Hi, going to be converting my 35G long turtle tank into a fish tank over the next few weeks as my turtles are being rehomed, but i'm kinda new to this and need quite abit of advice.

This is everything I have so far.
35G long tank and Stand
Fluval 305 Filter
300w Heater
Air pump with two outlets

I will need to get a hood for the tank and a light unit, what is the best type of light to go for, Size Etc??
I think that I will then have everything needed??

I have small pebbles in the tank at the moment but not sure whether I want to keep them or go for sand/gravel, I like the idea of a planted tank but don't want to use CO2 etc. Does anyone have any recommendations for the substrate?
Would sand damage my filter??

I'm not sure what fish I want in the tank, i'm not to good with names of them but i do like African Chichlids, Guppies, Angel Fish and cat fish but someone told me that the Chichlids are very aggressive, is this true?

Sorry for all the questions and I will upload some pictures of the tank as it is now tomorrow.

Thanks in advance for any help and advice

There are alot of different plants you can do with "standard" low lighting. You can also use sand as a substrate, alot of people who have planted tanks use some kind of sand. I my self prefer gravel. Alot of the low light plants you won't need CO2, just keep in mind that Low-Light Low Tech tanks plants grow much slower. With most of the plants requiring high lighting you will need CO2.
Angels are nice but get very big, recomended 10gallons per angel, they can also be aggressive. Same as the cichlids.
I like the idea of guppies, you could keep alot of smaller fish with them, Tetras, Mollies or Danios would be a good addition with the guppies!

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Thanks for the reply.

I like sand and gravel so its going to be a hard choice, or do i keep the pebbles??

If i went with sand would that be ok for plecs?

I'd recommend that you don't break down the whole tank and wash the filter etc as it is already cycled, ie full of beneficial bacteria which break down the ammonia and nitrites. If you start fresh you will have to go through a 4-6week cycling period.

A deep layer of pebbles will tend to trap all the waste underneath and can lead to water quality problems, so if you keep the pebbles I'd say just have enough to cover the bottom of the tank.

Java moss, java fern and anubias will do well in very basic conditions, they don't need any special substrate as they will attach do drift wood or rocks. A very nice setup can be made with only these plants. 1 WPG (watt per gallon) of light would be enough for those plants. 1.5 WPG and a nutrient rich substrate will make it possible to grow many more plants.

Most people with low tech(no co2) setups aim for about 1.5 WPG, up to 2 is okay but more than that tends to lead to algae problems with out co2. Of course WPG is a very rough way of calculating because different types of light give different amounts of light per watt and reflectors and tank depth make a difference but it is a good way to get an idea of what you are aiming for.

The smallest size tank I would recommend for African Cichlids is 55g. Ideally a 75g or larger.

Yes most types of African Cichlids are aggressive and need a lot of space.

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Do fish get thirsty?
How to fishless cycle your aquarium http://www.aquariumforum.com/f66/fis...cle-15036.html

Information on API FW test kit http://www.aquariumforum.com/f2/api-...ion-15347.html