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Posted: 8/11/2013 4:36:17 AM EDT
I recently acquired a 75g aquarium, did a fish-less cycle, and have now started decorating and stocking it. Here are the beginnings (substrate, rocks, a few fish) of what will be my (mostly) Malawi cichlid tank:
I plan to get a bunch more fish, probably some other aquatic wildlife, and definitely some plants. I just recently got into the aquarium hobby, so if any other potential beginners have questions about getting started, ask away! __________________________________________________________________ Cross-platform gun database/electronic bound book (v1.3.2) (and the original thread). «nolite confidere in principibus, in filiis hominum quibus non est salus» |
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Posted: 8/11/2013 4:39:11 AM EDT
[#1]
Pretty neat, and I'm guessing it's a lot more work than most people imagine.
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Posted: 8/11/2013 4:54:27 AM EDT
[#2]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Pretty neat, and I'm guessing it's a lot more work than most people imagine. This would be a real good guess. Buying the tank, decorating it and stocking with fish is fun. Watching the fish swim around is fun and soothing. Cleaning the tank on a regular basis is a major PITA. |
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Posted: 8/11/2013 5:12:44 AM EDT
[#3]
To date, the worst part, by far, was getting the tank and stand up the stairs into my apartment.
 
The second worst part was waiting for the nitrogen cycle to get up to speed before putting fish in (I'm impatient). The regular maintenance really isn't too bad for the way I have things set up. Water changes are the greatest nuisance, but really not too bad. Water chemistry once the biological filter/nitrogen cycle is in place is pretty simple, i.e., don't muck with it.  The sponge filter was really inexpensive, makes a great biological filter, and its maintenance is dead simple. I also have an over-the-side filter to help clear out floating debris. A canister filter would probably be great, but the good ones are a little pricey.
Dealing with diseases, should they arise, is definitely the most difficult part of running an aquarium, in my opinion. If you properly use a quarantine tank before adding fish, though, that eliminates a lot of headaches and dead fish. I haven't had any trouble with my 20g tank (except for when I first started it and didn't quarantine) because I've been pretty careful about using a 5g quarantine tank before adding any new fish. __________________________________________________________________ Cross-platform gun database/electronic bound book (v1.3.2) (and the original thread). «nolite confidere in principibus, in filiis hominum quibus non est salus» |
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Posted: 8/11/2013 5:13:56 AM EDT
[#4]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
This would be a real good guess. Buying the tank, decorating it and stocking with fish is fun. Watching the fish swim around is fun and soothing. Cleaning the tank on a regular basis is a major PITA. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Pretty neat, and I'm guessing it's a lot more work than most people imagine. This would be a real good guess. Buying the tank, decorating it and stocking with fish is fun. Watching the fish swim around is fun and soothing. Cleaning the tank on a regular basis is a major PITA. Bottom-feeders and scavengers FTW. 
__________________________________________________________________ Cross-platform gun database/electronic bound book (v1.3.2) (and the original thread). «nolite confidere in principibus, in filiis hominum quibus non est salus» |
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Posted: 8/11/2013 5:31:20 AM EDT
[#5]
Enjoy your first vacation!
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Posted: 8/11/2013 5:46:44 AM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Enjoy your first vacation! Unless I'm gone for longer than a week (unlikely  ), I won't even think about the aquarium except to have someone feed the fish once or twice.
__________________________________________________________________ Cross-platform gun database/electronic bound book (v1.3.2) (and the original thread). «nolite confidere in principibus, in filiis hominum quibus non est salus» |
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Posted: 8/11/2013 5:54:43 AM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Unless I'm gone for longer than a week (unlikely ), I won't even think about the aquarium except to have someone feed the fish once or twice.__________________________________________________________________ Cross-platform gun database/electronic bound book (v1.3.2) (and the original thread). «nolite confidere in principibus, in filiis hominum quibus non est salus» Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Enjoy your first vacation! Unless I'm gone for longer than a week (unlikely ), I won't even think about the aquarium except to have someone feed the fish once or twice.__________________________________________________________________ Cross-platform gun database/electronic bound book (v1.3.2) (and the original thread). «nolite confidere in principibus, in filiis hominum quibus non est salus» No hes right. If something is going to go wrong it will be when your away. I had a power outage fark up one tank and a bad heater boiled all my Tanganyikans while I was on vacation. I had my sister watching them both times.  |
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Posted: 8/11/2013 5:57:00 AM EDT
[#8]
Lost a whole tank of Frontosas over Thanksgiving break during college. That's when I got out of the aquarium hobby.
