Planning my first fishtank and was hoping for some input on livestock.

[Phantazmic]

Hello

I'm planning to start up an aquarium, it will be my first one although I had aquariums as a child I don't count those since it was 30 years ago. So I'm regarding myself as a beginner. 

The tank I'm planning will be a planted tank around 340g (measures not set in stone yet). 

Now I'm wondering what to have inside the tank to make it beautiful and lively. I'm not interested in big solitary fish so what I'm looking for is a community tank. 

So what would you as more experienced aqurists recommend. 

Kind regards Andreas

PS Pardon my English since I'm from Sweden Ds

[Fish Folk]

29 minutes ago, Phantazmic said:

Hello

I'm planning to start up an aquarium, it will be my first one although I had aquariums as a child I don't count those since it was 30 years ago. So I'm regarding myself as a beginner. 

The tank I'm planning will be a planted tank around 340g (measures not set in stone yet). 

Now I'm wondering what to have inside the tank to make it beautiful and lively. I'm not interested in big solitary fish so what I'm looking for is a community tank. 

So what would you as more experienced aqurists recommend. 

Kind regards Andreas

PS Pardon my English since I'm from Sweden Ds

Hello Andreas! All of the best wishes to you with this big new aquarium. That certainly sounds like a big space. We have never tried an aquarium anywhere near that size. I would recommend investing in a nice, thick, biologically activated substrate. I also would plan to run several canister filters as well as a few very large sponge filters for added aeration. If possible, I would get media from another aquarist for my canisters, and ask to run the large sponges in their tank(s) for a month in advance to build up a colony of bacteria. You’ll need to also invest in a quality light that can effectively penetrate to the Dept of your water for good plant growth. I would prime all filtration well ahead, then add substrate + water in one day, wait for it to clear for a day or two, then add many, many plants. Amazon Swords and Valisneria really need root tabs to thrive. Be sure to dose with healthy Aquarium-designed plant fertilizer. Wait a week, test water: you want to see that the nitrogen cycle is safe for your fish.

Look into Rainbow fish as a possibility if your water is medium-hard (lots of dissolved minerals). But if it is very soft, you might consider Discus. 

[kammaroon]

Just checking, is it 340 gallons (almost 1300 litres) or 340 litres?

How about an Amazon inspired stocking with lots of shoaling fish:

 

Edited May 9, 2021 by kammaroon
Added YouTube link

[Phantazmic]

It's 340 gallons around 1300 litres that I'm planning. Thanks for video think I've missed that one. 

[Phantazmic]

28 minutes ago, Fish Folk said:

Hello Andreas! All of the best wishes to you with this big new aquarium. That certainly sounds like a big space. We have never tried an aquarium anywhere near that size. I would recommend investing in a nice, thick, biologically activated substrate. I also would plan to run several canister filters as well as a few very large sponge filters for added aeration. If possible, I would get media from another aquarist for my canisters, and ask to run the large sponges in their tank(s) for a month in advance to build up a colony of bacteria. You’ll need to also invest in a quality light that can effectively penetrate to the Dept of your water for good plant growth. I would prime all filtration well ahead, then add substrate + water in one day, wait for it to clear for a day or two, then add many, many plants. Amazon Swords and Valisneria really need root tabs to thrive. Be sure to dose with healthy Aquarium-designed plant fertilizer. Wait a week, test water: you want to see that the nitrogen cycle is safe for your fish.

Look into Rainbow fish as a possibility if your water is medium-hard (lots of dissolved minerals). But if it is very soft, you might consider Discus. 

Thanks for input I hadn't thought about getting media from another aquarist thats already cycled and also put sponges in beforehand in an established tank. Sure speeds up the process. Was thinking of taking my time and wait with livestock until all I settled and stabile. 

[kammaroon]

3 minutes ago, Phantazmic said:

It's 340 gallons around 1300 litres that I'm planning.

Wow, that is going to be an amazing tank. My first tank was 10 gallons/40 litres. 😆

[Phantazmic]

2 minutes ago, kammaroon said:

Wow, that is going to be an amazing tank. My first tank was 10 gallons/40 litres. 😆

Hopefully hehe. Well it's still in the planning stages and will take a long time to get done. It's not the cheapest tank and I want to get it right and not cut corners. But in the end it will hopefully be worth the wait. 

