# New 150g Set Up Need Help Please



## Katastrophi (Aug 20, 2012)

Hello, my name is Chris im 27yrs old from the chicagoland area, im new to this aquarium stuff...i built a nice wood stand for my 150gallon tank that was given to me from my dad he wanted a bigger salt water tank so he bought a way bigger tank, he gave me the 150g tank and (2) Marineland Magnum 350 pumps and a Aqueon 300w Aquarium heater, and the lighting that came with the 150g tank when he bought it. he sold all the rest of his stuff i was wondering what else i need to get the tank up and running i can't afford to do a salt water tank so i was wondering should i do fresh water or do brackish....not sure what i will need as i am new so i would like to do things right im looking for exotic fish dont know what i can get from a fresh water tank like that would be interesting maybe some aggressive fish etc. however i dont want them to fight and kill each other just looking for something that will be kewl/enjoyable....i was told brackish do tend to have a better selection of fish then normal fresh water, i would love any and all help so that i can possibly get my tank up and running if you have anymore questions feel free to ask and ill do my best to describe 

*type of fish i was hoping to get out of a fresh water or brackish depending on how much more it would cost to have brackish water set up.

Fresh water: cichlids and or waterever other fish can be kept in the same tank without them going crazy on eachother.
Brackish water: sharks/rays/trigger fish etc.....


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## otter (Aug 10, 2012)

Okay, I have never done brackish but I beleive mollies and puffers are sold in many places... however I would do a tropical tank since you are new to this hobby! I am so jealous that you got that huge tank WOW. Well I can give you some advice. Discus are really great fish, if you are willing to spend a bit of money and have some time to spare. They are like goldfish and produce a lot of waste, so you would have to do LOTS of water changes and many people who care for discus have bare bottom tanks because they are really easy to clean (I reccomend that for a beginner because it requires much less work) cichlids are also really cool, but some of them eat all the plants in the tank so I would recommend a rocky theme for them! Okay a really cool tank I saw that would be perfect for them is in the movie Submarine. Its an english film, but in the main character's dining room is a really beautiful tank that is almost completely bare and it worked out really well. If you are wanting larger fish (which are super cool I reccomend :3) you have to clean the tank a TON more no matter what. If you want a schooling tank, then it requires a ton less work. Before setting up the tank I would read lots and lots of books on the species you are thinking of getting. Many people give up on fish keeping because their first tank was a complete disaster and it discouraged them to keep the fish. Keeping fish is really easy if you have the right information so READ READ READ! If you are wanting agressive fish then you must put them with compatable species so READ about that too. Getting correct information is key to keeping a healthy aquarium. 

It is super good that you have 2 filters because if you want to keep larger fish then the filters with do much of the work for you! But neglecting to clean the tank regularly will result in excess ammonia and that will distress the fish! So getting bigger fish=more care! 

You can get really cool large fish for your tank since its so large, but you must be careful when getting aggressive fish. Sometimes 150 gallons isnt enough because they are territorial and another fish put in the tank will not end well. 

There are simple rules in caring for fish and once you know them it will be so easy to take care of fish. 

Again I really reccommend discus. They are very beautiful, peaceful and get along with a number of other fish. Discus really like 10-20 gallons each so I would put about 10 discus in your tank for a very beautiful display.


ALSO oscars are cool. They are said to have really awesome personalities, but I have never kept and oscar, so I have no idea how to take care of them. What I know about them is that they get HUGE and that they eat all of the fish as big or smaller than their mouths, so Its hard to keep lots of other fish with them... or so I have thought.. I may be wrong though.


My best advice for you is to go to the library, find as many books about keeping aquariums as you can and read every single one.


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## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

Brackihs Water Fish:
Brackish Fish: Brackish Water Fish for Brackish Aquariums and Tanks


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## Katastrophi (Aug 20, 2012)

Thank you Otter and Reefing Madness I appreciate your help , ive decided to go with cichlids


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## otter (Aug 10, 2012)

Nice!!!


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