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Posted: 8/11/2013 6:37:51 AM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryHmmm... A battery-backup air pump would save my tank in a power-outage scenario, but no idea how to safeguard against a broken heater except that I avoided heaters that had overheating mentioned in the reviews. __________________________________________________________________ Cross-platform gun database/electronic bound book (v1.3.2) (and the original thread). «nolite confidere in principibus, in filiis hominum quibus non est salus» |
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Posted: 8/11/2013 6:46:29 AM EDT
[#10]
Aquariums may become an important food source if the global economy goes haywire.
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Posted: 8/11/2013 7:03:17 AM EDT
[#11]
You need a better picture of that beautiful, custom hand-made tank stand.
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Posted: 8/11/2013 7:13:47 AM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Hmmm... A battery-backup air pump would save my tank in a power-outage scenario, but no idea how to safeguard against a broken heater except that I avoided heaters that had overheating mentioned in the reviews. __________________________________________________________________ Cross-platform gun database/electronic bound book (v1.3.2) (and the original thread). «nolite confidere in principibus, in filiis hominum quibus non est salus» Quote HistoryQuoted: Hmmm... A battery-backup air pump would save my tank in a power-outage scenario, but no idea how to safeguard against a broken heater except that I avoided heaters that had overheating mentioned in the reviews. __________________________________________________________________ Cross-platform gun database/electronic bound book (v1.3.2) (and the original thread). «nolite confidere in principibus, in filiis hominum quibus non est salus» All those bubbles you have going on there arent doing as much for your fish as you may think. What you need is surface agitation for good gas exchange. In my 90gal tank I had a 300gph canister filter, two 150gph power heads and a 75gph power head going to a home made wet/dri filter. The tank was nearly boiling and the fish loved it. I had that setup going for 8yrs till the big fish boil with very little maintenance required. |
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Posted: 8/11/2013 7:31:21 AM EDT
[#13]
I have never understood why people do fish less cycles in freshwater tanks. I have a 75 gal that I bought filled with water and added fish within an hour and it's going on 6 months without losing a fish.
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Posted: 8/11/2013 9:03:54 AM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
You need a better picture of that beautiful, custom hand-made tank stand. It is a rather awesome stand.
__________________________________________________________________ Cross-platform gun database/electronic bound book (v1.3.2) (and the original thread). «nolite confidere in principibus, in filiis hominum quibus non est salus» |
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Posted: 8/11/2013 9:09:17 AM EDT
[#15]
Just don't work out too close to it. 
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Posted: 8/11/2013 9:17:40 AM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
All those bubbles you have going on there arent doing as much for your fish as you may think. What you need is surface agitation for good gas exchange. In my 90gal tank I had a 300gph canister filter, two 150gph power heads and a 75gph power head going to a home made wet/dri filter. The tank was nearly boiling and the fish loved it. I had that setup going for 8yrs till the big fish boil with very little maintenance required. Hmmm. There is a fair amount of surface agitation, especially where the over-the-side filter dumps the water back in. __________________________________________________________________ Cross-platform gun database/electronic bound book (v1.3.2) (and the original thread). «nolite confidere in principibus, in filiis hominum quibus non est salus» |
