Please Help, New 55g Aquarium!

[ir0n_ma1den]

hurray, my first post!

alright, i have had a 10g aquarium for about a year or so. Currently i have 4 neon tetras and 1 stunted krib. I have gone thru about 10 neon tetras!!! those fish are a pain Mad . anyway, We are getting our basement done so my parents are letting me get a 55g aquarium to put in the basement. I have spent alot of time going thru multiple forums and other websites to get ideas on equipment n stuff. I plan on having this be a planted tank because i think those are the best tanks done ( got my inspiration from various professionals and pictures from ratemyfishtank.com).

So, i would like to know what equipment should i use, what fish i should keep ( i want hardy fish at first), how to maintain it, substrate, and good spieces of plants.

I want an easy to maintain aquarium, so from what i read i probably want alot of plants to do most of the filtration for me?

I want to get a Rena xp3 because those seem to be a great filter. I know i need flouresent lighting but i dont know what brand works the best. Since i want an aquarium that is easy to maintain, i want some fish that can do the cleaning for me. I have already got an idea to make a CO2 injector so my plants can grow. (question: do i need a speacial fertalizer substrate for my plants, or can i just rely on my lighting and CO2 injector?)

To sum it up, i basically would like to know what would be the ideal equipment, fish, plants. substrate, and decor for a 55g aquarium.

Hope im not asking to much Very Happy

thanks

 

[celaeno]

how did the krib get stunted?

 

[ir0n_ma1den]

how did the krib get stunted?

hehe, funny story: back when i first had fish i kinda neglected it and the other fish in the tank for about 3 months until i had to clean it out. 3 tetras 2 minnows and the krib were still alive after the filter had stopped and anfter i had not fed them for 3 months!!! the tetras died soon and the minnows got eaten by a zebra danio about a week ago. But the krib has been alive for so long! I love my krib! its so hardy and went thru alot

 

[TerraDreamer]

how did the krib get stunted?

hehe, funny story: back when i first had fish i kinda neglected it and the other fish in the tank for about 3 months until i had to clean it out. 3 tetras 2 minnows and the krib were still alive after the filter had stopped and anfter i had not fed them for 3 months!!! the tetras died soon and the minnows got eaten by a zebra danio about a week ago. But the krib has been alive for so long! I love my krib! its so hardy and went thru alot

Why did you neglect your 10 gallon tank? Did you lose interest in keeping fish as pets? I'm left to ask: will you soon neglect the responsibility of this new 55 gallon tank? Have your parents asked you this same question?

Just curious, not trying to raise a stink, but based on your past history I'm left wondering if this is something you want to commit so much time to.

 

[sophos9]

how did the krib get stunted?

hehe, funny story: back when i first had fish i kinda neglected it and the other fish in the tank for about 3 months until i had to clean it out. 3 tetras 2 minnows and the krib were still alive after the filter had stopped and anfter i had not fed them for 3 months!!! the tetras died soon and the minnows got eaten by a zebra danio about a week ago. But the krib has been alive for so long! I love my krib! its so hardy and went thru alot

Dude, if you want to keep fish, you will have to put some time in.... the equation is simple mate. Now if you can spare an hour a week all is good if not, seriously don't do it as you are going to torture your fish

You will get loads of help from people here...

 

[ir0n_ma1den]

how did the krib get stunted?

hehe, funny story: back when i first had fish i kinda neglected it and the other fish in the tank for about 3 months until i had to clean it out. 3 tetras 2 minnows and the krib were still alive after the filter had stopped and anfter i had not fed them for 3 months!!! the tetras died soon and the minnows got eaten by a zebra danio about a week ago. But the krib has been alive for so long! I love my krib! its so hardy and went thru alot

Dude, if you want to keep fish, you will have to put some time in.... the equation is simple mate. Now if you can spare an hour a week all is good if not, seriously don't do it as you are going to torture your fish

You will get loads of help from people here...

I am beginning to regret telling everyone about my krib. I have been taking GREAT care of my fish now for about a year. Before that, i guess i really didnt know what I was doing. I now know that it takes responsibility to keep an aquarium. If you guys want I will be happy to post a pic of my aquarium. My fish are happy and are doing great. I promise i will never neglect another fish.

Ya happy?

If ne1 wants to help me with my original question please do so. Thank you

 

[Tessla]

I'm sure others here can give some better advice, but here are a few things for starters. It sounds like you want an easy to maintain aquarium, but don't depend on plants to do any filtration and don't depend on any fish to do cleanup. Plants will use up some of the nitrogen products and keep your water cleaner (plus providing shelter for your fish and making your tank pretty), but you'll still want to do regular water changes. Algae shrimp (amanos, cherry shrimp) are probably the only inhabitants you could keep that would help clean up the tank, but if you get anything big in there, your shrimp will end up as very expensive snacks. You'll probably want to decide between focusing on a planted tank or having a tank for fish that also has plants, in either case you'll want to avoid the rowdy fish that think they have a talent for aquascaping. In a tank focusing on just plants, you could keep a school of small tetras or rasboras with some gouramis (kissers will chow down on plants), algae shrimp and a group of small loaches or cory cats. If you get into plecs, anything that likes to dig or larger fish nosing about on the bottom, you'll get a lot more damaged and uprooted plants and your tank won't look so picture perfect all the time, just some things to keep in mind, I don't know what direction you want to take.

