MINIMAL
Aquarium Advice Freak
Size: 55 gallon
Type: Planted Freshwater
Lighting: Compact Fluorescent and LED
Stand: Built By Hand
Filter: API Filstar XPL with DIY Spray Bar
Heater: Top Fin 200watt UL
Ferts: Miracle Grow Organic, Flourish Trace
Other Equip: C02 (DIY Yeast & Sugar System with DIY Bubble Counter), eBay Power Head
Substrate: River Pebbles (Home Depot), Play Sand, Miracle Grow Organic (buried in pantyhose)
Hardscape: Petrified Wood, River Stones (Wendy’s parking lot), Malaysian Driftwood, Local Rocks
Plant List
· Water Sprite
· Java Moss
· Subwassertang
· Riccia (Crystalwort)
· Amazon Sword
· Creeping Jenny (local pond)
· Dwarf Four Leaf Clover
· Comb Leaf Mermaid Weed
· Brazilian Pennywort
· Anubias (multiple types)
· Hairgrass (local pond)
· Cabomba Purple
· Regular Baby Tears
· Ambulia
· Rotala
· Banana Plant
· Corkscrew Val
· Repens (multiple types)
· Anarchis
· Snakeskin Liverwort (local stream)
· Multiple Unknown or Forgotten from LFS and State Parks
Fish List
· 2 - Neon Tetra
· 2 - Celestial Pearl Danio
· 1 - Kissing Gourami
· 1 - Black Sailfin Molly
· 1 - Serpae Tetra
· 2 – Kuhli Loach
· 1 - Blue Tetra
· 1 - Chinese Algae Eater
· 1 - Pleco
· 1 - Red/Gold Tux Guppy Male
· 1 - White Cloud
· 5 - Red Cherry Shrimp
· 2 - Mystery Snail
I want to start off by saying that believe it or not, you can get a tank to look like this a whole lot cheaper than you think, so do not get discouraged as I nearly did. When the recession finally caught up with me in 2010 I went from making 8-10k a month with a Hummer, Boat, JetSki, 4 Wheeler, House on the River in the city, and buying anything I ever wanted to living in a trailer 2 hours away (literally in the woods), driving an Oldsmobile Alero, and not being able to put food on the table. All of this while having a Wife, Step Son, and my own little one on the way. It was by far the hardest time of my life, but it taught me a lot of things, most importantly, that you do not have to buy top of the line or brand new all of the time. Sometimes you just have to make do with what you have or figure out to make something out of stuff that is lying around.
While now, after a lot of hard work and perseverance, I now do not have to worry about spending a dollar on a candy bar like I used to, and could’ve bought everything new, however I still keep that same mentality. I still go to yard sales on the weekends to get clothes, home décor that can be repurposed, toys for the kids, etc. Why pay $45 for an Under Armour shirt at the store, when you can get one at a yard sale for $0.25? Just do bleach dips like you do to your plants, and you’re good to go haha! The only equipment listed above that was purchased new was the tank, original filter, and heater. Everything else was built by hand, scavenged, or purchased used. This will also give you pride in what you have built. This is the price list for everything.
Tank & Heater - $120 (was $150 for kit from PetSmart, but I sold the filter that came with it)
Lighting - $25 used CFL with added LED’s scavenged from the original tank purchase
API Filstar XPL Filter and Media - $65 used from LFS
Stand - $50 (2x4’s bought new for the horizontal runs, verticals are from pallets) and the finish is fencing planks, the back plywood is also from pallets
Substrate- $12 (River pebbles from HomeDepot $4, Sand $4, MiracleGrow $4)
Hardscape - $18 (all rocks and petrified wood were locally found, $18 was driftwood from LFS)
Power Head - $4 on eBay and only use it to spread ferts.
CO2 System - $2 so far, used excess tubing I had, empty milk jug and water bottle, only bought yeast already have sugar around the house.
Other items - $4 (dollar store suction cups & superglue gel for attaching plants, pantyhose)
Chemicals and Testing - $15 yard sale find and all was new and sealed - API Master Test Kit, Water Conditioner, Flourish Trace, along with several other items.
