55Gal Goal Is Planted, Peaceful

[BeckyCats]

Hello!
I am new to this hobby and am really enjoying it so far. I got a 10 gallon tank several months ago and enjoyed it so much that I wanted to try a larger tank. The 10gal has shrimp and 4 molly fry (long story) and several plants. Everything seems to be going well so far. Hopefully the 55 gallon will work out also.
 
I started with 50 pounds of play sand which I rinsed in batches outside in a bucket thanks to the unusually warm day we had on Friday. I didn't rinse well enough though apparently, because when I put it in the tank and put some water in, it was cloudy. Thankfully, I have the python filler/drainer hose, so I was able to do a bunch of water changes and it is much clearer now. Then I filled it about halfway figuring it would be easier to plant if it wasn't totally full.
 
I intended to put in the hardscape elements first and then put in the plants around them, but my LFS got in a shipment of plants and they were on sale, and well, I kind of went a little nuts. According to the tags, I got:
 
Bacopa monnieri (moneywort)
Ceratopteris thalictroides (water sprite)
Cryptocoryne parva (crypt parva)
Cyrptocoryne spiralis
Echinodorus bleheri (broadleaved Amazon swordplant)
Echinodorus Kleiner Bar (Kleiner bar sword)
Echinodorus ozelot green
Echinodorus tennellus (narrow leaf chain sword)
Eleocharis acicularis (dwarf hair grass)
Glossostigma elatinoides
Marsilea crenata (dwarf four leaf clover)
 
Hopefully, everything won't die. I don't have the lights or filter on the tank yet, so I've been keeping my overhead light on and keeping the curtains open all day to give them as much light as possible. I researched the care on all of these and most need bright to moderate-bright light. They all need fertilizer too, so I will have a find a good brand. Several needed iron (I have a little notebook that I am writing things down in so I don't forget) and several do well with tab fertilizer. I have not used any fertilizers in my 10 gallon (where I am using gravel) but the plants seem to be fine so far. I am worried about using anything with the shrimp in there. I do plan on taking a few pieces of plants from my 10 gallon if I can:
 
Java fern (has plantlets all over it, so should be okay to take a few)
Java moss (I've read this can be propagated from cuttings, but I need to research the details)
Hydrocotlye leucocephala (Brazilian pennywort) (this stuff is easy to propagate. in fact, I thought I got duped into buying creeping Charlie but internet searches do come up with pictures of it looking the way it does in my tank - like creeping Charlie) I do like the way it grows up and floats on the top of the water and has little roots and leaves that make great shelter for little critters.
 
 
So, once the tank is fully decorated, planted, properly lit, and cycled, I am thinking about putting some fish in there too! My water is soft with a pH of ~6.5. I have 15 fish on my "consideration list" so far. Most are tetras and rasboras. In fact, all but 3 are tetras or rasboras. I only put fish on the list that would be happy with my water (at least based on my research). I would love some input on which ones to choose and how many of each. Fish that have schooling behavior is most appealing to me. I have no particular need to have a bunch of different species. In fact, I wouldn't mind having a bunch of maybe two or three species, possibly up to four or five at most. I like the idea of having a larger group of small fish. I'm particularly interested in Microdevario kubotai (green neon rasbora). I love them. I think they are just so pretty.
 
At any rate, my list (so far) of possibilities are:
 
bloodfin tetra
Columbian tetra
bleeding heart tetra
diamond tetra
flame tetra
neon tetra
Pristella/x-ray tetra
red eye tetra
rosy tetra
harlequin rasbora
espe/lamchop/false harlequin rasbora
green neon rasbora (microdevario kubotai)
cherry barb
stiphodon atrpurpureus (neon blue goby)
stiphodon elegens (red neon goby)
 
I'm open to suggestions. I have to do more research on each of the above. I have read that the gobies and the kubotai both hail from fast moving, heavily oxygenated water and they are peaceful, so they may make a good match. I'm a little worried the goby will dig up all my plants though. Anyone with experience on these critters?
 
 

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Just a quick note on Java moss...

Some people don't like it because if you don't get rid of every last bit of it, it will grow right back, so propagating it with trimmings is ridiculously easy.
No real 'details' to it.

 

[Munroco]

Just a quick note on Java moss...

Some people don't like it because if you don't get rid of every last bit of it, it will grow right back, so propagating it with trimmings is ridiculously easy.
No real 'details' to it.

That used to be the case for me, now however I can't get it to grow at all, it just slowly turns brown and rots away.

 

[BeckyCats]

I had to look it up because I didn't realize it didn't have roots. I have some in my 10gal that came attached to a piece of presoaked driftwood. Actually, I didn't even notice it when I bought the driftwood but the java moss popped up nicely in two spots on the log. The shrimp adore it. There is almost always at least one shrimp picking away in the moss. I will wait for a filter before I move it because I read that it really likes water currents (the stuff in the 10g is directly in the path of the filter flow). Once I get the lights and filter set up, I'll cut a chunk from the back where it wont be missed and perhaps trim it a bit on top and then tie the pieces down to something.
 
