Help me with my new 4ft tank!!
Hey so this is my first post and i just got into this fish keeping hobby a few weeks ago and i was fortunate enough to be able to upgrade from a 1 gallon nano tank to a 4ft 120 gallon tank.
My 1 gallon only has 4 neon tetras and a plant that i dont even know the name of.
So anyway, my friend is giving me a 4ft tank with overflow filter system and i've been unable to decide what i want to put in it.
Is it easier for a beginner to go with:
A) 1 small silver arowana, 1 or 2 small spotted gar and maybe some plecos or clown loaches or a catfish or whatever else i can put as a bottom feeder (help recommend please!!!) and doing some hardscaping with rocks and driftwood with some plants and moss.
or
B) Aquascaping with lots of plants with: 12 neon tetras, 12 some other tetra, 6 oto, and maybe some rasboras 10 red cherry shrimps and 10 amano shrimps
PLEASE HELPPPPPP. i need to know which is easier to maintain and the pros and cons of each!!
As for (B), i have done a lot of research on how to keep those fishes, but i don't really know much about keeping predator fishes in (A)....
hi,
Not advisable to have planted tank with overflow filter system if you intend to inject CO2.. but some people managed to have good growth.
depends on the thickness of your 4 ft tank, if too thin, not advisable to keep big fish as they might break the glass..
it really depends on what you want...
maybe keep small fish, then tired already keep predator fish and the small fish can be the initial food for the predator fish.
If you don't know how to care for predator fishes, don't get them. Plecos, arowana, gar and some catfishes will grow to a large size, which a 120G tank cannot support. Keep some basic fishes before getting into the monster fish hobby. B is the best choice(or a community tank)
for option A - be prepared to feed live food or market prawn or crickets . prepare to do more often water changes too... once neglected, think disasters will happen.. also must plan properly what media to use for the filter. Big fish die compared to small fish is very different. also must think of how to dispose.
Option B might need more water change during initial setup and if combating algae... it also depends how deep you want to dive into it... else get some rocks, wood and soil minimum planting and you will be good to go
If i don't put too much plants and only put like sand, soil, rocks, driftwood and some moss, would i still need CO2 injected in the tank? how thick should the glass be if i'm gonna keep silver arowana, spotted gar and red tail catfish which are all below 7inches?
Also, i know the 4 ft tank might be a little too small once the fishes in A grows. But i was intending to buy them when they are really small and once they get bigger either i give them away or sell them off!
Redtail catfish, arowana and spotted gar can leave together right?
Will the catfish be counted as a cleaning crew?
if they grow big and you can sell off or give away then shouldn't be any problem..
as for CO2, it all depends... I think you won't need CO2 for these plants...
if you can keeping redtail catfish, I will suggest you keep something that is bigger than its mouth .. if not it might become fish food for redtail catfish.
What other catfish or plecos are appropriate for a tank with silver arowana and spotted gars?
For option A, if you are keeping fishes that will eventually outgrow the tank, then its not so optimal... maybe can consider medium sized fishes instead which can live in that tank size permanently.
Option B is perfect for small fishes and shrimps as they will have alot of space and water volume to swim and graze about, so its like a paradise for them. You can stock alot more small fishes and shrimps in a tank that large... easily hundreds of small fishes and shrimps. A large group of rummy nose tetras schooling across a 4ft tank can look very impressive.
If you use mainly low demand plants like moss, anubias, java ferns etc, then no need to inject Co2 (minimal or no ferts and only use low-medium light), it can be a simple low-maintenance planted setup.
One of my main worry for option B is that it will be very tough for a beginner like me to aquascape the entire 4ft tank and make it look nice... also i'm not intending on injecting co2 and i was wondering if that will make the plants less nice because they are not supplied fully with their nutrients?
I'm also kinda leaning towards option A because it's easier to hardscape such a big tank and having monster fishes has more action in the tank during live feeding HAHA. What can i put in a tank with silver arowana and spotted gar?
Okay after much considerations, I've decided to go with option B.
I intend to use ADA soil with a layer of plant fertiliser below it and there will be one small corner of the tank filled with sand instead which I intend to use that area as a shrimp paradise by putting cholla cactus wood and feed the shrimp pallets there so that all the shrimps will gather at that spot!
I'm gonna put Danios as my cycling fish and my tank will be mainly filled with tetras, Oto and red cherry shrimps after that.
Anyone has any suggestion on what else can go with this community of fishes?
Also my tank would be planted with mainly Java moss on the rocks, maybe hair grass as my carpet plant and a few taller sword plants at the back. Would I need CO2 for this??
I was thinking of starting without co2 then only buying it if I see the plants are not growing well.
Lemme know what else I can include in my tank!!
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For option B,how much do you willing to spend?
You need good lighting,good pump for circulation,i definitely recommend co2 tank, it is a 1 time purchase and you can get second hand at the market place.
