A Few Aquarium Questions

[Bowling_Guy]

Hi,



I'm setting up a 55 Gallon tank and have a few questions.



1. I purchased a Filstar XP3 canister filter and was thinking of also
getting a small Fluval or Eheim submersible filter to aid in filtration and
as a backup. Is this needed or am I wasting my money?



2. I need to decide on a substrate. Should I use very fine gravel (step or
two up from sand) or more coarse gravel. I'm afraid if my substrate is too
fine that the fish will eat it when feeding and get sick?



3. I am starting my tank with artificial plants for now. I would like to
use a florescent light temperature that doesn't promote algae or plant
growth? They sell cool whites, regular, etc.. I would think that a grow
light would be the worst light for growing algae if there weren't any live
plants? I guess I want the opposite of a grow light.



4. If my water is clear and PH, Ammonia, etc. are all fine do I still do
regular water changes or should I wait until one or more levels go awry in
the tank?



I am starting with one Blood Parrot fish and a few guppies.

[NetMax]

midposted..

"Bowling_Guy" > wrote in message
. net...
> Hi,
> I'm setting up a 55 Gallon tank and have a few questions.
>
> 1. I purchased a Filstar XP3 canister filter and was thinking of also
> getting a small Fluval or Eheim submersible filter to aid in filtration
and
> as a backup. Is this needed or am I wasting my money?

You can use dual filters anytime, but at around 55g and larger tanks, it
starts becoming more of a neccesity than a luxury (imo). It's value is
in providing redundancy, broader filtration spectrum and minimizes
disruptions to the nitrogen cycle during servicing. What model you use
becomes less important. Either go with identical units and alternate
servicing, or completely different models and you will be utilizing the
best features from both. I typically size each filter for about 2/3 to
3/4 of the tank's filtration requirements, or larger (so two filters each
rated for 40g tank would be a good starting point). In the event of a
failure, one filter should easily meet the tank's biological requirements
(if you reduce the feedings), while the repair is underway (a few days).

I'm not a fan of internal filters as they rob me of valuable interior
space, but this is a personal choice. Powerfilters (box which hangs on
the back) are utilitarian and perfectly functional. Canisters offer the
greatest flexibility, power and hide easily.

> 2. I need to decide on a substrate. Should I use very fine gravel
(step or
> two up from sand) or more coarse gravel. I'm afraid if my substrate is
too
> fine that the fish will eat it when feeding and get sick?

There is no danger of the fish swallowing the substrate. They can take
mouthfuls of sand, and blow the sand out their gills (and swallowing some
is probably beneficial to some species). The only danger is that
Goldfish sometimes get gravel stuck in their mouth (they put everything
in their mouths, like children ;~). Don't use a lot of substrate (you
need to gravel vacuum it), and fine gravel is probably better all around.
Large gravel traps food much more quickly.

> 3. I am starting my tank with artificial plants for now. I would like
to
> use a florescent light temperature that doesn't promote algae or plant
> growth? They sell cool whites, regular, etc.. I would think that a
grow
> light would be the worst light for growing algae if there weren't any
live
> plants? I guess I want the opposite of a grow light.

Algae is a plant, and there are many types of algae, so finding a light
spectrum which does not promote algae is..... an interesting exercise.
I've been told that using a Power-Glo with a Life-Glo is a combination
which helps control algae, but I think this information started with a
Hagen rep somewhere ;~) I haven't seen any studies on the matter. Keep
in mind that algae is far more opportunistic and flexible than plants, so
a light which slows plant growth might have no effect on algae. It might
even have the opposite effect as plants and algae compete for the same
nutrients, and if you slow down the plants, that leaves more nutrients
for the algaes.

Plants are like large factories. Once their production lines are
running, they are much more efficient at removing the nutrients
(fish-poop) from the water. Algae is like the street-corner hot-dog
vendor: mobile, quick to set up, quick to adapt & opportunistic. Algae
is not as efficient at removing nutrients, but can react faster to any
sudden changes in nutrient levels in the water (like when you add a lot
of food to a small tank). Your plants take more time to ramp up to
sudden changes. If you can keep your water parameters stable, and your
nutrient levels from spiking, then it is possible to reach a situation
where the plants will so effectively strip out the nutrients, that it's
not possible to have any algae growth.

In the average running aquarium, you will usually have a bit of algae
with your natural plants, as the algae will adapt to whatever nutrients
are being left behind (every plant has a different 'footprint' so the
rate and types of nutrients which are being removed varies a bit by
species). Having more types of plants, and strong light, improves your
chances of keeping algae at bay, but only when your tank reaches
equilibrium. Suddenly adding a lot of light works to the advantage of
the more mobile algae at first. Isn't this fun ? ;~)

> 4. If my water is clear and PH, Ammonia, etc. are all fine do I still
do
> regular water changes or should I wait until one or more levels go awry
in
> the tank?