I need more hardscaping before I go much farther. I put in all the plants last night so they wouldn't keep floating in their pots but I really wanted to get the big chunky stuff in there first and then put the plants around that. But, my months of ogling the fish sections of my LFSs has shown me that there is seldom much selection in the plant department. When I saw all those pretty options - and on sale! -  a few days ago, I jumped before anyone else grabbed them. Although I did find out that they are willing to order me whatever I want, so perhaps I can calm down and not go back to buy more (which, believe me, is something I've been fighting).
 
So, if I end up getting fish that like fast moving water, will I need bubblers or a special blower or something to create the current? In my 10g, the filter provides a good flow and I've discovered that if I don't fill the water all the way, the flow is stronger because the water falls farther. I'm guessing that will not be sufficient for "hillstream" fish I believe they were calling them. Research was done last night in the wee-hours: couldn't....stop....reading......about....fish..... I finally put the computer away when I realized I just the same paragraph repeatedly and had no idea what it said! Ha ha!
 
I had been contemplating not filling the water all the way to the top (leaving an inch or so at the top) so that plants that like to surface can do so. Would that work with a faster flowing tank?
 
Well, anyway, decisions on fish are not made yet but their needs are certainly part of the decision process, so if anyone has any input, I would welcome it.

 

[BeckyCats]

Hillstream may not have been the right word. A search this morning on hillstream tanks only turned up info on hillstream loaches. Seems like River tanks are what I meant, but River tanks look way too complicated for me to deal with setting up. I'm not that DIY. Hmmm. More research is necessary to see if this type of tank is necessary to have the stiphodon and the microdevario kubotai.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

To add extra flow, you can add a power head to the tank. In my 110 gallon, at one time I used a circulation pump. This ran along the back of the tank glass. My neons would jump into the fastest flowing part of the flow at times all together and just played in it for a while daily. They really seemed to enjoy the really high flow. I also had a fair amount of rock work elsewhere to break up the flow so that it wasn't super strong everywhere if they wanted a quieter place to rest.

 

[BeckyCats]

I looked up power heads and boy, are there a lot of different kinds. It will take some reading to figure out what I would need, but at least it looks like it is something that can be purchased and installed, rather than having to build pipe systems and second walls in the tank. Is there a general rule of thumb about size for these?

I saw cherry barbs in the store today. They are very pretty. I like the difference between the males and females. I also saw emerald dwarf Rasbora's which are not on my list for some reason. I'll have to look them up because they are adorable. They also had other tetras and Rasbora's. I really do like those fish. Still haven't seen any of the green ones that I like, or the little gobies. I hope I don't have to get them online.

I am wondering if I might have too much on the floor of the tank. When the lights come in, I'll take a picture and post it.

 

[BeckyCats]

Just looked them up. The dwarf emerald rasboras prefer alkaline water. Oh well.

 

[BeckyCats]

The light and filter came in today and I am disappointed. The filter has a huge crack, presumably from being poorly shipped. I put on the glass lids and I don't really like those either. They don't leave much room in the back for the filter so I will have to pull it forward so that it hangs over the edge. The lighting system sits on top of the glass lids, but it says it can't get wet or get condensation on it and not to put it near the filter. So, this means that I will have to scoot it back and forth on and off of the door part when I feed the fish. I like that the lights are adjustable and dimmable, etc., but I may return them because of how they sit on the tank. I am thinking I should have just bought a kit rather than get everything separately. It is less expensive and everything fits properly. I'll see if I can attach a picture of the lights and lid.

 

[BeckyCats]

So, here's what I have in the tank so far. Now that I have lights, even if they don't sit on the tank the way I expected, at least they worked well enough to let me get a picture. All of the plants are still small of course and I'm not really 100% sure about the layout yet. I think I'll like it better once the plants get taller. I have a background to put on, but I'm not sure whether I want the black side or the blue side. I'm also not sure if the decoration is too large. I like the cave that it creates, but it takes up a lot of room. A lot of the "floor" space is taken up by driftwood, plants, and that decoration. Is there enough "ground" if I get a goby or other bottom dweller?

I hate the way the lights show in the top of the lid. Those dots really annoy me. In person, they are very bright and really detract from the aquarium.

 

[HarpyFishLover]

It sure looks pretty. I would say the cave is probably fine.

 

[BeckyCats]

Thank you. The little banana plants are already starting to grow a bit.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Yes, there's plenty of bottom space for bottom dwellers. The "bottom dwellers" like to have some cover for them which you have, and they will forage over the driftwood, etc. In their natural habitats, these fish have fallen logs, rocks, etc where they live and they scoot over them as they need to. My cories will snuffle their way around my plants, and even in the Java moss I have on top of a vertical hollow log in my tank. They don't do it that often, but often enough. Also, these fish are used to a variation in the heights of their river floor. Looking good!

 

[BeckyCats]

Thank you. I was really feeling down last night. The lid, lights, and cracked filter all being disappointing on the same night, was too much. With the fresh perspective of a new day, I am going to give the lid and lights another try. Even if I have to return everything, there are bigger problems in the world. No need to get down about it, right?

I really need that filter though. I don't have time to wait for Amazon to send me another. The water is going to get gross if it doesnt start moving. I'll go get one today. So much for the cost savings at Amazon.

 

[BeckyCats]

My water is suddenly a bit cloudy. Is this from not having a filter for several days? Should I start all over with a 100% water change? I read that sometimes new tanks get cloudy and then it goes away, but I am nervous because there has been no filter.