55 Gallon Build

[Botanica]

Hi everyone!
I have finally gotten the time to set up my 55 gallon planted! Yay!
I used Eco-Complete substrate with PFS on top, Marineland Double Bright LED's (24" x2), Aquaclear 110 filter and an Aquatop 200 watt digital heater. I'll be adding an air pump (the line and stone is in place) for when needed as soon as I get the gang valve.
So it's up and running and really cloudy still...but the filter is doing its job and its clearing up pretty quick. I will be staring at the hard scape for the next few days while I make my plant list. I might still move a few things around...

I am going into this lo tech...but expect I will need some kind of co2 eventually. I would love opinions and suggestions on both aquascape and plant selection. Stocking list too.

 

[Botanica]

Oops...sorry...I forgot the photos! Looks barren without plants...

 

[Botanica]

Ok...so system has been up and running for about two hours now and I've just run the tests for water parameters...results as follows:

Ammonia. .25
Nitrite. 0
Nitrate. 0
pH. 8.2

My tap water is always pH 7.5... so I'm not sure what's buffering it up like that...but I figured I'll wait until tomorrow and retest. I'm not adding ammonia tonight because I want to see if it moves at all overnight. Usually...my tap water is zero across the board...so I'm wondering where the ammonia came from...the Eco-Complete?
We have also already moved a few things...so new photos below.

 

[Botanica]

Update...in case anyone is watching...lol. I dosed ammonia to 4 and I'm waiting now. The tank is really clear and sparkling...needs plants badly! I'm hoping to go to the fish store tomorrow or Thursday to get some stem plants and maybe moss if it looks good. It also needs some branches coming down from the top...hunting for manzanita bush nearby. The pH is staying pretty high at 7.8...but we will see what happens when the conversion starts. I'm considering adding some small stoned I collected from a beach in Northern California a while ago. None of them react to the vinegar test...but my husband wonders about salt...should I be worried?

 

[MartyMA]

So far, I think it looks really good. Just enough hardscape. If you do find some manzanita, that will help give some vertical balance since none of your hardscape is particularly big or tall. Are you going for a community set up or something closer to a biotope? You could have a variety of south american fishes in a tank this size. Angels, rams or maybe a few apistos. I would put in a big school of cardinal tetras and add some floating plants like frogbit or red root floater. About the ocean rock - I myself would not worry about the salt. As long as it passes the vinegar test, I think it should be okay. Others may disagree but it seems that any salt would just wash off the surface of the stone. We had a lot of ocean debris wash up here yesterday during the hurricane (not much damage at all up my way...thinking about the folks just south. Hope it gets better real soon) so I myself am going 'stone shopping' at the beach this week. Just gonna soak, rinse, test and use whatever suits my fancy. Please post more pics as you progress.

 

[Botanica]

So far, I think it looks really good. Just enough hardscape. If you do find some manzanita, that will help give some vertical balance since none of your hardscape is particularly big or tall. Are you going for a community set up or something closer to a biotope? You could have a variety of south american fishes in a tank this size. Angels, rams or maybe a few apistos. I would put in a big school of cardinal tetras and add some floating plants like frogbit or red root floater. About the ocean rock - I myself would not worry about the salt. As long as it passes the vinegar test, I think it should be okay. Others may disagree but it seems that any salt would just wash off the surface of the stone. We had a lot of ocean debris wash up here yesterday during the hurricane (not much damage at all up my way...thinking about the folks just south. Hope it gets better real soon) so I myself am going 'stone shopping' at the beach this week. Just gonna soak, rinse, test and use whatever suits my fancy. Please post more pics as you progress.

Thanks! I've been planning this tank forever in my head...so it's nice to be reassured. . This will be pretty much a South American tank for sure. I'll have rainbowfish tho...so I guess a mix. Angels and rams and Platies and tetras...cardinals and hopefully rummies. I'm sure everything I've thought of wont fit...but I'll figure it out. After the 55...we have 2 20s, a 10, and a 40 gallon breeder...so I just need patience. . I'll be posting photos and updates as I go along...gonna add seed material from another tank tonight to speed up the cycle I hope! Waiting is hard...

 

[brennae]

Amazon swords and anubias are very easy to grow, not sure if you want to stick to SOuth American plants too or not. Good Job!

 

[AngelWings]

I'll definitely follow along. Can't wait to see how it turns out. Beautiful, I'm sure, after seeing your other tank.

 

[Botanica]

I'll definitely follow along. Can't wait to see how it turns out. Beautiful, I'm sure, after seeing your other tank.

