(I hope I chose the right section to post this; I was torn between journals or this one)
After a long haitus I'm back on the forums! Shark and Pleco are doing great, and so, for that matter, am I.
That said, I could use some advice/input/feedback from the fishkeepers out there. I've spent several hours on google reading other forum threads and website articles, trying to compare information and make decisions based of what I'm reading and learning.
I recently came into a small fortune fish-wise; at the dorms for my school, they had a 75 gallon tank setup; stand and everything. To save money, they stopped renting fish ( I... didn't know that was a thing, but apparently places rent plants, too. Go figure.), but they owned the setup.
Weeeeell, I talked to the people I needed to talk to, and they ended up giving me the fish tank, so long as they didn't have to worry about moving it out of the dorms.
So now I have a wood stand in my bedroom and a dirty fishtank in the kitchen, and two totes filled, respectively, with (heavy!
) decorative rock and aquarium stuff; filters, tubing, thingies, etc.
Among the items included in the setup:
*Stand
*Wooden hood/lid/thingy
*Light thingy
*75 Gal Tank
*Power Strip
*Two filters;
-Emperor 208b, 120 vac, 13 amp
-Tetra/Second Nature model T3
*Blue Emperor filter pads
*Lots of lift tubes?
*Automatic fish feeder? '
*I believe two or three different timers
And I think that's it. The only things that were with the aquarium that I don't have are the undergravel filter and the gravel. (Of which there is a short and stupid story of why I do not have them ''' oopsie)
Right now, I currently have a ten gallon tank with sand substrate (I think 3 inches deep). There is an Albino Bristlenosed Pleco and a Double Tail Betta. I do 50% water changes weekly, and there is a sponge filter. There's also a short little leafy plant, but I forgot what it is called.
My plan is to work on getting the tank clean and somewhat set up over the weekends I come home from my arts high school. After graduation, I'll have some time to seriously devote to setting up the tank and moving Shark and Pleco into it.
My first dilemma is what substrate to use? I had made up my mind to use sand (hence... not... owning the gravel or undergravel filter... In hindsight, I should have hung onto them for at least a little while.*sweatdrop*) I like the asthetic of sand over gravel, and I've read in several threads it's easier on bottom feeders, and Shark and Pleco certainly spend a lot of time sitting chilling out on the sand in their ten gal.
Then I started reading into all this about aneroxic (not spelt right, I don't think?) gases and a couple others, and I just sort of got swamped in this dumping of information. A lot of it was portaining to reef keeping too, so I got a bit lost.
I feel like I'm really only just realizing just how big this project is. I knew before I got the tank home it would be a lot of work, but suddenly I'm beginning to wonder if I can handle it.
What do you guys think? I'm still set on getting sand for a substrate, though now I'm a little more wary about it. If I do, I have a feeling I'd be shooting to properly maintain a Deep Sand Bed (DSB), though I know this (like most everything, really) is controversial.
I do plan on doing a fishless cycle. My ten gallon is not cycled, but I keep up with my water changes and I test for ammonia every so often, and it seems to be doing just fine. Shark and Pleco look healthy and are both very active.
For a time, honestly, the only two fish that will be in the tank will be Shark and Pleco, but in the future I do plan on getting some more tank mates. I also have toyed with the idea of a planted tank, but that's another step out for me right now. Moss aquariums are gorgeous, some of them.
What are your guys's thoughts on how to go about making decisions on what course of action to take? I think I've done ok finding some reliable threads and articles to read, but I'd feel more comfortable just getting some second opinions from other fish keepers. (Also, I'm slightly biased xD I trust this fish forum and the majority of the fish keepers on it!)
Would it be a good idea to hook up both filters? When I emptied the tank for transport, there was only one filter hooked up, the big giant emperor one. I'm thinking maybe since, at least at first, I'll have such a tiny bio load with just Shark and Pleco compared to the water volume, one filter should be more than enough.
Also, anyone have any ideas for stocking the tank? ;P
Hope I did ok writing; sorry if it's long, and I hope this is the appropriate section to post in. Thank you so much for your input! I wish I could find some people locally I could talk to about all this stuff, but unfortunately I don't know anyone else who's into 'serious' fish keeping. I know I'm just a newbie, a really, really baby newbie, but I am striving to learn.
