seventy-five gallon community aquarium

an evolution

wyeth ross s sarol

FIRST REVISION
 [ PREFACE ]

In this revision, corrections have been made to the grammatical mistakes and to the inaccuracies in the naming of
some plants and fish in the first publication. In addition, there are now additional pages showing pictures of most
of the inhabitants of the tank and of the equipment used.

I am not a biologist or an aquatics expert, but in my past couple of years of fish keeping, I have learned that each
tank you assemble – each aquatic micro ecosystem that you attempt to recreate – poses slightly different sets of
challenges – both during and after setting up. Yet whatever you learned from a previous tank project adds up over
time and would certainly help you through your next.

What you are about to read is a story of the seventy-five gallon aquarium which I have set up in my parent’s house
at the end of 2007; it has changed a lot over the years and I would like to share the experience of watching this
aquatic garden mature. This story is presented like a journal and not a full guide to setting up an aquarium; as such,
the insights offered and steps mentioned appear occasionally only as they are relevant to the photographs, and not
necessarily in their natural order of execution. If after reading, you become interested in starting an aquarium in
your home or office, I direct you to the numerous setup guides freely available or downloadable over the Internet.

With this paper, I attempt to share glimpses of the excitement and joys of beginning the hobby, the failures and
frustrations along the way – and the rewards and satisfaction at the end of each day.

Enjoy!

May2009

This document was prepared in Microsoft Word 2007 then saved as a PDF file through the Save As PDF menu. Maiandra GD is the font used for the text.

2 of 25
SEVENTY-FIVE GALLON – EVOLUTION

[ ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ]

The brand names of the aquatic and lighting products, imaging applications and document software mentioned in
this paper are properties of their respective owners. The respective companies may be visited through the internet.

Nikon CoolPix digital still cameras S10 & P80 Sony CyberShot digital still camera H9

Sera Substrate Fertiliser Jebo R338 aquarium

ViaAqua 300 Canister Filter Precision PF850 Overhead Power Filter

Omni 250w Halogen Lamp Firefly 50w Dichroic Halogen Lamp

FastStone Photo Resizer for Windows v2.8 Adobe Photoshop

Microsoft Word 2007

I claim full rights to all the photographs used in this document.

3 of 25
 [ TECHNICAL NOTES ]

There are a few more things I would like to let you know before you go on to the pictures.

Most of the pictures shown here were taken with the Nikon CoolPix S10, some with the Nikon CoolPix P80, and a
few with the Sony CyberShot H9; they are largely unedited as evidenced by the generally poor colour and contrast,
and lens distortions (eg, curved posts and curved tanks); several shots are also not very sharp but they are left as is.
They were, however, resized in Word to fit the page layout with slight increase in brightness and contrast.

The pictures taken with the Nikon S10 originally measured 2816x2112 pixels; using the FastStone Photo Resizer for
Windows v2.8 (www.FastStone.org) they were resized to 429x329; those from the Nikon P80 were originally
3584x2016, resized to 429x254; those from the Sony H9 were 2048x1536, resized to 429x329. The Resizer was
set to maintain a constant long dimension when processing, thus pictures came out as either 429 pixels wide or 429
pixels tall; it was also set to add a border and watermark the pictures. One can accomplish these photo
manipulations using industry standard software such as Adobe Photoshop, but I opted for the ease and quick
operation using the FastStone Photo Resizer since these shots are not intended for high quality printing or display,
such as in an exhibit. The Resizer is free, fully functional and does not need registration if for personal use only.

For visitors who may not be familiar with aquariums, a standard 75-gallon tank measures 48 inches long (left to
right dimension), 18 inches deep (front to back dimension), and 21 inches high (tank floor to top edge); this tank,
however, is 48 x 18 x 20.5 inches (4 feet long, 1.5 feet deep, and 1.7 feet high). Tank names typically use the
nearest gallon volume capacity, but usually slightly exceed or fall short of the actual volume capacity; this tank
could contain 76.68 gallons.

Most measurements presented in this paper are in the English system; for visitors more familiar with the metric
system this tank would roughly be 121x45x52 centimetres, with a volume capacity of about 290 litres.

Now, on to the pictures.....

