# Here's my tank



## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

Wanted to share the first pics of my new 75 gallon tank. It's not nearly as open as it appears in the photos, must be the angle I took them at. Looks a bit bare but it really isn't. However, I do want to add some taller plants to the back but they have to be fairly rigid as not to get knocked down by the four outlet ports from the pair of Top Fin 75 HOBs. Anyway.....

*Overall view*:










*Closer shot of the right side*. Two small pieces of Mopani wood on that side:










*Left side*. Large piece of Mopani wood. Has a great open area to the right side of any fish that want a hiding place:









*
Closer shot of the large piece of Mopani wood*. I think the size of it gets lost on the 75 gallon tank but it is so long, it didn't quite fit in a 5-gallon bucket I used to leech out the tannins. 










In those two HOB's there are four slots for filter media. All four have a sponge filter. In three of them, I have ceramic ring biomax. In the other one, I have carbon. 

As always, open to suggestions or critiquest of my build. It's a work in progess but I'm still a newb at this considering I haven't had a tank since the early 1980s and it's amazing how little I knew about maintaining a healty aquarium back then. 

Thanks for looking !


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Nice! Looks good.I see danios and I think a silver mollie?What other fish do you have?Your tank looks very clean and well filtered /circulated.


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

Just a few Zebra Danios and Albino Cories so far. Need to let the bacteria colonies buid up a while before I add any more. Next will be Cherry Barbs, folllowed by Harlequin Rasboros, then Cardinal Tetras, then finally either one or a single male or a male/female pair of Dwarf Gouramis. That's the plan. 

Yes, I think I am well circulated. Those two HOB's, two air discs anda circulation pump that you can see but it wan't even running in when I took those pics. It creates so much movement, I need to let the cories get used to it slowly... they seem a bit overwhelmed by it and they are just small cories... about a half inch. 


Thanks very much for the compliment. Coming from a pro, good to hear !


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Seems like you got a good plan and well on your way to a very nice peaceful community tank.
Peaceful tanks are always better to me as less nipping and stress leads to healthier,happier fish with fewer diseases.
I've got a pair of long finned cherry barbs in my 180.If you can find long finned they are just that little bit more striking,but either way nice colorful little red fish.
You could try pointing the circulator towards the back so it gets "washed "against the glass and doesn't create such a directional flow.


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

Cool.... I bet those long finned cherry barbs are striking. Will have to check around my area for them thanks!

Yes.... the goal is a peaceful community tank and I researched carefully for species that school or shoal and will all get along well. Just still not sure about the dwarf gouramus. I watch them at the stores and they seem very docile. Wondering if the activity of the others.... the danios and cities are quite active .... will upset them.

I'll try that angle on the circulation pump. Thanks for the suggestion!


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

I think only the males show the long fin.Here's a picture of my pair.The female wouldn't profile in synch with the male but she doesn't have the same finnage.


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

Awesome. Since I won't be housing any fin nippers, will definitely check into those!


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## KMoss (May 7, 2011)

Looks amazing! Thanks for the pics!


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

Thanks!!


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

Sharing some new photos.

Didn't like the open spaces along the back and the sight of the filter tubes and air lines showing along the back. So I got some rrrreally big artificial plants to add to the tank. I think they dramatically improve the look of the tank and now the fish have some really nice hiding places and some more fun routes for swimming. 




























Also didn't like the large blank wall above my aquarium (sensing a theme here... I don't blank spaces - but then again, I hate clutter), so I bought a piece of art work. It's very neat... the paint is infused into metal. You probably can't get the effect in this photo but it shows a lot of depth and is quite interesting. 










Feedback and critiques are always welcome !


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

My new photos show up when I'm viewing the thread on my computer but not my phone and Bandit says he can't see them. 

Anyone else not see them or can tell my why they don't show up when I'm viewing the thread on my Android ? Operator error ?


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

Should be fixed now.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Looks very nice!I do like the art you got also.
Silly as it sounds,and I don't have artificial plants so mine do what they do,but if you don't regulary look in the top of your tank,try turning the floating plant upside down so you see the flowers in the tank?
And I read your top cleaning post and wow,your top is like brand new clean,awesome!


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

Thanks.

Ha... yeah.... the fish would probably appreciate those floating Lilly pads being upside down. Not to mention humans' views. Hadn't even thought of that. Thanks!

And yes.... the top looks new again. And only took 7-8 minutes to clean each one.


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

Oh man.... that looks much better!

I might tie a few more onto that group of Lilly pads too. I did it to give the Albino Cories some subdued light per articles I read but my Zebra Danios like it too. They hang out there quite a bit. Probably more so now.


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## Jim Albright (Jan 22, 2013)

Looks Great Cam!


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

Thanks a ton, Jim. Appreciate it!


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## dalfed (Apr 8, 2012)

Not a big fan of artificial plants, but your tank is changing my mind looks great!!


