Going for the 55!! What to put in it?

[Japola44]

Ok so after much research and thinking...I am going to go to petsmart to buy there 55gal Top Fin tank kit. It comes with a heater, filter, hood and lights, stick on thermometer, and i cant think what else at the moment. I have only read good reviews about it.

Decor:
Just a plain white or tanish sand
Black background
I want some live plants...so if you have any suggestions on easy plants let me know!
Some caves and/or rocks
and finaly some glass bottles i have

Stocking:
My lovely Bichir
A discus or two if i can find some...
Maybe my Gouramies

Any ideas suggestions?

 

[Zagz]

Possibilites are quite large, entirely dependant on what you prefer. I like cory cats for the bottom, gouramis and angel fish for the middle and hatchefish for top. I'm not an expert on discus as a community fish, I only know of people that keep them as a species only tank. You are planning to do a fishless cycle I hope?

I could offer many suggestions on stocking but it is a personal decision and should be made once you have an idea of what you are looking for in a tank. Gourami are quite colorful, at least mine certainly are. I am constantly amazed by their vibrance. Cory cats are so entertaining, I laugh myself to tears at their antics. I also love loaches, discus, angels, african cichlids. Not very much help am I? LOL

 

[rich311k]

As far as plants go. Java moss, anacharis, anubias some crypts. How many wpg will you have?

 

[Japola44]

haha sorry I'm such an idiot i just realized what you were asking! I have no idea how you judge how many watts per gallon you have. But i read 2 watts per gallon was good. So i guess a 100 or 110 watts would be what i need...

for my stocking i need some bigger peaceful fish that my bichir won't try to eat. I'd like something colorful. I dont know just something fun to watch and interesting.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Small suggestion. Get a better thermometer. Stick-ons are very inaccurate. I had one, then when I got my digital, the stick-on was 8 degrees off.

As for stocking, might look at some Rainbow Fish too. Some of them are pretty cool.
http://badmanstropicalfish.com/rainbow.html

 

[Japola44]

humm maybe a planted aquarium is a little over my head...
i don't know if i could handle the CO2 systems...are there any plants that dont require one?

 

[rich311k]

If you have less the 2 wpg of lighting CO2 is not necessary. Check out Jchillin's tanks he has a well planted low light tank.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Could get some low-light plants like java moss, java fern, and some others. no need for CO2 for these.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

How many watts is your light bulb you use in the hood? Divide that into the size of tank in gallons. Here's my setup:

26G tank
15W florescent
26/15 = 1.7333W/G

What's your W/G?

 

[rich311k]

You did it backwards Wolf.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

oops, lol, thought it was Gallons per watt, lol ...... 8O

15/26= .57W/G

 

[Japola44]

I think i will just get some java fern and moss then i don't want my tank to be too bright seeing as now i somehow got 2 nocturnal fish...
some one shoot me lol I didn't mean to get another fish it just happened haha

but i will start cycling my 55gal on friday!

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Hi......



Did you also realize they get to 20 inches?
http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile66.html

Plan on getting a bigger tank...

 

[Zagz]

Rofl Wolf, I posted the same link in the other thread! GMTA!

 

[Japola44]

Re: Hi......

Did you also realize they get to 20 inches?
http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile66.html

Plan on getting a bigger tank...

hehe i realized that....maybe just after i bought him, but i figured that out lol! I will eventually have to sell him in 2 years unfortunatly due to going to college...and i read in one of the articles they grow pretty slow so hopefully he wont out grow the tank by then

 

[Japola44]

oo i have another question!! Can you Cycle with plants in the tank?!

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Rofl Wolf, I posted the same link in the other thread! GMTA!

Which other thread? lol. I didn't see where.....

 

[rich311k]

oo i have another question!! Can you Cycle with plants in the tank?!

yes you can cycle with plants in the tank. They will process nitrogen in any form.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I cycled with java moss, didn't hurt them one bit, nor did it affect the cycling.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Have you worked with java moss or java ferns before? If not, this site has some pointers on how to add to the tank, like using fishing line or thread to hold it to where you want it until it starts attaching itself to it, such as a rock or driftwood. just do it thinly, not in clumps, as the moss on the bottom will become brown and die off.

http://www.floridadriftwood.com/aquarium_plant_java_moss.htm