The Official Asylum Freshwater Tank Thread

[shaggy]

if the salty guys can have a thread then so can we.

Just gettin back into the fish thing after many years away. Used to have an Oscar and a Red Bellied Pirranaha but i wanted something a bit more sedate this time around.

this is my 25g tank i just got ready and it is just finishing up cycling. currently there is only 3 silver mollies and one neon tetra in there but i want to fill it with about 12-15 fish eventually.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p206/shaggy_059/fish/003-2.jpg

this is a 10g i picked up for the grandkids to fill with guppies and stuff.
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p206/shaggy_059/fish/002-3.jpg

nothing specatular but still kinda nice.

eventually i will end up with a salt tank i think but just small stuff. price is pretty prohibitive up here on the equipment.

[Rabidsquirrel]

After I finish my move I'll post pictures. I haven't been scrubbing the algae off the glass for a while, and I don't want to take a picture of that.

[shaggy]

another addition to the tank tonite.....3 more neon tetras and 3 shimp...they are way cool...i never knew about having shimp before in fresh water tanks

[Old Sailor]

Gail says for me to cleanup my tank that has been sitting for a year, guess it's as good a time as any to restart her.

[shaggy]

it prolly was home to prehistoric fish at one point.....lol

[Rabidsquirrel]

What type of shrimp did you get?

[shaggy]

japonica or they have another more common name that escapes me atm...starts with an 'a' tho

[LookAtBigErn82]

japonica or they have another more common name that escapes me atm...starts with an 'a' tho

Amano?

[shaggy]

Amano?

that would be them.
they were pretty active when i first put them in now they just hang out chillin

finally got the grandkids tank ready....they currently have 3 guppies...1 male, 1 female and a baby....but the female is already pregnant

[Old Sailor]

it prolly was home to prehistoric fish at one point.....lol

:fu:fu:r

[shaggy]

lookin to change my tanks to LED lighting....anyone got any comments?
should i just get a kit of ebay for like 30-40 bucks?

[Rabidsquirrel]

What type of LED lighting? The only one I've seen is for salt water and costs well over $500.

[shaggy]

something along these lines...
http://shop.ebay.ca/?_from=R40&_trksid=m38&_nkw=fish+tank+led+lighting&_sacat=See-All-Categories

i think it would look pretty cool

[omowasu]

Cool thread, lets see some more pics!

I used to have several saltwater tanks many years ago, but the maintenance and upkeep was sucking up a LOT of my time. Eventually I got out of the hobby - gave away the fish, sold the tanks, etc.

Been getting the fishkeeping itch lately, especially since the kids have been asking for a tank. I am thinking of a 55 gal freshwater setup, maybe brackish, but either way I would like to cut my maintenance time to 1/3 that of a saltwater tank.

Some of the newer hood systems will definitely help - I used one of the first generation Eclipse systems a few years ago. It worked well but the biofilter gunked up quickly and needed to be rinsed weekly. Any ideas here are welcome.

[foomanto]

had a tank for years pretty maintenance free my big mistake my gravel was to small larger gravel would have stayed cleaner filtered better. the smaller gravel had to be cleaned about once every 2 months other than that i just checked the water levels every other week. the key was to get fish that did most of the work for you.

[shaggy]

Cool thread, lets see some more pics!

I used to have several saltwater tanks many years ago, but the maintenance and upkeep was sucking up a LOT of my time. Eventually I got out of the hobby - gave away the fish, sold the tanks, etc.

Been getting the fishkeeping itch lately, especially since the kids have been asking for a tank. I am thinking of a 55 gal freshwater setup, maybe brackish, but either way I would like to cut my maintenance time to 1/3 that of a saltwater tank.

