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SEVENTY-FIVE GALLON
–
EVOLUTION1
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12
 
PREFACE
In the past couple of years of fish keeping, I have learned that each tank poses slightly different sets of challenges
 – 
 both during and after setting up. Yet it is for certain that anything you learned from a previous setup adds up andwould greatly help you through your next tank project.This paper is presented like a journal and not like a c
ookbook guide on how to setup a beginner’s
aquarium; assuch, the insights offered and steps mentioned appear occasionally only as they are relevant to the photographs,not necessarily in their natural order of execution. There are numerous setup guides freely available on the Internet.This paper is an attempt to show the excitement and joys of the beginning the hobby, the failures and frustrationsalong the way
 – 
and the rewards and satisfaction at the end of each day.Enjoy!May2009This document was initially prepared in Microsoft Word 2007 then saved as a PDF file through the Save As PDFmenu. Maiandra GD 10pt was used for the text.
 
SEVENTY-FIVE GALLON
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EVOLUTION2
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12
 Most of the pictures shown here were taken with the Nikon CoolPix S10, and a few with the Sony CyberShot H9and with the Nikon CoolPix P80; they are largely unedited evidenced by lens distortions (eg, curved posts andcurved tanks) and generally poor colour and contrast balance. They were, however, resized in Word to fit the pagelayout including minor adjustments 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 or 329x429; those from the Sony H9 originallymeasured 2048x1536, resized to 429x329; those from the Nikon P80 were originally 3584x2016, resized to429x254. The
Resizer 
was set to maintain a constant long dimension when processing, thus pictures came out aseither 429 pixels wide or 429 pixels tall; it was also set to border and watermark the pictures. One can accomplishthese photo manipulations using industry standard software such as Adobe Photoshop, but I opted for the ease andquick operation using the
FastStone Photo Resizer 
since these shots are not intended for exhibit. The program isfree and does not need registration if for personal use.For visitors who may not be familiar with aquariums, a standard 75-gallon tank measures 48 inches long (left toright dimension), 18 inches deep (front to back dimension), and 20 inches high (tank base or floor to top rim oredge); alternatively, this tank is 4 feet long, 1.5 feet deep, and 1.75 feet high. Tank names use the nearest gallonvolume capacity, but usually fall short of the actual volume capacity; this tank could contain just 74.80 gallons.Most measurements presented in this paper are in the English system; for visitors using the metric system this tankwould roughly be 120x45x50 centimetres, with a volume capacity of about 284 litres.On to the pictures....
 
SEVENTY-FIVE GALLON
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EVOLUTION3
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12
 
25december2007
- rinsed tank set under the staircase, with well-rinsed gravel andsand in place- background sand (4-6mm diameter) in two uneven, curvedformation 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 (4-6mmdiameter) in varying shades brown gravel, about 20%crushed coral, and about of 5% fine sand; 1-2 inches deep,not intended for planting so it has no layer of fertiliser under- the wooden column on the left which blocks view into theaquarium cannot simply be cut-off because they support thelanding on the second floor; they have been here since thehouse was built more than 30 years ago. they were justpainted 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 tankis resting; there is a thin polyurethane padding (commonly known asStyrofoam) just under the tank to help even out any irregularity of thewooden slat base, or of the tank weight once all the decor, plants andwater are placed inside- some hobbyists place a heating pad in place of the polyurethane or ontop of it; a heating pad was not needed for this particular set-up sincethe intended inhabitants (fish and plants) are not very demanding- these shots show an assembly of various stones for afocal point on the left side of the tank- be very careful when choosing rocks to put in thetank; those for building construction, those withobvious metallic content, those with sharp edges, orthose from contaminated sources must not be usedin an aquarium- rocks with coral, chalk, or calcium must not be usedin 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) then gently fill tank with clean water treated with dechlorinatingagent or a combination of dechlorinator and conditioner, being careful not to allow sand to swirl about; let thewater 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 towardsthe front and centre (depending on plant availability and the design, of course)- on the top left of the tank is a simple overhead filter with submerged powerhead
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