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right first off hello all you beautiful people. this is my first post so everyone be gentle, but dont be shy!

basicaly i managed to acquire a 5ft long tank, with a capacity of around 67 US gallons, a hood with lights,a reigna filstar xp1 external filter with a fluval plus 3 internal filter for help. a cabinet/stand all for a £100. impressed.........i was. thats why i bought it months before i could set it up!

anyway im finally in a position to start to set it up, but i need a little assistance. this is not my first tank so no one need get frustrated with the basics of water parm's. but because its been sat in my room for about 3 months just looking at me, all the while saying Fill me! ....... i wana get things near enough right the first time is what im trying to say.

right on with business,

the tank

all right so my tank isnt as big as i might have let on, but lets face it. its simply a luxury many of us cant afford to run tanks that are 80 gall upwards so to me its as big as things get.

Right then, dimensions 62L/15W/17H (inches)
my tap ph is around 7.3-7.5
waters fairly hard. i dont know adzactly i just know i get a lot of limescale.

my plan is to create a bit of a firemouth cichlid paradise while still retaining a bit of a community tank. the tank will be moderatly planted (this is an issue im gona need help with) with gravel substrate. (sand has given me many a headache in the past). ive been informed that firemouths love a bit of cover, so im gona try and get some floating plants. ( i have know idea about these so called "floaters" so can some one inform me of some hardy species. the tanks lighting is gona be moderate to low by the way.

before i crack on, im just gona let you guys know what im thinking about in terms of stock.

3-5 firemouths wana breed these beuts but unsure on best no#
2-3 kribs.
6-7 boesmani rainbows
4-5 ottos, for the loveable algae

thats my basic stock, thing is theres allways someone who wants more and im certainly one of them.
basically there are two other species i may want to include. clown loaches and a black ghost knifefish.

now this is just an idea in my head for now but i need some advice. IF i were to include a bgk would he be tempted by a few ottos for diner as i dont know for sure if the ottos would be just to big or just plain on the menu. so any keepers of BGK's please advice.

now the clown loaches. my main concern with these boys is that by adding them i may find my self with either an overstocked tank or an overcrowded bottom. as far as im aware the clowns should be fine in the tank in terms of size, but maybee not with the other inhabitants. again guys please help with this one.

substrate.

right this is giving me a headache and is now really annoying me. basically ive estimated im gona need around 70 kgs of substrate for a 3 inch depth. BUT (and its a wide one) everywhere ive checked it looks like its gona cost me around £15-£20 for just 12 kgs of the stuff and thats not even with nutrients. so essentially i'll being paying more than my tank and kit cost me for something i could essentially collect outside. i might be misguided on this subject so if anyone knows of any decent internet sites (uk especially) then youd be really helping me out.

also do i really need 3 inches for plants, wouldnt 2 inches suffice for them?

kit

the filters that actually came with this tank are gona go on my 200 litre tank and im gona get a fluval 305 external filter for this one ( i dont mind spending money on stuff like that )

as for wood and rocks im gona have to do a bit of searching. basically i wana create plenty of nooks and cranys so the fish can relax. the cenote biotype has sort of caught my eye. more or less because this is where the firemouths come from. but i certainly dont want to create a biotype, more of a theme really.
heres a little link for ya.

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

right im sure some other issues will crop up soon so i'll let you guys digest that for now. will try and get some pics on the go when i actually get some things together.

cheers then!

Hi,
Welcome to Fish Profiles!

Sounds like you are putting a lot of thought into this
tank, and it's going to pay off in the long run.

Substrate. The normal depth for a planted tank is between
3 and 4 inches in thickness. This allows plenty of room
for all plants to root (anchor) themselves and develop a
root system sufficient for that plant. You might get away
with 2 inches or maybe even one, if you stick with plants
that don't have huge root systems or plants that don't root
in the gravel at all. The foreground plants, have shallow
root systems, and plants such as Anubis, root to driftwood
and rock. Plants like crypts and amazon swords, develop
root systems that can take up feet of space and of course
would require much more substrate.
Virtually all of the foreground plants require quite a bit
more light than you are willing to use, so they would be
out. Some of the stem plants would work in shallow
substrate, but you might have difficulty getting them to
stay in place long enough for them to develop the root
system necessary to anchor them.

Honestly, since you are taking the time to do all this
planning, and you want to duplicate that ecosystem, why not
wait a bit longer till you can afford the necessary
substrate and the necessary lighting to give you at least
2 watts per gallon, and preferably 2-2.5, maybe even 3wpg.
Then, you will have a tank you can really enjoy.

Frank

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