Fresh Water Aquarium Set-up

[after12]

Hi all,

I have been reading the threads in this forum but there is not much info on the setup for a fresh water aquarium. Any tips or instructions on how to go about setting up a 2ft X 1 ft X 1.5ft tank with a customised sump? A rough estimated cost is preferred.

Would appreciate if anyone can advise. Thanks.

[Nitro]

Hi fresh water... what's ya thinking of keeping? With live plants and LS or juz LS. LS=livestocks.

[after12]

Would like a rock feature blending with some small fish for a presentable display in a custom built cabinet. Any recommendations?

[shiraz]

freshwater huh? errrrr definately MUCH easier than marine!

[19percula]

bro i recommend u to rear tetras in a group they look very nice must buy in a group then use a overhead filter to save cost

pm me for more info

[maKo]

I don't think u need a sump. External cannister filter shd be sufficient right. Especially if u intend to keep "small fish" which don't p** too much. My FW tank is running on cannister and I change water once in 2 mths (or 3 mths can't remember)..

[SpiderOne]

i find freshwater more complicated. u shld see how many of my plants die everyday. even my sps dont die.

[arcanehacker]

i find freshwater more complicated. u shld see how many of my plants die everyday. even my sps dont die.

not more difficult lah.. just that not much precise info on how to setup... usually people just recomend full water change every week. Nothing about ammonia levels, other gas levels, bacteral growth (if there's any), etc etc..

[weileong]

I find freshwater planted tank so much more easier compared to reef.

At least when you kanna whitespot in FW, it's an easy cure by adding some salts and the plants won't be affected.

My plants where growing so well that I went away for one month end up they over grown until they form a super thick layer on top of the tank and covered all the lights end up those below died.

[arcanehacker]

I don't think u need a sump. External cannister filter shd be sufficient right. Especially if u intend to keep "small fish" which don't p** too much. My FW tank is running on cannister and I change water once in 2 mths (or 3 mths can't remember)..

oh yah.. FW fishes poo more.. dunno why. And I mean every FW fish.

I never even seen my lion poo before.. ..

[ah^siao]

by adding salt to your planted tank? you'll find that all your plants die.. freshwater plants cannot have any salt... yesh planted tanks are much easier than marine tank...

spiderOne: planted tanks need to have a CO2 system... and strong lights.. if u have neither... of course they die la.. and also planted tanks do better with chilled water.. it's best if u can afford a chiller with it.. can use MH too.. 150W with 10 000k bulb will do nicely

[weileong]

With low concentration of salt (one tablespoon every 10litres) the plants won't be killed.

This is a good way of curing freshwater ich. Just keep the salt at that concentration for 3 weeks and confirm no more ich after that.

For planted tanks it is preferred to use lights with 6.5K color temp. 10KK might promote algae growth. It's a little difference from Marine.

We also actually dose NO3 and PO4 to keep the plants growing too.

[maKo]

Speaking of poo, notice how powdery marine fish waste is? The FW fish still can swim around with their sh** hanging from their anus (are they called anus in fishes?)

Anyway, to me, planted fw is so much more convenient. Less sump, additives, ocean salt, skimmer, reactor etc.. just light, fert, and CO2..

[arcanehacker]

just wondering, would protein skimmers work on FW aquariums?

[ah^siao]

have nv try b4... but it is better not to put salt inside.. cauz you wun know whether it is too salty..

[jas_soh]

just wondering, would protein skimmers work on FW aquariums?

yes hacker.... there is some level of mineral salts in freshwater aquariums too... but more common den not, a surface skimmer is used for fw tanks as it's often sighted a layer of oil is found on the water.

[arcanehacker]

yes hacker.... there is some level of mineral salts in freshwater aquariums too... but more common den not, a surface skimmer is used for fw tanks as it's often sighted a layer of oil is found on the water.

if you notice your tank, there's also a layer of oil in your marine tank.. I believe all tanks should have a surface skimmer..

seriously, never seen a FW aquarium utilize a protein skimmer.. never did anyone recommend it too.

[jas_soh]

got a fw & 2 sw tank and i feed common stuff to two tanks. oil appears to form much more badly on the fw tank & in many fw forums its suggested that a surface skimmer can be used to skim away the additional proteins that has resulted in the surface oils in fw.

[Achilles Tang]

Protein skimmers do not work in FW. The surface tension of freshwater bubbles is far weaker than saltwater's. Before they have a chance to 'capture' proteins on their bubble surface and rise to the top, they burst.

A beckett skimmer could produce enough foam though to work though. As they utilise a fountain head venturi.

IMO, keeping a planted tank is far more work than a reef tank. I HATE GARDENING and the smell of POND WATER!

[weileong]

a surface skimmer is needed only when you don't have an internal overflow box. Most of the FW tanks do not have and uses canister filter so they used surface skimmer.

Most reef tanks have an overflow box so no need surface skimmer.

[jas_soh]

Protein skimmers do not work in FW. The surface tension of freshwater bubbles is far weaker than saltwater's. Before they have a chance to 'capture' proteins on their bubble surface and rise to the top, they burst.

A beckett skimmer could produce enough foam though to work though. As they utilise a fountain head venturi.

IMO, keeping a planted tank is far more work than a reef tank. I HATE GARDENING and the smell of POND WATER!

lao da doesn't have green fingers but he has a garden of enchanting corals & fishes~

indeed i find it easier & more rewarding to keep a simple reef tank den a simple planted tank.

[FuEl]

Planted tank is not as hard as marine. Just do weekly 20-30% water change and top up with fertilizer already..here was my planted before i changed it to marine. It lasted 2 years without replacement of substrate fertilizer.

This was my tank just before i tore it down..cause base fertilizer exhausted already. From there it became my marine tank.

[jas_soh]

maybe still new to planted tank ba... and plus i give too much food dat algae is blooming..sigh. takes time to keep pruning the plants...

[FuEl]

Algae bloom is common for a newly set up planted tank. Do the above...50% waterchange every week. Cut down the photoperiod to only 3-4 hours a day..the algae will die before your plants. If in severe cases I did a tank blackout for 3 days before. After 3 days do 50-70% water change. Increase CO2 dosing.

Amazingly last time i did so much water change without using any anti-chlorine..nothing died.

[jas_soh]

hahaha.... ya lor, perhaps have to be really more hardworking and change 50% instead of 10-20% of water weekly....

wat to do?