So that brings the total to $315, not too bad for a 55g….but not a single plant or fish is in the water yet. The above stuff was easy for me, because I am used to searching for deals and making due. However, after looking at the globe in my office, I realized I was not going to be able to go out on lunch and find a neon tetra or amazon sword in the local streams of West Virginia lol. I started out the tank by searching for coupons to pet stores and LFS’s in my area. I found one in those local ad mailers that most people throw away for $5 off $20 at the LFS, so I loaded my boys up and let them pick the first batch, which is why my fish listing is so random. While there I talked to the owner for quite some time. He then gave me a 25% off everything for new aquarium setups card that was good for two months, which helped a ton. I also found research papers online from West Virginia University on the aquatic plants of WV and their locations in my area. I found several nice plants by using the guide. I also found a 10g tank setup for $5 at a yard sale that week and after bleach dips the plants went there for a month before being introduced to the 55g. I also found that local trades with the LFS for plants that have grown too large have been beneficial as well as using this very forum to swap, or get things that people are giving away has worked well. I am also trying out some mosses I found locally in the bottom of that 10g tank, and 8 weeks later they are growing and turning into really good looking greens. So far my total after buying, reselling, trading, or getting freebies on fish and plants, plus picking up the $5 “hospital tank” is in the neighborhood of $70. This brings the total to $385 for a heavily planted tank with lower end stock level of fish.
I have spent so much time obtaining and researching plants, substrate, and rocks that I really have not paid any attention to fish. I am starting that journey now though. I do not plan to have more than two of the same type of fish, inverts I do not care if there is more than two, since they will help me with the maintenance, but I do not want 40 of the same tetra swimming around, as those tanks just seem lifeless and dull to me. The fish and inverts I do have now get along great, and it is very amusing to watch. The Chinese Algae Eater and my White Mystery Snail (who I think was in the Disney movie “Turbo” because he is so fast) have hit it off well. The Algae Eater gets on the snails back and they tour the tank together, until they see something to eat. The guppy has a heavy attracting to the kissing gourami, apparently the guppy likes is girls BBF. He stays under its fin all day. The shrimp spend a lot of the day on the Plecos head and back and eat while keeping contact with him. Not sure if all of this is normal behavior or not, but it sure is funny to watch. I guess once I get into the research, I will find out. The only bullies in the tank are the neon tetras, and I don’t mind it much because I had a tiny pond snail stuck to the Anarchis the LFS ordered for me, since it was just the one, I decided to let him live. After the nightly feeding the neon’s track this guy down and basically play soccer with him for 10-15 minutes. They leave him alone all day and only mess with him after eating, so not sure what that is all about.
I do plan to move to pressurized CO2 sometime down the road, but right now the yeast and sugar method are working great, to the point I have enough water sprite to fill two 10g tanks top to bottom with it (if you want some for free send me a PM) and I have been cutting and replanting runners on a lot of the other plants as well, so I do not see an immediate need for it, but when I do you better believe it will be the cheapest setup possible.
Hopefully this inspires people to give it a try if they are on the fence due to the financial burden they think it would cause. If anybody needs help with how to build a stand, what pebbles to buy, or anything not related to fish or inverts, just let me know and I will do my best. Maybe in the next few months I will know enough about the fish and inverts to help out some there as well. Some pictures are below, and if asked, I can post some pictures next week of the mosses I have been trying to grow underwater if anybody is interested in seeing those. Also if you see any plants that I did not list, please let me know what they are so I can add them to my list, I was adding things so quickly that I forgot to write them all down. Pic1 – Tank now. Pic2 – Tank now. Pic3 – Showing stand and canopy. Pic4-Mosses that I am trying aquatically, also a piece of snakeskin liverwort.
Thanks for reading!
*Note* if you are going to use any local rocks or pebbles, do a test with vinegar, if it bubbles do not use it, and also avoid and rock that looks sedimentary like sandstone as it will fall apart after a few months and make a mess. Also wash heavily and then boil any rock, pebble, petrified wood, and play sand twice before planning on putting it in the tank. All plants before being introduced to your tank need to have any dead areas removed, and all foreign objects and life forms removed, then rinse, rub every leaf and stem between thumb and finger, dip in a 1/19 bleach and water mix, rinse, rub, place in clean treated water and soak for 30 mins before putting in your tank. This ensures that no algae, bacteria, worms, etc. get into your tank. If you have any other questions on items, send me a PM.