Some of the newer hood systems will definitely help - I used one of the first generation Eclipse systems a few years ago. It worked well but the biofilter gunked up quickly and needed to be rinsed weekly. Any ideas here are welcome.

the hood on my 25 gal is an eclipse but the previous owner gutted all the filter stuff out of it. i have a fluval2 submersable filter working in it now....soooo quiet. i find the area where the filter was a great storage space for nets and the like that drip when you put them away

[shaggy]

added some ghost shrimp the other day.....they are way more visiable than the amanos and just as fun to watch

[LookAtBigErn82]

Here are some pics of my tank. Started it back in August. I love the live plants that are growing in there. I constantly have to trim those down.

Just a couple Tiger Barbs in there right now.

http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/vv159/lookatbigern82/DSC01090.jpg

http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/vv159/lookatbigern82/DSC01087.jpg

http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/vv159/lookatbigern82/DSC01088.jpg

[shaggy]

nice setup
i am gonna go planted on the next tank i get

[LookAtBigErn82]

nice setup
i am gonna go planted on the next tank i get

Thanks, the plants actually started out as roots that you can buy from a pet store. I paid a couple bucks for like six of them. Only two started growing but they're huge.

[Tikihut27]

I have two tanks up right now. Since I was overseas for 2008, they started out a little shabby this year, but here is how they are right now. (My wife says they die when I am on military duty because they "miss me".)

First tank, 55 long. Use this for schoolers and to grow predators for the big tank. Once they eat the schoolers, they are ready to move! Has in it right now:

2 Red Rainbow (Glossolepis incisus)
1 Bosemani Rainbow (Melanotaenia boesemani)
2 Madagascar Rainbow (Bedotia geayi)
2 Diamond Tetra (Moenkhausia pittieri)
2 Red Eye Tetra (Moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae)
1 Emperor Tetra (Nematobrycon palmeri)
2 Flagtail Porthole Catfish (dianema urostriatum)
2 Bumblebee Catfish (Pseudopimelodus raninus)
1 Banjo Catfish (Bunocephalus coracoideus)
1 Clown Loach (Chromobotia macracanthus)
1 Green Tiger Botia (Botia hymenophysa)
1 Striped Headstander (Anostomus anostomus)
And probably a few I missed

http://i317.photobucket.com/albums/mm386/gsmilligan/IMG_0583.jpg

The big tank is a 150 that used to be an Amazonian tank but has morphed a little. Big predators and cats mostly, but I lost the really good ones last year. Currently:

1 Leopard Ctenopoma (Ctenopoma acutirostre) 4"
1 Flagtail Prochilodus (Semaprochilodus insignis) 6"
1 Rhino Pleco (Pterygoplichthys scrophus) 8"
1 Black-Banded Leporinus (Leporinus fasciatus) 10"
1 Lima Shovel Nose Catfish (Sorubim lima) 5"
1 Upside-down Catfish (Synodontis eupterus) 6"
1 Twig Catfish (Farlowella acus) 5"
1 Hujeta Gar (Ctenolucius hujeta) 5"
2 Red Bellied Pacu (Piaractus brachypomum) 2" just got this weekend

http://i317.photobucket.com/albums/mm386/gsmilligan/IMG_0586.jpg

Ctenopoma acutirostre

http://i317.photobucket.com/albums/mm386/gsmilligan/IMG_0587.jpg

Leporinus fasciatus

http://i317.photobucket.com/albums/mm386/gsmilligan/IMG_0588.jpg

Pterygoplichthys scrophus

http://i317.photobucket.com/albums/mm386/gsmilligan/IMG_0589.jpg

[Churchlady]

Cool!!!
Some day I want to have a grown up tank!!
As it is... I'm having trouble with ours - ammonia levels are through the roof and I've only got a black mollie, Silver Dannio and 2 kuhli loaches!

[Tikihut27]

Cool!!!
Some day I want to have a grown up tank!!
As it is... I'm having trouble with ours - ammonia levels are through the roof and I've only got a black mollie, Silver Dannio and 2 kuhli loaches!

The bigger they are, the older they are, and the more gunked up with organic life they are, the easier they are to maintain, I've found.

Welcome to the board, by the way!

