# 40 Gallon Community Setup



## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

Finally! I have a stand for my 40g breeder tank! Yay!

Now i'll have to clean my tank outside with water because it got dust while waiting for the stand to be made from scratch.

I couldn't find a top lid to fit on my tank without the middle brace thing above the tank, but I have an idea that I hope it works!

Here are the pictures of my tank FINALLY on top of a stand!


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## superswimmer (Apr 7, 2015)

Very nice I am jealous  Good luck on the setup!


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## DangerousAngel (Mar 26, 2015)

That is gorgeous! Great work!! I wish you the best of luck with the setup!


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

Fun!!!! What are you thinking for fish?


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

superswimmer: thank you so much! = D

DangerousAngel: thank you! I really hope I do this right! This is the biggest tank size I've ever prepared since a long time! *_* (my biggest tank was a 30g cichlid tank)

SplashyBetta: Since I already did a cichlid tank once, I want to do a community tank with:

- Pearl Gourami (1 male) or 1 male betta or none
- Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish (4 males and 2 females or 6 males)
- Gold Mountain Minnows (12) or Galaxy Rasbora (12)
- Panda or Albino Cory (6)
- Yoyo Loach (3)

This are the fish I want to add. The hardest ones to find for me will be the yoyos, gold mountain minnows and the galaxy rasboras. The rest are available at my nearest petco!


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## superswimmer (Apr 7, 2015)

My tank is 36 gal. Be prepared for lots of water :-D


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

I knoooow X___X.

I've been preparing mentally that bigger tanks means bigger water changes. :shock:


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

Lots of water 8D 
It took me a while to get used to doing water changes on my 75 gal tank. 50% of 75 gallons is 37 gallons... that's a LOT of water! Ha ha.


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## Anders247 (Jan 24, 2015)

Awesome!
Love pearl gouramis.


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

They are really pretty to look at. = )


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

I filled the tank with 40lb of substrate and 20lb of black sand today, but when I was measuring it with a ruler it reached almost exactly two and a half inch of substrate and sand. 

Do I need to get another 20lb of sand so that it reach 3 inch? Or will the two and almost a half is enough? I'll be adding low light plants on this tank and it's not filled with water yet.

Please and thanks!


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

I added 10 lbs more of black sand, a whole bottle of tetra safestart and I added the zebra danios. I'll be keeping an eye on them while the tank cycles. So far they are exploring the tank...not much to see in there yet = p. Will be adding live plants hopefully soon! And the bubbles on either sides are from the two filters because the tank it's not completely filled with water yet :shock:.


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## andakin (Aug 10, 2009)

Nice work on the tank. Danios are great to cycle with. Adding in new fish later is gonna be lots of fun.

I personally think the tank would look nicer if the heater was positioned vertically near a corner.


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

I had it on a corner vertically, but I thought that maybe the heater wouldn't work spreading the temperature evenly the entire tank. I still need to get woods and plants to add in the tank. Maybe it will cover the heater better. We'll see = )


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## InStitches (May 26, 2014)

looking great!


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

Thank you!


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## jeaninel (Aug 24, 2007)

Great start! Can't wait to see it with plants and fish. The heater is in a good spot where it is. I would just drop it down a little lower. Once your tank is planted it will be more camouflaged.


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

Ok, I'll put it lower. I keep reading on the internet that if you put live plants on a tank that is cycling it could get algae or the plants get brownish? If that is true, should I wait until the tank is cycled? Or until the ammonia reach to 0ppm?


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

My tank would be 1 week old tomorrow and I tested the water today and the testing is weird.

The PH as always it reads 7.6

Ammonia: 0.25 ppm <-- this means that I have to do water changes so that I reduce the ammonia, right?

Nitrite: 0ppm

Nitrate: 5.0ppm?? Isn't nitrate not suppose to show up after the ammonia and nitrite reach 0ppm?

I'm confused :-?.

Oh, and I had to remove one of the danios yesterday. It looked a little sick and it had a tiny open wound on one side and something cloudy around the wound. The rest of the danios look ok.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that I tested the water yesterday too and the ammonia and nitrate was 0ppm.


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

Hello! = )

I got some cichlid stone caves for my tank! I hope my fish would like them! And I received today the digital thermometer! 

It reads 80.5F on the digital thermometer and 82 on the normal thermometer...which is right? :-? And it looks like it's a little too warm for the future fish? I don't know if I should buy the aqueon pro 100w version to see if it lowers the temperature more or disconnect the heater and see if the temperature of the room is acceptable for the fish.

