Up and coming planted 55g

[Wade91789]

Tank setup I've got a marineland C-530, 300 watt ViaAqua heater, I've got a coralife t5 light fixture ordered its got 2 bulbs, a 7500k and a 10000K.

Substrate is flora max by carbisea. I've found a driftwood centerpiece that I'm goin to boil Sunday. No plants yet so any suggestions to go with my lights would be very much appreciated

Fish I only have 4 jullii Cory's. But I have 2 pair of apistogramma triple reds arriving tomorrow! Any tank mate ideas?? I'm excited this will be my first planted tank

 

[NinjaTetra]

Sounds like a good setup. Try plants like Bacopa Carolina or Bacopa Australis, for fish, maybe gouramis? Danios, barbs, idk, I am trying to figure out some good fish for a potentia 40 it is fun yet hard. you could try glass catfish, or even something like penguin tetras, I like the different black and white tetras. Hehe, now I have been asking for help on colorful fish, I like too many pretty dull fish.

 

[NinjaTetra]

. It like this: My current 6 black neons, either a striped peacock eel, or 3 panda Cory's, preferably the first, maybe some hatchetfish, and some glass catfish, most likely 7. For the bottom I want something eel like, so is there something not a loach that is good beside a peacock eel? I am keeping my fish and really want the glass catfish. I also like hatchetfish. Right now I want something that is fairly colorful that is a mid tank swimmer, not too bright, that will go good in a slightly acidic, South American type planted environment. It might be a few months till I buy it all, but I need to no my costs. I prefer not neons or cardinals, not even tetras unless they are reAlly cool. When my current ones die, I've had them for awhile, I plan on penguin tetras in their place. Maybe a barb? Or gouramis. I may switch out eel for a flying fox. I want a tank where something I happening everywhere, top to bottom. NO livebearers, unless I can find endlers livebearers. I plan to have I think it's called duck weed at the top, some swords, driftwood with anubias, crypts, all in all a well planted tank. It might be quite a while for me, on a tight budget, but I'm working hard for this. By August I hope the tank is all the way set up, with me putting the last touches in aka probably duckweed and the eel.

 

[Wade91789]

I'm gonna add some pictures later today

 

[Wade91789]

Boiling my driftwood centerpiece now

 

[Wade91789]

This is it. It kinda looks like cedar does that matter?

 

[Wade91789]

Do believe I'll be boiling this thing a couple of times lol

 

[Wade91789]

Sounds like a good setup. Try plants like Bacopa Carolina or Bacopa Australis, for fish, maybe gouramis? Danios, barbs, idk, I am trying to figure out some good fish for a potentia 40 it is fun yet hard. you could try glass catfish, or even something like penguin tetras, I like the different black and white tetras. Hehe, now I have been asking for help on colorful fish, I like too many pretty dull fish.

Penguin tetras are pretty cool looking, do they shoal good? What about glow light tetras they are cool too!

 

[Wade91789]

So far this is what it looks like

 

[deb_unlimited]

NOT cedar

This is it. It kinda looks like cedar does that matter?

Where did you get the driftwood? I don't know if you were kidding about it being cedar but I hope not! Cedar is full of aromatic oils that would not be good in an aquarium.

 

[Wade91789]

That really sucks... It's a really cool piece

 

[Wade91789]

I found it near the creek at the back of our place. Guess I'll have to walk it again and find something else

 

[Hholly]

Can you smell the cedar smell from it? That's a great way to boil it!

 

[Wade91789]

Couldn't when I found it but when it was boiling you could kinda smell it

 

[Hholly]

Aw bummer.

 

[Wade91789]

So you can't boil it all out?

 

[deb_unlimited]

Who knows...is it worth risking killing everything in the tank to find out? IMO it ain't.

 

[Aqualady40]

For focal fish, I would do either Bolivian Rams and or German Blue Rams...very colorful also here is a link to a very handy stocking tool.....AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor

 

[Wade91789]

Who knows...is it worth risking killing everything in the tank to find out? IMO it ain't.

Good point :/

 

[Wade91789]

For focal fish, I would do either Bolivian Rams and or German Blue Rams...very colorful also here is a link to a very handy stocking tool.....AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor

I have a pair of GBR right now very pretty. I had a pair of triple red apistos but they both died the same day? I think it was my PH :/ out of the tap it's 8.2