Re: 90gallon tank, flowrate?

[Dinky]

"Michael" > wrote in message
...
> OK,
>
>
> The aquarium will be a tropical community tank, mainly tetras/rasboros a
few
> angels, etc.
>

May want to rethink that. As has been stated several times in the group over
the last couple weeks, Angelfish are cichlids, and are likely to eat many
smaller fish, providing they can catch them.

[RedForeman ©®]

must have been a large shipment of tetras to hit the US, LFS had 2 tanks
full of them today.. weird, the questions started popping up about the same
time... I bet ppl have bought and learned all in the same week...


"Dinky" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Michael" > wrote in message
> ...
> > OK,
> >
> >
> > The aquarium will be a tropical community tank, mainly tetras/rasboros a
> few
> > angels, etc.
> >
>
> May want to rethink that. As has been stated several times in the group
over
> the last couple weeks, Angelfish are cichlids, and are likely to eat many
> smaller fish, providing they can catch them.
>
>

[levittd]

"> "Michael" > wrote in message
> ...
> > OK,
> >
> >
> > The aquarium will be a tropical community tank, mainly tetras/rasboros a
> few
> > angels, etc.

Dinky" > wrote in message
...>

> >
>
> May want to rethink that. As has been stated several times in the group
over
> the last couple weeks, Angelfish are cichlids, and are likely to eat many
> smaller fish, providing they can catch them.
>
>
I've kept angels with lots of smaller fish, tetras included. The trick here
is to get your tetras and angels at the same time, and get really small
angels. Some will say that the tetras will nip they're fins off, and they
just might, but I've never had that problem with most smaller tetras. YMMV.
In any case, the little angels (get REALLY little ones) will be much too
small to eat the tetras and they seem to get used to idea that they can't
eat them and therefore, don't. Like I said, ymmv so don't blame me if
something bad happens. Angels, being cichlids after all, do develop
personalities and some turn out to be evil or just bad-tempered when they
get older. But this has always worked for me.
levittd

[levittd]

"Michael" > wrote in message
...
> OK,
>
> I'm setting up my 90 gallon tank that's been in storage for awhile.
> Previously I used a Magnum 350, with a sponge sleeve around the
carbon/ammo
> chips, and Undergravel with two 270 gpm powerheads. The canister and the
> powerheads where pretty much shot so:
>
> I bought a Filstar XP2 (300gpm canister), and two new 300gpm powerheads
for
> the undergravel.
>
> The aquarium will be a tropical community tank, mainly tetras/rasboros a
few
> angels, etc.
>
> I added 6 rasboros to the tank to start it cycling. The fish don't appear
> to have many places to rest other than right above the powerheads, or near
> the bottom of the tank.
>
> Is this setup going to be OK, or am I moving to much water? Should I
reduce
> the size of the powerheads, or take the UG out all together, I'm sure the
> LFS would swap the powerheads for me, or give me a refund? I could also
> change the configuration of the filstar flowing back into the tank, and
the
> powerheads to create a little deader water? I can also add some structure
> to the tank, such as a big rock, that would create some dead spots for
the
> fish to rest....
>
> What do you think ?
>
> thanks,
> Michael
>
>
Angels and tetras will like the water a little more still than that. I'd
lose one of the powerheads and adjust the filter outflow straight down. Put
the powerhead at the other end so there is still circulation. Some raspboras
might be okay with the speedy flow but they'll be fine this way too. jm2c.
levittd

[NetMax]