And I'm seeing some algaes! :|

Here's a picture!


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

Just wanted to show how my tank looked like when I added the new plants that arrived yesterday and how it looks like now after separating them so that they get enough light.

Yesterday (first picture) and today (second picture):


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## Rosencrantz32 (May 12, 2013)

Lookin' good!


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

Thank you! = )


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

I got a Pearl Gourami yesterday!

I'm a little worried about his tail because on the third picture I'm seeing a white spot. It doesn't look like fungus. Maybe it got nipped by the danios. But he looks healthy and eating food and he's been exploring too. He even got inside the three largest caves! I think it a "He" because of the pointed fin from above.


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## MikeG14 (May 31, 2014)

Looks great, Manami! I was considering giving those cichlid stones a try myself. Yours look really good and I noticed that you already have some algae starting to cover them.


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

Yep. I'm getting lots of algae = /. I'm removing the algae using the magnetic cleaning device thing and I'm cleaning the caves with my fingers X_X. 

I'm liking the cichlid caves very much (and so are the fish!) The only caves they don't explore are the two smaller caves (too small for them!). Im hoping that once I get the panda cories MAYBE they woukd like to explore the smaller caves?...crossing fingers!

I'm gonna go this weekend (hopefully!) and get some new fish! I'm thinking of getting "if" available: kuhli loach, cory pandas and/or Harlequin Rasbora (don't think I can find espei rasboras there = /).

I also wanna try and get red cherry shrimps and Amano shrimps. I need a crew to help clean up the algae that's stuck on my plants. I don't know if my plants are dying or if it's the algae sticking on my plants X_X.


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## Ganggreenkhan (Jul 15, 2015)

I would trust a regular thermometer over a digital thermometer any day. I also agree keeping the heater in the middle on such a large tank. Nice tank btw


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

Got it! Thank you, Ganggreenkhan!


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

Here's a little update of my tank. I did a little trimming and removed some bad plants. I also got 6 otocinclus! They are keeping my tank and plants clean = ). And I ordered more plants from PAC website.


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

Update! I got more plants and two cholla woods!


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## BettaLover1313 (Apr 15, 2013)

The tank is looking lovely!


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

Thank you! = )


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## MikeG14 (May 31, 2014)

manami said:


> Yep. I'm getting lots of algae = /. I'm removing the algae using the magnetic cleaning device thing and I'm cleaning the caves with my fingers X_X.


I actually like the way that the algae looks on the caves, I think you should let it grow.


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

I'm letting it grow at least on the caves. I'm cleaning it more on the glass (At least on the front. I gotta have a good view of my masterpiece!) I also have 6 otocinclus and they help me clean the algaes on the caves, but there's always a little algae here and there XD.


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

Hello! I got 6 kuhli loaches last saturday! They are my favorites and I love how they sniff on the gravel like dogs! XD.

They dont get scared if I get too close to take a picture = )

Here's a pic!


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## Zegor22 (Sep 7, 2015)

Oh wow that looks like a real community with houses . I love it! So organized it looks wild but not at the same time it's really hard to explain XD, but very pretty. P.S. I had plants in with my cycle and it helped a lot not dyeing of the plants .


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

Thank you! Sadly I had to do alot of trimming almost all the plants because of a nasty black hair algae that sticks to the plants like gum, but the fish don't seem to mind XD. I got the caves for the bottom fish like the kuhli loaches and otocinclus. They all love the caves!


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## InStitches (May 26, 2014)

oh beautiful kuhli <3


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## BlueInkFish (Jan 13, 2013)

Wow! Amazing!!!! I'm jealous!!!

I have a couple questions. If you don't mind answering?

What lighting and hood are you using?

This tank is a 40g breeder, correct?

That's all. I have a 40g breeder and I thought getting a hood and lighting system would be useful for me... Since I don't have either of those things yet.. Lol


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

InStitches: Thank you! I love watching them = )

litelboyblu: No problem! The tank is a "Grreat Choice" 40g breeder tank from Petsmart. The light is a Finnex Planted Plus and the top lid is a "Marineland Perfecto Glass Canopy - 36 in. x 18 in." and I got it from thatpetplace.com. I also saw once a top lid for 40g breeder tanks from the petco store and I think the brand was TETRA.


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## BlueInkFish (Jan 13, 2013)

Thank you! This helped a lot!!

I'll be looking for updates for this awesome journal!


