55 gal. Brand new tank- do you have advise?

[kittann]

Well, I've gone from a 12 gallon Eclipse to a 55 gal. glass tank. I have purchased nothing for the new, 55. I am going freshwater and wondered if anyone who has gone thru the 'wish I'd known that then', Has any purchasing advise to offer?
I'm looking at an empty tank & wondering about everything from substrate to the type of filter I should purchase (besides the included filter), to the lighting, even the type of fish would be happiest & prettiest in here.

Do you have any advise to share? I'd prefer to make a good (even if $$$$) decision now as opposed to regret & pay more in the long run.

I will be doing a fish-less cycle & will list what I "think" I will like in the new tank....

Live, easy to care for plants
Darker the substrate, the better but not a necessity-good for live plants
Larger bodied fish...perhaps cichlids?
Driftwood
over filtration- not a bad thing?
No HOB filter since I'm limited in space from front to back of the tank
Hoods to replace the "included" ones that'll allow me better lighting for live plants
Good lighting that allows the plants to thrive

So much more that I can't even think about now. I may be overwhelmed...
I have three guppy boys happy in their 12 gallon home but as addictive as this hobby is, I purchased a much larger tank & am now wondering where to start!
I have read so many posts but there seems to be contradiction in what's considered the "best".

I got this 55 gal. since the price was right but it is a 'starter' tank with it's own hoods, lights, even a heater. It's called a Topfin Aquarium Starter Kit 55.
I'm sorry I need so much advise...what's offered is so gratefully received!

 

[ciantarah]

I am by no means an expert... but I've had a lightly planted tank with live plants for about 7 months now and have made many, many mistakes along the way! You might know everything I do about live plants already, but here's what I've learned so far, anyway.

1) Don't buy the plants in tubes at Petco/Petsmart... especially if they say "Semi-Aquatic" on them (that means they are just repurposed houseplants that will die underwater). Get ones that are actually growing underwater in tanks. I've had the best luck with the ones I got at the really nice tropical fish store downtown... they have several tanks of plants that come in lots of interesting colors and are healthier than the ones I bought at the measly little petco tank. They also offer much better advice.

2) Bulbs are cheap, but a lot of the ones I bought at Petco/Petsmart have been duds. Out of 10 bulbs I bought, only 1 was good. You can order bulbs that have already sprouted online if you want to go that route.... I've not tried it myself, though.

3) I got the same TopFin starter kit you did, just in the 29 gal variety. I kept the hood but replaced the original bulb with a 6700K one. It's turning out fine for a lightly planted tank... I may end up getting another hood soon, though, as I want my tank to be more densely planted (eventually).

4) I know a lot of plants do better with root tabs (fertilizer tabs that you plant along with the roots), but I didn't know about that when I first started. I've managed OK without, so far, but am not growing anything too complicated yet.

5) A good additive to the water is SeaChem Flourish... adding twice a week works great. It seems like everything SeaChem makes is top notch... I swear by their products. I also put in a CO2 additive every day or two, but am not too stressed about it.

6) I hear hornwort is a great plant because it can absorb ammonia directly. I plan on getting some soon.

7) Don't skimp on your substrate. You'll want a nice thick layer for plants... I didn't get quite enough and it's been a struggle getting things to stay in the gravel and not float up.

8) As a corollary to substrate, I have both sand and pea gravel... I had wanted to make a sort of "beach" area where part of the tank was exposed sand for my loaches to play in. It totally did not work. The sand and the gravel combined in a matter of a few weeks so now I have gravel with sand mixed into some areas. This is sort of good for plants because it gives the roots something to hold on to, but is just a nightmare whenever I'm doing water changes because the sand gets stirred up. I recommend staying far, far away from sand.

As far as filtration goes, I have no opinion... I don't have any basis for comparison yet. My friend who is super into cichlids swears by undergravel filtration... which sounds like it could be a good fit for you due to limited space.

Good luck!

 

[kittann]

Wow that's lots of great advise! Yea, my Petsmart nearby has plenty of wilted looking plants in tubes for sale. I'll look into some hornwart maybe from that Fosters and Smith online place?

Also, I'm glad to hear you were able to replace the stock bulb in the Topfin hood for a stronger one. That'd save some money if I don't have to replace the hoods completely.

SeaChem Florish....I'll add that to my list of stuff to buy too. I'll need to read up on the CO2 additive. Not sure what that is.

Thanks so much for the list! You gave me lots to think about!

 

[bruinsbro1997]

Well, I've gone from a 12 gallon Eclipse to a 55 gal. glass tank. I have purchased nothing for the new, 55. I am going freshwater and wondered if anyone who has gone thru the 'wish I'd known that then', Has any purchasing advise to offer?
I'm looking at an empty tank & wondering about everything from substrate to the type of filter I should purchase (besides the included filter), to the lighting, even the type of fish would be happiest & prettiest in here.

Do you have any advise to share? I'd prefer to make a good (even if $$$$) decision now as opposed to regret & pay more in the long run.

I will be doing a fish-less cycle & will list what I "think" I will like in the new tank....

Live, easy to care for plants
Java fern, java moss, anacharis, anubias, crypts, water sprite, hornwort, pennywort and wisteria are all easy to care for.
Darker the substrate, the better but not a necessity-good for live plants
Eco-Complete substrate is kind of dark in coloration but is beneficial for live plants with the nutrients in it.
Larger bodied fish...perhaps cichlids?
That's entirely dependent on what cichlids you want. South American, Central American, African, or Asian? Generally you don't mix cichlids from other continents.
Driftwood
If you don't want brown, coffee-colored water, remember to boil the driftwood, otherwise it will leach tannins in your water which turns the water dark.
over filtration- not a bad thing?
Nope there is no such thing, but there is such a thing as too much water current for some fish.
No HOB filter since I'm limited in space from front to back of the tank
Canister filters are a good choice, a little pricey-in fact very pricey-but are silent and you can customize them to your preference.
Hoods to replace the "included" ones that'll allow me better lighting for live plants
No hoods really, unless they can carry T5, T5 HO, LEDs, flouescents, or some other good bulb.
Good lighting that allows the plants to thrive
Mentioned above...
So much more that I can't even think about now. I may be overwhelmed...
I have three guppy boys happy in their 12 gallon home but as addictive as this hobby is, I purchased a much larger tank & am now wondering where to start!
I have read so many posts but there seems to be contradiction in what's considered the "best".

I got this 55 gal. since the price was right but it is a 'starter' tank with it's own hoods, lights, even a heater. It's called a Topfin Aquarium Starter Kit 55.
I'm sorry I need so much advise...what's offered is so gratefully received!

I wrote in bold red. Good luck!

 

[Ozydego]

I started my first big tank as a 55gal. a few weeks ago and have already learned a lot. As far a Co2, I havent read much about an additive, but there are quite a few posts about DIY Co2 or canister to purchase. For all but heavily planted tanks it is not necessary but will enhance growth if present. I am playing around with the DIY Co2 myself and its kinda fun. As far as substrate, I am using 75 lbs of black gravel, nothing fancy and so far my plants seem to like it. I would say for planted, 75lbs is minimum. If you have a stand that will house it, get a canister filter like a fluval to put down in the cabinet so you just have 2 tubes running up the back of the tank and in... If I had known better, I would have gone that route. Read the guide on fishless cycling, and see if you can find the dregs out of an established filter, that will really speed up the time from setting it up and getting fish in there.