"levittd" > wrote in message
. ca...
>
> "> "Michael" > wrote in message
> > ...
> > > OK,
> > >
> > >
> > > The aquarium will be a tropical community tank, mainly
tetras/rasboros a
> > few
> > > angels, etc.
>
> Dinky" > wrote in message
> ...>
>
> > >
> >
> > May want to rethink that. As has been stated several times in the
group
> over
> > the last couple weeks, Angelfish are cichlids, and are likely to eat
many
> > smaller fish, providing they can catch them.
> >
> >
> I've kept angels with lots of smaller fish, tetras included. The trick
here
> is to get your tetras and angels at the same time, and get really small
> angels. Some will say that the tetras will nip they're fins off, and
they
> just might, but I've never had that problem with most smaller tetras.
YMMV.
> In any case, the little angels (get REALLY little ones) will be much
too
> small to eat the tetras and they seem to get used to idea that they
can't
> eat them and therefore, don't. Like I said, ymmv so don't blame me if
> something bad happens. Angels, being cichlids after all, do develop
> personalities and some turn out to be evil or just bad-tempered when
they
> get older. But this has always worked for me.
> levittd

This has been my experience as well. It's an odd equilibrium which can
turn on you. One day you drop a few extra Neons in the tank (which
promptly get eaten by the Angel's whose feeding instinct is that anything
that comes through that canopy is potential food), and then they view
their previous tetra/tank-companions with a whole new interest ;~).

NetMax

[NetMax]

"Michael" > wrote in message
...
> OK,
>
> I'm setting up my 90 gallon tank that's been in storage for awhile.
> Previously I used a Magnum 350, with a sponge sleeve around the
carbon/ammo
> chips, and Undergravel with two 270 gpm powerheads. The canister and
the
> powerheads where pretty much shot so:
>
> I bought a Filstar XP2 (300gpm canister), and two new 300gpm powerheads
for
> the undergravel.

900gpm into a 90g with little tetras is a bit...... hmmm.... like a good
martini, you are supposed to stir, not shake ;~)

> The aquarium will be a tropical community tank, mainly tetras/rasboros
a few
> angels, etc.
>
> I added 6 rasboros to the tank to start it cycling. The fish don't
appear
> to have many places to rest other than right above the powerheads, or
near
> the bottom of the tank.

I'd fishless cycle the tank. If you want to use fish, Rasboras would not
be my first choice, and only 6 in a 90g is like ****ing in an ocean. I
load to about 30%, or 30 fish inches or 30 Rasboras. Much easier to
fishless cycle IMHO.

> Is this setup going to be OK, or am I moving to much water? Should I
reduce
> the size of the powerheads, or take the UG out all together, I'm sure
the
> LFS would swap the powerheads for me, or give me a refund? I could
also
> change the configuration of the filstar flowing back into the tank, and
the
> powerheads to create a little deader water? I can also add some
structure
> to the tank, such as a big rock, that would create some dead spots for
the
> fish to rest....

If you can, dial the powerheads to their minimum. UGFs should run at
4-5x volume, or 360 to 450gpm, so at 470, you are just a bit high. Maybe
adding a diffuser or attaching some plastic Hornwort to the outlet would
help. From a turbulence perspective, the 300 gpm canister is not even
needed. From a mechanical filtrarion perspective, it is very needed.
Try to diffuse this as well (ie: spraybars, rocks, plants). New empty
tanks always seem to have too much turbulence. It reduces as your pumps
break in, you add rocks, your plants and fish grow. Having said all
that, keep in mind that neither Angels or tetras need or appreciate a lot
of turbulence. JMO

NetMax

> What do you think ?
>
> thanks,
> Michael
>
>

[Jim Seidman]

"Michael" > wrote in message >...
> I bought a Filstar XP2 (300gpm canister), and two new 300gpm powerheads for
> the undergravel.

I know you already have fish in there, but you may want to think about
removing the undergravel filters. I kept tanks with UGFs for about 13
years, so I speak with experience when I say they're not worth it.

Over time, they accumulate enough mulm to really drop your pH. They
require very thorough vacuuming, limiting your ability to add plants
and such. And, getting back to your original question, you'll have an
awfully high flowrate for the types of fish you're getting. (Many
loaches, by comparison, would love that much current.)

A 300 gpm canister should be adequate filtration. If you can arrange
it so that the intake and outlet are on opposite ends of the tank, you
should get plenty of circulation as well.

- Jim