What to put in new 70 gallon tank? [Archive]

June 28th 05, 08:15 AM

Hello, i have managed to make a lovely 70 gallon tank. it is all
hardwood except the front of course. it had passed the leak test
outside with flying colours. i really expected atleast one leak, but i
guess i did a good job siliconing. Oh and i also used a beautiful
pebble patterned pool liner i already had for a garden pond.
Any ways it is in my room and is in the proccess of being cycled
by some danios. So i had some questions. #1. should i put some plants
in before it is cycled or after?(do the plants get sick or die if the
ammonia is too high?). #2. i have a couple bala sharks(AKA
tri-color shark) and ID sharks in another tank and am wanting to move
them into this one once cycled and add some more bala and ID sharks
with them since they seem happier when the have buddies to swim with
:). Anyways, i have had yellow lab cichlids with them before and the
balas got along great with them, but the ID shark did not(fins got bit
at). My question is, with this size of tank will my bala sharks be
fine with other species of cichlids? and will the ID shark be fine?(i
am willing to leave him in the tank he is in now if he won't. i think
the reason why he got nipped at was cause he likes to lay around like
pretty much all other catfish)
So any suggestions on what type of cichlids i could get would be
great. And also, i know the smaller cichlids (~2.5") were fine with
my bala sharks, but will larger cichlids be ok, or will they try to eat
them :(

Any responses would be appreciated, Thank you.

Nic

NetMax

July 2nd 05, 03:50 PM

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Hello, i have managed to make a lovely 70 gallon tank. it is all
> hardwood except the front of course. it had passed the leak test
> outside with flying colours. i really expected atleast one leak, but i
> guess i did a good job siliconing. Oh and i also used a beautiful
> pebble patterned pool liner i already had for a garden pond.

Siliconed hardwood with pool liner? That's an interesting method I'd
like to see finished pictures of.

> Any ways it is in my room and is in the proccess of being cycled
> by some danios.

Using danios to cycle a 70g is a little like peeing in a lake to raise
the level ;~). It might take a while and it will not net you a
significant biological capability, but it will work in its own way.

> So i had some questions. #1. should i put some plants
> in before it is cycled or after?(do the plants get sick or die if the
> ammonia is too high?).

From a few danios in a 70g? I think the plants would be fine. I think
the consensus is that they can be added anytime, but they do compete with
the bacteria for the same food sources (NH3, NO2 and NO3), which might
influence your cycling, but reduces how critical the bactseria culture is
(plants are doing some of the work). This assumes the plants are
growing, which in a new tank (sterile substrate, new water) is not an
immediate assumption to make unless they are floating plants (near the
light and higher O2 and CO2 levels so they tend to start growing faster).
There is also an assumption that your cichlids are compatible with plants
;~).

> #2. i have a couple bala sharks(AKA
> tri-color shark) and ID sharks in another tank and am wanting to move
> them into this one once cycled and add some more bala and ID sharks
> with them since they seem happier when the have buddies to swim with
> :).

If you have bala sharks in another tank, then you don't need to cycle the
70g with danios (imho) and you only need to move the bala's filter with
the fish to the new tank (or the aged filter media to a new filter).
Feed sparingly and monitor the water for a few days.

> Anyways, i have had yellow lab cichlids with them before and the
> balas got along great with them, but the ID shark did not(fins got bit
> at). My question is, with this size of tank will my bala sharks be
> fine with other species of cichlids? and will the ID shark be fine?(i
> am willing to leave him in the tank he is in now if he won't. i think
> the reason why he got nipped at was cause he likes to lay around like
> pretty much all other catfish)

Aren't ID sharks scaleless? Basically they are a moving fresh-meat
buffet for any fish with a big enough mouth and the knowledge that fish
meat is good eating. This makes ID sharks relatively safe with the fish
they grew up with, and/or in very large tanks, but in new tanks, new
tank-mates or smaller tanks, they are at serious risk. I don't think the
ID would be safe from the Balas or the Labs if either got hungry or
curious enough.

> So any suggestions on what type of cichlids i could get would be
> great. And also, i know the smaller cichlids (~2.5") were fine with
> my bala sharks, but will larger cichlids be ok, or will they try to eat
> them :(

Often the selection of cichlids depends on the conditions of your water
(either from the tap or according to what you are making). Since the
Balas are sof****er fish and the Labs are hardwater fish, you're not
giving much of a clue as to what your water conditions are ;~). Having
live plants will probably be your biggest constraint during the new fish
selection. Many cichlids eat plants, or chew them up (boredom?), or rip
them out of the substrate (maintain clear line of sight through their
territories). Smaller cichlids (Apistos) might co-habitate with your
Balas (with enough ground cover), but they will have a precarious life
sharing anything with Labs, so that doesn't work. Cichlids such as
Discus and Angelfish are plant friendly, but neither would enjoy the
activity level of Balas (or Labs ;~).

For your combination, (live plants, unknown water, Labs & Balas), no
cichlids really jump to mind. Maybe throw in some Julies and/or
Brichardi. That will provide some entertainment. Other than that, I
would be looking an non-cichlids. hth
--
www.NetMax.tk

> Any responses would be appreciated, Thank you.
>
> Nic
>