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

Thanks! I'm nor a fan of cheap-looking plastic plants. Tried to get artificial plants that are silk. I needed a couple of plastic ones that would remain standing tall bet was sure to get ones that are thin leaved so they would sway in the water movement. They look less cheesy that way, I think.


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## Berylla (Mar 4, 2013)

Nice tank! I wish I could fit a 75 G on the top floor of my house. Then I could buy more discus...


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

you sure could! Thanks for the kind words!


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

One of my Natural Elements plants had a cracked base when it arrived. Cleaining the tank last week, picked it up and it broke completely. So replaced it and it's twin (used the twin in my son's 20 gallon) with these new plants. Love the new look with more color in the tank.


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## Jim Albright (Jan 22, 2013)

Sweet Looking Tank Cam! Are those all real plants??


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

Thanks, Jim.

No.... none of them are. Tried to get silk ones mostly because they look more realistic. But a few are plastic but also picked ones that seemed more realistic and not "cheap" looking.

May tackle a planted aquarium sometime but for now, two tanks in two months is keeping me busy enough.


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## Jim Albright (Jan 22, 2013)

I hear ya-looks great!


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## knowles3 (Oct 15, 2011)

oh man 75g, you could have like 400 corys in there haha, nice


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

Ha.... I could! Would make for a pretty cool species tank. And would be pretty clean too! ;-)

Will have 13 Cories in there once I'm fully stocked. Have 10 right now.


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## Jim Albright (Jan 22, 2013)

Here is my tank with the lights








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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

Oh yeah, Jim.... that looks great! Is that your private hideaway room or more for entertaining?


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## Jim Albright (Jan 22, 2013)

This is actually in my basement (living room area) when I got the house they had book shelves where the tank is now and my 125 fits perfect in there.


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

Nice. Bet you spend a lot of time in that room.


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## Jim Albright (Jan 22, 2013)

Yeah ---especially this time of the year...Big basketball fan ----March Madness has arrived!!


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

Yep! Soon to be followed by the start if baseball. The signs of Spring!


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## rtmaston (Jul 14, 2012)

I agree with everybody its looks very nice.


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

Thanks... appreciate that !


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

As some of you may recall from a recent thread, I was contemplating adding a Pearl Gourami to my tank. Having not been able to find one at any of the LFSs or LPSs within 75 miles of my house, I did some research and decided to add two of these beautiful guys instead:










That's a photo of a Honey Sunset Gourami. Already loving these guys. One is outgoing and already swimming all around the tank. The other is a bit shy and skiddish. Opposite personalities. But they started to swim around the tank together after a couple of hours. 

The Roselines were pretty funny. The seven of them kept getting close to the Gouramis, checking them out. Wouldn't get too close, every time a Gourami moved, the Roselines backed off in unison. It appeared they never met one.


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## jamnigh (Apr 24, 2013)

Just want to chime in.....tank looks simply stunning man!!


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

Thanks, my friend. I've made some adjustments to the decor, need to post a new pic or two soon. Looks better now, IMO.


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## jamnigh (Apr 24, 2013)

I was thinking about replacing all of my fake plants with real ones...but I might change my mind now and keep most of the fake in as well for the added color, you definitely have done a great job!! And the Honey Sunset....beautiful choice.


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

Yeah, I don't like cheap looking artificial plants. I tried to get ones that are vibrant yet don't scream out "I'm fake!!". LOL 

Thanks... very happy with the choice so far !


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## Senayski (Apr 28, 2013)

Beautiful!


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## Summer (Oct 3, 2011)

cool! got any live plants?


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

Thanks. Nope. No live plants, all artificial.


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## Avraptorhal (Jan 24, 2013)

Beautiful!!

As most of the others on here I don't have any carbon in my filter since it is unnecessary unless you are trying to get rid of some meds.


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

Thanks.  Haven't been running any carbon in my tanks for a while now. Replaced the carbon with Purigen... great product !


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## TroyVSC (Aug 29, 2012)

The Honey Gourami looks great. Too bad you couldn't find a Pearl as they are beautiful fish too. Did you get a male and female for the Honey Gourami?

Fakes plants can look really nice in a tank. I had fake and live for awhile and just recently removed the fake plants and decorations. I think the all natural look or all fake looks better, JMHO


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

Thanks, Troy. That's a stock photo I pulled of the internet. Don't have any pics of my two Honey Gouramis yet but their color looks very similar to the one I posted. 

I'm pretty sure I got two males and the store didn't have any females among the five they had in the tank. But from what I read, in a 75 gallon tank with lots of plants, they should be fine. So far, that appears to be the case. One was a bit skiddish at first but this morning they were spending time exploring the tank together and I saw no signs of any aggression. I've read from multiple sources that the Honey Sunset Gourami is one, if not the most, of the most peaceful gouramis there is. 

Interestingly, the new guys didn't touch flake food this morning but they were gobbling up some of the shrimp pellets I put in the tank for my Cories.


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