First tank ever - 55g

[Criptos]

Sorry I made this thread in the general discussion forum as well.

1. Tank size - 55ga
2. Current filtration - Brother said Basic back filter. uses like these two pad things in black plastic holders
3. Type of substrate - Just the regular coloured rocks from LFS
4. pH of your water - 8
5. What type of fish you like the most. - Angels, Zebras, Gouramis

 

[Fishyfanatic]

It would help to know the exact filter. Based on your description, it's a hob. Try going to www.bigalsonline.com and trying to find it under the Power Filter section. This will help determine if you need to buy another filter based on the fish that you want to keep, or if it is adequate.

 

[virus]

lol nice you get to start off with a 55 i had to start with a 5 when i was 8 and a 20 when i was 14 now 29 and im 15! lol your on the fast track lol

 

[lyquidphyre]

In the other post you said your brother had a 55gal with an oscar... are you getting an empty 55gal or are you inheriting that oscar as well?

if its an empty 55gal (when it comes to stocking) would you like:
a) Several medium to large fish
b) some medium to large fish, but a handful/school of smaller fish
c) all small fish (maybe all the same, maybe different)

There are all sorts of stocking possibilities. I know you like angels and gouramis.. but you should try and go to several local fish stores and write down the names of fish you like the best (look only, don't buy!) and come back here and test out the compadibility with angels/gouramis etc
Also, check out the different gouramis that are available (blue, kissing, pearl etc etc) and get an idea of what you want

THEN you come back here, and we can help you come up with the perfect 55gal for yourself =o)

Here are some fish in particular you should look at to see if you'd want something like that in your tank:
Cories (cory cats)
2in Tetras (other than the neon kind- they are angel's natural prey)
barbs (golden or cherry)
Ottos or plecos
Rasboras
Rainbow fish
etc etc

If not, angels and gouramis it is! ha

 

[Blazeherd2306]

With a ph of 8 you should look into african cichlids.

 

[Jchillin]

Hi Criptos and welcome to AA!

I have heard from our Northern neighbors that high ph is common for your neck of the woods. Blazeherd is correct that African cichlids would do well but I wouldn't suggest them for a beginner.

There are several options to pursue. You can also determine the GH/KH of your water. This will determine it's buffering ability. Next, you can re-test your ph (leave a glass of water out overnight and test the next day).

Next...check in the Canadian forums...members may be able to make suggestions on what they've done to overcome the alkalinity of the water.

HTH.

 

[Criptos]

Well The reason i am starting with 55ga, is that my LFS has there 10th anniversary sale on. and It's a 55ga starter for only $200 canadian. Thats the Tank, hood, lights, filter, heater, and a net

I will get my brother to help me test the KH, PH and GH again tonight and post back. My brother is going to buy the oscar soon, he bought the same Starter kit 55ga 2 days ago now. and It's just such a good deal. and I've wanted a tank for awhile now. I know that we can either get the water from the tap outside, or the Bathtub (inside taps) cause all the water inside uses the Water softener thing we have. But I will check that all out again tonight. I was thinking a few medium fish (3-5) Maybe 2 large fish, then some smaller fish.

 

[Criptos]

Well I went the Liveaquia or whatever the site is and looked at some fish, and was wonder if this is a good combo of fish. And yes the filter is a Hob.

1-3 Sterbas Cory cat
7-10 zebra danios
1 Gypsy King Tiger Pleco or similar pleco
7-10 Splashing Tetras
3-5 Neon Blue Dwarf Gouramis

 

[Criptos]

double post, sorry

 

[Fishyfanatic]

With a higher pH, you may want to use the un-softened water. It will help buffer but it will depend on how soft your water really is. I'd test the softened and un-softened. But I'm betting that you will want to use the un-softened.

With the hob and the 55 gal tank, you want to be sure that the filter is adequate. Sometimes fish stores will sell packages that have a subpar filter and you have to end up replacing it with something stronger. Did you go to www.bigalsonline.com or www.thatpetplace.com and see if you found the filter?

 

[afishoutofh2o]

Welcome to AA!

I would recommend using only the unsoftened water.

Hard water is softened by exchanging the calcium ions for sodium ions. It would be hard to know just how much sodium you have in your tank (without testing for it specifically).

Truely soft water is low in dissolved solids (< 100 ppm).

For your first tank it would be best to chose hardy fish that prefer hard and alkaline water. However, consistency in terms of pH and GH are much more important.

It is possible to keep cichlids in a first time tank. The annual magazine Aquarium USA 2005 has an article on beginner cichlids. Of course it would then be more challenging to have other fish types in your tank.

Anyway, you can check out the fish you are interested in by using the following websites:

• http://www.fishprofiles.com/ (also has a fish compatibility lookup function!)
• http://www.fishbase.org/search.cfm

HTH

 

[Guest]

With the hob and the 55 gal tank, you want to be sure that the filter is adequate. Sometimes fish stores will sell packages that have a subpar filter and you have to end up replacing it with something stronger. Did you go to www.bigalsonline.com or www.thatpetplace.com and see if you found the filter?

My bet is that it is the Top Fin 60, thats what comes with the most common 55g combo pack.

 

[Bhunsucker]

Mine came with a TopFin60 I used it for a couple of weeks and didnt really like it. I was concerned about it holding the Bio-Media so I exchanged it for that AquaClear 110/500. That has been one of my better decessions that I have made so far in this adventure. Also the Media cost for the TopFin 60 is alot more than what It will cost to run the AquaClear IMO.

 

[Guest]

well your large fish could definetly be an Angel or two... Check out my signature, i have angels and dwarf gouramis and have fuond they are very complimentary with no aggression problems. 3 Dwaf gouramis would make up your "Medium" fish. Cory cats are good for small schooling fish and they do an excellent job of scavenging for food on the bottom, they are really cute as well. You could alos get almost any midsized pleco that stays under 6-10" to take care of algae. Of course, my tanks only been up for about 4-5 months and im still working on finishing my school of corys. but i find that combination works very well.

 

[Guest]

I don't think the Top Fin is a great filter, but its good enough for most tanks. You can get a 24 pack of generic replacement carts for it for about $12 on BigAls, and besides the carbon in them they last for a long time, so that should not be an issue. The Aquaclear is a nice hob, but personally I would either stick with the Top Fin or upgrade to a canister if you have more demanding fish in the tank.

 

[Criptos]

well I just checked and it comes with whisper 60 power filter. So I think thats like pretty much no name.

I'am hoping my combo of fish will work out, and that i can find them all at LFS. I know my brother like a I said earlier has a sailfin pleco and it's doing great so hoping those fish will be compativle with the water.
Thanks for all the help!!!

 

[Guest]

Yeah, thats basically the same filter as the Top Fin. Same carts for it too. Good enough for most applications IMO.

 

[Criptos]

Should my choice of fish work, or are some of them to aggressive?

 

[Guest]

I think they should work, but you should always watch for aggression problems. I haven't had any aggression problems in my tank.

 

[Criptos]

Well I picked up the tank today, along with 25 lbs of White Rock and 25 Lbs of Green/drk green mix rock. And A background. So now I'am going to let it heat up a bit a might buy some Zebra Danios on monday or tuesday. There are lots of little air bubbles all over everything.