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Setting up a new loach tank....

Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 12:43 pm
by Kinfused
Hello hello! I am soo glad I found this forum. Let me start by saying that from what I'm reading, I've started out wrong but not too bad I guess since my little family has been together for a while now, some longer than others (my Angelis "Angel" and my largest and oldest dojo "Baby" - whom I've together at least a year and a half) and have done pretty well. But, with the loss of some friends and the ones we have now, we realize that their playtime is getting CROWDED and it's definitely time to actually start working on the 55g we've been staring at for a while now.

So... here's the thing. I keep my tank at about 74. I know it's warm for my Dojos but they don't seem stressed, they play, they eat, and I know it's the high zone of what they'll be happy with. BUT... their tank mates can't go much lower. And yes, I know I should do cold water and warm water but.... If you could see the dynamics of the crew we've got and how happy they all are - ever see a Botia do the loachy dance with Dojos while they do their Khuli rub thing? Or an Algae eater they'd taught to do the same thing? No joke - he did the loachy dance and would sometimes swim back and forth in front of the tank like the dojos... funny as hell. Anyway....

Right now I have in a 20gl with an aquaclear 70 which was good till everyone suddenly hit a growth spurt when spring arrived, now it's crowded...
1 Adult golden dojo
4 baby golden dojos
1 young weather dojo
1 medium sized angelis botia
1 BABY angelis
and one black ghost knifefish

OOH! And a peacock eel we never see - he hides... almost forgot him.

So, we've got a 55g that's long and high rather than deep. No idea how I'm gonna decorate this - thinking nice big spacious stuff *sigh*... I don't wanna spend a fortune. Okay, I don't know what to do. My fiance makes me feel like the antichrist for wanting to change from the sand to BIG gravel for the new tank, or some sort of half and half thing. But I just seem to be having lots of flicking issues with the sand that I don't remember having when I used rounded gravel. Unless I'm willing to replace a good portion of the sand every time I clean, it doesn't seem like I get it clean enough. Thoughts??

My next question is filtration for the new tank. I originally was just going to move the aquaclear 70 but now I'm thinking canister might be a lot easier for that sized tank and that the aquaclear just isn't going to cut it. I also thought of the river design but the tank seems WAY too tall for that *shrug.* But there's not much about what's best for river tanks - some say the biowheel is best, some say it craps out quick, some say marineland rocks, some say you're better off with this one... I know this is a costly hobby too and although I want the best for my kids, I don't want it to be a second mortgage either. Every "kid" in that tank has a name and I want this new tank to be a big giant "streamy" playground for them while spending as little as possible - what's my best bet on the filters? I'm so lost... I really did try to look it up, I swear!

And... am I evil for wanting silk plants with just a handful of low light anubis or something? I can't keep aquarium plants alive for nuffin - I've got a green thumb outside but in that water... clueless...

Thanks so much, my buddies thank you too for whatever help you can offer. Even links to sites that speak English rather than aquababble (sorry guys, I'm a NOOOB and I know it) would be welcome!