Upgrading Loach Tank Need Input: 120 gallon

[LoachOrgy]

I signed a lease and I am moving may 22. It's sooner than I thought so I am in the market for a new tank very soon. I have been saving for a few months and I think the time is coming close. I want to start the cycling process as soon as I move and setup the new place. The property only allows 40 gallon tanks max. I already have a 55. I am going to upgrade to a 75 and to a 120 when I buy a house. Right now I am thinking of keeping everything about the same setup in the tank but they will have more surface area. I think the only additions will be a few more plants. I want the loaches to have as much room as possible. If I could go any larger on a tank I would but that isn't a possibility right now. I may throw in one more 6" pvc pipe if it fits. The white fine sand will be replaced with black sand. I think the black sand will go with the rocks a bit better than what is there now.
I am most likely going to try and follow Martin's pvc setup. I just need one more jethead.

My only questions are:

Should I upgrade to a canister type filter?

Or Is an Aquaclear good enough for this setup as long as I keep good filtration through jetheads?

Any input would be greatly appreciated.



Now the setup basically has all tank ornament situated in the center of the tank. There is a few inches of travel space on either lenght of the tank. The loache love it and always swim fast and hide behind all the tank ornament. So I will probably keep the tank a bit similar with maybe one ornament upgrade to something that has larger opening in it for fatty aka (double o)alpha loach...

[LoachOrgy]

Not one response eh?


well i have decided to go with the 90 gallon upgrade instead of the 75. I just know i will have to keep increasing it and the 90 is roughly 4' as well but taller and wider. this won't even be setup until move time. i will try and keep this post updated as the tank is setup.

[katt]

Not sure what kinda Loach`s you keep. But I like your set up.

I like canister filter`s and have two on my tank.

Yes the biger the better, and to get the bigest you can, will save money in up grad later on. Will also save the fish from being stressed from being moved.

If you have Clowns its more inportant to get a long and wide tank, then tall.

Am looking forward to seeing your new tank.

[LoachOrgy]

yeah its going to be long and wide! for clowns!

[Keith Wolcott]

I agree with Katt. I also like canister filters. If you get a canister filter you may be overfiltering (which is not a bad thing) on the current tank, but as you move up to the 120, I think you may want the extra filtration.

[LoachOrgy]

thanks guys!

i am now beginning my search for pond intake filters for a river tank setup. so far not very good luck. i am going to try big al's soon.

[LoachOrgy]

would two aquaclear 70's with two jetheads be good enough for a 90 gallon? sand substrate btw.

[LoachOrgy]

Ok, I went shopping today. I have been keeping my eyes open recently at all the local fish stores. I don't make it to big al's often bc it is so far away. However, today I found a 120 gallon tank that is 60"x18"x20". It really doesn't take up much more room than the 55 gal. tank I have. It will give the loaches a foot more lengthwise space and another 6" or so height wise as well as close to another foot on the bottom width. I am currently going to keep the stock level that I have in the 55 gallon unless I find a few botia striata.(which I won't bc the lfs here don't carry anything other than yoyo's and clowns)
If I do find striata or another type of smaller loach, I may only get a group of 4. The chinese algae eater is going in the loach tank along with the rasboras. If I see one raspora disappear. I will take them out immediately.
I am very happy to say that my girlfriend and I decided to go with the 120 now instead of the 90 or the 75. The price isn't unreasonable. It is 550$ for the stand, lights, glass top, and aquarium itself. I have an aquaclear 70 now with another aquaclear jethead that is a 50. I am thinking of adding another aquaclear 70 and another jethead and build Martin's river manifold design to the best of my abilities.

Stocking Level Plans

120 gallon tank(5'x2'x2')

8 clown loaches(1-5.5", 2-3.5", 5-2.5")
7 cherry barbs(4 males, 3 females)
2 upside down cats(1-1.5", 1-3")
4 green cory cats(all 2")
1 9" common pleco

additional fish being added to this tank along with my 55 gallon stock
6 small rasboras- the largest is around 1" most are average size
1 3" golden algae eater- this chinese golden algae eater is not aggressive towards the loaches. the gae gets along well with all the corys and other smaller fish.

possible additions but up in the air:
3-2" glass fish
4- small albino corys


I was thinking of adding the albino cory's as well but they don't seem to interact with the larger green cory cats. I am not sure if I should add these two together. I always find the more cory's the merrier. But that is in the air right now. Anyone know if its a good idea to have 8 cory cats together? I think it would be fine.

If anything, I may get a few more cherry barbs to add to the group. The species I have together now in my 55 is perfect. No aggression or any type of arguing other than a tiny nudge. I want to keep everything this way. I don't want any aggression. I have already had the cae with these loaches and this guy is chill. So I am not particularly worried about him. Also the 120 should be big enough. He is in a small 35 gallon with all other fish no larger than 2" in the tank. So he is not aggressive towards any of these fish. I had to get rid of the other GAE bc he was super aggressive to any other fish and the loaches.


I don't plan on adding to many new plants. 90 percent fake plants with 10 percent real java fern. I may add some anubias fern but recently I havn't come across anything worth buying. I have one bamboo plant and it should sit nicely right in the middle area. I will probably keep a similar type layout but with additional rocks and plants. I am going with black sand on this tank.

Any suggestions would be awesome. Filtration, stocking, species, anything. I am still keeping most of this up in the air but I don't want to stray far from what I have in the tank now.


Could I cycle the tank with my cherry barbs and rasboras?

I was thinking of putting them all in the tank first for the two months before I add the loaches.

[WhtDragn101]

I would very strongly recommend a canister filter. HOB's just can't compete against a canister. I like my rena filstar xp3, its easy to clean, fairly compact, and powerful. It keeps the tank many times cleaner then the two large HOBs I had previously, and it provides a lot more current, which my clowns seem to love.

[MTS]

I'd get a canister because you have a better choice of the types of media you can use in it. If you don't want to clean it often, you can use it with biological media but you can also use it with carbon, mechanical medias, phosphate removers, peat, whatever...

I use the canister filter with bio-media and then I put fine floss and carbon in the HOB which I can easily clean at every water change. I don't need to open the canisters for months at a time and then, I just rinse them with water siphoned from the tank.

[LoachOrgy]

very cool thanks guys.

[ckk125]

Or an overhead filter?

[LoachOrgy]

i read reviews of this rena x3 and every one i read was positive. i am seriously thinking about trying this out.

Would running this rena x3 and a 70 aquaclear plus two jetheads and a river manifold design work?

[tglassburner]

i am now beginning my search for pond intake filters for a river tank setup. so far not very good luck. i am going to try big al's soon.

go to home depot LO in the pond section.

http://s165.photobucket.com/albums/u65/tglassburner/
see my photo bucket acct. for pictures from my recent rivertank DIY any questions PM me.

[LoachOrgy]

thanks glass. i am good with pvc pipe just looked online for intake filters with no luck. but i can bend. didn't see much at big al's as well. sweet, i been looking for those cylindrical filters.