Community Fish Tank - 120 Gallon Fresh Water Tropical

[MarcusCaporicci]

New update video of this tank is up...just search part 2

[MarcusCaporicci]

Thanks for the 20,000 views!

[666Ultraman]

WAAYYY overcrowded. Central & African(Tanganyiakn, Malawian, & west African river) cichlids mixed, leafish, silver dollars, monos, a few kinds of barbs........you have enough fish in there for a 1,200 gl aquarium, let alone 120gl. No wonder the water's a little cloudy!! I wish you well, but if you happen to get a disease in there....LOOK OUT!!

[Tropicalfishkeeper1]

MY friend amazing tank can you please tell me how you keep your sand so clean i have 3, 4 inch silver dolars and a 2 inch tiger oscar 6 inch Plec and a 3 inch plec in a 70g tank but say i clean the sand at night the next morning its covered in shit! please please help

[MarcusCaporicci]

@Tropicalfishkeeper1 Make sure you have enough structure in the tank like rocks, driftwood, ornaments etc. Add a powerhead and that will give your tank good water circulation. With the circulating water, the junk and waste will settle around or under the structures so it will give your tank a clean impression.

[audioman628]

@Tropicalfishkeeper1

You could be feeding your fish too much. Every 2 days is more than enough, and they should finish the food in 2 to 3 minutes. Less food less shit. Plus over feeding can give your fish health problems down the road. Good luck...

[brycecouture1]

very overcrowded but they look happy and healthy

[youronlycow]

looks crowded.. 

[1983DAZZY]

too many fish. stupid fish keeper. you need shooting!



[punkysoso]

thats alotta fish man. i have a 120 with small to medium sized fish. tiny compared to yours and i'm afraid of overstocking it. did it work well on the long run?

[MarcusCaporicci]

@punkysoso Yeah man, I still have most of the original fish and everything has gotten huge. I need to shoot a new video of it. Blows people away when they walk in my front door. Believe me the fish are all in great shape and colour.

[punkysoso]

@MarcusCaporicci cool. you should def. shoot a new video. i'll subscribe to watch it when its on here. the silver dollars are looking sick. i love em. the phantom pleco and the cuckoos are also very cool.

[MarcusCaporicci]

@punkysoso Yeah noth Blue and Green Phantoms have grown well, Dollars are huge but I put the cuckoos in my other tank because my Pike cichlid got big and tried to eat one. Cuckoos are actually breeding now also ;)

[punkysoso]

@MarcusCaporicci nice, i wish i could find some of those guys where i live (phantoms) they have a very limited collection of fish. i am always on the look for something unique and i sometimes get a trophy. i'm waiting for the video.

[MarcusCaporicci]

@punkysoso Do you live in the States? If so there are many companies that will send fish directly to your door. I'm in Canada and I've had some suppliers send me fish to a town in the States that I'm close to and then I just cross the border wih it. I can't get many unique african cichlids up here, so thats how I've done it.

[punkysoso]

@MarcusCaporicci haha no man i live in egypt.

[MarcusCaporicci]

@punkysoso lol the shipping cost would kill you ;)

[MarcusCaporicci]

@punkysoso new update video of my tank is up. 

[onemoreyear8]

did you paint the backround black?

[MarcusCaporicci]

@onemoreyear8 its actually a black backround that was already on the tank when I bought it.

[leahderossett]

Do the tetras really coexist well with all of the cichlids in the tank?

[MarcusCaporicci]

@leahderossett They did for a very long time. Had to take a few little ones out as some of the Predators got larger.

[scarhbar23]

AHH!! you're mixing!! no no no no no no no!!!!!! haha not because of the fish, but because of my OCD tendencies :P

[MarcusCaporicci]

@Trainsetbuilder Thanks Mate, keep em coming!

[IONeverminD1]

looks a little overcrowded have you worked out the fish to surface area ratio? its width x hisht divided by 12 that can tell you how much inches worth of fish you can have in a tank!

[MarcusCaporicci]

@IONeverminD1 Ratio is a farse. What produces more waste, 10 one inch neon tetras in a ten gallon tank or a 10 inch Oscar?