After a long haitus I'm back on the forums! Shark and Pleco are doing great, and so, for that matter, am I.
That said, I could use some advice/input/feedback from the fishkeepers out there. I've spent several hours on google reading other forum threads and website articles, trying to compare information and make decisions based of what I'm reading and learning.
I recently came into a small fortune fish-wise; at the dorms for my school, they had a 75 gallon tank setup; stand and everything. To save money, they stopped renting fish ( I... didn't know that was a thing, but apparently places rent plants, too. Go figure.), but they owned the setup.
Weeeeell, I talked to the people I needed to talk to, and they ended up giving me the fish tank, so long as they didn't have to worry about moving it out of the dorms.
So now I have a wood stand in my bedroom and a dirty fishtank in the kitchen, and two totes filled, respectively, with (heavy!
Among the items included in the setup:
*Stand
*Wooden hood/lid/thingy
*Light thingy
*75 Gal Tank
*Power Strip
*Two filters;
-Emperor 208b, 120 vac, 13 amp
-Tetra/Second Nature model T3
*Blue Emperor filter pads
*Lots of lift tubes?
*Automatic fish feeder? '
*I believe two or three different timers
And I think that's it. The only things that were with the aquarium that I don't have are the undergravel filter and the gravel. (Of which there is a short and stupid story of why I do not have them ''' oopsie)
Right now, I currently have a ten gallon tank with sand substrate (I think 3 inches deep). There is an Albino Bristlenosed Pleco and a Double Tail Betta. I do 50% water changes weekly, and there is a sponge filter. There's also a short little leafy plant, but I forgot what it is called.
My plan is to work on getting the tank clean and somewhat set up over the weekends I come home from my arts high school. After graduation, I'll have some time to seriously devote to setting up the tank and moving Shark and Pleco into it.
My first dilemma is what substrate to use? I had made up my mind to use sand (hence... not... owning the gravel or undergravel filter... In hindsight, I should have hung onto them for at least a little while.*sweatdrop*) I like the asthetic of sand over gravel, and I've read in several threads it's easier on bottom feeders, and Shark and Pleco certainly spend a lot of time sitting chilling out on the sand in their ten gal.
Then I started reading into all this about aneroxic (not spelt right, I don't think?) gases and a couple others, and I just sort of got swamped in this dumping of information. A lot of it was portaining to reef keeping too, so I got a bit lost.
I feel like I'm really only just realizing just how big this project is. I knew before I got the tank home it would be a lot of work, but suddenly I'm beginning to wonder if I can handle it.
What do you guys think? I'm still set on getting sand for a substrate, though now I'm a little more wary about it. If I do, I have a feeling I'd be shooting to properly maintain a Deep Sand Bed (DSB), though I know this (like most everything, really) is controversial.
I do plan on doing a fishless cycle. My ten gallon is not cycled, but I keep up with my water changes and I test for ammonia every so often, and it seems to be doing just fine. Shark and Pleco look healthy and are both very active.
For a time, honestly, the only two fish that will be in the tank will be Shark and Pleco, but in the future I do plan on getting some more tank mates. I also have toyed with the idea of a planted tank, but that's another step out for me right now. Moss aquariums are gorgeous, some of them.
What are your guys's thoughts on how to go about making decisions on what course of action to take? I think I've done ok finding some reliable threads and articles to read, but I'd feel more comfortable just getting some second opinions from other fish keepers. (Also, I'm slightly biased xD I trust this fish forum and the majority of the fish keepers on it!)
Would it be a good idea to hook up both filters? When I emptied the tank for transport, there was only one filter hooked up, the big giant emperor one. I'm thinking maybe since, at least at first, I'll have such a tiny bio load with just Shark and Pleco compared to the water volume, one filter should be more than enough.
Also, anyone have any ideas for stocking the tank? ;P
Hope I did ok writing; sorry if it's long, and I hope this is the appropriate section to post in. Thank you so much for your input! I wish I could find some people locally I could talk to about all this stuff, but unfortunately I don't know anyone else who's into 'serious' fish keeping. I know I'm just a newbie, a really, really baby newbie, but I am striving to learn.