Type: Planted Freshwater
Lighting: Compact Fluorescent and LED
Stand: Built By Hand
Filter: API Filstar XPL with DIY Spray Bar
Heater: Top Fin 200watt UL
Ferts: Miracle Grow Organic, Flourish Trace
Other Equip: C02 (DIY Yeast & Sugar System with DIY Bubble Counter), eBay Power Head
Substrate: River Pebbles (Home Depot), Play Sand, Miracle Grow Organic (buried in pantyhose)
Hardscape: Petrified Wood, River Stones (Wendy’s parking lot), Malaysian Driftwood, Local Rocks
Plant List
· Water Sprite
· Java Moss
· Subwassertang
· Riccia (Crystalwort)
· Amazon Sword
· Creeping Jenny (local pond)
· Dwarf Four Leaf Clover
· Comb Leaf Mermaid Weed
· Brazilian Pennywort
· Anubias (multiple types)
· Hairgrass (local pond)
· Cabomba Purple
· Regular Baby Tears
· Ambulia
· Rotala
· Banana Plant
· Corkscrew Val
· Repens (multiple types)
· Anarchis
· Snakeskin Liverwort (local stream)
· Multiple Unknown or Forgotten from LFS and State Parks
Fish List
· 2 - Neon Tetra
· 2 - Celestial Pearl Danio
· 1 - Kissing Gourami
· 1 - Black Sailfin Molly
· 1 - Serpae Tetra
· 2 – Kuhli Loach
· 1 - Blue Tetra
· 1 - Chinese Algae Eater
· 1 - Pleco
· 1 - Red/Gold Tux Guppy Male
· 1 - White Cloud
· 5 - Red Cherry Shrimp
· 2 - Mystery Snail
I want to start off by saying that believe it or not, you can get a tank to look like this a whole lot cheaper than you think, so do not get discouraged as I nearly did. When the recession finally caught up with me in 2010 I went from making 8-10k a month with a Hummer, Boat, JetSki, 4 Wheeler, House on the River in the city, and buying anything I ever wanted to living in a trailer 2 hours away (literally in the woods), driving an Oldsmobile Alero, and not being able to put food on the table. All of this while having a Wife, Step Son, and my own little one on the way. It was by far the hardest time of my life, but it taught me a lot of things, most importantly, that you do not have to buy top of the line or brand new all of the time. Sometimes you just have to make do with what you have or figure out to make something out of stuff that is lying around.
While now, after a lot of hard work and perseverance, I now do not have to worry about spending a dollar on a candy bar like I used to, and could’ve bought everything new, however I still keep that same mentality. I still go to yard sales on the weekends to get clothes, home décor that can be repurposed, toys for the kids, etc. Why pay $45 for an Under Armour shirt at the store, when you can get one at a yard sale for $0.25? Just do bleach dips like you do to your plants, and you’re good to go haha! The only equipment listed above that was purchased new was the tank, original filter, and heater. Everything else was built by hand, scavenged, or purchased used. This will also give you pride in what you have built. This is the price list for everything.
Tank & Heater - $120 (was $150 for kit from PetSmart, but I sold the filter that came with it)
Lighting - $25 used CFL with added LED’s scavenged from the original tank purchase
API Filstar XPL Filter and Media - $65 used from LFS
Stand - $50 (2x4’s bought new for the horizontal runs, verticals are from pallets) and the finish is fencing planks, the back plywood is also from pallets
Substrate- $12 (River pebbles from HomeDepot $4, Sand $4, MiracleGrow $4)
Hardscape - $18 (all rocks and petrified wood were locally found, $18 was driftwood from LFS)
Power Head - $4 on eBay and only use it to spread ferts.
CO2 System - $2 so far, used excess tubing I had, empty milk jug and water bottle, only bought yeast already have sugar around the house.
Other items - $4 (dollar store suction cups & superglue gel for attaching plants, pantyhose)
Chemicals and Testing - $15 yard sale find and all was new and sealed - API Master Test Kit, Water Conditioner, Flourish Trace, along with several other items.