[bluejackscanada]

@MarcusCaporicci

I like the variety. These fish have very different aggression levels.  They always told me at my LFS that it was impossible to do this kind of thing?

[MarcusCaporicci]

@bluejackscanada They say its impossible because they don't want to be responsible if the fish they recommend for you don't get along. Going by the book may be a safe way but you'll never learn if you don't try. Just make sure you have another tank set aside if things don't go well and you have to move somebody. Playing it safe doesn't always work either. Fish of one species can have many different personalities and may mix well with certian fish while others won't...observation is key!

[pizcobabe]

Neat. I was wondering but can fresh water fish tolerate more fish in a smaller environment. Because I was watching some Saltwater videos and people who had half as many fish as that were get yelled at for being overpopulated, but never on a freshwater. Personally my freshwater is a 40 gallon and I got a good number of fish and they are all healthy. Just curious if you know about it..

[MarcusCaporicci]

@pizcobabe They can tolerate the same amount. It all comes down to the biological filteration your system can handle. It just seems like you can pack more fish in a freshwater tank because the freshater fish seem more tolerant to ammonia but thats just becuase they are normally in a lower level PH. Ammonia becomes extremely lethal above 8 even to freshwater fish. A freswater tank is also easier to establish balance in a shorter period of time "typically" then a Saltwater tank.

[MarcusCaporicci]

@pizcobabe Guppy farmers can raise 1 1/2 pounds of guppies per gallon. Thats insane, but with proper biological filteration and balance you can load your tanks to the brim. Not recommended but can be done.

[xxsnipamonxx]

what kind of sand? does it irritate the fish.. i heard sand can stick to fish.. i have oscars and was thinking about sand.. what would you recomend?

[FMT586]

GREAT TANK U HAVE A LOT OF SILVER DOLLARS IT SORTA RUINS IT AND U HAVE NO LIVE PLANTS I GOT TONS CHECK OUT MY TANK "cooliest fsh tank ever by FMT586" NAD PLEASE SUBSCRIBE.

.

[tropicalfish666]

Awsome tank, i thought african monos were brackish water? Or are they able to survive in fresh as well

[MarcusCaporicci]

Everybody will tell you that they will need saltwater when there adults but thats not true. I only have one left (killed the other two) and he's gotten quite large and is thriving. I had a friend whos Mono was in slighlty acidic water for ever until he traded it into the LFS. I wouldn't recommend going that route but adding a little salt to the water is a good for all fish. No salt in my water, but the addition of limestone ads slight hardness to it.

[NathanaeII]

Hey very nice looking tank just wondering what types of rocks they are and where you go them from?

[MarcusCaporicci]

@NathanaeII They are Limestone rock. You can get them from a garden centre. Make sure you give them a good scrub and use a steel brush to get them super white.

[nickmax1111]

Holy crap! I'm surprised that those black skirts survive. That mix is great and I give two thumbs way up for making it work.

[moshimoshi2]

hey nice looking tank..btw are those silver dollar males or females?

[MarcusCaporicci]

I think there is two males and the rest are females. The males I believe have a thicker face and some red to their throats.

[h8hax]

filtration system? how much did eveyrthing cost you?

[MarcusCaporicci]

The filters are 2 emperor filters. A 280 and a 400. About 150 bucks total.  The bio-wheels keep the water imaculate.

[23Renzo23]

Im looking to get a 120 gallon tank and put sand in it. What's the best kind of filter to use?

[MarcusCaporicci]

I use the Emperor Bio wheel. Very good at handling a large bio-load. Avoid Canisters as they are expensive, hard to clean and not oxygen efficient.

[dinastel]

@MarcusCaporicci just add an air pump and you are good to go.......canisters are better since they hold more beneficial bacteria :-)

[MarcusCaporicci]

@dinastel, the Bio wheels produce more then enough oxygen so there is no need for an additional air pump. Bio Wheels are called R.B.C's (Rotating Biological Contacters). This technology is used in sewage treatment facilities becuase of the efficiency and becuase its the best filteration. They don't use commercial sized canister filters becuase there are not efficient and require to much maintenance.