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Posted: 8/12/2013 2:52:12 AM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Hmmm. There is a fair amount of surface agitation, especially where the over-the-side filter dumps the water back in. __________________________________________________________________ Cross-platform gun database/electronic bound book (v1.3.2) (and the original thread). «nolite confidere in principibus, in filiis hominum quibus non est salus» Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: All those bubbles you have going on there arent doing as much for your fish as you may think. What you need is surface agitation for good gas exchange. In my 90gal tank I had a 300gph canister filter, two 150gph power heads and a 75gph power head going to a home made wet/dri filter. The tank was nearly boiling and the fish loved it. I had that setup going for 8yrs till the big fish boil with very little maintenance required. Hmmm. There is a fair amount of surface agitation, especially where the over-the-side filter dumps the water back in. __________________________________________________________________ Cross-platform gun database/electronic bound book (v1.3.2) (and the original thread). «nolite confidere in principibus, in filiis hominum quibus non est salus» I always thought I had plenty for years and in several different setups. But I would have problems every now and then and did not know why, ie sick fish, water needing frequent changes, much detritus, ect. Then I started raising convicts and the shop I was selling to said my broods were small for the setup I had. He gave me a power head he had and after using his suggestions my brood size tripled and the survival rate was much higher. People generally only think about oxygen with their tanks, but you need to get rid of CO2 and other gasses and the lil bubbles which are only in the water for a 1/10th second dont cut it. Another issue is the fish need exercise just like people. My Chichlids really never fought, I think they were generally too tired. The exercise helps move their poop around and generally aids their whole system. If your not already you may want to look up and add some Epsom salts to your water. Keeps them pooping and wards off bloat. I killed more fish with Bloat than I care to think about. |
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Posted: 8/12/2013 2:57:44 AM EDT
[#18]
Knock on wood, but I've never had bloat, and I don't exactly do a spectacular job caring for my fish. Mainly, I am lax on water changes.
I did just lose a bunch of fish to ich a month or so ago, I should've known better. Added new fish directly without quarantining them first. |
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Posted: 8/12/2013 3:31:17 AM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Knock on wood, but I've never had bloat, and I don't exactly do a spectacular job caring for my fish. Mainly, I am lax on water changes. I did just lose a bunch of fish to ich a month or so ago, I should've known better. Added new fish directly without quarantining them first. I take it you dont have cichlids? |
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Posted: 9/13/2013 4:18:40 PM EDT
[#20]
Just got 6 Iodotropheus sprengerae to add to my 7 Pseudotropheus acei, 6 Labidochromis caeruleus, and 5 black skirt tetras. All are doing well except perhaps one of the yellows that seems to not get as much food as it would like.
__________________________________________________________________ Cross-platform electronic bound book (original thread). PGP public key. «nolite confidere in principibus, in filiis hominum quibus non est salus» |
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Posted: 10/13/2013 1:55:29 PM EDT
[#21]
Have some updates!
Added some Nimbochromis venustus and a 4" pleco. ETA: If it looks a little green, it's the algae I'm hoping the pleco will take care of. 
__________________________________________________________________ Cross-platform electronic bound book (original thread). PGP public key. «nolite confidere in principibus, in filiis hominum quibus non est salus» |
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Posted: 10/13/2013 1:59:36 PM EDT
[#22]
Needs more salt.
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Posted: 10/13/2013 2:05:17 PM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Needs more salt. There's a little in there, but I know what you're saying.
__________________________________________________________________ Cross-platform electronic bound book (original thread). PGP public key. «nolite confidere in principibus, in filiis hominum quibus non est salus» |
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Posted: 10/13/2013 2:18:13 PM EDT
[#24]
My buddy couldn't leave the house for a week without someone feeding the damn fish and corals. The power went out one time and he was more concerned with running the damn tank over the fridge. Had to hand feed some of that coral too forget the name of it. He had like a grand in it and it wasn't really that big.
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Posted: 10/13/2013 2:22:04 PM EDT
[#25]
I have always wanted a tank filled with Pihranhas....
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Posted: 10/13/2013 2:30:00 PM EDT
[#26]
Had a cichlid tank years ago, loved it....watched it more then TV
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Posted: 10/13/2013 4:43:31 PM EDT
[#27]
Seems one of the fish (probably an acei) was brooding, because I just discovered a fry hiding out under the rocks.