4 of 25
SEVENTY-FIVE GALLON – EVOLUTION

25december2007
- rinsed tank set under the staircase, with well-rinsed gravel and
sand in place
- background sand (4-6mm diameter) in two uneven, curved
formation originally intended for planting; 2.5-3 inches deep,
with a 1-inch layer of Sera substrate fertiliser underneath
- foreground sand is a mixture of about 75% gravel (4-6mm
diameter) in varying shades of brown, about 20% crushed
coral, and about of 5% fine sand; 1-2 inches deep, not
intended for planting so no layer of fertiliser underneath
- the wooden column columns which partly block view into
the aquarium cannot simply be cut-off because they support
the second floor landing; they have been here since the
house was built more than 30 years ago. they were just
painted together with the walls

- two views of the right end of the tank with the sand and gravel in place
- from this side you could clearly see the wooden slats on which the tank
rests; there is a thin polyurethane padding (commonly known as
Styrofoam) under the tank to help even out any irregularity of the
wooden slat base, or of the tank weight once all the decor, plants and
water are loaded inside
- some hobbyists place a heating pad in place of the polyurethane or on
top of it; a heating pad was not needed for this particular set-up since
the intended inhabitants (fish and plants) are not very demanding

- these shots show an assembly of various stones for a

focal point on the left side of the tank
- be very careful when choosing rocks to put in the
tank; those for building construction, those with
obvious metallic content, those with sharp edges, or
those from sources contaminated with industrial,
agricultural or household waste must not be used
- rocks with coral, chalk, or calcium must not be used
in most setups; cichlid tanks may use limestone

26,27december2007
- you can now see the tank with the rock decor, some plants and water just above the three-fourth mark
- first set the decor (stones, rocks, bogwood) firmly on the sand then gently fill tank with clean water treated with a
dechlorinating agent or a combination of dechlorinator and conditioner, being careful not to let sand swirl about;
let the water soak through the sand while filling up to one-fourth or one-third the height of the tank
- you may now start planting; taller plants are generally placed towards the back and sides, shorter ones towards
the front and centre (depending on plant availability and the design, of course) – avoid straight lines or patterns
- on the top left of the tank is a simple overhead liquid filter with its powerhead and intake submerged

5 of 25
 29december2007
- the first inhabitants are released into the tank after a
day or two to allow the water to clear and temperature
to settle to nominal values, with a few more cheap
plants added; the fish are several Danio species from a
small 10-gallon Jebo R338 tank several months old
- most of the water from this small tank was added to
the big tank; whatever beneficial bacteria present in the
small tank would populate the big tank, effectively
shortening the cycling process; the sponge mats from
the Jebo tank were also added on top of those in the
overhead filter of the big tank to encourage continual
growth of the filter bacteria and eventual colonisation
of the new filter sponges (this shortcut technique to
cycling is called seeding)
- some hobbyists strongly advocate fishless cycling but
necessitates one to have more patience – and testing
kits which are way too expensive for most beginners

- the left shot shows the tank in the early evening, the purplish glow just before sunset is streaming through the
south-western window to the right of the picture; the shot on the right was taken sometime later after sunset

- three views of the tank around noon; overhead lighting on the top left is a 250-watt rectangular Omni halogen
lamp, the small silver box towards the right end is the 16-watt fluorescent light hood from the Jebo tank
- the tall thin plants to the left of the tank are tape grass, Vallisneria species; next to it is a broad-leafed peace lily,
Spathiphyllum species; the short ones in the middle of the tank (also seen on the right side of the rightmost shot)
are Amazon sword plants, Echinodorus species; not easily visible in these shots are the short carpet grass Brazilian
micro sword plant, Lilaeopsis species scattered towards the front along the boundary between the lighter
foreground sand and the dark background sand - if all goes well, there will be a thin carpet layer in a few months

6 of 25
SEVENTY-FIVE GALLON – EVOLUTION

- three progressive views of the rock formation: in the first shot, several Danio species in the top third of the water
column, and an albino rainbow shark on the bottom right; in the second shot, a normally coloured black rainbow
shark on the extreme right edge; in the third shot, two rosy barbs rooting around a rock
- the low-growing Brazilian micro sword plant, Lilaeopsis species is clearly seen here nestled around the rocks; it
grows slowly but can beautifully carpet the floor of an aquarium in a few months given bright lighting and a rich
substrate – some report algae in areas of dense growth but can be remedied by trimming and replanting

30december2007
- the first is a left corner
shot of the tank with
the rock formation and
the peace lily,
Spathiphyllum species;
the second is a right
corner shot of the tank
showing the rock cave
and some fanwort,
Cabomba species, as
well as some
Cryptocoryne species
starting to grow over
the rock cave

