Tropical Fish Forum

Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => New Fishkeepers => Topic started by: engineer_tom on August 13, 2013, 02:52:50 PM

Title: Setting up a new 100L tank
Post by: engineer_tom on August 13, 2013, 02:52:50 PM
I have managed to buy a Juwel Lido 100L tank secondhand, much better than the 21L  I was going to use, and was wondering if anyone had any  suggestions how I should set it up.
Currently I am thinking:

Tropical
Real Plants
A start up of 6 fish probably all the same
Then every 1-2 months add another couple until I have around 12-15

I want bright colours and variety.

Any suggestions will be much appreciated.
Title: Re: Setting up a new 100L tank
Post by: Sue on August 13, 2013, 03:06:00 PM
The Lido is more of a cube than a rectangular tank. You would need to bear in mind that it doesn't have as much horizontal swimming room as a rectangular 100 litre tank and stock accordingly - either small fish or slightly larger ones that don't dash around.


Have you decided against doing a fishless cycle? Admittedly you can't have fish for a month or two, but then you can fully stock the tank as soon as the cycle has finished.

If you do a fish-in cycle as you suggest with six fish, you would not be able to add any more fish until the filter was cycled. Fish-in cycles take longer than fishless so you won't be able to add more fish for several months. When you could add more fish you'd be able to add up to a third of the fish already in the tank roughly every two weeks - that involves testing the water and a week after the ammonia and nitrite levels stay at zero without water changes, add more fish. So if you started with 6, you'd be able to add 2 more fish the same size once the filter was cycled, giving you 8. 2 more next time, giving 10. Then 3 next time, giving 13 and so on.
Don't forget you'd need to test the water at least once a day and do water changes every time you saw a reading for ammonia and/or nitrite above zero durig the cycling process.
Title: Re: Setting up a new 100L tank
Post by: engineer_tom on August 13, 2013, 03:54:32 PM
I am going to do the fishless but then still start with a smaller number, easier financially and gives me longer to decide exactly what i want to do.
Title: Re: Setting up a new 100L tank
Post by: Sue on August 13, 2013, 05:08:13 PM
Fair enough. From your first post, you realise that even if you do a fishless cycle, if you don't get the full stock immediately on completion you have to stock slowly as for fish-in cycling.

Since that is the way you want to go, you won't need to cycle to 3ppm ammonia as that's for a full tank of fish. I'd use just 1ppm, maybe 1.5. That should be easier as the nitrite levels won't go up nearly so high - and it's high nitrite that potentially can stall a cycle.
Title: Re: Setting up a new 100L tank
Post by: engineer_tom on August 14, 2013, 11:35:33 AM
Using the community creator I came up with:

6 * Threadfin Rainbowfish
2 * Honey Gourami
2 * Sparkling Gourami
3 * Platy
4 * Lampeye Panchax
6 * Ember Tetra

This gave me a 68% Stock Level

I would also introduce them over a 6 ish month period in that order after a fishless cycle.

I am aiming for a fairly heavily planted aquarium with a large variety of small fish.
Title: Re: Setting up a new 100L tank
Post by: Sue on August 14, 2013, 12:43:45 PM
That list looks fine but just a couple of comments.

Sparkling gouramis are very hard to sex, you might end up with 2m, 2f or a pair. Males can be a bit aggressive towards each other so keep an eye out for that.
I would up your numbers of ember tetras. I had 6, now I have 11 and they are much more confident. Mind you, they didn't like being in my 50 litre tank at all, they just hid in a huddle at the back. Even with just 6, they came out a lot  more when I moved them to the 125 litre. It could have been that the 50 litre is in the kitchen with a lot of passing traffic.
Platies - all one sex or 1m 2f. Females will give birth roughly every month - and even if you got all females, if they've ever been in with a male they'll be carrying sperm which will last a few months. f you try to save all the fry, you'll be overrun. The best thing to do is nothing - if you have plants (real or synthetic) a fewfry will make it and that will be more than enough.
Title: Re: Setting up a new 100L tank
Post by: engineer_tom on August 14, 2013, 01:58:58 PM
Regards non-fish things, such as substrate, plants and decor:

Substrate:
2cm - Silver Sand
3cm - Rooting
1cm - Nutrient rich
3cm - Rooting
1cm - Gravel
(This could be over the top but I am planning on having only real plants, and a respectable quantity.)