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

Thank you! = )


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

Not so much an update regarding of plants. I had to remove some of my plants because of bba algae (or staghorn). I cut some lower to remove the affected plants and I added some cryptocoryne plants too and a Banana plant.

I got two new pearl gouramis (thinking both were females but one is male) and two blue mickey mouse platies. (The platies seems to like the bba algae...should I get more or a different platy?)

And I added a new ornament "tree root" I got from petsmart. The only thing I don't like is its got a big hole above. = /. If I add a round airstone with bubbles coming out, will the fish not go inside the hole?.


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

I received my plants yesterday and bought Flourish Excel to help my plants grow faster and maybe help reduce the bba algae. I also removed the plants with the most algae except the foreground plants, a anubia coffeefolia and a cryptocoryne plant (forgot the name).

And I removed the tree root ornament. It was starting to collect algae. = /


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## BlueInkFish (Jan 13, 2013)

Very stunning!


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

Thank you!


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

Here's some CUTE kuhli pictures and FINALLY notsoafraidofthecamera a close-up pic of my Bolivian Ram!


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## MikeG14 (May 31, 2014)

Nice to see the Ram is settling in. He looks great!


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

Thank you! Yep, he's coming more to the front now and he's eating well...or she XD.


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

No schooling fish here, yet! But I got a hydro circulation pump 425 to help circulate the tank and HOPEFULLY reduce some algaes (I want amano shrimps!!) And a nerite snail! The one I got from petco was sick and died = (.

And no way I'm risking removing my 4 amano shrimps from my 5 gallon betta tank! The algaes party when the Amano shrimps are out.

Here's a photo update of my tank!!
Got some new plants and removed some that just didn't want to root and kept roting the plants from the bottom.


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## BlueInkFish (Jan 13, 2013)

Very very beautiful!


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

Thank you! = D


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

I finally got my school fish (8 gold pristella tetras) and six cherry shrimps!!! But I prefer the Amano shrimps more than the red cherries (amanos eat algae more than cherries.) And I don't want my tank to be covered by 1,000 cherry shrimps in a year. But I need shrimps to eat the algaes! And the cherry shrimps looked really red and big and I'm positive I got at least one female. If I find Amano shrimps I'll get like 8 or more (they have my betta tank algae free).

So here is a picture of one of the cherries and the other the gold pristella tetras (they are difficult taking pictures) plus my pearl gouramis and my tank! 

I didn't know pygmy chain swords make runners! I don't know if I should be worried about that plant as well. Does anyone have that plant in their tank?

Pictures!


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## Sadist (Jan 1, 2015)

I don't have experience with that plant, but I love your tank! I wish it was mine so my otos had more room. Mine are thriving, but I feel guilty keeping them in the little 10 gallon.


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

I removed the runners from the amazon, just in case.

I lost three lemon tetras and 3 red cherry shrimps, sadly. = (
Hopefully I'll get 5 more lemon tetras soon. I wanted to wait till for a little bit so the new fish adjusted to their new place.

I added some new plants...again! Just some repeats and a new amazon sword!

Pics coming soon!


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## Sadist (Jan 1, 2015)

I can't wait for more pictures!


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

Here's pics!


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## Sadist (Jan 1, 2015)

Wow, it must be amazing to watch in person! I really love the pictures.


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

Thank you! = )


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

Update!

After getting 20 amano shrimps and 3 siamese algae eaters, I'm finally noticing some algae reduction. I've also been dosing less liquid fertilizers in case I've been over dosing.

I lost some plants, but I want to get some more plants and see if it gets algae ot not.

Here's a pic!


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## Sadist (Jan 1, 2015)

Amazing!


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

Thank you! = )


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## Sadist (Jan 1, 2015)

You're welcome! I hope you figure out the algae issue. I managed to get a hitchhiker snail on an unquarantined plant, and it's taking care of the algae issue I was having.


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

So far the algae has reduced enough that it's not damaging the plants. Crossing fingers it stays that way!


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

UPDATE:

Got some new plants!

Hygrophila Corymbosa "temple plant"
Wisteria 
Cardamine Lyrata 
Brazilian Pennywort 
Dwarf hairgrass
Alternanthena Reineckii
Downoi Pogostemon 
Wendtii Red
Heteranthera Zosterifolia 
Ludwigia Ovalis

I hope this list of plants grow nicely on my tank, hopefully. Please! XD


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## Sadist (Jan 1, 2015)

I love it! I'm jealous to be honest


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

Thank you! I'm hoping the plants adjust well in my tank. So far the only plants I'm seeing with difficulties are ludwigia ovalis and reineckii.


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