19january2008
- the first shot is a face-on shot of the
right end of the tank; the 250-watt
Omni halogen lamp is clearly seen
on the top left, the silver Jebo light
hood is on top of the tank, the
submerged powerhead and intake of
the overhead filter is on the middle
right, and the growing clump of
Cabomba and Cryptocoryne are on
the lower right over the rock cave,
some Brazilian micro swords
(Lilaeopsis sp) are growing towards
the front of the rock cave
- the second shot is of the front left of
the tank showing the rock formation
and the remaining central stem of
the pruned peace lily (Spathiphyllum sp), tape grass (Vallisneria sp) are growing on the left towards the back,
Amazon sword plants (Echinodorus sp) on the left with some red lotus leaves (Nymphaea sp) visible near the
rocks – two varieties of fish food are in silhouette on the foreground

7 of 25
 - the first shot shows the rock formation with the some tape grass
(Vallisneria sp) growing to the back and Amazon sword plants
(Echinodorus sp) on either sides; the second shot is of the same left area
but from a higher angle of view clearly showing the red lotus leaves
(Nymphaea sp) to the left of the rock formation
- the more slender grass-like plants at the back of the tall rock is mondo
grass (Ophiopogon sp) which is not really an aquatic plant; given luck, it
may last for a while in a submerged state but will eventually yellow and
rot – do not regularly put non-aquatic (terrestrial) plants inside your
aquarium; they would pollute the water or may poison your fish
- the third shot is of the Brazilian micro sword (Lilaeopsis sp) tucked around
the base of the rock cave, this plant would slowly grow runners and
spread on the floor of the aquarium like a carpet but needs relatively
strong lighting and a very rich substrate; otherwise it would just be
covered with algal growth then rot away – in this shot it would look very
attractive if there could be some moss growth on the rock cave; a few
months later, they would eventually succumb to the frequent nipping of
the fish searching for food and the generally low lighting (at least I know I
could grow these better in the future)
- generally, plants with medium to dark green leaves can tolerate lower
levels of lighting and are usually placed towards the back and corners of
the aquarium where lighting levels generally fall off; plants with lighter
green leaves generally require brighter or stronger lighting in an aquarium
because they are oftentimes found in shallow streams fully exposed to
sunlight – many are also naturally found growing in very fertile mud beds
so they need a rich substrate if you intend to grow them in your tanks
- there are several commercially available fertilising systems on the market,
as well as numerous sites on the Internet that provide sufficient
information on plants and plant care ranging from beginner to specialist

- some rosy barbs (Barbus conchonius) are

rooting around the rocks in the first shot;
they are omnivores and occasionally graze on
algae on leaves and decor
- the second shot shows more rosy barbs, they
are hardy fish that could tolerate cooler
temperatures; they love going together in
loose schools and chasing each other; if kept
in a very small group of less than six, they
tend to nip the fins of slower fish or the
colourful fins of guppies, the hair-like fins of
angelfish and gouramis, and the flowing fins
of the Siamese fighting fish

12april2008
- two shots showing the floating leaves of the
lotus plant (Nymphaea sp) aka tiger lotus; the
leaves are reddish to purplish underwater
with or without speckles – if left alone, many
leaves would soon cover the water surface
and would block the light from reaching
through to other plants underneath
- regularly pinching off fast growing leaves
would keep this plant more compact and
stay underwater

8 of 25
SEVENTY-FIVE GALLON – EVOLUTION

01june2008
- four successive shots of the tank about six in the morning, taken within a minute or two; only the Jebo light hood
is on to try to simulate the weaker morning light – the halogen lamp will be turned on about an hour later
- some authors recommend staggering the lighting times by installing several sets of bulbs or tubes or a combination
of both on different timers, each set coming on and turning off at different intervals to simulate the weaker
morning light, intensifying towards the middle of the day, then weakening again in the afternoon – you may try
searching for this or other lighting concepts on the Internet
- other authors simply suggest having the lights on for about 5 hours in the morning, then off for an hour or two,
then on again for another 5 hours; this is largely to try and disrupt algal growth – this is the method used with this
tank with the lights coming on about 7am to 12nn, off until about 4pm, then on from then until about 8pm or
occasionally until 9pm if visitors are present or if my family wishes to view the fish for a longer time
- try to give your plants about 10-12 hours of light everyday at regular times, as in nature

