# New 55g



## Ddrahos02 (Nov 18, 2010)

So with Christmas approaching I finally talked my parents in to paying for a 55g tank and stand for my apartment next year. The only thing is I am completely inexperienced when it comes to aquarium set up. I only have a 10g now and I got the basics down; weekly water changes, keeping the temp in range for the fish, some fish capability, and some random knowledge i picked up from reading on here ofcourse. With this one I’m going to ask some help for the basic setup. Things like filters, live or fake plants and most importantly to me FISH. I can’t decide but I am almost certain I would like a community tank, but I’m not sure on what exactly I can mix in there. If you have anything that can help me out send it my way please and thank you!:fish9:


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## Martini2108 (Jul 23, 2010)

Well as far as filtration goes I'd use an aquaclear 70 and maybe a 50 along with it. Live plants would be better but it's you're choice, and fish well what kind are you interested in?


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I would go with double rated capacity on filtration. For Aquaclear that would be a AC110. If you think you will have live plants, make your substrate support it. 55gal is fairly cheap to do no matter which way you go.

I have a used AC110 for sale in the for sale forum that is only 2 months old.


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## Ddrahos02 (Nov 18, 2010)

I really like the look of the dwarf gourami, so if I wanted to build a tank around a pair of them what kind of fish would I be looking at and I think i will be going live plant since I like the look of them in my 10g, but what do you mean make my substrate support it? I have just aquarium gravel, you know the little colorful stones, in my 10g tank and all my plants I have in there are growing out of the tank now.. Was there something else I was suppose to have?


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## Martini2108 (Jul 23, 2010)

The dwarf gouramis are great(could put more than 2 in there) compatible with most others fish but still do get a bit nippy every now and then. Personally I like a good school of cardinal/white cloud tetras with them. Substrate that would be good is Eco-Complete it's a plant growing substrate, plant growing substrates have the nutrients required to optimize aquatic plant growth.


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## chris oe (Feb 27, 2009)

I think starting small with just the pair of gouramis is a great idea, especially since they're labyrinth fishes, so they're tough and can breathe at the surface if need be, they can be your tank pioneers. I'm sure you already know about building a tank population very slowly so your biofilter can keep up. Plus you have a cycled tank to seed your new tank with, so you can get your biofilter going more quickly. Have you read Sarah Fell Keppler's book A School of Fish? It is fabulous reading, teach you everything you need to know about the mechanics of freshwater aquarium keeping. 

Myself I love under gravels, I've had my 55 going on an under gravel filter for many years and its functioned beautifully with two power heads and a complement of mts snails to keep the gravel bed in shape, but I know those aren't really fashionable right now. Everybody gets to build the tank they want, eh?


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## mfgann (Oct 21, 2010)

Well, that is pretty wide open, and many people will have lots of different views. One thing you need to decide early on is whether you want live plants or not. It is a whole new set of things to play with, but its hard to go back and set up a tank well for plants once it is established. If you don't want plants then you can pick plain gravel , or even nothing at all, its just decorative mostly. 

If you want plants then I would recommend figuring out what to add to your substrate. Most people will put down a layer of eco-complete or flourite then cover it with some attractive gravel. It will eventually blend a bit, so be careful of your color choices. I went with beaslbob's build, which means a layer of plain peat moss on bottom (1 inch), then 1 inch of sand on top of that, then 1 inch of pro-choice select, or aquarium gravel. So far the plants in that tank are growing great. Next you need to be sure you have good lighting.. about 2 Watts (florescent) per gallon. For 55G you would need 110W or more (much more if you plan on fertilizers and CO2). Last, you have to decide whether you're going to do CO2 and fetilizers. Doing the beaslbob build, I am not really doing ferts and CO2.

All that said, it is a big balancing act, when you want to add fish.. My experience with dwarf gouramis are that even though they're labyrinth fish, they're a little delicate. I would start with something like zebra danios, then add the dwarf gouramis once the cycle is passed. Kuhli loaches are great little fish to add later. I like rainbows, which would probably work well. If you plant the tank you WILL get snails.. if you dont like them you might consider yoyo loaches, which will eat them. I love clown loaches, but I'm not sure if a 55g is enough to keep 3 or 4 in once full size. They get very large, but are one of my favorites.