[Fish Folk]

One word of caution: You may find that a tank that is much wider than it is tall is easier to clean and maintenance. As an example, in USA, there are several different size tanks that run about 110 gal. The tall one is very difficult to reach into, move things around in, net fish from, etc. But the longer model is much simpler. Just a thought to bear in mind.

[Phantazmic]

4 minutes ago, Fish Folk said:

One word of caution: You may find that a tank that is much wider than it is tall is easier to clean and maintenance. As an example, in USA, there are several different size tanks that run about 110 gal. The tall one is very difficult to reach into, move things around in, net fish from, etc. But the longer model is much simpler. Just a thought to bear in mind.

Max width I can have is around 240cm (7, 8 ft) and depht 80cm (2,6 ft) and was thinking about 70-75cm (2.2-2.4 ft) high. But maybe it's better to lower the hight to around 60cm (2 ft). 

[KaitieG]

30 minutes ago, Phantazmic said:

Max width I can have is around 240cm (7, 8 ft) and depht 80cm (2,6 ft) and was thinking about 70-75cm (2.2-2.4 ft) high. But maybe it's better to lower the hight to around 60cm (2 ft). 

This sounds like a really fun tank!  I recently set up a 95 gallon after having only a 20 and 10, and it's so much fun to have a larger tank to play with (though it's small compared to yours!).  I think the other advice you've gotten is really good--making sure it's cycled, getting plenty of plants growing, etc.. 

One thing I'd say about my tank is that it's about 26 inches high--so just over 2 feet.  It's about the max I can reach into and get to the bottom comfortably--I always end up with floating plants in my armpits 😆.  I don't regret the tank, and I like the proportions, etc.--but maybe measure your arms and make sure they're at least as long as the tank is tall. 

Then the other thing for stocking recommendations is that it would be interesting to know what your water parameters are from whatever water source you plan to use.  Do you know the Ph, hardness, etc.?  That could give a really good place to start with recommendations!

[Phantazmic]

5 minutes ago, KaitieG said:

This sounds like a really fun tank!  I recently set up a 95 gallon after having only a 20 and 10, and it's so much fun to have a larger tank to play with (though it's small compared to yours!).  I think the other advice you've gotten is really good--making sure it's cycled, getting plenty of plants growing, etc.. 

One thing I'd say about my tank is that it's about 26 inches high--so just over 2 feet.  It's about the max I can reach into and get to the bottom comfortably--I always end up with floating plants in my armpits 😆.  I don't regret the tank, and I like the proportions, etc.--but maybe measure your arms and make sure they're at least as long as the tank is tall. 

Then the other thing for stocking recommendations is that it would be interesting to know what your water parameters are from whatever water source you plan to use.  Do you know the Ph, hardness, etc.?  That could give a really good place to start with recommendations!

I will try to translate tap water parameters that I found on a website for the region I live in. It's all middlevalues. 

Soft water 3.8 °dH

Ph: 7.9 

Iron: 0.05 mg/l (milligram/litre) 

Cl: 0.28 mg/l

Fluoride: 0.12 mg/l

Nitrate (NO3-) : 2.5 mg/l

NO3: 0.56 mg/l

Cu: 0.07mg/l

These are the readings I could find. 

 

 

 

[Patrick_G]

For height I’d go for the 60cm. It will make reaching in for maintenance so much easier. 
It also makes sense to go for a sump filter with auto water change and top off. 
In one of the Aquarium Coop YouTube videos Cory shows the sump/water change system on his 280g Puffer tank in the retail store. 

[Dwayne Brown]

I would do a large group of bolivian rams, some larger tetras lile bleeding heart or columbian blue, a school of emerald catfish, and maybe some clown loaches. Sounds lile you have a really cool setup. I would definately look into keeping large schools of small fish in large tanks. They look really cool

[Nate s]

If it were me by the dimensions of your tank I would do like

6-8 angels

a school of 30-40 bigger body tetras like black phantom

20-30 Cory cats 

Apistos- stocking dependent on your choice. If something like cacatuoides you could do like 1-2 males and 4-6 females. 

