many many questions

[875mill]

I currently have a 20 gallon tank that I have been running for pretty successfully for 2 1/2 years. So I'm not completely new to this, but I know enough that i don't know enough. I'm seriously thinking of upgrading to a 55 gallon tank and have a few questions. I would like to try a medium planted tank with a few angel's (thinking 4), a couple of dwarf rams (2 or 3), 4 cory cats, and a few other small schooling fish.
First question from what I have read so far ppl seem to suggest a canister filter over a HOB filter for anything 50 gallon and up. Why is this? Will the standard hob filters not provide enough filtration? Or is it the filter media? I have seem some HOB filters that have room for adding extra filter media. Second I have also read that many suggest adding an additional power head at the opposite side of the tank for better circulation.
When they say powerhead are the referring to a Hob filter, or is this an additional attachment for a canister filter?
Third question would 4 angels be to much for a 55 gallon? Would they have room to grow? Also i would like it if I could get 2 males and 2 females. Is there a place online where i can order fish and specify weather wether I want male or female? And I was wondering for them to pair off do the need to be the same type? I.E. 2 golds and 2 marbles, or can I have 4 different types like 1 gold, 1 block, 1 marble, and 1 white and they still pair off.
One to the fifth or sixth question I done lost count lol. I know cory cats forage the bottom for food. Will a med. planted tank still leave enough open bottom area for them to forage on.
Last question how do you vacuum a med to heavy plated tank, or do you even need to? Do the plants break down all the waste them selves? If not how do you keep from disturbing or harming the plants and their roots with the vacuum? I've seen some beautiful plated tanks where almost the entire bottom was covered and I always wondered how they clean them. Also could someone recommend a good test kit that test ammonia,nitrites, and nitrates. And also one that test co2 levels and whatever else i need to test for in a planted tank, and where I could get them online. My LFS isn't that great. Not even sure if i can get Co2 from them.
I'll also post this on the general forum sice this one is mainly about plants and i have a few fish question in here.

Thanks in advance.

 

[malkore]

Welcome to AA!

Make sure you read all the stickies at the top of this forum...they'll answer some of your questions.

Canisters are more efficient than HOB's, move more water, and disturb the surface less, which is important when injecting CO2.
Powerhead is a submersed pump for circulation...its not anything like a HOB.

Never kept angels so I cannot comment on that part.

In a heavily planted tank you don't vac into the gravel, you just go over the surface (more like sweeping than vac'ing). The detris breaks down and the plants soak it up through their roots. If you had big open areas with no plants, you can vac into those areas a bit.

You'll need pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, Carbonate hardness (or alkalinity) and general hardness test kits. The stickies discuss how to measure CO2. YOu don't need a special test kit, you just need to know your pH and Kh.

 

[Jchillin]

Welcome to AA!

Never kept angels so I cannot comment on that part.

But I do. A little angel knowledge goes a long way. You can definitely fit 4 angels in a 55 gal. However, at some point in time, angels will mature and pair up. This will lead to you having to move the remaining un-paired fish because the mated pair will become very aggressive toward them. Sexing juvenile angels is impossible, so you will not know the sexes until after they've paired up.

 

[Acer]

i gave a 55 gal with 2 hob filters, one Aqua-Clear 300 and a Whisper 60, i also have 6 mid sized angelfish with 8 glo lite tetras, 2 Kribs, 8 danio and 10 cory, i'll be splitting that tank in half stockwise, my 29 gal was leaking and i had no choice but to house them temp. in there, if i were you i would go with a canister filter, all of the stock you mentioned and keep the 20 gal in case the angels decide to breed or you can use it as a hospital tank, growout tank.. hth

 

[875mill]

if i were you i would go with a canister filter, all of the stock you mentioned

You think this is to much fish for a 55 gallon? I was thinkomh i would have room for all that I listed and then some.

 

[Acer]

no, as long as you keep up weekly pwc and be carefull not to over feed, you'll be all good. especially if you go for a canister filter and natural plants, natural plants use waste from your fish as fertilizer. i've been running the set up from my previous post for about 3 weeks and i havent had any changes to my water chemistry. i do weekly pwc and vacuum really good.. also helps that the biggest #s of fish arent big waste producers..

 

[Mazdaman]

the other nice thing with the canister filters is less equipment to look at hanging on the tank. Just the intake and outlet and the filters hides in the stand.