# New 60 Gallon Freshwater Community Build



## JoshyJosh (Mar 18, 2014)

Hello all!!

I am very excited to be getting back into the fish keeping hobby!! I am/was by no means a pro, but I found it very enjoyable and my tank was always healthy. My experience goes back to having a 10 gallon when I was a kid and then more recently a 29 gallon when I was in college (a few years ago). I tried going the saltwater route, but it was just too difficult to do in a dorm room and way too expensive for a college kid. I ended up switching that tank over to freshwater and had amazing success. I ended up buying my own house and didn't have room for it, so my parents tore it down and put it in storage. 

Fast forward 4 years and I'm in a bigger house with the perfect spot...so my wife and I are going to start this up again!! I'm not a total noob with this stuff, but I'm sure I will have some questions since a lot has changed in the past few years. 

Here's a breakdown of what this build will consist of:
60 gallon glass aquarium with stand (have already)

Being shipped to me:
2 Emperor 400 Power Filters
2 Aqueon 150 heaters

I also have the API Freshwater Master Test Kit on order along with a test for GH and KH. These tests will be important for the life of the tank and also for doing a fishless cycle. 

As far as stocking goes, it's going to be a community tank with mostly tetras; but no live plants (at least not right now). This is what I'm thinking:

12 Cardinal Tetras
8 pristella tetras
10 Rummy Nose Tetras
6 Zebra Danios

I'd also like to get maybe a small school of Cory's and a pleco. 

I didn't like the lighting that came with the tank, so a few nights ago I ordered the Current USA Satellite Freshwater LED+ kit. I've read some great reviews on it and once I saw all the effects it offered, I just had to buy it. 

Here's a quick picture of what I'm starting with:


This past weekend, I got the back glass painted as well:






Finished product:



The tank wasn't sitting very level at first, so I painted some shims to match the stand and got it as level as I could. For those of you who have tanks on carpet...do you think this is "level enough?"

Side-to-Side:



Front-to-Back:



Now, I did do a leak test before painting the back, and fortunately nothing leaked. I'm hoping that when I add water again that it will eventually settle into the carpet and level out a bit more. 

Substrat is going to be basic PFS that I'll be picking up today and as soon as I get the filters and heaters delivered, I'll be filling the tank and adding ammonia to get the fishless cycle going. 

As far a decor goes, it'll be mainly fake plants and coral because my wife wants the saltwater look. Those will get added later on once I pick them up.

What do you guys think so far?


----------



## SteveC (Apr 25, 2013)

Great work, hope to see more as you go along. I just got back to the hobby about a year ago and it's great. bumps and Bruises but good.
Good Luck


----------



## JoshyJosh (Mar 18, 2014)

SteveC said:


> Great work, hope to see more as you go along. I just got back to the hobby about a year ago and it's great. bumps and Bruises but good.
> Good Luck


Thanks Steve! I'm probably most worried about water changes since I've never had a tank this big...but I'll get it figured out lol.


----------



## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Welcome back to the hobby! Nice choices of fish. It could stand to be leveler, but it'll probably work okay.


----------



## JoshyJosh (Mar 18, 2014)

TheOldSalt said:


> Welcome back to the hobby! Nice choices of fish. It could stand to be leveler, but it'll probably work okay.


Now that I have it shimmed, I'm hoping once I fill it with sand and water that it'll level out over a few days. I'm thinking that it may just need to settle down on the carpet a bit more.


----------



## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

Ugh a saltwater look with ff fish? I don't know I wouldn't personally like it as I would see it as wrong, but your choice. Also, is the back going to stay blue? I don't know if that is going to absorb the colours of the fish a bit, or is it part of the ocean look?


----------



## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

I would fill the tank about 3/4 way with water, let it sit for a week, then re-level. It will most certainly settle some under the weight and that will give you a good idea of whether or not the current "level" is good or not. Also- shims sometimes seem heartier than they are, so you are also looking to see that they can handle the weight. 

You might want to empty it when you are re-leveling so I would not be adding the fish yet!

Nice set up there!


----------



## JoshyJosh (Mar 18, 2014)

BettaGuy said:


> Ugh a saltwater look with ff fish? I don't know I wouldn't personally like it as I would see it as wrong, but your choice. Also, is the back going to stay blue? I don't know if that is going to absorb the colours of the fish a bit, or is it part of the ocean look?


Eh...to each their own I guess. I'm not a big fan of the "natural" look. I enjoy marine tanks, but don't want to deal with the costs and maintenance. The background will end up staying that color as well, but probably won't be very noticeable once I get all the decor in.


----------



## JoshyJosh (Mar 18, 2014)

Obsidian said:


> I would fill the tank about 3/4 way with water, let it sit for a week, then re-level. It will most certainly settle some under the weight and that will give you a good idea of whether or not the current "level" is good or not. Also- shims sometimes seem heartier than they are, so you are also looking to see that they can handle the weight.
> 
> You might want to empty it when you are re-leveling so I would not be adding the fish yet!
> 
> Nice set up there!


