prep of a "new" old tank

[FishBlock]

I bought a 75 gallon Oceanic tank with some holy rock and drift wood.
Whats the best way to clean the tank and rock to get ready for fish?
whats the best filter to get started with for 5 small angels and 4 rams and a school of cardinals, to start off with?

[eklikewhoa]

Re: prep of a "new" old tank

I would give it all a good rinse and possibly dry out some of the decoration in the sun.

Other then that you should be good unless some really harsh meds was used previously. The Holey rock might not be too ideal for those types of fish though.

[FishBlock]

Re: prep of a "new" old tank

never used holy rock before, why do you say its not a good idea?

[eklikewhoa]

Re: prep of a "new" old tank

Hoely rock is limestone.... the fish you listed prefer acidic/neutral water.

[FishBlock]

Re: prep of a "new" old tank

got ya,  

the little piece of drift wood has some old  dried up algae, (looks like moss on a tree) whats the best way to remove it? scrub the wood or jest let it be?

[eklikewhoa]

Re: prep of a "new" old tank

If it is moss then it should just peel right off being dried... if it is algae then a bit of a scrub or scraping will get it right off. I don't think it will be a problem though or at least to me it doesn't pose a threat.

[myjohnson]

Re: prep of a "new" old tank

I bought a 75 gallon Oceanic tank with some holy rock and drift wood.
Whats the best way to clean the tank and rock to get ready for fish?
whats the best filter to get started with for 5 small angels and 4 rams and a school of cardinals, to start off with?

In regards to filtration, if you are not going to make this a planted tank I would put a wet/dry on it.

[FishBlock]

Re: prep of a "new" old tank

right now I'm planning on using plastic and silk plants. I've never been able to keep a live plant alive.
I'm using pebble size river stone (slightly larger than fish store standard gravel)

right now I was thinking about an emperor 400 filter, an undergravel filter with a power head and a sponge air bubblier/filter.

[Delock]

Re: prep of a "new" old tank

dish the undergravel filter. Go with Aquaclear for your filtration.

[FishBlock]

Re: prep of a "new" old tank

The tank came with the underground filter, i was going to use the powerhead to move water across the tank, I just figured if I was going to use the powerhead might as well use it with the ugf.

[CichlidFan]

Re: prep of a "new" old tank

I started keeping fish back when UGF's where run by air lines, there where no Power Heads back in those days, but even with PH's now, I am not sure the UGF is really worth the trouble. I am currently running two tanks with UGF's, and I kind of wish I was not. The tubes are not very attractive and I am not convinced they are very efficient in the long run.

If you use your gravel vacuum regularly, and keep a good strong PH with a sponge filter on it, along with the proper canister or HOB, you will achieve similar if not better overall results with your water quality.

CF

[cichlid1409]

Re: prep of a "new" old tank

I started keeping fish back when UGF's where run by air lines, there where no Power Heads back in those days, but even with PH's now, I am not sure the UGF is really worth the trouble. I am currently running two tanks with UGF's, and I kind of wish I was not. The tubes are not very attractive and I am not convinced they are very efficient in the long run.

If you use your gravel vacuum regularly, and keep a good strong PH with a sponge filter on it, along with the proper canister or HOB, you will achieve similar if not better overall results with your water quality.

CF

+1

[FishBlock]

Re: prep of a "new" old tank

ok, ditch  the under gravel filter,
would I be ok with 2 emporer 400's, and a spung filter?

[myjohnson]

Re: prep of a "new" old tank

you would be ok......but dude just get a wet/dry.


with all that money you spent a wet/dry doesn't cost too much more.

[CichlidFan]

Re: prep of a "new" old tank

That is one of the main attractions to me for using a emperor, the bio wheel emulates the Wet Dry to some degree. Anywhere you have air and water consistantly running over media that can support a colony of bacteria, you basically do have a wet dry, only real difference is the amount of water being treated is far greater with a true Wet Dry filter.

That's my understanding anyway....

CF