From a fish's perspective, clear water does not indicate good water
quality anymore than cloudy water indicates bad water quality. Clear
water can easily be toxic with high NH3 and NO2, and cloudy water can be
perfect except for a bacterial bloom which is of no consequence to a
fish.

In nature, fish food (ie: a fly) is turned into ammonia (NH3), then
nitrites (NO2), then into nitrates (NO3), and then into nitrogen gas
which then enters the terrestrial food chain to become another morsel of
fish food (ie: the next fly). Once your tank is cycled (no NH3 or NO2),
then the food you add to the tank is being processed right up to the NO3
level. Unfortunately, aquariums are too small a bio-tope for the NO3 to
be effectively converted to nitrogen gas, so the NO3 begins accumulating.
Basically, the NO3 inside your fish trys to stay at the same
concentration as outside in the aquarium water, so if the levels get very
high, a large water change (diluting the NO3 in the water) can kill the
fish (nitrate shock). The fish effectively died by the new water being
too clean :-(). This is why we do small regular (weekly) water changes,
so that NO3 level is kept down. There are many other nasty things which
build up in the water, but they all get diluted by water changes, and you
don't need a disertation. The NO3 story is enough ;~)

An important aspect of the NO3 story, is that when you buy or bring home
fish, try to match the NO3 levels to about 20ppm or better. This
minimizes the stress on the fish. NO3 shock can kill, typically in 3
days (small fish) to about 10 days. If your LFS is running zero NO3,
then do some water changes at home until you're NO3 levels are low
enough. Keeping them low solves this problem. Even if you are not
moving fish, high NO3 levels are associated with many problems, (even
with mammals causing blue babies), so keeping them low is important and
will control all the other nasties (DOCs) as well.

> I am starting with one Blood Parrot fish and a few guppies.

Blood Parrotfish are genetic mutations, from 2 cichlids which would not
normally produce viable young. Because of this, their temperament is
notoriously difficult to predict.
http://www.geocities.com/parrotcichlid/general.html might provide some
good info and links. Their suitability to a tank of Guppies will be your
experiment. They are still cichlids, which are omnivorous, substrate
diggers and territorially aggressive to varying degrees. Your best
chance will be to introduce them to a tank of Guppies at as young an age
as possible. Avoid dyed fish (affects their longevity and it is not a
nice thing to have done to any living creature). It's more interesting
to get normal Parrotfish and watch their colour morphs develop (if you
like Parrotfish).

ps: Expect a mixed to poor reception from other hobbyists when asking for
advice on Parrotfish. They represent a direction the hobby is taking,
which many people find very disagreeable. Genetic hybrids have existed
for over 30 years, but acceptance only occurred in parts of Asia, where
fish and other small animals are generally regarded in a less sentimental
light (am I going to get in trouble for saying that?, I don't want to
offend anyone). This trend (and now Flowerhorns, Glofish and other
hybrids) is penetrating the North-American and European markets with
mixed results.

NetMax

[MarAzul]

"NetMax" > wrote in message
...
> midposted..
>
> "Bowling_Guy" > wrote in message
> . net...
> > I am starting with one Blood Parrot fish and a few guppies.
>
> Blood Parrotfish are genetic mutations, from 2 cichlids which would not
> normally produce viable young. Because of this, their temperament is
> notoriously difficult to predict.
> http://www.geocities.com/parrotcichlid/general.html might provide some
> good info and links. Their suitability to a tank of Guppies will be your
> experiment. They are still cichlids, which are omnivorous, substrate
> diggers and territorially aggressive to varying degrees. Your best
> chance will be to introduce them to a tank of Guppies at as young an age
> as possible. Avoid dyed fish (affects their longevity and it is not a
> nice thing to have done to any living creature). It's more interesting
> to get normal Parrotfish and watch their colour morphs develop (if you
> like Parrotfish).
>
> ps: Expect a mixed to poor reception from other hobbyists when asking for
> advice on Parrotfish. They represent a direction the hobby is taking,
> which many people find very disagreeable. Genetic hybrids have existed
> for over 30 years, but acceptance only occurred in parts of Asia, where
> fish and other small animals are generally regarded in a less sentimental
> light (am I going to get in trouble for saying that?, I don't want to
> offend anyone). This trend (and now Flowerhorns, Glofish and other
> hybrids) is penetrating the North-American and European markets with
> mixed results.
>
> NetMax
>
>