[anewbie]

I'm planning two builds of around 400 gallons and these are my desired tank. One will be very similar to my 120 (attached) but larger. I.e, stocking will be some number angels, tetra (not cardinals as seen i the picture since they are terrified of the angels), loaches, cory and pleco. The specific numbers will probably change but approx the following:

40 to 50 black neon tetra

40 to 50 lemon tetra

10 to 15 angelfishes

4 electric blue acara (maybe might eat black neon)

10 clown loaches

6 yoyo loaches (left over not buying more)

10 to 20 zebra loaches (a wonderful fish)

some cory - probably eques and around 10 to 20. 

5 sae

8 L 204

2 lemon bn

a few other random pleco - probably a couple of blue phantom

-

I'll probably adjust the final numbers quite a bit so take it with a grain of salt

-

Another build i am considering will be a warmer tank (82-84) and will have 

5 to 10 winemillere geo

5 to 10 threadfin acara

10 to 20 rams (mostly gold but some gbr and electric blue)

30 to 50 cardinal tetra

10 to 30 sterbai cory

-

Anyway i still have about 12 months from my build but those are my current thoughts. The 120 i mentioned above:

 

 

Edited May 9, 2021 by anewbie

[Phantazmic]

55 minutes ago, anewbie said:

I'm planning two builds of around 400 gallons and these are my desired tank. One will be very similar to my 120 (attached) but larger. I.e, stocking will be some number angels, tetra (not cardinals as seen i the picture since they are terrified of the angels), loaches, cory and pleco. The specific numbers will probably change but approx the following:

40 to 50 black neon tetra

40 to 50 lemon tetra

10 to 15 angelfishes

4 electric blue acara (maybe might eat black neon)

10 clown loaches

6 yoyo loaches (left over not buying more)

10 to 20 zebra loaches (a wonderful fish)

some cory - probably eques and around 10 to 20. 

5 sae

8 L 204

2 lemon bn

a few other random pleco - probably a couple of blue phantom

-

I'll probably adjust the final numbers quite a bit so take it with a grain of salt

-

Another build i am considering will be a warmer tank (82-84) and will have 

5 to 10 winemillere geo

5 to 10 threadfin acara

10 to 20 rams (mostly gold but some gbr and electric blue)

30 to 50 cardinal tetra

10 to 30 sterbai cory

-

Anyway i still have about 12 months from my build but those are my current thoughts. The 120 i mentioned above:

 

 

@anewbiesounds cool. You are a lot closer to your build than I am. 

[Phantazmic]

Thanks for all the tips so far in this thread. Spent a couple of hours looking at fish on the internet, that's what I call a well spent sunday😀

[Colu]

I would do Africa biotope jewel cichlid Congo tetras cherry red Congo tetras blue eyed Congo tetras some African long fin tetra and some upside down catfish

[anewbie]

2 hours ago, Phantazmic said:

@anewbiesounds cool. You are a lot closer to your build than I am. 

Well I just wanted to give you some ideas - as i said i still have about 12 months before execution and i've been putting some thought into the matter for the past 6 months. As we get closer I'll further refine the exact stocking. 

[BenA]

11 hours ago, Phantazmic said:

Now I'm wondering what to have inside the tank to make it beautiful and lively.

340gl??? I think that a nice crocodile with anyone that upsets you thrown in will turn things very lively 🥶

If you don't like the above (creative) idea you have another 3 options.

1. An Amazon set up (soft water) containing large fish like Archer, Stingray etc. or, a tank with Angels, Silver Dollars, Neons etc. (see here for some ideas The Amazonian Aquarium: Setup, Biotope Options, Fish, Plants, Substrate (tropicalfishcareguides.com) )

2. An African Cichlid set up (hard water) that will contain no plants.

3. All Rainbow tank, many of the rainbow fish are hard water fish but some are around the 7ph mark. Very attractive fish that will leave you wondering how nature created so much beauty.

Edited May 9, 2021 by BenA

[Phantazmic]

Been a while since I posted. I've been doing research and I found that I might have to go down a little in size. So the new tank will be 200x70x64 900litres (253 gallons) and this is what I've come up with for stocking. What do you think? Anything I should take away or have less or more of? Been using aqadvisor for help. 

 

 

 

Edited June 4, 2021 by Phantazmic
Wrong pictures