23august2008
- sometime before these shots were taken, the rock formation was taken out because of my worry that the pressure
on the glass tank bottom underneath maybe a bit too much and would cause a disastrous crack anytime soon; in
their place a long curved piece of bogwood was placed on top of two lighter rocks so it would form what
looks like a bridge with the wider end resting on a rock towards the left of the aquarium – in these shots the
wider end is where the peace lily (Spathiphyllum sp) is seen transplanted and growing
- the peace lily is one of those terrestrial plants that could survive for some time inside the aquarium; the only
problem is that the leaves may soon be covered with algal growth and would block light from reaching the
chlorophyll in the leaves – this would effectively stop photosynthesis and would lead to plant death
- in the third shot you could see the silhouette of a featherfin squeaker (Synodontis eupterus) under the bogwood
‘bridge’ with its dorsal fin hanging relaxed; these fish originally came from African rivers and it is natural for most
members of the genus to be found resting and swimming upside-down without any apparent handicap – they
are usually nocturnal fish so give sinking pellets several minutes before turning the lights on in the morning and
after turning off to give them time to find food; this particular fish actively swims even when lights are on
- at the time of this writing, this featherfin squeaker measures about 6 inches (standard length); it has smooth gray
skin (with darker spots) that turns even darker to almost black at different times of the day and whether the lights
are on or off – there is a Buenos Aires tetra (Hemigrammus caudovittatus) in the centre front of the third shot

9 of 25
 19october2008
- these four shots show slightly turbid water in the aquarium because it was cleaned less than an hour ago and the
finer particles disturbed during cleaning has not yet settled on the tank floor or filter sponge: the unplanted gravel
(lighter foreground) was vacuumed. there is a product known as a gravel washer or gravel vacuum that gently
stirs up the gravel while letting mulm – rotting plant material, fish waste and uneaten food – pass through to a
tube out to a bucket outside the tank. pass the gravel washer in small areas over the unplanted gravel until about
25% of the aquarium water has been removed (or up to 50% in cases of suspected poisoning, and after every
couple of months to further dilute pollutants and ‘reinvigorate’ the water in the aquarium)
- an equal amount of clean water is then prepared by adding a dechlorinating agent or a combination of
dechlorinator plus water conditioner (several of these combination products have stress-coat or a variation of this
in their names) and let to stand for several minutes before putting into the tank; ideally, match the temperature of
the new water to that of the water in the tank then pour the new water gently into the tank to avoid stirring up
the sand on the bottom which would cause an undesirable clouding of the water
- here you could also see the three 50w dichroic halogen lamps that replaced the single 250w halogen lamp; these
three smaller lamps have been attached to an improvised wooden track and placed about 4 inches above the glass
covers (by closely monitoring, this is the closest distance from which the lamps can hang without danger of
overheating and cracking the cover glass since halogen lighting can get very hot – fluorescent lamps are about 4
times brighter than incandescent lamps per watt, but halogen lamps are about 4 times brighter than fluorescent
lamps) and gives the shimmering effect every time the water ripples much like the natural sun

- the first shot is a view from the right end of the tank showing a rosy barb (Barbus conchonius) looking for food
among the stems and roots; you could see the left front corner of the tank in the far left; the second shot shows
three rosy barbs above the plant group that covers the rock cave; fortunately, the halogen lamp is directly above
the water surface, giving this shimmering effect to the water every time the surface is disturbed, very much like
what the sun does in streams and rivers – on the upper right corner of the shot is a stick-on thermometer to
monitor the water temperature and the submerged powerhead and intake of the overhead filter
- not visible in these shots are tiny green dots on the inside of the glass walls of the aquarium; these dots are algae
growing due to the stronger lighting produced by the three halogen lamps; either reduce the lighting times or
have the patience to lightly scrape off these algal growths on a regular basis
- various algal growths in aquariums are natural since algae is a lower plant form, but may indicate general lighting
and nutritional problems; please take time to read on algae types and remedies on the internet (when there is
noticeable algal growth, I always prefer a conservative approach of doing more frequent water changes, reduced
lighting and light feeding instead of immediately reaching for algaecides)

10 of 25
SEVENTY-FIVE GALLON – EVOLUTION

02december2008
- the first shot is a face-on view of the left end of the tank (directly underneath the stairs) that shows the south-
western window of the living room through the tank, with rosy barbs going about their business; the tape grass
(Vallisneria sp) on the left are recovering greatly due to improved lighting, and starting to send multiple runners
over this area of the tank – they may need cutting and replanting soon
- the second shot is an oblique view of the right end of the tank from the left showing the thickening mass of plants
that now almost completely hides the rock cave; interestingly, the rock cave was made home by the albino
rainbow shark (Epalzeorhynchos frenatus) and would drive away anyone else coming too close; two Buenos Aires
tetras can be seen in front of the plants on the lower centre of the shot