The tank is currently sitting empty, but tomorrow I will be rinsing my sand substrate and add that in and then plan on filling it with water. My filters and heaters don't get here until Tuesday, so by then, any left over dust will have settled and I'll be ready to get the cycle started. 

I don't plan on adding any fish until the cycle is complete.


----------



## JoshyJosh (Mar 18, 2014)

Just a quick update; I got all my sand rinsed and added to the tank along with getting it filled!! It's starting to come together!!



These won't be the lights I'll be using, but I wanted to see how it looked with some kind of light. I'm very surprised how clear it is after just about 20 minutes of being filled.


----------



## SteveC (Apr 25, 2013)

JoshyJosh said:


> Thanks Steve! I'm probably most worried about water changes since I've never had a tank this big...but I'll get it figured out lol.


you will be fine. It's much simpler with larger tanks.


----------



## JoshyJosh (Mar 18, 2014)

SteveC said:


> you will be fine. It's much simpler with larger tanks.


I bought a large 30 gallon tub the other day specifically for water changes...that should help make things a bit easier.


----------



## SteveC (Apr 25, 2013)

JoshyJosh said:


> I bought a large 30 gallon tub the other day specifically for water changes...that should help make things a bit easier.


It's what works for you. I use 5 gallon pails. Can't wait to see what is next.
I have a 55 gallon.


----------



## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

the problem with large tubs for water changes is that you will be lifting too much, no way you are going to just lift 30g of water.


----------



## Elliott225 (Jan 9, 2014)

I had a big Rubbermaid garbage can I used to store RO water in. To transfer that to the tank I used a big power head with a hose attached. Worked great.


----------



## JoshyJosh (Mar 18, 2014)

The bin will sit on some rollers used for moving furniture. Once it's full...I just roll it outside.


----------



## JoshyJosh (Mar 18, 2014)

Hello all! Today is the big day when all of my equipment is supposed to arrive. I can hardly wait; like a kid on Christmas morning. 

I feel like I know the answer to this based on the research I've done, but with the size tank I have, do you think I could keep Tiger Barbs with community fish or are they just too aggressive to keep?


----------



## SteveC (Apr 25, 2013)

JoshyJosh said:


> Hello all! Today is the big day when all of my equipment is supposed to arrive. I can hardly wait; like a kid on Christmas morning.
> 
> I feel like I know the answer to this based on the research I've done, but with the size tank I have, do you think I could keep Tiger Barbs with community fish or are they just too aggressive to keep?


It's exciting. (Barbs should be ok with the tetras, tank is big enough for them to have thier own space, they are compatiable.) just remember to make sure you don't overstock.


----------



## JoshyJosh (Mar 18, 2014)

SteveC said:


> It's exciting. (Barbs should be ok with the tetras, tank is big enough for them to have thier own space, they are compatiable.) just remember to make sure you don't overstock.


I have picked out 4 species so far (Cardinal Tetra, Rummynose Tetra, Zebra Danio and Pristella Tetra). I may get rid of the Pristella's and get the Tiger Barbs instead...


----------



## SteveC (Apr 25, 2013)

I'm big fan of barbs.this more help. http://www.aquariumfish.net/information/how_to_choose_fish.htm


----------



## JoshyJosh (Mar 18, 2014)

Thanks for the link Steve!

Well...yesterday was exciting. All of my equipment came, but unfortunately one of my filters isn't working. I need to call Marineland today and see what I can do to get it fixed; hopefully they'll tell me to take it up to my LFS and swap it out. 

I did get my other filter going, plus both heaters and the tank is currently sitting at 82 degrees. I haven't added any ammonia yet until I get the other filter going. 

Water parameters from the tap are:

Nitrates - 0ppm
Nitrites - 0ppm
Ammonia - 1ppm
pH - 7.4

My Current USA Freshwater LED+ light is absolutely amazing! It looks so much better than the regular lights that the tank came with. I think my favorite setting is the moonlight setting.


----------



## SteveC (Apr 25, 2013)

Will you have pics up soon?


----------



## JoshyJosh (Mar 18, 2014)

Ran up to Petsmart and they exchanged the filter without a problem. Got it setup and added my ammonia!!

Tank has officially started the cycle!

Steve - here are a couple pictures as you requested. Nothing too spectacular right now as I still need to get all of my decor.


----------



## SteveC (Apr 25, 2013)

It's coming along. Good Luck


----------



## JoshyJosh (Mar 18, 2014)

Thanks Steve!


----------



## guppyart (Jan 22, 2005)

looks like a great start


----------



## JoshyJosh (Mar 18, 2014)

guppyart said:


> looks like a great start


Thank you!

Did a check on Ammonia this morning and it's still very high. I only added my first dose on Wednesday morning, so I don't expect to see a decrease until middle of next week.


----------



## SteveC (Apr 25, 2013)

Hey Josh 
How's the tank going?


----------



## JoshyJosh (Mar 18, 2014)

SteveC said:


> Hey Josh
> How's the tank going?


