Hey everyone! Long time lurker, 2nd time poster! My parents had freshwater tanks when I was a kid and I loved it. Recently, my youngest boy wanted a tank for his 7th birthday so my wife and I got him a 10 gallon tank. Man, we have had the best time setting that tank up and just watching his fish swim around for hours. Suffice to say that I now have the bug and was able to convince the wifey to let me purchase a tank for our room which she relunctantly agreed to so long as she gets to re-decorate the room in order to accommodate the new tank
So, found a brand new 55g tank kit with stand (which I'm not in love with and not too sure about how sturdy it is even though it's rated for a 55g tank) on Craigslist and off I went! Decided on a planted tank setup, using a mixture of play sand and fluorite as a substrate. Spent almost an hour washing the sand and fluorite which came supposedly pre-washed but it was well worth it cause the tank is nice and clear. Added 3 nice pieces of driftwood and I think the tank is about ready for some plants or fish as the levels look great! Plan on replacing the included power filter with a Fluval 305 tomorrow so that the tank can sit closer to the wall and hopefully offer better filtration although it seems like the power filter is doing a pretty good job so far.
So, here are my questions. Should I start with fish or plants? I am thinking plants but I don't want anything high maintenance or requires CO2. Any suggestions? Would like to get some long plants for the back of the tank and moss to affix to the tops of the driftwood. Also, the kit came with 2 15w fluorescent lights which may or may not be powerful enough? If I do need something more powerful, will I need to upgrade the entire fixture or can I just buy higher watt bulbs?
As for the fish, I'm thinking community type fish. Any suggestions? Pics coming soon and thanks in advance for your advice!
So, found a brand new 55g tank kit with stand (which I'm not in love with and not too sure about how sturdy it is even though it's rated for a 55g tank) on Craigslist and off I went! Decided on a planted tank setup, using a mixture of play sand and fluorite as a substrate. Spent almost an hour washing the sand and fluorite which came supposedly pre-washed but it was well worth it cause the tank is nice and clear. Added 3 nice pieces of driftwood and I think the tank is about ready for some plants or fish as the levels look great! Plan on replacing the included power filter with a Fluval 305 tomorrow so that the tank can sit closer to the wall and hopefully offer better filtration although it seems like the power filter is doing a pretty good job so far.
So, here are my questions. Should I start with fish or plants? I am thinking plants but I don't want anything high maintenance or requires CO2. Any suggestions? Would like to get some long plants for the back of the tank and moss to affix to the tops of the driftwood. Also, the kit came with 2 15w fluorescent lights which may or may not be powerful enough? If I do need something more powerful, will I need to upgrade the entire fixture or can I just buy higher watt bulbs?
As for the fish, I'm thinking community type fish. Any suggestions? Pics coming soon and thanks in advance for your advice!