How much?

[smittyjr18]

I'm looking at Eco-complete FW planting sand. How much should i get for a 55 Gal and i'm also looking at pool sand if i do decide how much should i buy? If i do buy the SeaChem Sand do i still need the MTS? If so how many and how soon?

Question 2.

I have a Mag 350 w/ biowheels. I will be setting up my 55 Gal from a 29 Gal. The Mag 350 and biowheels are on the 29 Gal. I am going to shutdown the 29. Will the Mag 350 be big enough for the 55 with planted? I have also read that the biowheels are a bad idea. Is this true?

 

[travis simonson]

With Eco-Complete 1.5 bags covers one square foot to a 3" depth, which is optimal for planting. I can't comment on the pool sand as I have never used it. I would still recommend getting MTS in any planted tank - they do wonders for keeping any sort of substrate aerated.

 

[greenmaji]

You will get conflicting oppinions on the bio-wheel.. I think of it like this.. If your going to be injecting CO2 then its a bad idea (so is a wet/dry sump type filter) but you can always outgas it with presurized CO2, I still think its a waste.. The bio-wheel (and wet/dry) are really not needed in a heavly planted tank anyway, the plants are better bio-filters then the bacterial based ones anyway..
to ellaborate on travis's advise a little.. .. a 55 gallon has 4 square feet of bottom surfase area so that would be 4 X 1.5bags= 6bags..
Pool sand would be sand.. so the calculator here on the site will work to calculate an amount for you.. for 3" depth it will take 100 pounds of sand for a 55 gallon...