Decor:
I currently have a large artifical piece of wood and a small artifical bridge and a small croc head that you attach an airline to, (I am not sure about this as I am worried it is something that could injury the fish as the mouth has sharp teeth and opens and closes http://www.zooplus.com/shop/fish/decoration/misc_decorations/283066#more (http://www.zooplus.com/shop/fish/decoration/misc_decorations/283066#more)). I was planning on having some bog wood, a plant pot cave and possibly some rocks, but these came with the aquarium, I will probably still get bogwood instead of the artificial wood I have but use the bridge and possibly a plant pot cave.

Plants:
This is the area I have no idea really other than I want some longer ones for the back and shorter ones in front.
Title: Re: Setting up a new 100L tank
Post by: SteveS on August 14, 2013, 02:49:52 PM
This (http://www.emagcloud.com/djursgruppen/Tropica_UK_ny/index.html#/1/) is a nice introduction to plants.  Have a read and you may, at least, have some info on which to frame a question or two!
Title: Re: Setting up a new 100L tank
Post by: Gaynor on August 19, 2013, 01:46:19 PM
Hi Engineer Tom,

Regarding the sharp edges on the crocs head, I recently bought a galleon with the same problem.  We ended up taking a file to the edges, as we were worried about the fish injuring themselves too.  Maybe you could try that, it worked for us. : )
Title: Re: Setting up a new 100L tank
Post by: ColinB on August 22, 2013, 09:19:39 AM
Regards non-fish things, such as substrate, plants and decor:

Substrate:
2cm - Silver Sand
3cm - Rooting
1cm - Nutrient rich
3cm - Rooting
1cm - Gravel
(This could be over the top but I am planning on having only real plants, and a respectable quantity.)

Yep, definitely over-the-top. Silver sand is a bugger (technical term) 'cos it's so fine grained that there's no flow of water through it and can go anaerobic. You really only need all the nutrient substrate stuff if you're going for plants in a big way with fish as a secondary concern. It will be far easier, cheaper and less messy if you use largeish grained sand (pool-filter sand or play sand (not sharp builder's sand)) or buy ~1-2mm smooth gravel and have about 3-4cm of it. You can then shove in root tabs every few months to feed the plants. This way, if you decide to remove a plant, it's roots don't drag a load of soil into your water and you can re-arrange your tank to your heart's content. (Just my humble opinion, of course.)
Title: Re: Setting up a new 100L tank
Post by: Resa on August 22, 2013, 11:26:44 AM
Now you tell me about the silver sand ??? Ok....what in everybody's opinion would be my best substrate? Now before you all shout at me...I know that's a bit like how-long-is-a-piece-of-string, but I would appreciate some input. Bearing in mind I have live plants (quite a lot..well, I think so :-\ ) and my beautiful cories need to be happy and comfy.
Would what you have suggested Colin, be alright for them?
Title: Re: Setting up a new 100L tank
Post by: ColinB on August 22, 2013, 01:42:05 PM
Pool-filter sand or (well washed) play-pit sand. They're round, smooth and biggish sand grains that allow some water circulation through the substrate.
Title: Re: Setting up a new 100L tank
Post by: Resa on August 22, 2013, 01:50:36 PM
Thanks Colin....I'll look in to that...
Title: Re: Setting up a new 100L tank
Post by: engineer_tom on September 18, 2013, 04:27:21 PM
From reading the above would it be sensible to say that I should go for 4cm deep of 1-2mm substrate