Are you planning on having live or fake plants? If you use fake plants, fish should not be eating on them. If you plan on having live plants, some fish will eat certain types. Fish love to hide in plants and caves, so you should definately have plenty of hiding places. You will need to have adequate lighting and suppliments for live plants.
do i need a serious filter setup like you know those side boxes with filters
I'm not sure exactly what you are referring to. Possibly a saltwater setup? For a 55
gal I strongly recommend using a Canister type filter instead of a
hob. I currently use a Cascade 1000 and absolutely love it. They are quiet and tuck neatly under the tank so nothing can be seen except the intake and output tubes. I can definately notice the noise with the
hob's but can't with the canisters. They are more expensive, but definately worth it in the long run.
After reading your second post, it appears that you are using live plants, correct? If so, you need to know which fish you plan to keep and find out which plants they will eat. It shouldn't harm the fish, but your plants won't grow to their full potential. Am I right on that one? Someone with more experience with planted tanks, please confirm or deny.
i can put my plants in there wait about a day and add my algae eaters
Do you mean Pleco's or the actual species of Algae Eaters, such as Chinese Algae Eaters? If you are referring to Pleco's, do not add them at this stage. You need to let your tank cycle first and start to grow algae.
Are you planning to do a fishless cycle or a fish cycle? If you have the patience of a 2 year old (I did when I first started fish keeping) look into more hearty fish, such as the guppy to cycle with. Some fish stores will let you return them when you are done with your cycle and they will give you money back. It won't be the full price you paid.
