Just got a 75 gallon...

[xerxeswasachump]

Hi guys!

I just got a used 75 gallon tank and i am trying to think of what to do with it. I currently have a 40 gallon with a flowerhorn (still relatively small) and a 55 gallon planted tank (whose contents i would like to move to the 75...maybe).

Anyway, what do you guys think i should do with it? Right now i am leaning towards setting up an african tank as i have never done that before. I find most africans boring but peac ocks are cool as hell. I am tryign to decide between an all discus tank, an oddball/predator/south american big fish tank, or african cichlids. I would also like to take my flowerhorn and put him in the 75 if i go with south american cichlids.

I would like to enlist some of you to help me brainstorm for this tank. I would also like to set it up very soon.

[mesapod]

well i think youre discus dea is pretty cool because discis are so pretty.

[xerxeswasachump]

Yeah i really love discus. I have one now that i bought stunted. It is only 4" in diameter (if that). She lives ina 10 gallon by herself and lays eggs all day and eats out of my hand. She is much more secure in thast 10 gallon than she ever was in my 55 for some reason.
I can probably get a decent deal on discus, around $4 bucks a fish if i buy them small. My only issue is that they might get freaked out in my house which is pretty active.
I like that suggestion, although i really want to get my hands on some tanganyikans and go crazy. but that sounds like a lot of work.

Honestly, i need to go with something that is very hardy. I'd rather get something that won't get stressed out by just doing by weekly water changes.

[emc7]

Discus are cool, but if your going to keep the flowerhorn he'll need a 4ft tank. If your 40 a long tank?

[neilfishguy]

4 bucks a fish for discus! thats the cheapest I have ever heard!

[xerxeswasachump]

Originally Posted by emc7

Discus are cool, but if your going to keep the flowerhorn he'll need a 4ft tank. If your 40 a long tank?

Yeah it is an old long perfecto 40 gallon. Once i get the discus tank set up i will be moving all of my fish from my 55 into the 75 along with the discus. The flowerhorn, or "Aquapuppy", as i call him, will be reloacted to the 55. 55 should be big enough to last him for quite some time.

[Danh]

I've got 7 clown loaches, three orino pbass, a payara and 3 prochilodus in my 75g.

Amazon monster grow out tank!

[TigerBarb12]

In a 75g, i would put an angel pair, a school of either highfin black tetra, rasbora, or maybe some cherry barbs, but about 12 cherry barbs. Then id go with about 6-8 skunk loaches. If enough room, throw in a blue ram or 2

[Bascerballer4]

75 gallon tanks are actually the most minimum ideal looking tank around! Glad you got one

[xerxeswasachump]

Ok, so i bought $150 of driftwood the other day. I tied some java moss, java fern, and some anubias to the tank. It is looking good. Right now i have my 7 glolites, 2 bolivian rams, and a flagfish in the tank now. I don't have any gravel in the tank yet as i am thinking i might turn it into a Tanganyikan tank. Unfortunately, i know nothing about african cichlids and they might actually be more expensive than discus.

[GoodMike]

DO IT! Tanganyikan tanks are the best . you could do a school of cyprichromis, some shell dwellers, a tanganyikan eel, synodontis petricola, 2 goby cichlids (eretmodus OR tanganicodus), and im sure somthing else too. you wouldnt regret it at all. cost wise, yes tangs can be expensive, but i dont regret a single tang purchase i have made

[Dr_House]

Being a discus enthusiast, I would have to cast my vote for that, especially if you can get them for $4 a piece. I think I need to relocate. In my experience with discus, which may vary drastically from the experience of others, they are not all that timid a fish once they settle into their surroundings. I don't know exactly what you mean by "active" house, but unless it is wildly out of control, I would have few reservations about a discus tank. Fish, in my experience, tend to adapt to their environment. Fish kept in a room that is typically empty will tend to run and hide when someone enters, whereas fish kept in a more heavily used room will tend to be just fine with people around. That's just my opinion; take it for what it's worth. I'm still trying to recover from the fact that you can get discus so cheap. The cheap ones around here are about forty bucks.

[xerxeswasachump]

Dr. House, don't get too upset. These would be assorted small discus from a wholesaler. There is no telling how many will actually survive. The only thing i am worried about is the maintenance involved. With all of that driftwood, there are plenty of places food could end up that I could never get to to siphon. Tanganyikans are hardier fish and could handle a little rotting food. I am still very much on the fence about this. I like the idea of having a discus tank, especially as a contrast to my flowerhorn. However, i also would like to try something i haven't done before. We've got really hard water here in North Jersey (7.8pH out of tap) so it lends itself to African fish. I'd liek to continue the debate though...

[neilfishguy]

a really cool thing would be to do multis (shell dwellers). I have heard in a large tank like that you can see what they are like in nature because there can be many males because there is so much territory. apparently they will divide up into a few little colony and i heard its really fun to watch.

[Baby_Baby]

Well I'll go ahead and put in my two cents:

Guppy farm :]

[Dr_House]

As long as you are fairly careful with feeding, I don't foresee the nooks and crannies being a problem. Of course, I'm of no further use in this debate as I am adamantly in favor of discus. It's a disease.

I've never cared much for Africans, but that's just me, which is unfortunate because my tapwater is liquid rock. Plenty of people just LOVE their Africans, so if you've got the disposable income to try it and return them if it doesn't work out, then go for it. I had a 55 gallon in which I kept P. Demasoni and L. Caeruleus. The colors were stunning and the deep blue and yellow made for a nice contrast. I just couldn't stand the darn fish...always bickering and squabbling...it was like being with my in-laws. Tanganyikans, while they lack the color and hardiness of mbuna, definitely have the market cornered on uniqueness. You don't see many of those tanks.

[Dr_House]

P.S. I don't care if some guy throws them out his window onto your doorstep like a newspaper. $4 is a good deal. I'm exercising my right to continue my envy.

[GoodMike]

First off, dont assume that discus are any more or less hardy than tangs are. they both are VERY much different, but they both require good water conditions. Nextly, your water has a higher ph, and you say its hard, discus dont care honestly, they want stable condtions, if you can provide stable, you can keep discus. My discus tank is at a ph of 7.8 and moderate hardness. The important aspects of discus is 1) heat, 2) clean water, 3) stable water 4) good food. If you get in a bunch of crappy discus, you can easily turn them decent with a few steps. this is what i do for ALL incoming discus
1) turn your tank up to 90 degrees
2) add salt, a tablespoon per 5-10 gallons should do
3) after 3-4 days back the heat down to 86
4) begin doing your waterchanges of 50% weekly or biweekly depending on how many fish.

with all that said, and i know you just bought the driftwood and all, i prefer my tanganyikan tank to my discus tank, by a lot. you get lots of color, interaction, and other different behaviors that just surpass discus by alot! IMO. if you can say you dont like african fish, tells me that you havent tried the right kinds, there are many many many fish from africa, each displaying its own behavior, color, temperment, etc...I am attaching some photos of fish in my tang tank, enjoy

[Obsidian]

Mike-
Those fish are simply gorgeous! May I talk to you about your fish when I am set to do my Cichlid tank? It will be a while yet.

[GoodMike]

of course! everyone knows i like talking about fish!!