- the first shot shows the rock cave almost completely hidden by the plants, the featherfin squeaker (Synodontis
eupterus) is seen hovering above the cave with its whiskers pointing forward (many members of the genus
become active at dusk) and a rosy barb (Barbus conchonius) rooting near the mouth of the cave – the albino
rainbow hark (Epalzeorhynchos frenatus) can be seen on the lower right corner of the shot
- the second shot shows the featherfin squeaker (Synodontis eupterus) swimming around the aquarium near the
water surface; in the day this fish normally hides in rock caves in its African river origins and comes out to look for
food at night – but in this shot it seems to enjoy patrolling the aquarium anticlockwise not minding the bright
halogen lighting directly above it, although it sometimes get startled by the quick approach of anyone
- because there is a layer of Sera substrate fertiliser under most of the planted areas of sand, the plants in this shot
are slowly but surely adjusting to this special closed environment, on closer inspection there are numerous young
new leaves growing among this group of plants; with continued care, they will reach to about half of the height
of the aquarium or even longer and would need pruning or transplanting
- fortunately, the aquatic plants available in the local shops (Baguio City) are of the hardy types; a rich gravel/sand
base, regular partial water change, sufficient lighting, occasional liquid fertiliser and pruning are all that is need to
maintain this attractive water garden

11 of 25
 21march2009
- two views of the tank minutes before six in the evening, with the three improvised halogen overhead lighting
- a couple of months ago, the overhead filter was replaced by a ViaAqua 300 external canister filter; the water
seems clearer and algal growth seemed to have lessened much – partial water changes are still done at least once a
week; some fanwort (Cabomba sp) are planted in the back centre, an Amazon sword plant (Echinodorus sp) has
grown really well on the right end, and the Cryptocorynes have produced more new leaves – crystalwort (Riccia
fluitans) are growing quickly on the surface and need thinning almost every week

- two right oblique views of the tank about ten minutes before seven, almost an hour after the two shots in the
previous box above; the red lotus (Nymphaea sp) leaves are not visible because they are in their ‘resting’ phase –
upon ‘waking up’ they will again send numerous leaves towards the surface
- you can see the outlines of 4 angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare) on the lower left of the first shot; they are living
with 1 yellow gourami and 3 blue gouramis (Trichogaster trichopterus), 9 red-eye tetras (Moenkhausia
sanctaefilomenae), 9 Buenos Aires tetras (Hemigrammus caudovittatus), 9 rosy barbs (Barbus conchonius), 2
black rainbow sharks and 1 albino rainbow shark (Epalzeorhynchos frenatus), 5 bronze corys (Corydoras
aeneus), 4 peppered corys (Corydoras paleatus), 1 featherfin squeaker (Synodontis eupterus), and 1
sucker mouth which I suspect to be a gibby pleco (Glyptoperichthys gibbiceps).

17may2009
- nothing much has changed after the last four shots above, but every fortnight partial water change, scrubbing of
the insides of the front and side glass panes, and vacuuming of the light coloured sand are done; occasional
pruning and replanting of cuttings, supplementary fertilisation, and dosing of vitamins for the fish are also done
- many beginners think that they have to dismantle the whole tank setup every time they have to clean their
aquariums; some people are even said to wash the gravel or sand with soap including the insides of their tanks.
this is a big mistake – by dismantling your tank you disrupt plant and bacterial growth vital to maintaining the
delicate ecosystem in the aquarium, and by using soap you are simply killing your fish
- please search the Internet and read on the nitrogen cycle, partial water change, dechlorinating agents, stress and
disease of aquarium fish, and maintaining a freshwater aquarium
- you will see a few newer pictures in the tanks and equipment section that follow after the fish and plants

12 of 25
SEVENTY-FIVE GALLON – EVOLUTION

[ TANK INHABITANTS ]

Besides the aquatic and lighting products mentioned in this document, there is a stick-on thermometer that I place
near the inflow tube from the filter; there is also a heater (old style, perhaps) that has its separate heating rod
which I placed near the inflow tube on the right back corner of the tank, and its temperature sensor which I stuck
near the outflow from the tank on the left back corner. Both have the Resun brand (ROC) on their packaging.

My tank has the following plants and fish; as common names often vary in different countries, the scientific names
are included to make it easier for you to search for specific and consistent information in case you are interested:

Plants

Amazon sword plants Echinodorus species; perhaps E amazonicus or E bleheri, and E horizontalis
‘Crinkle’ Cryptocoryne usteriana; syn C aponogetifolia
Crystalwort Riccia fluitans
Fanwort Cabomba species; perhaps C caroliniana
Tape grass Vallisneria species; perhaps V gigantica
Tiger lotus Nymphaea species

Fish

Angelfish Pterophyllum scalare

Buenos Aires tetra Hemigrammus caudovittatus; in older books Hyphessobrycon anisitsi
Bronze cory Corydoras aeneus
Peppered cory Corydoras paleatus
Featherfin squeaker Synodontis eupterus
Blue gourami Trichogaster trichopterus; aka Cosby gourami
Yellow gourami Trichogaster trichopterus; aka golden or yellow gourami
Janitor fish Pterygoplichthys gibbiceps; in older books Glyptoperichthys gibbiceps; many members of
the Hypostomus and Plecostomus available in local fish shops are also usually called janitor
fish by many hobbyists and dealers
Rainbow shark Epalzeorhynchos frenatum; in older books Labeo frenatum, aka ruby shark, it has both the
regular black-bodied and the albino variety
Red-eye tetra Moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae; the bigger look-alike species is M oligolepis
Rosy barb Barbus conchonius; in older books Puntius conchonius

On the following pages, you will find photographs of most of these tank inhabitants.