...how do I keep it from getting eaten? Just put it in a separate tank? __________________________________________________________________ Cross-platform electronic bound book (original thread). PGP public key. «nolite confidere in principibus, in filiis hominum quibus non est salus» |
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Posted: 10/13/2013 5:48:38 PM EDT
[#28]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I have never understood why people do fish less cycles in freshwater tanks. I have a 75 gal that I bought filled with water and added fish within an hour and it's going on 6 months without losing a fish. Both ammonia and nitrite can cause permanent damage to fish gills and other tissues. The fact that you didn't have any fish die doesn't mean they weren't injured and also does not make it a wise thing to do. Even doing aggressive water changes you will have a difficult time avoiding spikes in ammonia and even less so with nitrites. I would strongly recommend doing fishless cycling in any fresh water tank if you are starting with new filter material. God knows I've killed enough fish thinking I could do otherwise. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Posted: 10/13/2013 9:00:46 PM EDT
[#29]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I have always wanted a tank filled with Pihranhas.... Piranha are great fun to keep. Arfcom of Piranha I kept them for years. |
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Posted: 10/13/2013 10:13:39 PM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
To date, the worst part, by far, was getting the tank and stand up the stairs into my apartment.
The second worst part was waiting for the nitrogen cycle to get up to speed before putting fish in (I'm impatient). The regular maintenance really isn't too bad for the way I have things set up. Water changes are the greatest nuisance, but really not too bad. Water chemistry once the biological filter/nitrogen cycle is in place is pretty simple, i.e., don't muck with it. The sponge filter was really inexpensive, makes a great biological filter, and its maintenance is dead simple. I also have an over-the-side filter to help clear out floating debris. A canister filter would probably be great, but the good ones are a little pricey.
Dealing with diseases, should they arise, is definitely the most difficult part of running an aquarium, in my opinion. If you properly use a quarantine tank before adding fish, though, that eliminates a lot of headaches and dead fish. I haven't had any trouble with my 20g tank (except for when I first started it and didn't quarantine) because I've been pretty careful about using a 5g quarantine tank before adding any new fish. __________________________________________________________________ Cross-platform gun database/electronic bound book (v1.3.2) (and the original thread). «nolite confidere in principibus, in filiis hominum quibus non est salus» A UV sterilizer will kill all disease causing micro organisms in the water. Downside is they can be expensive if you need a big one (I run a 400g tank) and you need a pump to run water through it. But think of it like insurance. I haven't had a single disease issue in ten years. My wet/dry is bigger than OP's tank, lol. |
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Posted: 10/19/2013 9:35:32 AM EDT
[#31]
What should I do, if anything, about this fry? It's about 15mm now, but could probably still be eaten and certainly harassed to death by some of the larger fish. Presently, it continues to hang out under one of the rocks that provides great cover for it (the larger fish can't fit) and food seems to drift down there reliably enough that it's probably getting plenty to eat. Should I just leave it where it's at, or move it to a 10gal tank until it grows larger?
I think one of the yellows is brooding now, too. __________________________________________________________________ Cross-platform electronic bound book (original thread). PGP public key. «nolite confidere in principibus, in filiis hominum quibus non est salus» |
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Posted: 10/19/2013 1:00:51 PM EDT
[#32]
My pleco, unnoticed, jumped out earlier today while doing a water change. I couldn't find him hiding in the rocks, but just now found him behind the tank stand, somewhat dessicated.
__________________________________________________________________ Cross-platform electronic bound book (original thread). PGP public key. «nolite confidere in principibus, in filiis hominum quibus non est salus» |
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Posted: 10/23/2013 3:55:04 PM EDT
[#33]
Got a new pleco and will make sure he doesn't jump ship.
...and I just noticed there's a second fry.
__________________________________________________________________ Cross-platform electronic bound book (original thread). PGP public key. «nolite confidere in principibus, in filiis hominum quibus non est salus» |
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Posted: 11/10/2013 6:11:08 AM EDT
[#34]
3 more fry, they've got to be running out of hiding spots...
__________________________________________________________________ Cross-platform electronic bound book (original thread). PGP public key. «nolite confidere in principibus, in filiis hominum quibus non est salus» |
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Posted: 12/14/2013 11:18:50 AM EDT
[#35]
These things are reproducing pretty steadily. There are probably 10-12 new fish in there now.
What should I do with them? If I leave them in, they'll probably stay relatively small forever due to crowding. __________________________________________________________________ Cross-platform electronic bound book (original thread). PGP public key. «nolite confidere in principibus, in filiis hominum quibus non est salus» |
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