I've had 2 Parrots (unfortunatly dyed, I didn't know at the time) for a bit
over a year now. I absolutely love them. They really do have the best
personalities. Despite the fact that they are cichlids I haven't seen any
(overly) agressive tendencies. Mine are between 3-4 inches and they're in a
tank with tiger barbs, 2 bala sharks (1.5 inches), a rainbow shark and a
geophagus jurupari (1.5 inches). I also had some tetras in there which have
been moved but there were no agression issues. I just added 2 more juvenile
parrots and they're all taking turns headbutting and chasing each other
around. The new guys still have their adolescent coloring so I can't wait to
see them change.
Despite what I just said... I tend to agree with NetMax - guppies might not
be the best choice but if you're determined to try them I would get the
parrots as young as you possibly can. The fish I have in my tank are all
pretty quick if they have to get away and I have places for them to hide.
It's never been neccessary but there none the less.

Mar
------------------------------------------------
"I meant," said Ipslore, bitterly,"what is there in this world that makes
living worthwhile?"

Death thought about it.
"Cats," he said eventually, "Cats are nice."

-Terry Pratchett, 'Sourcery'

[Bowling_Guy]

Hi,



Netmax,



Thanks for all the great advice. I read the FAQ too and am learning a lot.
I also agree about submersible filters. I have a submersible Fluval now and
I keep it hidden. It is also messy when I have to work on it. I would love
to get an Aqua clear along with the XP3 Rena canister filter but they are
way to loud. I have one in my turtle tank along with the Fluval and they
both work great. Thanks for the tips on substrate. I found a site that
sells very fine black substrate. I have natural gravel in my turtle tank
now and that looks good too.



I have a few more questions:



1. Can you or anyone suggest a pump to remove water from the tank. I
wanted something I can leave in the tank that would have a easy on / easy
off connection so I can run a large hose (clear PVC) to my sink. This would
make life pleasant when I have to do a water change.



2. I really like the look of live plants and read how they are important to
the overall lifecycle of the tank. I also read how sometimes they can be
hard to maintain. I wanted to use artificial plants with one live plant.
Can a tank do well with one plant or even no plants? How can I manage algae
growth without plants?



Also, have you or anyone experimented with different colored lights. It
might be neat to create different moods in the tank.

[NetMax]

"Bowling_Guy" > wrote in message
. net...
> Hi,
>
>
>
> Netmax,
>
>
>
> Thanks for all the great advice. I read the FAQ too and am learning a
lot.
> I also agree about submersible filters. I have a submersible Fluval
now and
> I keep it hidden. It is also messy when I have to work on it. I would
love
> to get an Aqua clear along with the XP3 Rena canister filter but they
are
> way to loud. I have one in my turtle tank along with the Fluval and
they
> both work great. Thanks for the tips on substrate. I found a site
that
> sells very fine black substrate. I have natural gravel in my turtle
tank
> now and that looks good too.

The AquaClear (and most of the other powerfilters) run almost silently,
except for the waterfall sound (when your water level is low) and the
cover can rattle on the bigger models sometimes.

> I have a few more questions:
>
>
>
> 1. Can you or anyone suggest a pump to remove water from the tank. I
> wanted something I can leave in the tank that would have a easy on /
easy
> off connection so I can run a large hose (clear PVC) to my sink. This
would
> make life pleasant when I have to do a water change.

No suggestions. I have a T valve at my canister under the tank. I just
connect a garden hose and let it drain that way.

> 2. I really like the look of live plants and read how they are
important to
> the overall lifecycle of the tank. I also read how sometimes they can
be
> hard to maintain. I wanted to use artificial plants with one live
plant.
> Can a tank do well with one plant or even no plants? How can I manage
algae
> growth without plants?

Plants are like fish, in that you do need to do a little research to be
able to know their requirements (which is basically light and fish-poop).
Success rate with plants is rarely 100% (even for experts), so you can
just live with the ones which grow best in your set-up. Mixing real &
artificial is something I do all the time. I usually use real where I
can, and then switch to silk when I'm going up rock walls, or with fish
which are plant-eaters. A tank can do very well without plants. The
rate of NO3 accumulation will be higher, so you can expect to do slighter
larger water changes more often, to get the same results. Managing algae
without plants has pros and cons. The good part is that you have full
control over the light (you can reduce or dim as much as you want). The
bad part is that since plants and algae feed of off the same nutrients, a
tank with no plants tends to have algae growth more easily (they have no
competition). The pros and cons probably balance out in many situations,
so it's really up to you.