13 of 25
 These freshwater angel fish (Pterophyllum scalare) come in various colours
and skin patterns; some are golden yellow such as these on the left with
darker colouration on the foreheads becoming lighter and more silvery
towards the belly. The skin is relatively smooth without distinct banding on
the sides. This particular fish is relatively aggressive towards the black angel
below; I suspect they are males fighting for a mate or territory.

Being members of the cichlid family like the Discus (Symphysodon

aequifasciatus), the Oscars (Astronotus ocellatus) and the various Tilapia
species, these fish are very sociable, usually rushing onto the front glass
when someone they recognise to be their ‘feeder’ approaches the tank.

This black angel had grown to be

the mate of the banded silver angel
in the first photo above; the silver
angel has atypical wrinkled skin,
much like a crumpled tinfoil, but
causes no apparent harm to the fish.

It’s funny how even lower forms of

animals like fish show a variety of
facial expressions; of course, they
don’t move ears, noses or
eyebrows but if you watch closely
you would see actions or gestures
similar to what many people do in
certain situations.

When these angels fight, they

quiver their fins and tails; I’ve seen
the black and the yellow angel
several times turn their bodies to
the horizontal just before they
attack each other. They never hurt
each other seriously, though; the
loser would simply turn and swim
away.

Would you think this black angel

was yawning?

14 of 25
SEVENTY-FIVE GALLON – EVOLUTION

This shot shows several rosy barbs

(Barbus conchonius) in the company
of red-eye tetras (Moenkhausia
sanctaefilomenae); most species of
barbs are gregarious and would chase
each other for hours. In nature they
are usually found in large schools; if
they are kept in a very small group
of less than six members, however,
many barb species have a tendency
to nip other slower-moving fish or
fish with beautiful flowing fins like
the guppy (Poecilia reticulata) or the
male Siamese fighting fish (Betta
splendens). Try to keep nine or in a
group; but the more, the better.

Since barbs are active swimmers, it is

a bit difficult to get close enough
long enough to take a nice close-up
shot; I therefore rely on flash and
instinct to try to follow them. The
first shot fortunately captured one
of them with mouth wide open;
sadly the fish closest to the camera is
blurred because it came closer than
the set camera focus.

This barb is of an unusual colour

compared to all the red-orange of
the rest in the tank; when it was
younger it sported a light silvery
colouration, now that it is older the
back has a silvery green while the
flanks and belly has taken a light
orange tinge. Because of the
gradually swelling belly, I suspect this
is a female laden with eggs.

Another lucky shot of one of the barbs facing the

camera; it turned and faced the camera just as I set focus
and came closer to the front glass pane of the tank.

There is another barb rooting in the background to the

left; notice the highly coloured greenish stripe down its
back from the head.

The rosy barbs are not as notorious as their cousins, the

tiger barbs (Barbus tetrazona), for fin-nipping but
smaller or slower-moving fish might still find these fish
to be too active. It would then be best to keep fish with
similar size or temperament as these fish.

15 of 25
Five shots showing several red-eye tetras (Moenkahusia sanctaefilomenae) usually swimming in the top third of the
water, although they occasionally venture to the bottom; as with many of the tetras (characin species), these guys
are easily spooked so it’s always better for them if you keep a medium to largish shoal and ideally not with very
active swimmers or these will always be under constant stress. It’s interesting to note that the red-coloured areas
above their eyes are very conspicuous even in dim lighting, as in the shot on the lower right. These fish would feel
safer and calmer when there are surface plants for them to serve as shade against the bright aquarium lighting.

Buenos Aires tetras (Hemigrammus

caudovittatus) swimming with the
red-eye tetras, with their distinctive
reddish fins and the black marking
on the base of the tail; similar in
general behaviour to the red-eyes,
they also need to be in a medium to
big group to feel safe and calm.

Shots of some Buenos Aires tetras

peacefully schooling with the red-
eye tetras. In this tank, there are nine
each of the two groups. In an even
bigger tank, it would be visually
more pleasing to watch a bigger
group of about 15 each or more.