So that brings the total to $315, not too bad for a 55g….but not a single plant or fish is in the water yet. The above stuff was easy for me, because I am used to searching for deals and making due. However, after looking at the globe in my office, I realized I was not going to be able to go out on lunch and find a neon tetra or amazon sword in the local streams of West Virginia lol. I started out the tank by searching for coupons to pet stores and LFS’s in my area. I found one in those local ad mailers that most people throw away for $5 off $20 at the LFS, so I loaded my boys up and let them pick the first batch, which is why my fish listing is so random. While there I talked to the owner for quite some time. He then gave me a 25% off everything for new aquarium setups card that was good for two months, which helped a ton. I also found research papers online from West Virginia University on the aquatic plants of WV and their locations in my area. I found several nice plants by using the guide. I also found a 10g tank setup for $5 at a yard sale that week and after bleach dips the plants went there for a month before being introduced to the 55g. I also found that local trades with the LFS for plants that have grown too large have been beneficial as well as using this very forum to swap, or get things that people are giving away has worked well. I am also trying out some mosses I found locally in the bottom of that 10g tank, and 8 weeks later they are growing and turning into really good looking greens. So far my total after buying, reselling, trading, or getting freebies on fish and plants, plus picking up the $5 “hospital tank” is in the neighborhood of $70. This brings the total to $385 for a heavily planted tank with lower end stock level of fish.
I have spent so much time obtaining and researching plants, substrate, and rocks that I really have not paid any attention to fish. I am starting that journey now though. I do not plan to have more than two of the same type of fish, inverts I do not care if there is more than two, since they will help me with the maintenance, but I do not want 40 of the same tetra swimming around, as those tanks just seem lifeless and dull to me. The fish and inverts I do have now get along great, and it is very amusing to watch. The Chinese Algae Eater and my White Mystery Snail (who I think was in the Disney movie “Turbo” because he is so fast) have hit it off well. The Algae Eater gets on the snails back and they tour the tank together, until they see something to eat. The guppy has a heavy attracting to the kissing gourami, apparently the guppy likes is girls BBF. He stays under its fin all day. The shrimp spend a lot of the day on the Plecos head and back and eat while keeping contact with him. Not sure if all of this is normal behavior or not, but it sure is funny to watch. I guess once I get into the research, I will find out. The only bullies in the tank are the neon tetras, and I don’t mind it much because I had a tiny pond snail stuck to the Anarchis the LFS ordered for me, since it was just the one, I decided to let him live. After the nightly feeding the neon’s track this guy down and basically play soccer with him for 10-15 minutes. They leave him alone all day and only mess with him after eating, so not sure what that is all about.
I do plan to move to pressurized CO2 sometime down the road, but right now the yeast and sugar method are working great, to the point I have enough water sprite to fill two 10g tanks top to bottom with it (if you want some for free send me a PM) and I have been cutting and replanting runners on a lot of the other plants as well, so I do not see an immediate need for it, but when I do you better believe it will be the cheapest setup possible.
Hopefully this inspires people to give it a try if they are on the fence due to the financial burden they think it would cause. If anybody needs help with how to build a stand, what pebbles to buy, or anything not related to fish or inverts, just let me know and I will do my best. Maybe in the next few months I will know enough about the fish and inverts to help out some there as well. Some pictures are below, and if asked, I can post some pictures next week of the mosses I have been trying to grow underwater if anybody is interested in seeing those. Also if you see any plants that I did not list, please let me know what they are so I can add them to my list, I was adding things so quickly that I forgot to write them all down. Pic1 – Tank now. Pic2 – Tank now. Pic3 – Showing stand and canopy. Pic4-Mosses that I am trying aquatically, also a piece of snakeskin liverwort.
Thanks for reading!
*Note* if you are going to use any local rocks or pebbles, do a test with vinegar, if it bubbles do not use it, and also avoid and rock that looks sedimentary like sandstone as it will fall apart after a few months and make a mess. Also wash heavily and then boil any rock, pebble, petrified wood, and play sand twice before planning on putting it in the tank. All plants before being introduced to your tank need to have any dead areas removed, and all foreign objects and life forms removed, then rinse, rub every leaf and stem between thumb and finger, dip in a 1/19 bleach and water mix, rinse, rub, place in clean treated water and soak for 30 mins before putting in your tank. This ensures that no algae, bacteria, worms, etc. get into your tank. If you have any other questions on items, send me a PM.