an alternative, but as far as I know the only thing that really is a guarantee to help with the cycling process is Bio-spira and that is an INSTANT cycle. (but it is also hard to find and has to be bought from reputable dealers because it needs special handling and if they haven't handled it right it is useless.) I wouldn't bother with the StressZyme or at least be ready to wait out the full cycle process, but don't expect to have it last less than 4 weeks. The only other thing that might shorten it is to get some used gravel or filter media from some other established tank and use in the tank for a quick-up.

Good luck and have fun!

Rose

 

[Marc]

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My MalawI tank was cycled after two days - Aquaclear filter, used BioZyme, poured AquaPlus brand dechlorinator directly into the filter. This dechlorinator also has StressZyme stuff in it. So I guess it wouldn't hurt to try

(I had used some of my tank water but my mom poured straight tap water to fill the rest so all the bacteria died)

 

[Butterfly]

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Emma two angels at the most, Hatchets will need lots of top space to swim and will irritate the angels if they don't have enough room. I would suggest a larger type neon as the Angels may eat the cardinals.
Corys and a small pleco are good, again depending on whether its a tall or rectangle tank.If its a tall tank the foot print is too small for Corys and a pleco.
All of these are sensitive to the cycling process.
The plants off-ice suggested are awe some in a tank.
Carol