[shaggy]

Cool!!!
Some day I want to have a grown up tank!!
As it is... I'm having trouble with ours - ammonia levels are through the roof and I've only got a black mollie, Silver Dannio and 2 kuhli loaches!

i am goin thro the same thing with mine....high ammonia and cloudy water....just keep up on water changes and fill it up with some hardy fish

i am goin later tonite to check on a really cheap 10 gal setup i will prolly use for shrimp and hopefully plant it later

[shaggy]

finally finished stocking my 25 gal.

ended up with 2 silver mollys, 7 neon tetras, 3 sunburst platys and 4 otto cats

tomorrow i am suppose to pick up a new 35 gal for wife and i get to start all over again

[BC-Axeman]

My wife maintains our 55 gal freshwater tank. It's got some misc tetra types, a hatchet, a huge pleco and an overgrown algae eater. We try to grow plants in it but everything gets eaten except the java fern, which becomes a weed.

[GWN]

Here's our big one. We have a smaller one in my son's room that produces a fresh cloud of guppies every couple of weeks.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/GWNJeff/DSCN2190.jpg

[shaggy]

what do u think of the eclipse canopy jeff? i have one on my tank but it is gutted, i use a submersible filter in the corner but have heard good things about the elcipse,,,wondering if i should try to find all the pieces for mine

[Old Sailor]

How do you cycle your tanks guys....I use the amonia cycle....no fish till it's done, had good success with this way.
Now, try to get your hands on pure ammonia with no perfume or other addictive to it.

Add 4-5 drops of ammonia per 10 gallons of water, everyday.

Monitor the nitrites level everyday.

When you see a nitrates spike, drop the addition to 2-3 drops of ammonia per 10 gallons of water, everyday

When you see the nitrites level drop to zero,

Congratulations, your tank is fully cycled!

[Blueface]

How do you cycle your tanks guys....I use the amonia cycle....no fish till it's done, had good success with this way.
Now, try to get your hands on pure ammonia with no perfume or other addictive to it.

Add 4-5 drops of ammonia per 10 gallons of water, everyday.

Monitor the nitrites level everyday.

When you see a nitrates spike, drop the addition to 2-3 drops of ammonia per 10 gallons of water, everyday

When you see the nitrites level drop to zero,

Congratulations, your tank is fully cycled!

Dave,
In my years in the salt water aquarium business, I learned how to rapid cycle a tank, even fresh water.
I needed to learn not only for my tank and for the business but more so for those times when purchasing new fish and needing a rapid start hospital tank for quarantine.
Buy a simple product Bacter Vital. Comes in one formula for saltwater and a second for fresh so make sure you get the right one.
Use it for three days.
On the fourth day, the Tank is cycled and ready to go.
I swear I have done this with my tank and that of many customers, each time dealing with thousands of dollars in fish and have yet to loose one.
Stuff is amazing.

I have even experimented with a $5000 fish, with no waiting.
Just added it and kept adding for three days.
No sweat at all.

[Old Sailor]

:hm will have to look for that stuff Carlos.:tu

[Blueface]

:hm will have to look for that stuff Carlos.:tu

One word of caution about Bacter Vital, throw away the test kits and don't use them as it will throw off the readings and drive you nuts thinking all is whacked out, meantime, the fish are happy as can be.

[GWN]

what do u think of the eclipse canopy jeff? i have one on my tank but it is gutted, i use a submersible filter in the corner but have heard good things about the elcipse,,,wondering if i should try to find all the pieces for mine

Both of ours are Eclipses and they work well. When the filter gets clogged up, the biowheel doesn't spin that well, but otherwise they're great. Both were fairly cheap at Big Al's.

[shaggy]

i cycled mine with a product called 'cycle'. add a couple of capfuls wait a week and add a couple more and in another week u are done. it is suppose to have the good bacteria in the bottle to give it a jump start.
seemed to work ok for mine...i added fish at the 2 week mark and lost 2 of 10. and one was a neon tetra which is notorious for being a fragile fish.