16 of 25
SEVENTY-FIVE GALLON – EVOLUTION

Above: peppered cory (Corydoras

paleatus) on the sand, a Bronze cory
(C aeneus) on the upper right, and
the red tail of the rainbow shark
(Epalzeorhynchos frenatum) on the
upper left. On the far right, several
peppered cory, a bronze cory, and
an albino rainbow shark.

Above: close up shots of the mouth

and barbels of the featherfin
squeaker (Synodontis eupterus); only
a few members o the genus have
three pairs of barbels as seen in this
specimen. Fine ‘teeth’ for rasping
appear orange. As with other
members of the genus Synodontis,
this one likes taking refuge under the
piece of bogwood, sometimes upside
down as is typical with this genus.
Many members also swim about
upside down most of their lives.

This one doesn’t seem to swim upside down as much as expected of

the genus so I wonder if this is an isolated behaviour, or if this is of
another species of the same genus. At the time of this writing, this
fish is about 6 inches long (Standard Length).

This featherfin squeaker is very peaceful to all the other tankmates

and is unmindful of this albino rainbow shark (Epalzeorhynchos
frenatum) swimming very close and almost brushing against its
head. Notice the barbels pointing forward; barbels have numerous
nerve cells dedicated to taste. Fish with barbels use them to taste
the immediate surroundings and locate food; in the dark, barbels
also help fish navigate and avoid bumping into objects.

In others like the angelfish and the gouramis, the pectoral fins are
modified into thread like extensions which are also used for sensing
and tasting. Damaging these structures would greatly impact health.

17 of 25
As with many aquarium catfish, this
armoured catfish (Pterygoplichthys
gibbiceps) likes to hide under caves
or wood; it particularly likes
scraping algae off wood, stones, and
even the insides of the glass tank
walls; give vegetable based tablets
or chips when the lights are off –
blanched lettuce, spinach or
cucumber are also acceptable.

These shots show relaxed dorsal fin;

the sucker mouth is clearly seen on
profile which it uses to rasp on algae
that grow on surfaces both in its
natural environment and in the
aquarium. The shot on the right
shows it using its pectoral fins to
slightly prop itself up from the sand
bottom when resting; the dorsal fin
is also seen raised in this shot.

Two shots showing the beautifully patterned dorsal fin of this gibby catfish; proof to its very peaceful nature are
the various fish swimming at its sides: the regular coloured black-bodied rainbow shark (Epalzeorhynchos frenatum)
and a rosy barb (Barbus conchonius) in the first shot, and at least two bronze corys (Corydoras aeneus) additional
company on the second shot. I have seen the both the bronze and the peppered corys frolic around and on its
head and fins and it didn’t budge a bit; gibbies do not chase or harm small fish even with their big size, but they
need an aquarium at least three feet in length for a single species.

18 of 25
SEVENTY-FIVE GALLON – EVOLUTION

Above: the regular black-bodied rainbow shark (Epalzeorhynchos

frenatum) with several peppered corys (Corydoras paleatus) and at least
two bronze corys (C aeneus) peacefully resting in the background. In
nature, corys are found in species schools of hundreds or sometimes even
thousands; in the aquarium provide at least five per species.

Left: another of the two regular rainbow sharks swimming in midwater

among the fanwort (Cabomba species) and Amazon sword plants
(Echinodorus species); a Buenos Aires tetra is seen facing the camera on
the upper right corner of the shot.

As these sharks mature, they tend to be more territorial or even

aggressive towards each other (conspecifics), but remain relatively
peaceful towards other species as long as they do not invade their lairs.

The albino form of the rainbow shark; this is a natural variant and a true albino as evidenced by the pinkish eyes.
Even with camera flash, the eyes of the regular black-bodied rainbow shark will never show the pink colouration
found in true albinos of every species, including humans. On the right, the albino shark peeking from its cave.

Aside from the colouration, there is no other apparent difference between a regular and an albino rainbow shark.

These three shots of the albino rainbow shark clearly shows the classic pink eyes and light skin, as well as the usual
two pairs of barbels on its mouth and the normally red-colored fins as found in the genus.

19 of 25
 Different shots of the two popular
colour varieties of the three-spot
gourami (Trichogaster trichopterus):
the blue ‘Cosby’ or marbled variety,
and the opaline or gold variety.

They are generally peaceful and

quiet, and may be put together with
other smaller fish; don’t put fin
nippers like the tiger barb (Barbus
tetrazona) because they will chew on
their thread-like pectoral fins. Like
many tetras, they prefer some shade.

