Setting up a 1st time 60 gallon Freshwater tank

M

Muckrak3r

We recently purchased a new 60 gallon tank - 4ft wide - with stand. The main fish we want in there, are 3 red parrot S. American cichlids. We will buy them as small as we can get them, so we can enjoy their growth.

I have a few questions on equipment, as well as new tank setup, water prep, etc.

First, is sand or gravel a better option? Can pea gravel from Home Depot be used? Don't flame if that's not a good option, just asking! We have already spent tons, don't mind spending a few more bucks.

Second, How do I get the water prepared in order to put fish in it without them dying? I have a bottle of Tetra SafeStart, but that bottle says I need a bottle of AquaSafe or something like that first?

Third, I ordered the Fluval 405 filter. Will that be enough to keep the water clean?

Also, what would be some good starter/companion fish in the tank? We know the Parrots can get 10 inches or so, so we were planning on only 3 of them. And possibly a suckerfish (genus? species?), and maybe a couple angelfish. Basically we want a nice peaceful tank, that is centered around the parrots. We love those fish and want to provide them with a perfect home! Maybe even 5 parrots and 1 suckerfish. Whatever it takes to make a perfect home for the beautiful parrots. ;)

Also x2, we only have a large cave (entrance is about 4"x4" and about 7" deep), and a stone archway (about a 6" high pass-through) as far as decorations go. And a 12" airstone and a 4" bubbler. What would make a great centerpiece for the tank? We understand cichlids like hiding spaces, etc. Any decoration suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks!!!
 
You might try this website:

http://www.dfwfishbox.com/forums/production/forum.php

DFWMAS is primarily centered on saltwater, there may be a few folks here who can answer freshwater questions but most of us focus on saltwater (marine) aquariums. The DFW Fishbox site is mostly focused on freshwater and thus better suited to your needs. Good luck!
 
My husband and I have a few freshwater puffer tanks. A cheap option for substrate is pool filter sand it is like $14 for a 50 lb bag. We have it in our Fahaka tank. As for decorations I have heard that cichlids tend to tear live plants up so I would stick to plastic plants and rocks. If you go with the pool filter sand you will need some good texas holey rock because it helps raise the pH. I am pretty sure they need higher pH than most fish but you might want to research it. We decorated our tank with fake plants, drift wood, rocks and have a pvc elbow for a tunnel that is hidden with rocks.

I am pretty sure your filter will be fine since it is rated for a 100g tank. Our Fahaka will grow to be up to 18 inches so we have the 405 plus a hang on the back aqua clear that is rated for 110g plus it gives us nice water movement on the top of the tank without the bubblier.

We use prime in our FW tanks and do a fishless cycle by using a piece of shrimp in a little tupperware container with holes in it (some people are against this way of cycling but it has worked well for me). It helps speed up the cycling of the tank or if you are really excited you can get turbo start from Dallas North Aquarium to help the cycle go really fast. http://www.fritzpet.com/turbo-start-700/

My mother-in-law had blood parrots in with a plecostomus and they never bugged it not sure what type it was but if you go to the fish gallery they seem very knowledgeable on cichlids and the long hair guy (can't remember his name) seems to love plecostomus.

Well I hope I helped. Good luck with your new tank!!!
 
wow......I haven't raised chiclids for a decades, but when I did I tried some of the options you are considering for substrate, do yourself a favor and go with dolomite. You'll find it keeps you ph so close to where you want it that additives are nearly not needed. IMHO [smilie=wink.gif]
 
Thanks for the replies everyone. I will check out that DFW site more in depth FW info.

I finally got the tank together and did a 1 week fishless cycle with a water condition and Tetra Safe Start. The guys at Dallas North Aquarium tested the water and helped us choose compatible starter fish that would work well with our future parrot cichlids. We ended up doing 4 Tetras and 6 cherry barbs, and a couple other tetras with cool fins. None of them are going to get very large, and they should play well with the parrots.

In about 3 weeks we will be adding 3-4 parrot cichlids and then hopefully we can keep them alive in a tank they all enjoy!
 
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