more questions about starting my 55

[Elwood]

I am still new to this site and this hobby so I hope I am not posting too many new postings with questions. I have a used 55 and am in the process of cleaning it. I am keeping the bio wheel that came with the tank in some of the tank water to keep it from drying. I have sold the fish and dumped the gravel that came with the tank. At petco I was told that my filter, an emperor with a bio wheel, was for a tank up to 50. So I bought a penguin 170 with a bio wheel that is up to 40 gallons. I read on another posting that a canister filter was recommended for a 55.
My questions:
Are my two filters going to be enough?

Are these good filters or should I have chosen something else?

Do I need a canister?

How do I cycle?

What determines my need to cycle?

How do I know when I am finished?

Can I use a ph setting product that brings the tank to 7.0 and assume that I am good for most fish that I would consider purchasing?

If a loach needs warmer water than another fish. Do I set it warmer for the loach or cooler for the other fish?

Can I put too much aqua safe in the water?

The tank came with two air pumps and five lines. If I do a wall of bubbles across the back, will this be good, bad or neutral?

I was going to put black rock with solid areas of dark blue streaked through the black. Will this show-off fish colors or hide the fish.

What light should I use? The store has several varieties that each claim something different.

What is the air speed velocity of a coconut ladened swallow?

The more I learn the less I know about this hobby. I wonder if I have made a mistake. I really want a successful aquarium for myself and my children. They are worried that the fish will just die. Now I am worried that I will kill them inadvertently.

 

[rich311k]

The two hob filters should be fine.

You do not need a cannister.

Here are two articles about cycling. Ignore the saltwater works just as well for freshwater, also it is better to use pure ammonia rather than a shrimp

http://aquariumadvice.com/showquestion.php?faq=2&fldAuto=21
http://aquariumadvice.com/showquestion.php?faq=2&fldAuto=15

You will know you are done cycling when your ammonia and nitrites test 0 and your nitrates start to rise.

Do not adjust your ph with chemicals it is not needed and actually does more harm than good.

You can't really add to much water dechlor.

Air pumps and stones are entirely up to you. What ever you like. The fish wont need them for aeration, especially with two hobs going.

The decorations are up to you, I think dark backgrounds and decorations look great. Your fish wont care.

You can use any type light you want unless you are planning on live plants.

about 16 mph.

 

[Jchillin]

You're worries are understandable but you are on the correct path which has eliminated a ton of potential problems.

BTW - The coconut laden swallow question was a nice touch.

 

[QTOFFER]

Welcome to AA, Elwood!
The people here are very friendly and the high traffic volume usually means a quick reply. So bring on your questions!
BTW, I had a blue crayfish named Elwood.

Are my two filters going to be enough?

Most likely, yes - unless you plan on very messy fish like large cichlids. You can always boost the biofiltration by adding an air-driven sponge filter or putting sponges on your filter intakes.

Are these good filters or should I have chosen something else?

The Penguin filters are reliable IME. Their only drawbacks are the cost of the cartridges and limited choice of filter media. The Aquaclear filters are superior in that regard, but you'll be fine with the Penguins.

Do I need a canister?

Personally, I prefer cannisters for larger tanks like yours because they can be hidden beneath the tank. They require alot less maintenance that HOBs like the Penguin, and they have more powerful motors, so you get more filtration in a smaller unit. Big drawback is the initial expense.

How do I cycle?

What determines my need to cycle?

How do I know when I am finished?

Here are some articles about cycling the tank. The process really isn't as mystifying as it seems, but it is critical and it does take some time. You should invest in a good test kit, but avoid the inaccurate paper strips.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/showquestion.php?faq=2&fldAuto=15
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/showquestion.php?faq=2&fldAuto=21
http://faq.thekrib.com/begin-cycling.html

Can I use a ph setting product that brings the tank to 7.0 and assume that I am good for most fish that I would consider purchasing?