[Blueface]

i cycled mine with a product called 'cycle'. add a couple of capfuls wait a week and add a couple more and in another week u are done. it is suppose to have the good bacteria in the bottle to give it a jump start.
seemed to work ok for mine...i added fish at the 2 week mark and lost 2 of 10. and one was a neon tetra which is notorious for being a fragile fish.

Cycle works the same as Bacter Vital.
I just got use to one over the other.

[Churchlady]

Just lost my black mollie! bummer... can you add bacter vital with the fish in?

[Blueface]

Just lost my black mollie! bummer... can you add bacter vital with the fish in?

Absolutely.
It is an injection of beneficial bacteria for the system.
Just remember it throws off test kits so don't rely on them for a short while once you use this product.
However, if cycled already and running fine, no need to waste the money on it.
If a fish died and temporarily spiked the tank, definitely will help but so will any product like Prime or Amquel.
If anyone buys Bacter Vital, just remember to refrigerate it after opening the package.

[Churchlady]

Will try it... still got 3 in there I think - kuhli loaches are pretty crafty... can never find them when you're looking for them.

[shaggy]

well i got a couple of new tanks up and running...a 10 gal with a couple of femail bettas and silver tip tetras and the 35 gal with 5 albino plecos and 2 elephant nose fish

[Rabidsquirrel]

Should have the new top finished for the 55 finished by this weekend. I'll take some pictures then.

[GWN]

well i got a couple of new tanks up and running...a 10 gal with a couple of femail bettas and silver tip tetras and the 35 gal with 5 albino plecos and 2 elephant nose fish

post a pic!

[Old Sailor]

Got my 20 gal. back up and cycling, man what a job it was to clean and get it going. Using a Fluval 203 filter......also have blue LEDS for night, thanks for the thought Mike, looks cool....I'll post some pics later.
Thinking of Tiger Barbs this time.

[Old Sailor]

http://i513.photobucket.com/albums/t336/bosunb/100_0942.jpg
http://i513.photobucket.com/albums/t336/bosunb/100_0943.jpg
Blue LED'S for night.

[shaggy]

bastage....i still dont have the leds in any of my tanks
what did u use for them? the ones u buy at the fish store?

[Old Sailor]

bastage....i still dont have the leds in any of my tanks
what did u use for them? the ones u buy at the fish store?

Ones from Ebay....10 of them in there, but didn't use his wire,too bulky.

[sergeant smoky]

I'm getting so excited now. Next week I am going to order my very 1st 90 gal tank for Fred the eel. Which means my water changes will cost a lill bit more. But Fred is worht it. I think he really loves me, or at least knows I bring the good foor home for him.



Sarge

[shaggy]

they all love you when either u bring food...or are food:)

[Rabidsquirrel]

Finally got around to taking a picture. Battling a small algae problem now, I need to get in and do a good cleaning. I build a custom cheapo hood which has four four foot 32watt lamps.

http://www.moderatelyconfused.com/images/tank55.jpg

[shaggy]

ok...so i got some more pics...
a 30 gal that i am not quite sure what i am gonna do with. currently home to some guppys, kuhili loaches, oil catfish and a few plecos
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p206/shaggy_059/010.jpg

a 30 gal tang cichlid tank i am just getting going...home for 4 lemon cichlids
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p206/shaggy_059/009.jpg

10 gal guppy tank
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p206/shaggy_059/008.jpg

10 gal tank home to 2 female bettas and some danios and tetras
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p206/shaggy_059/007.jpg

20 community tank home to all kinds of different stuff
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p206/shaggy_059/005-2.jpg

[shaggy]

and finally the wifes tank
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p206/shaggy_059/006-1.jpg

home to her prize fish.........
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p206/shaggy_059/015.jpg

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p206/shaggy_059/014.jpg

elephantnose fish

[Old Sailor]

Nice lookin setups Mike:tu

[whogamawut]

well never thought i would see this thread on here...nice tanks...if i ever find my camera cord ill throw my tank on here