New 140 Us Gal Tank

[plotolover]

Hi


So I'm very excited but have learned to take it slow this is the biggest tank i will have ever owned (140 us gal). Actually only the second one, My current tank is 40 us gal. It will be a while before it gets stocked since its new to me however is used so it needs to be sanitized and i need to get everything for it. Filter Heaters lights and so on have to also figure out how to generate enough water for water changes also. I now use an API tap water filter which is great for 15 gal once a week but no way efficient enough for about 70 gal that would go through 2 filters a weed at about 40 $ a shot.

So yes i have lots of planning and research to do yet but i was wondering of any stocking ideas. We (me and hubby) have decided to stick with a more community type set up.

one Fish for sure will be living in there a Hypostomus plec this will be his forever home
O i guess dimensions would help huh ill just get them and put them up now haha
tall 30" long 54" back to front 21"


ok so now to make things difficult my hubby really likes puffers i would like to try to keep two pea puffers in there Given the size of tank and their smallness and the fact that they do not need salt as they age i am hoping for success but if not there will be a 40 gal waiting to house them alone if need be. I would like to keep a female beta again with a backup house of 15 gal if this does not work out after keeping a watchful eye for fighting or nipping.

again these are just ideas and wants not a current reality. the aim is to have 4 larger growing fish a oddballs or specimen fish and have large schools of smaller fish. Could a person keep 5 female betas in a higherarchy system? iv herd yes but i really have no idea about that and am not sure we would want more than one. Please remember that these fish are being bought to stock the tank and to live in it their whole lives together so yes the tank may look empty at first but it has to be able to accommodate all the fish at their full grown size together and please no fish that start out sweet and eat everyone as they get older. Also i am not aposed to a changing diet but AM aposed to needing to change water parameters or the need for salt as fish age since not every fish will need that as they age.


Bring on the ideas

I need to settle on fish first so i know how to best set up the tank for their happiness. OH and please i really do not want to set up with sand so i will be using small gravel so if fish are sensitive or will be harmed by this than also do not recommend. I know plec s should have sand but mine hatted it as soon as i went back to small gravel he was out and about acting normal and happy.

Thanks cannot wait to hear all the ideas. Very excited!!!

 

[cianmg]

i would go for angelfish mine come up to me when i go close to the tank you could also get a school and pairing going

 

[snazy]

i would go for angelfish mine come up to me when i go close to the tank you could also get a school and pairing going

Well the angelfish will eat some smaller type fish when they grow to full size But they look beautiful alright.
As for coming up to me, so far I haven't been able to train my pleco only. They all learn when the food is just about to be put in the tank.

For bottom dwelling I would suggest a nice school of clown loaches or a big school of corydoras(not sure about the puffers in this case though) The pleco is a wonderful addition, I love mine, quite gentle on the plants too so far(just 7 inch now). Your tank is as tall as mine and if you decorate big pieces of driftwood higher up in the tank for him to comfortably stretch himself along a branch here and there, then he'll spend his time on the wood, polishing the plants, or sucking the side glass and you'll never see him on the floor stressed to his teeth like in most sad aquariums keeping plecos.

As for dwarf puffers, they are fully freshwater as you say. But they are very aggressive small little things although in a tank this size it may work out ok but corydoras are probably not a good choice in this case. Why don't you keep the puffers in a species only tank in the 40 gallon with a group of otocinclus instead?

All of these fish require sand as substrate though.

Good luck whatever you decide on. It's exciting to plan a new tank!!!

 

[Crossfire]

You lucky butt

I'd go with snazy's idea

Go for:

8x Clown Loaches
1x Hypo Plec
30x Cardinal Tetras or any other large schooling fish (I'd say, large rainbowfish or Congo Tetras, or Emperor Tetras, or big barbs, like Aurelius Barbs It's up to you!)
4-6x Angels

How about some oddballs?

Glass catfish would look awesome in a large school

 

[kris44]

Thats awesome! I am only upgrading to my second tank. I have a 20g and movinf up to a 55g. Starting off slow

What about two large schools of tetras - maybe 15 of each. Rummynose tetras and hmm.. Penguin tetras. For the middle.
Then maybe like you said, a female betta or a larger species of gourami. Peal gouramis are nice, Ive heard theyre the only gouramis that like pairs - whether its a male and female or both are the same sex. For the top.
I was going to suggest a peacock eel for the bottom, but I forgot you said gravel.
Some sort of shoal of loaches for the bottom. Botia loaches are pretty.