I realized that I hadn't started a tale of the tank thread. I will add a few shots one post at a time until I catch up.
This picture was taken (Dec 2015) after the cycle and the introduction of my first fish. I went with a 65 gallon tank as it was the biggest I could find for a 3 foot wide area. I couldn't fit a sump in my stand, so I started with a combination of a hang on power filter, Canister filter, and protein skimmer. I used live sand, a rock from a different tank (the dark red) and a bacteria starter). Like everyone else, waiting for the tank to cycle was very hard.
The Aqueon Quiet Flow 75 power filter was a great choice that I don't regret. I would have preferred a sump.
I like the way it helps aerate the water and create top to bottom flow. The catch is, you need to replace the filter pads often which adds up in cost. But it does act like a filter sock with carbon in it. And it does take out a lot of debris.
The canister filter may not have been the best choice as it probably will result in too many phosphates. Some have recommended I clean it weekly for this reason.
Lastly, I selected an oversized hang-on filter, primarily since the one recommended for my volume was not there, and I prefer to get items through local stores. Breaking in a new hang on protein skimmer was not without problems. With no bio-film, the tank was full of bubbles. You don't see that in the photos because I turned it off to get the tank shot. I will talk a little more about the protein skimmer issues in a later addition.
The rocks to the left were a dry rock I purchased on line. They are pretty dense. I added some Texas Holey Rock for some swim throughs. They are even denser. Unfortunately, I placed the rocks too close to the glass, which causes problems cleaning the glass. This not a very artistic setup.
This picture was taken (Dec 2015) after the cycle and the introduction of my first fish. I went with a 65 gallon tank as it was the biggest I could find for a 3 foot wide area. I couldn't fit a sump in my stand, so I started with a combination of a hang on power filter, Canister filter, and protein skimmer. I used live sand, a rock from a different tank (the dark red) and a bacteria starter). Like everyone else, waiting for the tank to cycle was very hard.
The Aqueon Quiet Flow 75 power filter was a great choice that I don't regret. I would have preferred a sump.
I like the way it helps aerate the water and create top to bottom flow. The catch is, you need to replace the filter pads often which adds up in cost. But it does act like a filter sock with carbon in it. And it does take out a lot of debris.
The canister filter may not have been the best choice as it probably will result in too many phosphates. Some have recommended I clean it weekly for this reason.
Lastly, I selected an oversized hang-on filter, primarily since the one recommended for my volume was not there, and I prefer to get items through local stores. Breaking in a new hang on protein skimmer was not without problems. With no bio-film, the tank was full of bubbles. You don't see that in the photos because I turned it off to get the tank shot. I will talk a little more about the protein skimmer issues in a later addition.
The rocks to the left were a dry rock I purchased on line. They are pretty dense. I added some Texas Holey Rock for some swim throughs. They are even denser. Unfortunately, I placed the rocks too close to the glass, which causes problems cleaning the glass. This not a very artistic setup.