> Also, have you or anyone experimented with different colored lights.
It
> might be neat to create different moods in the tank.

Sure, with real plants, you need a high-light photo-period of about 12
hours. Before and/or after that, you can experiment with lights which
emulate dusk or night. It's actually desirable to stage your lights up
and down more gradually. Fish don't have the eyelids needed to cope with
sudden dark to bright light transitions, and the night transition is used
to wind down and find a place to sleep. Without real plants, you can
experiment whenever you like, but I'm not sure how receptive the fish
will be to long exposures of 'odd' light. AFAIK, their colour perception
is similar to ours as their eyes have similar rods for colour detection.

NetMax

[Bowling_Guy]

Netmax,

I just bought a unfinished sofa table at Lowes for 80.00 that is all
hardwood. This will be a great stand for my 55 gallon tank. I'm enclosing
it so the wife doesn't have to look at the filter, etc. I've also been
ordering a few things from Bid Al's. I'm starting to get excited. I also
ordered driftwood, plants and rocks for decoration.

I also decided to build my own light/hood for the aquarium. I have a wood
working setup in my garage so I can easily build my own. I was wondering if
you could suggest a paint to keep the moisture from ruining the wood? I'm
using maple and birch ply for the hood. I was reading about some type of
expoxy paint that boaters use. I'll have to look into that also. Do you
have any tips on this? I'm also installing three small lights. I can
always upgrade later on.

The T valve you were talking about sounds interesting. I guess you use your
filter to pump the water to your sink or into a bucket? I guess you could
also use another T valve to pull water forma bucket back into the tank? Is
this possible. The Python looks interesting too.

I'll post some pics soon. Do you have any pics of your setup?

[Happy'Cam'per]

Hi there

There is a product over here called (If memory serves) Bitumen. It is used
as a water sealer for hydroponic setups. This would work well. Only bummer
is its black!!! You would have to paint this white for added reflection if
you are keeping planted tanks, otherwise buy some cheapo reflectors. Maybe
others can recommend something more practical.
--
**So long, and thanks for all the fish!**


"Bowling_Guy" > wrote in message
t...
> Netmax,
>
> I just bought a unfinished sofa table at Lowes for 80.00 that is all
> hardwood. This will be a great stand for my 55 gallon tank. I'm
enclosing
> it so the wife doesn't have to look at the filter, etc. I've also been
> ordering a few things from Bid Al's. I'm starting to get excited. I also
> ordered driftwood, plants and rocks for decoration.
>
> I also decided to build my own light/hood for the aquarium. I have a wood
> working setup in my garage so I can easily build my own. I was wondering
if
> you could suggest a paint to keep the moisture from ruining the wood? I'm
> using maple and birch ply for the hood. I was reading about some type of
> expoxy paint that boaters use. I'll have to look into that also. Do you
> have any tips on this? I'm also installing three small lights. I can
> always upgrade later on.
>
> The T valve you were talking about sounds interesting. I guess you use
your
> filter to pump the water to your sink or into a bucket? I guess you could
> also use another T valve to pull water forma bucket back into the tank?
Is
> this possible. The Python looks interesting too.
>
> I'll post some pics soon. Do you have any pics of your setup?
>
>

[NetMax]

"Bowling_Guy" > wrote in message
t...
> Netmax,
>
> I just bought a unfinished sofa table at Lowes for 80.00 that is all
> hardwood. This will be a great stand for my 55 gallon tank. I'm
enclosing
> it so the wife doesn't have to look at the filter, etc. I've also been
> ordering a few things from Bid Al's. I'm starting to get excited. I
also
> ordered driftwood, plants and rocks for decoration.

Sounds like you are enjoying yourself :o)

> I also decided to build my own light/hood for the aquarium. I have a
wood
> working setup in my garage so I can easily build my own. I was
wondering if
> you could suggest a paint to keep the moisture from ruining the wood?
I'm
> using maple and birch ply for the hood. I was reading about some type
of
> expoxy paint that boaters use. I'll have to look into that also. Do
you
> have any tips on this? I'm also installing three small lights. I can
> always upgrade later on.

If youtr 55g is 4 ft. long, then a light canopy is quite easy and
inexpensive to do. Look at shop light fixtures. You should be able to
stuff 3 or 4 tubes in a canopy. If you are under 4 ft. then the bulbs
are less readily available, so you will need to hunt around a bit more to
find the best buy. Ahsupply.com is often mentioned in the plant
newsgroup.

