Hi! Newb here!

[upyun]

Hi guys!

My name is Brian and I'm 23 and live in Philly. I'm applying to veterinary school this fall and just started to get back into fish again. I messed around with leopard geckos, viper geckos and desert banded geckos for several years and now I want water back in my tanks!

I currently have a 55 gallon tank that's been cycling for about a week now and then I found out about Bio-Spira, so I'm gonna give that a shot once I get my hands on some (ordered it today!). I'm currently setting up the tank for an African theme and already have various pieces of Mopani Driftwood and a selection of live plants (Anubias spp, African water fern and Crinum spp.) that I plan on putting in as well.

Some of the fish I have in mind for the tank are Polypterus senegalus and mokelembembe, Syno. angelicus, Leopard Ctenopomas, and a school of Congo tetras.

I also have a 5 gallon setup that I don't know what I should do with. I may want to use it for live bearing feeder fish or I might go with a few dwarf puffers. So we'll see if I get suckered into the dwarf puffer thing Anyway, talk to you guys on the site!

Brian

 

[Gr8KarmaSF]

welcome...puffers are cute go 4 it!

 

[benzjamin13]

Welcome!
I was thinking of doing an African theme tank as well.

 

[upyun]

Welcome!
I was thinking of doing an African theme tank as well.

Do it! I'm having so much fun building up my tank. I'm worried about over stocking and the possible high amount of bioload so I have 2 emperor 400s on my 55 gal which should be sufficient I got them for a steal ($79 total) so I couldn't resist.

I was going to include African Butterfly fish, but jeffthefish's post on how his senegal was biting his AB, I decided not to include them They look amazing to me. A real primitive fish.

Brian

 

[benzjamin13]

I only have a 20g that I can play around with, but I was thinking of an African Knife, a few Congo Tetras, and an African Butterfly...maybe a Leopard Leaf Fish

 

[upyun]

I only have a 20g that I can play around with, but I was thinking of an African Knife, a few Congo Tetras, and an African Butterfly...maybe a Leopard Leaf Fish

I've heard that if you're getting congo tetras, to get atleast 5-7 of them so they feel more secure and school together. Good luck with the tank!

Brian

 

[upyun]

Here is a quick pic of my 55 gal. 10 hours after putting in the water. After I put in my driftwood pieces, I'll take another pic! Yes that is 2 Emperor 400s on my 55 gal. just incase the bioload is high. And I will be switching out that Elite 200W heater for a Visi-therm Stealth 200W heater.

 

[guppy]

Hiya Upyun,
You can use sludge from a working filter if you can get it, it works as well or better than biospira. Also remember that for a tank to cycle you need something in it that is producing ammonia.
Welcome to MFK.

 

[upyun]

Hiya Upyun,
You can use sludge from a working filter if you can get it, it works as well or better than biospira. Also remember that for a tank to cycle you need something in it that is producing ammonia.
Welcome to MFK.

Thanks for the welcome!!!

I read on Marinelands website for Bio-Spira that you could put fish in the tank virtually the next day which would generate ammonia for the bacteria to breakdown.

I don't have any older filters...this is my first fish tank in a while!!

Brian

 

[guppy]

That is pretty much what I meant, once you put in biospira (or filter sludge) you need to add a few fish (at least) within a couple days, or the culture starts to die off, leaving you back where you started.