125 gallon fresh water tank need help

[nicolebutcher]

125 gallon fresh water tank need some help ,i want to turn this tank into a dirted planted tank in have some fish and plants now but still need some tips on what plants will work and fish .my water is soft but the alkalinity is 8.0to 8.5 .I currently have for light are 4 40watt t 12s and 1 t8 an 1 compact bulb .

 

[nicolebutcher]

no 411 yet!wow

 

[lauraf]

Most plants and fish will adapt to a reasonable range of pH and water hardness levels. 125 is a big tank...you'd probably want some fast-growing tall plants like vallisneria and cabomba. What kind of fish are you thinking of keeping?

 

[nicolebutcher]

FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANKS FOR REPLYING TO MY QUESTIONS, so what fish do I have,1 red tailed shark, 2 neon tetras, 2 gourami,2guppys,4 chinese sucker fish, 1angel,1pleco fish,2 hot pink glo fish,and some plants,1 amozon sword, java ferns, cryptocoryne wedtii, anobias , 3 other plants not sure what they are .I want to add a nice piece of drift wood, but not sure how long to soak it in bleach water .I cant boil it way to big.

 

[lauraf]

Driftwood is awesome, and your pleco will love it. If you don't mind some tannins staining your water you don't need to soak driftwood for very long either. You can also sometimes buy pre-soaked driftwood that won't colour your water. If you want to soak it yourself, it can take weeks for the tannins to leach out, depends on the piece.

 

[nicolebutcher]

I found the drift wood between the beach and some brackies water mangroves,most of the plants and fish that i have i did some research, but not every thing is in black and white.Thats why I wanted to ask questions to pepople with experience, so thanks for the tips,And if you or anyone else has some good advice I would love to here it.

 

[lauraf]

Well, one concern with the fish you have is the chinese sucker fish (assuming you mean Siamese Algae Eater)...they can turn agressive and attach themselves to the slime coat of other fish. Personally I would rehome them, but perhaps it's not as much of a concern in a very large tank. Your pleco, if it is a common pleco, will get huge, but a 125g should be big enough for it for a time...
I don't really trust driftwood from the beach - too bad it's too large for a good boil - but soaking in bleach and letting it dry completely is a good step to take.

 

[nicolebutcher]

Well, one concern with the fish you have is the chinese sucker fish (assuming you mean Siamese Algae Eater)...they can turn agressive and attach themselves to the slime coat of other fish. Personally I would rehome them, but perhaps it's not as much of a concern in a very large tank. Your pleco, if it is a common pleco, will get huge, but a 125g should be big enough for it for a time...
I don't really trust driftwood from the beach - too bad it's too large for a good boil - but soaking in bleach and letting it dry completely is a good step to take.

yes thanks, if they get agressive I try to rehome them.

 

[KcMopar]

Get them now, you will not believe how hard they are to catch when they are big, not to mention now.

 

[nicolebutcher]

Get them now, you will not believe how hard they are to catch when they are big, not to mention now.

DO you know were I could rehome them ?

 

[KcMopar]

Many fish stores will take them, some may even offer store credit. These are usually the independent fish stores.

 

[OrangeCones]

If it is the fish known as the Siamese Algae eater, they are not normally aggressive. I believe it is the Chinese Algae Eater that is being referenced here. Can you post a pic of the 'sucker fish'?

 

[lauraf]

If it is the fish known as the Siamese Algae eater, they are not normally aggressive. I believe it is the Chinese Algae Eater that is being referenced here. Can you post a pic of the 'sucker fish'?

Yeah, that's my mistake, OC - mean the Chinese Algae Eater.

 

[OrangeCones]

125 gallon fresh water tank need some help ,i want to turn this tank into a dirted planted tank in have some fish and plants now but still need some tips on what plants will work and fish .my water is soft but the alkalinity is 8.0to 8.5 .I currently have for light are 4 40watt t 12s and 1 t8 an 1 compact bulb .

When you say 'dirted' above, are you planning to use soil (capped by gravel or sand)? If so, avoid fish that are prone to digging.