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I'd like to upgrade from my small 20 gal. to a 90. But I'm wondering what would be a nice theme to set up? (i.e. region of the world) Such as schooling fish and plant types to go with them. All ideas welcome!

Edit: I should have mentioned that I'd like it to be a community tank, thanks.

FOTB

Last edited by Fish On The Brains at 20-Mar-2005 18:09

South American fish will fit the bill nicely. Tetras, pencilfish, hatchetfish, Corydoras catfish and plecos, and dwarf cichilds would all be great community fish for a South American tank. As a bonus, most of the listed fish (with the exception of some plecos) stay small, so you can keep a bunch of each in there. For plants, sword plants would work out well, especially since they are a varied group of plants. There are many types of sword plants, so you could have a nice-looking tank of all swords if you wanted, and could add nutrients to the substrate. They are heavy root feeders.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

I've seen some really nice African riverine setups as well. With that setup, there is lots of opportunity to search for some rare and oddball fish, because there are so few African riverine species that are a staple in the hobby.

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

yep. south american is a very nice looking set-up. go with the natural looking gravel, tall sword plants, a few drift wood.
as for fish go with angels,neons,cardinals,and discus, with a pelco. all of this should come out nice.

Fish On The Brains

I have seen a WWW site here on FP about setting up a tank for various regions I just checked my list and I dont have it. Some one has it and should be able to assist you might have to start a new topic and ask for it there. All the best.

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW

Go south american....and get tons and tons and tons of Neon Tetras they are so awesome in large schools, it will blow your mind...heidi


"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

I have to agree with cory. African biotopes are easiest to work with. Aquascaping wise, you've got anubias and driftwood, neither of which demands much attention. As for fish, syno angelicus, congo tetras, rare pelvachromises, african glasscats, smaller polypterus, congo spotted puffers, blockheads...the list goes on and on.

Great, thanks everyone for your ideas so far!

About 2 days ago I was going to go with a SW aquarium, about 90% certain. Even though I have a friend who owns a LFS, he still has to make a living, and I just can't afford to spend that much money right now... or in the near future.

So I think I'm going to do a either a nice South American or African Cichlid tank. I'll read up some more on both... after I've gotten some sleep though, my eye's are going very gimpy! :%)

I'll post anything further in "Cichlid Central".

FOTB

No African riverine tank?

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

Hi,
I have no idea what you should do with your tank. If you,
yourself, don't have something in mind, then I'd suggest to
you that you save yourself hundreds of dollars and wait till
you have something specific in mind.

I too want more, and bigger tanks. In fact, plans are in
the works for the construction of a study that will house

two 240gallon Fresh Water tanks and a small indoor pond
in another room.
In the mean time I use my 30G tank as an experimental
tank.
I feel it is better to make mistakes, and master
aquarium principles in a smaller tank, rather than have
a 240G tank turn into a huge white cloud, or a tank of
green pea soup.

Assuming you already have the mechanics of where the tank
will be located (out of high traffic area, easily viewed,
placed perpendicular to the floor joists, near enough to
a water source for easy water changes, not in direct
sunlight, availablility to electricity, etc.) I'd like
to offer some constructive thoughts.

How many "types" of tanks have you recreated in that 20G
tank? Granted you have a community tank, but have you
varied the tanks inhabitants?
Have you tried a tank of S. American fish, a tank of
Asian Fish, a tank of African fish, a tank of Rift Fish?

Have you successfully grown plants, mastered CO2
injection, and dosing of ferts?
Do you want an aquatic jungle with a few "flashes of
color" (fish) or just a few really thriving plants and
lots of swimming room?

What about those tanks did you like, and how successful
with them were you? What do you want to see in the tank?
By that I mean do you want constant movement, at all levels
(bottom, mid and top sections), or are you content to have
a few large fish slowly gliding around the tank at their
leisure? Do you want the fish to provide the mural of
color or are you going to use the contrast of the fish
against the rocks, and or, plants to provide the beauty?

In my opinion, this is not a 10 gallon suprise that a
parent or relative gave you because they knew you liked
fish, and it was your birthday. Witness all the threads,
"I just got a ___G tank. What should I do with it?"
questions on this site. Instead this is a deliberate
purchase, and I think you should already have a plan before
you purchase it.

Not to set limits, but (in my mind) any purchase of a
tank over 55 gallons ought to be deliberate, purchased
by someone who has a definite plan, and who has had
success in smaller tanks.
Someone who has learned the importance of the nitrogen cycle
and the difference between a newly cycled tank and a
seasoned tank.
If a plant lover, someone who has learned how
to grow them, mastered a bottled CO2 system, learned
the various types of lighting systems and knows
the importance of "Kelvins." If a fish lover, someone who
has mastered "who can live with who,"
learned the requirements of the various fish to be
housed and how to blend them together into a healthy
tank, and learned the importance of a quarantine tank.

Honestly, this is not a critical post. I love aquariums
and have a special kinship with the folks who keep them.
I want you to be successful, but large tanks are truely
a huge investment, in time, space, and money. Don't create
someone elses dream tank.
Be successful, and have a plan, before hand is all I'm
saying.

Frank

Last edited by FRANK at 21-Mar-2005 10:29

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Last edited by FRANK at 21-Mar-2005 10:36

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Here are a couple links for biotopes:

http://badmanstropicalfish.com/biotope/biotope2.html

http://fish.mongabay.com/biotope.htm

A 90g would be a nice size for cichlids. I have one 'true' biotope-Asian-and it's really my favorite tank in terms of looks and completeness. It has kuhli loaches, harlequin and exclamation point rasboras, belted and cherry barbs, honey gouramis, sparkling gouramis, and a betta coccina. And lots &amp; lots of MTS

Good luck with whatever you choose.

Last edited by Theresa_M at 21-Mar-2005 10:50

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There is water at the bottom of the ocean