New (slightly used off craigslist) 55 gallon waiting to set up!?!!!!!

[pstuder33]

I currently have a 29 gallon, my first tank since I was a kid. Had a bit of a learning curve with it, petsmart didn't mention anything about that whole cycling thing ( pretty important) while I was setting it up....the tank was a gift from my soon to be fiancé parents. That was awhile ago. Now it's up and running very smoothly and I love the hobby. It's stocked with:
8 neon tetras
1 peal gourami (m)
1 opaline gourami (f)
1 (clown pleco)
5 ghost shrimp
And 1 moly that stuck it out during me learning to cycle the tank....he's a trooper.


Anyway, my question to this forum is when I'm setting up the 55.......


LED vs fluorescent?


Canister vs HOB?


I keep the ph at 7 thanks to seachem neatrilizer...my tap is very soft and caused ph swings and I lost fish, someone recommend that (no complaints) so I use that and prime during water changes.


I wanna keep generally the same stock I guess, I'm looking for things I might be able to add, and also looking live plants that are easy to care for.


Thanks for reading,


All replies I thank in advance

 

[toddnbecka]

LED lights are worthless for live plants, and plants in general are a whole different aspect of aquariums. Which ones you can keep depends on how much light and whether or not you use CO2.

Canister or hob filter also depends on the stocking and whether you want to use CO2 for plants. HOB filters are generally easier to clean/maintain, less expensive, and likely higher flow rate than a canister. If you want the filter in the cabinet though... A canister doesn't need as much space behind the tank if that's a consideration.

 

[pstuder33]

LEDs are really a waste!? I've looked at tanks that are beautiful LED lit, and for filtering, that's where I'm really not sure of the direction. What do you use?

 

[pstuder33]

Also why I asked about easier to care for plants, I'm not ready for the whole co2 thing, I wanna ease into it.

 

[emilygupps]

Also why I asked about easier to care for plants, I'm not ready for the whole co2 thing, I wanna ease into it.

Anubis is pretty easy it's a really slow grower though. It's easily my favorite plant.


Sent from my iPhone

 

[Chronos313]

Anubis nana and crypts are really easy low light plants that don't grow overly fast and look really nice for just getting into live plants. I rub two fluval C4's on my 55 gallon but I have them on the lowest flow possible. As for maintaining PH you can use peat moss I believe as well as some driftwood will affect ph I believe but please someone correct me if I'm wrong. I just setup my tank again since I moved and this is what I have so far setup


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[tazzy_toon]

in my experience, canisters have much better flow rates and less maintenance, they hold far more materials to hold more beneficial bacteria, but to each their own.
I know many people who have kept lovely plants with LED's, but you do have to know how to get the right setting.

I have crypts, jungle vals, hygro polysperma and corymbosa that I keep in a low tech tank with no co2, however I do give flourish comprehensive once a week. My plants didn't need it, but I found they grow fuller with diy co2. I have java fern in another that is just tied to a piece of driftwood and I never have to do anything to it. Relatively low light.

It just depends on what you like

Grats on the bigger tank!

 

[ScaryFatKidGT]

LED lights are worthless for live plants, and plants in general are a whole different aspect of aquariums. Which ones you can keep depends on how much light and whether or not you use CO2.

Canister or hob filter also depends on the stocking and whether you want to use CO2 for plants. HOB filters are generally easier to clean/maintain, less expensive, and likely higher flow rate than a canister. If you want the filter in the cabinet though... A canister doesn't need as much space behind the tank if that's a consideration.

What in the HECK are you talking about? There are tons of LED lights made for plant growth.... No a free LED light hood that came with your tank or a Marineland single bright wont grow anything but neither will a plastic T12 hood.

For a 55g you will need a 48" light but the tank is thin and fairly deep, so easy to cover. I would look at the ecoxotic E series, Marineland advance LED striplight, Fluval Aquatic plant LED light or a Dual (maybe even 1 would be enough) T5 HO fixture.

LEDs are really a waste!? I've looked at tanks that are beautiful LED lit, and for filtering, that's where I'm really not sure of the direction. What do you use?

I like HOB's for simplicity or one HOB and 1 canister. A 55g is starting to get into what I would call a "big tank" but is still thin, 2 AC70's or Fluval C4's, one on each side, would be more than enough filtering. Canisters do have tons of room for biomedia.

For plant's you will need some form of better lighting than your standard tank kit free LED or T12 hood, T8's T5's or the LED fixtures listed. I just started with plants and was like you, just wanted some easy to care for, plant and forget plants to help the fish and water quality, about a month later I have 3 jungle vals, 3 java fern and 3 crypts and I am using root tabs, dosing flourish and flouish excel and contemplating CO2 in my 150g.

You could start with a Java fern tied or rubber banded to a piece of driftwood.

Are you planning on keeping the 29 up and running? If not I would use all the water and filter from that on your 55 and the substrate unless you want something different or better for plant's, BOOM instant cycle and your fish will feel at home, well a bigger home lol. If you are keeping it up and running I would at least use some of the water and the filter, get 2 new filters (for the 55g) but put one on the 29 and run the 55 with 1 new filter and the filter from the 29 for a couple months.

 

[brennae]

I have canisters and HOB filters. I am slowly changing to canisters on my larger tanks. I agree it's a lot of personal preference. Canisters and much easier to hide and less noisy in my experience. I use t5 ho on my tanks and they are all planted with easy to grow plants like anubias, encrypts and java and windelov ferns. Also marimo moss balls are super easy to grow and add different round shapes to the seascape.

 

[brennae]

Crypts not encrypts. Stupid auto correct.

 

[gilpi]

Canisters vs HOB...
I like canisters since they hold more media but $$$. Half the price could get you one or two decent HOB depending what you get.

LED vs Fluorescent...
LED's are great for viewing and yes they are good for plants but more $$$ than fluorescent.
I choose fluorescent since I've made my own lighting for just a few dollars and they work great with plants.

I think as it's been said, a matter of personal preference and how much cash you are willing to drop.