These peaceful gouramis usually

swim in the top third of the water
with the tetras, but frequenting the
surface since they are air breathers
(anabantids or labyrinth fishes) like
many of the Corydoras species; the
spots on their fins look iridescent
under the halogen light, and the
thread-like pectoral fins are very
clearly seen in the two shots at right.

20 of 25
SEVENTY-FIVE GALLON – EVOLUTION

Perhaps you are wondering what happened to the old overhead filter that was on the big tank. I used it for the
improvised turtle tub in a shed outside the house. I can’t seem to identify this turtle species. Would anyone know?

And what about the old 10-gallon

Jebo R338 tank? It now houses 8
yellow guppies in my mom’s room.

It has a small terra cotta pot half-

filled with excess gravel from the big
tank, with several Amazon sword
plants and a stem of fanwort stuck
in it; dosing of liquid fertiliser once a
month, and an occasional Sera
florenette A tablet inserted into the
gravel. The light is not attached
since there is ample amount of light
entering the room for most part of
the day even if this tank is about
two metres from the window.

The fish are fed lightly once in the

mornings. Thirty percent of the
water is replaced every fortnight.

I taped nine of the ten front openings of the filter compartment (the silver box to the right), leaving the rightmost
to balance the inflow to the filter sponges from the tank. I cut the plastic division about 5mm lower so water can
freely flow from the filter compartment into the overflow compartment to the right, now filled with filter sponge.

21 of 25
Shots showing basic equipment used with the 75-gallon tank.

Box of external canister filter used with the 75-gallon tank; filter in use below tank Filter for the turtle tub

outflow pipe with black strainer; the thermometer, vertical heating rod back view of tank: thermostat set to
black thermosensor stuck on the just to the right of the thermometer about 230C; cover of canister filter,
upper left with wire going out of the and the inflow tube at right angle to wires and tubes can be seen on the
tank and into the thermostat the heating rod near the surface bottom and right of the picture

Above: a dichroic halogen lamp, 3

50w bulbs are used for this big tank

Right: face on view of the inflow

tube, heating rod and thermometer

22 of 25
SEVENTY-FIVE GALLON – EVOLUTION

[ RESOURCES ]

If you are really interested in fish keeping, there are numerous sites by hobbyists and experts alike on the World
Wide Web that you could search for and visit. Try to use search words such as: freshwater aquarium, beginner
aquarium, beginner fish, easy aquarium, aquarium sizes, aquarium plants, aquarium filters, and aquarium substrate.

I visited many of these when I was a beginner hobbyist; I still regularly visit some of them, notably: www.sera.de (a
German site, so you have to click the UK flag icon on the top right of the main page to go to the English version)
www.tetrapond.com, www.timstropicals.com, and www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk. Also try to look for
aquahobby.com, aquarticles.com, badmanstropicalfish.com, dennerle.de, liveaquaria.com, mongabay.com,
petco.com, plantedtank.net, scotcat.com, thekrib.com, and worldcichlids.com. Also try to search for: amano
aquarium or amano nature aquarium for a twist in aquascaping and fish keeping.

Queries regarding photography may be addressed similarly. Try search words such as: beginner photography,
improve photography skill, close-up photography, portraiture, landscape photography, and tips in photography.
Also try your camera manufacturer’s website; many manufacturers of digital cameras, printers, and display screens
provide their customers not only with user manuals but also a library of tips, tricks, and tutorials for their respective
products. Some even provide photo sharing websites (online galleries) and forums where people could ask and
answer questions. Since I own Nikon cameras, I oftentimes visit various Nikon sites to find updates and relevant
information on photography and photo editing; I also visited websites of Adobe Photoshop, HP, Sony, and Intel.

23 of 25
 [ CONTACT ]

Comments or questions about this paper are absolutely welcome; you may write me at nakhre@lycos.com – please
do not forget to mention 75galevolution in the subject line so I would know that you have at least seen or read
this paper. As a hobbyist I may not always be able to respond with an expert’s accuracy, but I could still probably
help you out by pointing to another possible direction.

You are welcome to visit my websites http://wyethross.webs.com (contains many close-up shots of plants and
animals) and http://nilafarishta.webs.com (contains pictures of people). Since I have a day job at a language
institute http://helplenglishlanguageprogram.webs.com, my sites are updated once or twice a month in my free
time (usually on the weekends); besides viewing and commenting on the photographs, you may also read and
comment on the short articles on fish keeping and photography which I occasionally post.

24 of 25
SEVENTY-FIVE GALLON – EVOLUTION

©2009wyethross baguio city 2600 philippines

http://wyethross.webs.com
http://nilafarishta.webs.com
nakhre@lycos.com

25 of 25