Steve!

The tank is coming along really well. I tested ammonia this morning and it's still hovering around 2-4ppm. This is now going on 16 days since the initial dose and it still hasn't come back down to around 1 or below. With the tank being 60 gallons and having 2 Emperor 400 power filters with all 4 bio wheels running, I realize that is a lot of filtration and a lot of surface area to build up BB, but is this typical for ammonia to take this long to drop?

Should I continue waiting or do a water change? For my water conditioner, I'm using Aquasafe Plus. I haven't done any water changes yet, but I have done a couple top offs. 

Thoughts?


----------



## JoshyJosh (Mar 18, 2014)

Hey guys!!

Just a quick update on my tank..I had originally dosed my tank with ammonia on 3/26. Just this morning did it come down low enough to dose it back up. Current nitrite readings are over 5 PPM now. My cycle is finally making some good progress!!!!


----------



## SteveC (Apr 25, 2013)

Nice the anticipation must be killing you. Lol


----------



## JoshyJosh (Mar 18, 2014)

OMG....totally!


----------



## JoshyJosh (Mar 18, 2014)

We're getting close on finishing the cycle!! The tank is currently processing about 3-4ppm of Ammonia in about 24 hours. Nitrites are really high and I was actually getting some higher Nitrate readings when I tested yesterday. 

I know I still have a while to go since I need to be able to process about 3-4ppm of Ammonia and Nitrite in about 24 hours...but at least I'm seeing progress lol.


----------



## SteveC (Apr 25, 2013)

Any further updates?


----------



## JoshyJosh (Mar 18, 2014)

Hey Steve!

The tank is still cycling. I may have slowed the cycle just a bit because I've been dosing with ammonia when I see it drop down to about 1ppm when I should be letting it drop down to zero. I have really high nitrites and I'm seeing my nitrates start to climb. So at least I've completed the nitrogen cycle...now I just need enough BB to process everything within 24 hours. 

I can't wait til it's complete and I can start adding fish.


----------



## JoshyJosh (Mar 18, 2014)

Hello everyone!

So I think I'm getting close to finishing my cycle, but I am a bit confused. I was dosing Ammonia up to 4ppm and it was taking forever to get back down to 0ppm. All the while my Nitrites were off the charts (which is to be expected). It was sugested that I do a 50% water change to get the Nitrites down so the cycle doesn't stall. I did that last week and as of Sunday night, my Ammonia and Nitrites were both at 0ppm with Nitrates being about 5ppm. 

I dosed with Ammonia up to 1ppm on Sunday and as of this morning, Ammonia is reading at .25ppm, Nitrites 0ppm and Nitrates <5ppm. 

I don't know what's going on. Why would my Ammonia have gone down, but I don't have any Nitrites? If Nitrites processed that quickly...then why aren't the Nitrates higher?

Also, why is Ammonia taking so long to process down to 0ppm?


----------



## SteveC (Apr 25, 2013)

That stinks. I personally have no answer. I always use water from my established tank to cycle tanks. hang in there.


----------



## JoshyJosh (Mar 18, 2014)

Cycle is done. So far I've stocked with 6 Zebra Danios, 8 Black Neon Tetras and a 2" common Pleco.


----------



## SteveC (Apr 25, 2013)

Big fan of the tetras and plecos. Any Pics?


----------



## JoshyJosh (Mar 18, 2014)

I was going to wait until it was more stocked, but I can get a few up later tonight for sure!!


----------



## JoshyJosh (Mar 18, 2014)

Here are a few photos of where my tank sits now. 

6 Zebra Danios
8 Black Neon Tetras
1 2" Common Pleco 

Ammonia - 0ppm
Nitrites - 0ppm
Nitrates - <5ppm
pH - 8.2
Temp - 78* 

Future stocking plans include 6 Julian Cory Cats, 8-10 Neon Tetras and a pair of German Blue Rams. If I have room for more, I will go with either some Serpae's or Rummy Nose Tetras. 













 

Thanks for looking!


----------



## SteveC (Apr 25, 2013)

Nice. i love the Rams I think you would be very happy with those.


----------



## JoshyJosh (Mar 18, 2014)

I don't think I'll be able to have the German Blues because I do not want to keep my tank above 80 degrees. Maybe Bolivian's instead? What about a pair of Yellow Labs; would they be too aggressive to keep with Tetras?


----------



## SteveC (Apr 25, 2013)

They are more aggressive then the rams so you could run in to an issue. I have my tank at 80. I actually just 4 Rams in the mail today. I have koi Angel fish and they get along with my community fish.


----------



## JoshyJosh (Mar 18, 2014)

Hmm...what about Gouramis?

I was thinking maybe a couple Dwarfs? Do they do well in schools or should I only get a pair?


----------



## SteveC (Apr 25, 2013)

The dwarf rams are peaceful and should do just fine. I have had no issue with them. "Knock on Wood"


----------



## GoldenGirl11 (Nov 9, 2014)

Like the stand the tank is on... makes it look homey where it is.


----------