Awe...thanks! . I hope to plant this one much heavier than the big one...but I don't really like the over grown look...so not allot of big bushy stuff. I'm also torn on what kind of angels to get...something blue I think but not sure which yet. I also have to decide on the ground crew...lol...cories or otos or cats? I don't care for plecos much...too big and scary and messy...lol.

One thing my husband has offered me is to use the two 24" double bright led's on the two 20 gallon highs that we are building. They both have out of the box tops and lights...one led the other t8. Then he said he would buy me a 48" fixture more suited to a planted tank. What do I need? I don't want too much light...and would rather not spend a ton of money on it. Any suggestions are welcomed...I'm just learning about lighting...so bare with me. I appreciate you guys...

 

[Botanica]

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a safe and happy halloween! I thought I would post an update!


I'm so excited...I see progress already! Woohoo!!
My initial dose of ammonia was added on October 29 in the evening. The next afternoon I added a filter insert from my 20 gallon overstocked platy grow out tank that I had been seasoning for about two months...I placed it in my hob in place of the carbon it came with. My husband also put another of these cartridges into the tank right behind the filter intake. The second cartridge has been in his 135 from when we cycled that tank...so I know the colony of bacteria present on that one isn't as great as the one direct from the 20 because it wasn't in his filter...just in the water column.

Today I tested:

Ammonia= .5
Nitrite= .25
Nitrate= 5
Ph= 7.6

I can't believe I'm seeing such results so soon! I didn't have time to test yesterday with halloween and such...but when we cycled the 135 it took 2 weeks still to see any movement in the water tests! My husband is jealous...but I'm ecstatic!

So I'm going to wait for the ammonia to test at zero before I bring it back up to 4 ppm. I just wonder how long until I can get my fish.....

 

[Botanica]

Good morning! Just tested my water...my cycle is moving along great! I've been dosing to 4ppm daily and here are this mornings results:

Ammonia. 0
Nitrite. 5
Nitrate. 40+
PH. 7.6

So I need to dose ammonia again and I'm trying to decide if I should dose to 4 again or maybe only to 2 to give the nitrite time to catch up without overloading...anyone have any opinions?

 

[Wy Renegade]

I agree that some branching wood will help to give you a nice balance. Congrates on getting the water parameters to start balancing out for you. In regards to the lighting, since you are starting low tech, I would start with a t5 HO fixture, maybe something with four bulbs, and only use two of them to start. Once you move into the world of CO2 dosing etc. you'll be able to use the other two lights. You could also start with just a two bulb fixture and add another down the road when/if you decide to go high tech.

 

[Botanica]

I agree that some branching wood will help to give you a nice balance. Congrates on getting the water parameters to start balancing out for you. In regards to the lighting, since you are starting low tech, I would start with a t5 HO fixture, maybe something with four bulbs, and only use two of them to start. Once you move into the world of CO2 dosing etc. you'll be able to use the other two lights. You could also start with just a two bulb fixture and add another down the road when/if you decide to go high tech.

. Thanks! I'm excited about the progress. I've been shopping for the perfect branch online...lol...I'm about to just go cut myself one! How long would I have to cure a fresh branch anyway...?

As for lighting...any suggestions on brands? I've been shopping around a bit...but it's hard to tell which brand is best without direction. .

 

[Wy Renegade]

. Thanks! I'm excited about the progress. I've been shopping for the perfect branch online...lol...I'm about to just go cut myself one! How long would I have to cure a fresh branch anyway...?

As for lighting...any suggestions on brands? I've been shopping around a bit...but it's hard to tell which brand is best without direction. .

Well you wouldn't want to cut a live branch or root, what you want is one or some that are already dead. Then it is simply a matter of soaking it till the tannins come out of it (usually a few weeks). On the other hand if you are doing a dark water tank, it can go in immediately.

I really don't have much for suggestions. I picked up one of the aqueon t5 dual light fixtures for freshwater this past weekend that I'm going to be trying. The price was certainly cheap enough, but its not a HO fixture.

 

[Botanica]

Ok...so it's been a while...but allot has happened. . I've been busy.


We are all cycled and adding plants. I still need new lighting, but for now I'm working with what I've got. I won an eBay auction that I couldn't pass up on wide fin blue pearl angelfish...so the tank has new inhabitants. . All but one of the dime sized and smaller babies didn't survive the trip...so I have 13 for now! (Auction was for 6). I'm sure my lfs will take my extras for trade. I cant wait or them to grow so I can tell what they are!