[chinolal]

@23Renzo23 If I were you I would definitely consider getting a canister filter. It is expensive, however it will save you in the long run because you will rarely buy filter media. With the emperor filters you will need to replace the media 2-4 weeks. With a canister you only need to replace the media 3-6 months. With the power filters it sometimes causes the water to bypass, but with the canister there is rarely any bypass which keeps your water crystal clear and safe from ammonia

[dinastel]

@chinolal I agree

[dinastel]

well done

[FareezLovesMe]

This is one of the most beautiful aquariums I have ever seen. I don't even have space for a two footer. Fantastic.....................­please adopt me. Pretty please ?

[GREENFucka]

there seems to be alot of fish in that tank!

[vijomyda]

is that an african leaf fish?

[MarcusCaporicci]

Nope, leopard bushfish...I believe a ctenopoma species.

[irshadzub1]

What sands you put for your tank. fabulous...?

[MarcusCaporicci]

Silica Sand from home depot. Give it a good rinse

[jdvbm2008]

beautiful!!!!

[jdvbm2008]

nice really nice tank!!

[234Beastyboy]

Ya I ment 200 sorry

[ldvickers321]

@234Beastyboy: oh nice :)

[ldvickers321]

Wow, really cool! could you give me a list of fish you have in there? i just got a 120 gallon tank, and i want to stock it :)

[jake33335]

r those pacu?

[234Beastyboy]

Great setup just alittle to much fish I have a 20 gallon and only keeping 2 oscars alligater gar and a red pacu

[ldvickers321]

@234Beastyboy: I hope to god you meant to say a 200 gallon tank! The red bellied Pacu alone will get over 2 feet! and the oscars will both get over 10 inches! The alligator gar will need a 300 gallon tank as a minimum! Please Please Please tell me you aren't keeping those huge fish in a 20 gallon tank!

[cebosound1]

looking good. i am thinking of going white sand and driftwood too. :)

[ldvickers321]

Update: Oh! Ha HA, i thought they were Pacu! Good Job! :)

[MrBIGSMOKE15]

nice tank very cool

[MarcusCaporicci]

thanks Bud

[MarcusCaporicci]

lol, those are red hook silver dollars and there isn't any oscars in there. the fish in there will get larger...but there should still be enough room. I would be crazy if they where pacu's lol

[Bistrolover27]

Dude, you have the best tank out there.

[CRSBKLYN718]

anybody know what kind of fish at 3:44?and i heard its a pain to clean the sand how do u do it?

[hashiboo47]

very nice!

[rainyseason1975]

Awsome Tank! Three thumbs up:)

[MarcusCaporicci]

Thank You :)

[SoundsFantastic]

6-10x turnover is RECOMMENDED even more so for over stocked tanks, and ALSO green water is a result of high phos and nitrate left over from the denitrification cycle. Which both can be lowered through water changes with treated water. I didnt come up with that number, scientists and scientific fact has already done that for us. Its a proven theory, many books written by top aquarists and scientists will back everything I have stated.

[SoundsFantastic]

Oh and your tank isnt clear, you can see crap floating all over the place. Your camera picks up everything.

[MarcusCaporicci]

lol

[Chicken2341]

LOL is right.

He should think about maybe getting a bigger tank than just 46 gallons with baby fish. Hes talking book and not experience man. Don't listen to him.(I know you don't anyways) Your tank is awesome. Very Peaceful.

[yournamehere954]

bro what is your secret to keep you water so clear. My 200 gall with only 2 oscars and 2 mayan cichlids always looks yellowish or green. I keep my lights on for less than 8 hours and do a 20% water change but still the water never looks as clear as you guys on youtube. I have a sump tank with bio media as well with a pump rated for 400 gallons.

[MarcusCaporicci]

I've seen this occur many times in well circulated and clean aquariums. Everything you read on green water says it has to do with poor filteration and too much waste in the fish tank...so why does your tank suffer? I've had this happen to me in the past. I've done the total opposite of whats recommended. Reduce your water changes and keep your lights on 24 hours, until this bloom of algea (green water), reaches saturation and then dies off. Its an inbalance...let mother nature correct itself.