It's been a while since I ran a tank that big, so I'm probably not the best person to look to for filtration. If I were starting up a new freshwater system like that I'd probably go with a canister filter, maybe with a biowheel or hang on back to supplement? Make sure you have enough filtration for the type of fish that you plan to keep; messy fish will require a lot more.

Great article in the planted section on lighting, you may have to increase the lighting in your tank depending on which plants you plan to keep. I'd read through all the pinned topics in there on planted tanks, some good info.

I forget where I found this article on substrate but it has been working great so far in my planted tanks, using play sand from the hardware store instead of gravel. Sand is preferred by most bottom dwellers and is a must if you get anything that digs. It tends to be just as easy if not easier to clean as all the waste sits on top instead of falling in between, just keep your filter intakes from getting too close. The root feeding plants love a fertile base layer, and this method comes out very affordable.

A few common plants that aren't too demanding (I've grown these in low to medium light):
Anacharis - grows like a weed, you can let it float or root, I'm pretty sure it's near impossible to kill this stuff
Java Fern - attach to rocks or driftwood
Anubias - another one to attach to rocks or driftwood, a slow grower
Java Moss - can be attached to various items to form a "carpet"
Cryptocoryne - may melt when you first put it in the aquarium, but grows back and is very hardy, heavy root feeder
Swords - another heavy root feeder

Fish get a little bit tricky; it would be easier if you had some fish in mind, then you could work around them. A few I've kept and am a fan of (don't put all this in the tank at once, just some things to look at):
Zebra Loach Botia striata or other small loaches (clown loaches get too big)- great personality, hardy, reasonable size and will eat any snails that come in with your plants. Keep about five together in a group and keep the tank covered!
Corydoras - Keep at least five or six together in a group, great little scavengers for the bottom of the tank.
Peacock Eel most of the other spiny eels will get too big for your tank - diggers and can be picky eaters, may eat very small fish, I find them interesting even if you don't see them most of the time, would not consider this hardy, something to think about eventually keeping.
Cardinal Tetra - if you can find them, they're absolutely stunning. Same size/coloration as the neon but the color stripes extend along the entire body of the fish and they have a reputation for being considerably more durable.
Danio - extremely durable little fish, I've got one still perky as ever that I could have sworn was on his last legs a year and a half ago. Do best in groups with lots of current, but have a tendency to nip long-finned fish.
Gouramis - many different varieties, many species have lots of color. My personal favorite is the kissing gourami, plain pink/white or green fish, but will browse on your plants. Most tend to be territorial, males kept together in close quarters will fight but you could do a male and a couple of females of a smaller variety.

Make sure you either start your tank off with filter media from your old tank or fishless cycle, and add a few fish at a time. Understocking is always better than overstocking if you're concerned with maintenance.

Hope that helps point you in the right direction and good luck!

 

[ir0n_ma1den]

wow, thanks for the input

this will help alot!

 

[QuotheRaven]

Best to avoid any oddballs and Cichlids to restart your hobby. Make sure you cycle your tank prior to putting fish in it by Fishless cycling ( view some articles on fishless cycling).
Danios, cories and most Gourami's are pretty decent and hardy aswell as platies and swordtails, also, mollies are best kept in brackish water.

Would best avoid impulse buy's aswell as many aquariums in america and the Uk seem to sell fish small that become giants ( Redtail catfish as a example).

 

[edgun88]

You need to read ALOT more before you start. Especially about the Nitrogen Cycle and about the chemcial and biological changes that happen inside an estblished tank. If you want plants then you need to have an abundant resource of Co2, along with adequate ighting. Basically, you need to do lots of research. If you don't then you will regret it.

Oh yea and the most important thing about keeping fish: Water changes. Your not going to be able to neglect your fish for 3 months. You just got lucky with those.

 

[ir0n_ma1den]

I have already been researching tons and know that I need CO2, and good lighting and cycling n stuff.

anyway, i decided that i want to put community fish in the 55g. I'm thinking platies,swordtail, tetras, and others. maybe some mollies. What is a good algae or waste eater?

 

[xostrawberryox]

Wow! Thats quite revolting you describe such cruelty to those fish as 'a funny story'

"hehe, funny story: back when i first had fish i kinda neglected it"

 

[ir0n_ma1den]

i came here for help, but if u want to criticize me then u can

 

[sophos9]

i came here for help, but if u want to criticize me then u can

Ok... so how heavily do you want to plant your tank and any ideas of what to plant?

 

[ir0n_ma1den]

well, i want to have a danish design to it. I want a nice carpet of riccia or another type of plant that can carpet. i am going to make a background that has mini apartments to it so territorial fish have a place.
this is what im talking about
fish grotto

I want the tank to have symmetry.