You can always ask about whether a fish will work with what you already have, or want to get. We're always full of opinions


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## swampcat874 (Dec 12, 2010)

An Aquaclear 110 should do the job for filter. You can use some low Maint. Low Light Plants with little effort other than some minimal extra lighting. Java Fern, java moss, most Anubias varieties do well with little light and no need for CO2 systems. There is a great web site plantgeek.net This site breaks plants up in to specific groups for what you are looking to do or what cost $$$ will allow you. Check it out for some idea's.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Not sure what others on here think about this - I've heard tell that if you can support the plugs, you might consider doubling up on the key machinery like filters and heaters. i.e. instead of 1 AC110, 2 AC50's, and instead of 1 200W heater, 2 100W heaters. That way you get better tank circulation, and if one breaks down you've still got the other to hold you over until you've got a replacement. Just my thoughts, any objections or confirmations?


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## chris oe (Feb 27, 2009)

I can't speak to the need, but I do like having two powerheads on my UGF, that way if one goes down, I can strip it down and repair it or replace it without fear of a tank crash because the second is already installed and running, just have to put a cap on the second tube. You don't want to necessarily have twice the power if you don't need it, because some fish really don't enjoy the swift currents, but maybe two with each half the capacity or each with a bit over half. It also would make cleaning less of a shock to the biofilter, I'd imagine, if you stagger them, clean one then wait a few weeks and clean the other. ?


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## Chillwill007 (Aug 20, 2010)

U could do a canister filter like this one from sun sun. Many purple have gotten it and have had great experiences with it. Comes with everything even media
Aquarium 3 Stage CANISTE...


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## ValorieMackison (Dec 10, 2010)

I'm not a big fan of the Tetra Whisper Heaters, personally. I've had 3 in a row [email protected] out on me in exactly the same fashion. (Filling with water/rusted & broken coils)

I run an undergravel filter w/ air pump plus a HOB on my 55 gallon, minus the AC. I do use filter floss & peat moss in the HOB though. (That tank currently houses goldfish varieties & 1 plecostomus.) The water is crystal clear & stays within good parameters. 

As far as the fish go, I've had really good luck housing 2 dwarf gouramis with a male betta in a 10 gallon. Also, neon tetra & black skirt tetra with black moors & calico fantails. The tetra I kept in smallish schools, which kept them occupied I guess. 

I've yet to house any of the more expensive fish, lol, as finances don't really allow with 2 babies, 1 home business & a new-to-me house.


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## M1ster Stanl3y (Dec 10, 2010)

just started up my 55g from craigslist...cant wait for fish. Looking like I got a tetra filter rated for 60g. All the specs i can find on anything that looks like it say 330gph, Dont know if thats right tho. Im looking to build around 4 Bolivian Rams. The rest will be Cardinal Tetras. And a few suggestions from this forum.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Get a cleanup crew going. If you've got a good cleanup crew and live plants, you will virtually never have to vacuum your gravel. My cleanup crew consists of 5 Amano shrimp, ~10 RCS (red cherry shrimp), a Nerite snail and a flash pleco. And that's just for a 30 gallon, mind you, though I will admit I'm a little shrimp-happy.


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## chris oe (Feb 27, 2009)

I agree with the cleanup crew idea. I love my MTS snails. they really turn over the gravel, and I have some teminiki plecostomi that are hoppy happy little scrubbers, as well as being so full of personality and pluck you'd hardly think they were plecos.


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## mfgann (Oct 21, 2010)

+1 on the cleanup crew. I have kuhli loaches, otos and ghost shrimp in one tank and kuhli loachers, otos and red cherry shrimp in the other. Shrimp are awesome cleaners, but may become a meal for some fish.. their babies will be food for most fish.

Plecos are fantastic, if you get one of the species of pleco that can live comfortably in your aquarium.. a 55G is big enough to house maybe one common pleco, by itself, with no other fish... yes, they're that big. A bristlenose pleco or some other small variety will be good though. Add driftwood if you get one, they need it.


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## olive81 (Dec 18, 2010)

I just set up my first 55 gallon too. I have had 5 gallons and 10 gallons since high school, but finally got a bigger one! It has 5 cichlids, 1 pleco, and lots of plants (java moss, elodea, anubias, vallisneria, wolffia, and duckweed). Anyway, I was running a HOB filter of some sort that was loud and annoying, and just got my Fluval 405 hooked up and it is a amazing...thus, I recommend a canister filter. The plants also REALLY help with the water chemistry and keeping the tank clean. I also use an airstone in the opposite side of the tank as the output, to increase water circulation and surface disruption (increases oxygen in the water). I also use a feeding ring, this seems to help with food flying everywhere and making things messy. :fish5:


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