My New Tank

[Boxer_Gaz]

Some of you will have seen me on here for the last few days with loads of stocking and tank size questions.

I've not had an aquarium for a good few years and been dying to get one since I was forced to get rid of my last one.

I've just moved in with my girlfriend and planning to get a 5x2x2 when we have done the house up. But in reality not gonna be for 12 months or so.

Anyway, today I went wound my mates and he gave me this tank (complete coincidence)...

It is 32" long x 12" wide x 16" tall and approx 100 litres.

I'm planning on sand substrate, photographic plant background, a rock pile at one end, a plant pot at the other and a large piece of bogwood in the middle.

I'm getting an internal filter tomorrow, is the Fluval U4 a good choice? Are there better ones?

I'm thinking of the following stocking once it is all cycled and water tested okay...

8 x Serpae Tetra
2 x Apistogramma (Pair)
1 x Golden Gouramis
1 x Pleco

What do you think of my plans and how does my stocking look?

Thanks

Gaz

 

[Boxer_Gaz]

Another question I've got...

I'm gonna fill my tank tomorrow and turn filter and heater on, to speed up the cycle will squeezing a dirty filter sponge from my fish pond help?

I'm assuming this will be full of ammonia and help with fishless cycle?

Thanks

Gaz

 

[Boxer_Gaz]

Anyone?

 

[minnnt]

Tank looks good mate. The U series by Fluval are ok, but ro be honest, they are massive and bulky so will take up a lot of your tank. If your tank has the option for an external then i would opt for that to give you maximum internal space.

 

[Zikofski]

erm im not sure about the squeezing fish pond filter media, but I think cutting a bit of and putting that into the filter it self will help massively unless its different bacteria, ammonia is not what you want when it comes to a fully cycled tank but you want millions of gd bacteria that will convert the ammonia produced by fish if you know what i mean

i bought a U3 for my 80L tank and in my opinion it was absolutely amazing easy to change the media easy to add the media in was great only downside that minnnt mentions is that its bulky and now that i have a 330L tank i have moved to a external filter Tetratec are the best IMO, I'm sure minnnt will agree with me on that one too

Sand substrate is defiantly the best fish seem to play in it and colour up better in it

looks like a gd setup I'm looking forward to seeing this completed on the pleco note tho be careful what one you get as some get HUGE, those maybe small enough for your tank but be careful someone will help on there if its not

hope this helps

 

[Boxer_Gaz]

Thanks for the replies.

I will post photos to show progress as I go along.

I will look into the external filter route but might struggle for space and finances. Will check it out though.

I was thinking about a queen arabesque or butterfly pleco, of maybe one of each.

How does my stocking look for the tank size and comparability?

Thanks again

Gaz

 

[Boxer_Gaz]

Just given the tank a good clean, put a new light and starter in the hood and filled with water.

Experimenting with this terracotta pot I found yesterday, think it will look pretty cool with a small terracotta plant pot the other end and a piece of bogwood in the middle.

Gaz

 

[the_lock_man]

Re the stocking. Many apisto species prefer to have a male with a harem of females (kinda 3/4), so you need to be careful which species you get. A. Hongsloi is one that is happy as just a pair, though, and there are some others.

 

[Boxer_Gaz]

Thank you for the input.

I was gonna get 1 male and 2 female but read various posts about the females fighting to the death so decided a pair would be better?

Thanks

Gaz

 

[the_lock_man]

Thank you for the input.

I was gonna get 1 male and 2 female but read various posts about the females fighting to the death so decided a pair would be better?

Thanks

Gaz

Not read that myself, but probs worth a question in the New World Cichlid section, to be on the safe side.

 

[Boxer_Gaz]

Cheers will do

 

[Boxer_Gaz]

Okay so I've just been to get my heater, thermometer and background from LFS.

Im running a fluval U3 which I have had off my mate until I decide wether to keep this or go down the external route. I may stick with the internal and go down the external route next year when I upgrade to a 5 foot tank.

Off to Argos now to get the play sand

 

[annaw123]

looking good so far, make sure you really thoroughly wash the play sand! It's what i have in my tank, took alot of washing but looks great Also, i have 1 male and 1 female apisto as i had also read that they fight to the death sometimes, and mine love eachother ^^ haha

 

[Boxer_Gaz]

Thanks for the input dude.

How do you wash the sand? Just keep rinsing in buckets?

I'm swapping that big pot for 3 small terracotta pots and a nice piece of bogwood.

Anyone know anywhere reasonable l can purchase bogwood from? They wanted £10 for a small plain piece today, I want a really nice fancy piece.

Thanks

Gaz

 

[the_lock_man]

Thanks for the input dude.

How do you wash the sand? Just keep rinsing in buckets?

I'm swapping that big pot for 3 small terracotta pots and a nice piece of bogwood.

Anyone know anywhere reasonable l can purchase bogwood from? They wanted £10 for a small plain piece today, I want a really nice fancy piece.

Thanks

Gaz

If you're not on a water meter, poke loads of holes in the bag, put your garden hose throguh one hole, into the sand itself, turn on and leave it for 2 hours.