[yournamehere954]

awesome, I will try that asap and hit you with an update. Your the first person to have ever told me this and you must be right judging by your aquarium. Thanks

[MarcusCaporicci]

The same thing happened to my tank above. It occurs becuase of imbalance. The worst thing to do is to keep doing drastic changes to the environment. Also do not distrurb your bio media. Biological bacteria should not be disturbed or cleaned. Again your tank may get worse before it gets better and it may not clear over night. Just give it time...patience will be the key.

[yournamehere954]

I kept the lights on the behold the algae is gone. I reduced the water changes to once per week and only do 10%. I added a few apple snales to remove the algae I could not reach and they did a great cleaning job. I will be posting videos soon when I get a better camera. Thanks again

[MarcusCaporicci]

Thats awesome! Keep me posted with your videos!

[SoundsFantastic]

@yournamehere954 His water is not clear, its actually pretty dirty. Look at all the floating particles. And you might also want to upgrade your pump on your tank, 2x turnover is crap, you need 6-10x turnover. You water could also be yellow from drift wood and green from algea. Probably due to your poor water movement.

[yournamehere954]

I do not have any driftwood and I only have 4 fish that are 5 inches long. My water flows so fast out of the dual overflow that it slashes in the bottom with my Gen-X PCX 40 pump so water movement is not a problem. 2x turnover is more than what I need for what I have. This guys water looks great and mine looks great as well from his advise. Maybe you should take some advise from him as well.

[MarcusCaporicci]

6-10 times turnover is too much for most freshwater aquariums. My tank is actually crystal clear. With the size of my bio-load, my tank can easily handle 10-20 turnovers if it had to. Again in most cases with smaller bio-loads and to much circulation...green water can be a bi-product.

[SoundsFantastic]

Sorry but your wrong, your overflows are probably rated for around 1200 total between the both of them. And your pump is not 400 GPH its 1190 GPH. So your setup could handle alot more fish. My thoughts would be you dont have enough debris filtering. I would add more poly/fiber fill on top of the drip plate and also vac the bottom removing more than 20% of the water untill the water clears.

[yournamehere954]

I never said my pump was a 400gph. I said my filter is rated for a 400 gallon tank meaning my sump tank. I keep sand in the tank so no debris can hide and vac often. I thing Marcuscaporicci is right when he says im changing to much water. I do not have a problem with floating particles just yellow water which is algea. Even if I do a 20% every week the water returns to green or yellow in a few days. Its getting better now that im doing less water changes and leaving the light on.

[MarcusCaporicci]

@yournamehere954 you got it. Green water is so hard to get rid of because many people give the wrong advice and really don't understand where it comes from. If you look for the answer on the "Net", you'll get the same answer over and over again "Turn off your lights, do a huge water change and pray that the green water doesn't come back"...these step won't correct the problem they will only make it worse. Cheers yournamehere954, good luck and keep me posted with your progress.

[MarcusCaporicci]

The key is the bulbs. Regular 4 foot flourecents. Just make sure you buy what they call 50/50 bulbs. When the bulb is lit, it will be a pink colour. This will enhance the colour of all your fish.

[DelilahLynxMusic]

You have a beautiful fish tank community there! You must take great care of them, they look very healthy 5 star material!

[MarcusCaporicci]

Thanks, they are all still doing very well. I'd like to post another vid soon, but I'm moving at the end of the month...fingers crossed the move goes well :)

[MarcusCaporicci]

mannayana

[xxtomek123]

Great looking tank 5/5.

[ehhowudoin]

gr8t tank i've been thinking of upgrading my self.... how did you get them to get to that size i would luv to knw.....

[MarcusCaporicci]

Are you talking a specific fish? I've had everything now in there for sometime. Lots of feeding and water changes and these fish will all grow fast.

[raynbrijordan1]

hello, is it possible if you can list all the fishes you have in there. What type of cichlids do you have and how many mono sebaes? Thanks

[WeStayLifted420]

wow beautiful tank man

[MarcusCaporicci]

Thanks!

[snotbog1]

interesting mix,

I've broken a few rules with mine as well.

[MarcusCaporicci]

lol, rules are to be broken

[BboyEPIKCONG]

nice set up

[MarcusCaporicci]

Thanks Mate!