Above your aquarium, you would normally be using a sliding glass cover.
Using trimmed plastic edging, you want do have a relatively tight seal
over the tank (with cut-outs matching your equipment). The canopy is the
opposite, you want to have good ventilation through it. This vents
excess heat and dissipates any humidity build-up, which would oxidize
metal (light fixtures & contacts), or grow mold on the canopy. If the
canopy is wood, and vented, then it is unlikely that you will have
condensation collecting, which could drip back into the tank carrying
poisons from the paint/finish, so the type of paint/finish is less
critical. In this type of a set-up, I use white latex paint over white
latex primer on the inside of the canopy. The outside of the canopy is
not critical. Allow a curing time appropriate to the finish selected.
I've used black latex, polyurethane, and a few wood stains, but ymmv as
always. I've used epoxy sealers, but not epoxy paints. I imagine that
they are more waterproof, but when I contacted a manufacturer, they
refused to comment on their suitability for inside an aquarium. As you
are only doing the canopy, they might be suitable. If the paint dries to
be more inert, this is a good thing.

> The T valve you were talking about sounds interesting. I guess you use
your
> filter to pump the water to your sink or into a bucket? I guess you
could
> also use another T valve to pull water forma bucket back into the tank?
Is
> this possible. The Python looks interesting too.

At work, I go through about 4 Pythons a year (maintaining over 100
tanks), and they are great. I have to look for an industrial version,
but that's because I use them daily. At home, my T connector gravity
drains to a lower floor, or to a waiting pail. When draining, I'm
backwashing one of my canisters, the one which is used to vacuum the
gravel through UGF plates (I use a very thin layer of coarse gravel in a
front-centered area as a continuous gravel vacuum).

> I'll post some pics soon. Do you have any pics of your setup?

I posted in alt.binaries.aquaria a picture of the canopy opened in a
servicing position. Normal feeding is by flipping the hinged front
panel. More serious maintenance and I wedge the assembly upwards (as
shown). For tank teardowns, and I pull the canopy away, but 2 of the
lamps are attached to the wall, so they remain behind (so I can still
see).

I also included a few shots of my tanks at work (they are a little dated,
but who would notice ? ;~). My own tanks are currently unremarkable (40g
with Julidochromis marlieri, a 65G with Guppies & misc, a 108G with a
leak :-(, and a bunch of empty tanks two 60s, and some 32s and 20s). At
work there are over 100 tanks, and I've purchased every fish in them (and
we are talking tens of thousands) and every plant (my plant order books
would make you dizzy). Every tank which can have natural plants does, so
it's a lot of work for my staff (who does a great job), but when I get
home, I just don't feel like doing too much work on my home tanks.

NetMax

[Jeff Pratt]

Happy'Cam'per wrote:

> Hi there
>
> There is a product over here called (If memory serves) Bitumen. It is used
> as a water sealer for hydroponic setups. This would work well. Only bummer
> is its black!!! You would have to paint this white for added reflection if
> you are keeping planted tanks, otherwise buy some cheapo reflectors. Maybe
> others can recommend something more practical.
> --
> **So long, and thanks for all the fish!**

The Bitumen product most likely is actually bitumen, the tarry substance
that coats oil sand, and oil shale (see www.syncrude.com for more info on
oilsand), which means that it's pure petroleum products, and the heat
output from the lights may cause it to reflow, or if the heat's high
enough, even catch on fire. The best bet would be marine epoxy (IMNHO)
which should be available at boating stores, hardware stores, etc.

HTH,
Jeff

> "Bowling_Guy" > wrote in message
> t...
>> Netmax,
>>
>> I just bought a unfinished sofa table at Lowes for 80.00 that is all
>> hardwood. This will be a great stand for my 55 gallon tank. I'm
> enclosing
>> it so the wife doesn't have to look at the filter, etc. I've also been
>> ordering a few things from Bid Al's. I'm starting to get excited. I
>> also ordered driftwood, plants and rocks for decoration.
>>
>> I also decided to build my own light/hood for the aquarium. I have a
>> wood
>> working setup in my garage so I can easily build my own. I was wondering
> if
>> you could suggest a paint to keep the moisture from ruining the wood?
>> I'm
>> using maple and birch ply for the hood. I was reading about some type of
>> expoxy paint that boaters use. I'll have to look into that also. Do you
>> have any tips on this? I'm also installing three small lights. I can
>> always upgrade later on.
>>
>> The T valve you were talking about sounds interesting. I guess you use
> your
>> filter to pump the water to your sink or into a bucket? I guess you
>> could also use another T valve to pull water forma bucket back into the
>> tank?
> Is
>> this possible. The Python looks interesting too.
>>
>> I'll post some pics soon. Do you have any pics of your setup?
>>
>>