I'm a beginner starting a 55gal aquarium. ADVICE NEEDED

[jlk]

Yes! Things are going well. Going into town today to get sand, buckets and test kit. Question to you all: can I use a freshwater pond test kit for the tank? What about freshwater pond plants?

As long as its a liquid test kit for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate & ph, it doesnt matter if its labeled for 'pond use' although my lfs's/pond stores do not carry liquid test kits for ponds, just strips. Freshwater is freshwater. It doesnt matter if its inside or outside.

Most pond plants need some portion of the plant above the waterline & sufficient light making them a bit dificult for aquarium use. I have water lettuce & water hyacinth that I moved inside a few months ago. Water lettuce is doing great but the hyacinth, not so great. Beyond floaters such as water lettuce, I am not sure what other pond plants you could reasonably use but your welcome to experiment!

 

[Rivercats]

I've never seen pond test kits and I have had ponds for about 15 years. A test kit is a test kit, I use my API master test kit when I want to check pond water. Just don't buy test strips as they tend to be very inaccurate.

Yes you can use pond plants, I use small water hycnaith's in my tanks that I get from my ponds.

 

[Kay2lynnS]

Question about snails. Mom wants some Malaysian trumpet snails to till the sand and eat waste. Also a Loachs (long striped kinda snake like fish) to eat the snails young so the tank won't over populate with them. Thoughts?

 

[emerald76]

Question about snails. Mom wants some Malaysian trumpet snails to till the sand and eat waste. Also a Loachs (long striped kinda snake like fish) to eat the snails young so the tank won't over populate with them. Thoughts?

You dont have a guarantee the loaches will eat them

 

[BlaseMrNiceguy]

I would say get the trumpets and some assassin snails both till the sand and the assassins will eat the MTS

 

[Rivercats]

I have 3 yo-yo loaches that eat any pond snail they can find (which are very few anymore thanks to them) yet they don't even mess with trying to eat the MTS's. When I first introduced a few kinds of nerite snails the loaches tried to get them out the thier shells but couldn't so now leave them alone too. The loaches are at least 3 inches now so they aren't little babies. MTS snails are good IMO, they areate the substate cleaning it, mostly come out only at night, and if you get an explosion of them you know you are overfeeding your fish. If you don't want any possibility of snail babies then get some nerites. There are different colors and patterned ones and also the little horned nerites that I think are way cute. Loaches will try to eat the nerites but nerites are a trapdoor snail making it harder for loaches to get them out of their shells. Instead of loaches what about sweet little cory cats for the bottom, there are so many varieties to choose from.

 

[Kay2lynnS]

Update: have sand, some decor, getting plants soon, heater came in, got some 'miracle grow organic soil' for the planted areas. and bought API water test kit today! So I may rinse the sand tonight if it stops raining. Tomorrow will be set up the tank day!! Hopeful.

 

[Borderlesscott]

I've read a few reports that you can't put fish into a tank for 5-7 weeks if using miracle gro soil, due to the amount of ammonia it produces. No personal experience, but might be something you want to check out.

 

[Rivercats]

In dirted tanks the plants usually eat the ammonia right up. All that needs to be done is monitor the water for ammonia/nitrite and do WC's if needed. The plants in my big dirted tank ate the ammonia/nitrites right up. The organic soil does release alot of nutrients in the first weeks, but if there are enough plants and some good WC's there shouldn't be any problems.

 

[Rivercats]

Don't know exactly how your going to do dirted areas but dirt needs to be capped with about an 1 to 1-1/2 of substrate (sand in your case). You may find it easier to dirt the entire bottom, the cap the dirt. Then plants can be added anywhere. Not too sure trying to make dirt areas for plants is going to work too good.

 

[BlaseMrNiceguy]

+1 eventually the dirt will dissipate into the gravel leveling itself off it would be best just to dirt the whole bottom.

 

[Kay2lynnS]

I've read a few reports that you can't put fish into a tank for 5-7 weeks if using miracle gro soil, due to the amount of ammonia it produces. No personal experience, but might be something you want to check out.

Well if that is the case, it won't be a problem. I still have to cycle it. Im doing a fishless one.

 

[Kay2lynnS]

In dirted tanks the plants usually eat the ammonia right up. All that needs to be done is monitor the water for ammonia/nitrite and do WC's if needed. The plants in my big dirted tank ate the ammonia/nitrites right up. The organic soil does release alot of nutrients in the first weeks, but if there are enough plants and some good WC's there shouldn't be any problems.

Awesome! Thankyou

 

[Kay2lynnS]

+1 eventually the dirt will dissipate into the gravel leveling itself off it would be best just to dirt the whole bottom.

Im doing sand, not gravel

 

[Kay2lynnS]

Soil in. Sand is rinsed and placed in tank also. Tomorrow live plants (that have been in an already cycled aquarium) will be added. yay!!

 

[Mrs.h2012]

Would love to see pictures

 

[Kay2lynnS]

Would love to see pictures

Okay! Ill

 

[Kay2lynnS]

Would love to see pictures

Okay! I'll Post some once the plants are in tomorrow!

 

[BlaseMrNiceguy]

Sweet cant wait!

 

[KevinM]

Can't wait to see it