I'm getting a second hand 4x2x2 tank with built in overflow filter system with cabinet from a friend.
I'm expecting like $50 for the soil, $20(?) for a layer of fertiliser and a small amount of sand(for the shrimps), $30-$40 for rocks and driftwood.
And I'm keeping aside around $200 in case I need the co2 tank and the other equipments like co2 drop checker.
But the biggest problem I have on deciding whether I'm getting co2 is the fact that I don't know which one to get and I have no idea how to install it. Even after watching many tutorial videos I'm still confused about how to run it since there's so many types of CO2 diffusers. I'd probably go with inline diffuser but again, I don't know how to install it
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I think you are underestimating the cost. $50 is unlikely to be enough for soil to let plants take root.........Originally Posted by Ryan Peh
I suggest that go around the LFSs and have a look around first before you start,check out the price and think it over.
For 4 feet, $50 will buy you sand not soil to cover the tank.
Java moss and most sword plants can grow in low tech tank environments too, so Co2 injection is optional for them. Hairgrass can also grow in low-tech environment but their growth will tend to be much slower without Co2 injection. You could consider other types of carpet plants like MC or glosso which fare better in non-Co2 injected tanks. I guess you just have to adjust your plant growth expectations and setup according to what equipment configuration you plan to use.
That being said, even with low demand slower growing plants, they will still benefit from Co2 injection (overall growth will be abit faster and abit better), so its still a good idea to get a Co2 system if you have the budget. If you buy a full Co2 system package from a good LFS, their staff will help you set it up and show you how to use it properly.
As for soil quantity, you have to calculate the amount you need based on the tank base area and soil height. For example, 120cm x 60cm base area x average 5cm soil height (sloping higher to the back) = 36,000 / 1,000 = 36 liters of soil.
Based on that volume calculation, if you are going for ADA Amazonia aquasoil (the default soil most aquascapers use), that will be 4 x 9liter bags... at $35-$40 per bag, it'll be $140-$160 just on soil alone (some LFS may have discounts so can save abit from there). Sand is much cheaper so just calculate how much you need to fill the front areas and get a large bag of the sand color tone you prefer (look at the ADA gallery tank aquascapes to get an idea of how to create layouts with sand banks/valley paths in front with soil behind).
No choice... larger tank = more materials required = more cost.
If your layout uses more sand and less soil, then you can reduce the overall cost. In such setups there will be more plants tied to rocks and wood instead and put on the sand, rather than planted in the soil. So its all in your planning process.
Last edited by Urban Aquaria; 3rd Oct 2015 at 17:39.
Wow you guys are super helpful!! Thank you so much! The things yall wrote are so much clearer than what I've been searching all over google!!
I think I'm gonna go with more soil and only a little sand for the shrimp area! So I guess I have to increase my soil budget and I'll let the plants grow in a low tech tank first. If I see the need then I'll get co2.
One more question, if I get co2, chances are i would need to start dosing fertilisers too right? That's what I read from the other threads in this forum where the people are dosing daily and weekly!
Oh ya and what are MC??
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Last edited by Ryan Peh; 3rd Oct 2015 at 19:24.
Well, its not necessary to have to blast lots of light and add lots of ferts just because you inject Co2, it all depends on the plant types and growth speed you want to achieve.... you can also choose to run a low maintenance high-tech planted setup whereby the Co2 is injected at a moderate rate to support healthy plant growth and ensure they are not carbon deficient (for most plant tanks, light and nutrients are already more than sufficient, but its the Co2 that is deficient and plant growth is limited by it).
In low maintenance high-tech tank setups, you can use less light, have moderate Co2 injection, dose less (or no) fertilizers. Plant growth will progress at a moderate pace and everything will be much easier to keep in balance.
The benefit with having a Co2 system is if you decide to grow more demanding types of plants, you will then have the option to increase light, nutrients and Co2 supply to match their growth requirements. It gives you the opportunity to keep a much wider variety of plants.
MC = Micranthemum 'Monte Carlo'
Here is an info link from the Tropica website: http://tropica.com/en/plants/plantde...8025TC%29/4442
It looks like a larger leaved version of HC, but less demanding and easier to grow.
I just saw photos of MC and they look pretty good as well! i think i'll use the money i set aside for CO2 system for the soil and decorations first. If need, then i will consider getting the CO2 in future.
Urban Aquaria i wish you would come with me on my shopping trips when i buy my soil and other stuffs HAHAHA that would be so much easier for me...
For beginner,starting with 4ft is a huge task,why not start with 1.5 or 2 ft first.
Tank maintenance is a chore for big tanks, especially planted tank.
I was about to buy a 3ft tank at first... but my friend's father had a spare 4ft tank with cabinet... i told her isn't it too big for a starter like me, but she told me if i get a 3ft tank, i'm going to regret after awhile and say i should have gotten the 4ft HAHA
Thus, i agreed to take the 4ft from her LOL
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