Don't use those pH products bacause you will be forever tweaking with your water. FW fish are incredibly adaptable to nearly all water in the US. Most tolerate a wide range of pH values, but will not tolerate the rapid shifts in either direction that these products cause. Unless you're keeping African Rift Lake cichlids, or are trying to induce spawning, you should rarely have to mess with your pH.

If a loach needs warmer water than another fish. Do I set it warmer for the loach or cooler for the other fish?

In general, fish tolerate warmer suboptimal temps better than cooler suboptimal temps. I would keep the temp at the warmet temp.

Can I put too much aqua safe in the water?

I use AquaSafe too. I've read that if you overdose it will just make a film on the surface.

The tank came with two air pumps and five lines. If I do a wall of bubbles across the back, will this be good, bad or neutral?

Totally up to you! Bubble wands help aerate the tank and some fish like to play in the bubbles. I happen to think they look nice too.

I was going to put black rock with solid areas of dark blue streaked through the black. Will this show-off fish colors or hide the fish.

A darker substrate makes the fish feel more secure, and shows off their colors better. If you have a light, the fish look really good against a dark background too.

What light should I use? The store has several varieties that each claim something different.

Depends on whether you want live plants (which I highly recommend). Low light plants require 1 - 2 watts per gallon. I would go with fluorescent tubes or compact fluorescents for low light. I have three 25W fluorescent tubes on my 58 gal, (75 W total, 1.3 WPG) and my swords, Java fern, and anubias are doing quite well. If you don't want live plants, 0.5 WPG will still show off your fish.

What is the air speed velocity of a coconut ladened swallow?

African or European?

 

[Hara]

I didnt know swallows ate coconuts.......

 

[QTOFFER]

I didnt know swallows ate coconuts.......

They don't. They grip it by the husk!

 

[Hara]

they do?!? Why? (sorry elwood)

 

[odobenus]

They grip it by the husk!

It's not a question of where they grip it, it's a simple question of weight ratio!

Hara, it comes from the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail. You can find a transcript of the exchange here.

 

[Elwood]

ammonia?

How much ammonia do I use?
55 gal tank
Please recommend a test kit.

 

[talloulou]

Get the aquarium pharmaceuticals master test kit. Not sure about dosing the ammonia since I've never done it that way but someone else will chime in....

 

[odobenus]

A lot of people here would recommend the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Master Freshwater Test Kit. I use it myself and think it works well. I believe there are two almost-identical versions of the kit. They both have tests for pH, ammonia and nitrites. One version, however, has a nitrate and the other has gh and kh tests. You will want the one with the nitrate test.

Any other liquid reagent test kit would be fine, too, as long as it contains tests for pH, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Just don't get testing strips, because they are not very accurate. (The liquid reagent tests also last quite a while.)

Oh, I would also recommend buying the test kit online. It will be much, much cheaper.

I think you want to keep your ammonia levels at 2ppm until the nitrites start rising in your tank, but someone else will have to confirm that. I think I've seen TomK2 post some excellent instructions somewhere...

 

[QTOFFER]

Another way to cycle the tank instantly is through the use of BioSpira. This great product is a live culture of bacteria that convert ammonia to nitrite to nitrate. Just add it and your fish at the same time. It is hard to find, though since it requires refrigeration and has a short shelf-life.

Here's the article on fishless cycling written by the guy who came up with the idea.
http://hjem.get2net.dk/Best_of_the_Web/fishless cycling.html

Basically, you add enough ammonia to get the concentration to 5 ppm (4-5 drops per 10 gal for pure ammonia; around 30 or more drops per 10 gal if you're using ammonia from the grocery store).

Get ammonia that contains no detergents, fragrances, or colors. Shake the bottle - if it forms bubbles, it has detergents and is of no use.

It would help speed things up if you could seed your filters with media from an established tank. Got any friends with aquariums?

I second the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals test kits. The master kit has everything you'll ever need, but it is a bit pricey.
You definitely need pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate test kits; you can buy these individually too.

 

[Elwood]

I just realized that I have never thanked anyone for all the advice. I have taken the info and put it to work. So thanks!

How do I get algae stains out of the silicone in the corners of the tank?