# questions about a new tank



## williargo (Jan 6, 2009)

hi im new to the hobby and im stuck on what to do i have a 55 gallon tank that is lightly planted and i at first got 6 zebra danios and 5 cherry barbs to start out. Today i found a guy selling young convicts cichlids for a dollar a piece so i took 5 the family is wanting a colorfull tank and im wanting a really active tank because i like to sit and watch the tank. any suggestions on if i should go with the aggressive fish or go community as much feed back as possible would be great like i said im new to the hobby so suggestions would be taken greatfully:fish::fish::fish::fish::fish::fish::fish::fish::fish::fish::fish::fish::fish::fish::fish::fish::fish:


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Welcome to TPT!

Whether you want to go with an aggressive convict tank or a peaceful community tank is up to you; but you need to make that decision VERY soon b/c your current stocking won't work!

Personally, I'd get rid of the convicts and go with a semi-aggressive tank; keep the danios and cherry barbs and add a nice school of tiger barbs and a red tailed shark. :fish:

Also, how long has this tank been set up, and do you know how to cycle a tank? Do you have any water testing kits?


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## williargo (Jan 6, 2009)

i set the tank up about a month ago thats why i got the zebras and the cherrys because i was told they were real hardy. do u reccomend a pleco than when it all settles or something like a pictus catfish that i think are cool


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

I don't recommend you add any fish at all without having your water parameters checked to be sure that the tank has cycled properly and the water is safe.

And I'd personally recommend a small school of cory cats for the bottom.

Are you planning on planting this tank?


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## williargo (Jan 6, 2009)

ill have it checked tomorrow then so when its cycled nicley u reccomend tiger barbs
and cory cats what would you reccomend number wise for all the species including the zebras and the cherrys
i have a corner planted with almost like a wooded area of a tall skinny plant with small leaves that go all the way up and have some small fern looking plants.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Hmm 55gal tank

Starting with:
6 zebra danios
5 cherry barbs

I'd add:
10-12 Tiger barbs (you could go assorted colors if you want; mix the regular striped with greens and albinos)
5-6 Cory cats

What filtration and lighting do you have on the tank? And what's your substrate?


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## williargo (Jan 6, 2009)

right now i have 2 35 gallon filters its what i had when i had the idea im planning on getting a big one instead on payday the two i have are whispers. and im using a combination of colored gravel and some small aquatic rocksim not sure on the lighting just have 2 flourescent lights not sure on wattage at all this is my first tank


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Chances are good that you'll need to increase your lighting, but see if you can find some stickers or markings on the fixture you have, or at least take a picture of it to post here.

And gravel isn't the greatest plant substrate, but it's still workable. You might want to get some fert tabs for your plants. It sounds like you have some Vals and Java ferns, which are great for low light tanks, so that's good. Pictures also would help nail down those IDs, too.


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## williargo (Jan 6, 2009)

give me a few minutes and i will see what i can do


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

FWIW, I use a free account at www.photobucket.com to host my pics. The forum can host them too, though.


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## williargo (Jan 6, 2009)

This is the entire tank:








Here is the left side of the tank:








Here is the near middle of the tank close up:








Here is the next part of the middle close up:








Here is the right side of the tank:








Here is the first plant I was talking about-the long one with the leaves that go up:








Here is the other plant-the fern one:









The lights say 15 watt radionic on them. That's all I could find.


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## williargo (Jan 6, 2009)

BTW-I think your 90 gallon is beautiful.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Oh thanks- it's been a year-long labor of love and it's just now starting to get close to my "vision" :icon_mrgr

The plants you have in there now are Bacopa caroliniana and Java fern. The Bacopa (same plant I currently have in the back right corner of my 90gal) is looking pretty leggy and definitely could use some nutrients and more light.

The Java fern needs to have it's rhizome pulled up and exposed to the light. The rhizome is the thick green "root" that the leaves are growing out of. Java ferns actually do really well tied to rocks or driftwood and not planted at all, since they pull all the nutrients out of the water column.

If you're wanting to get more into the planted side, personally I'd recommend you replace your substrate with something that will either contain or at least hold nutrients for the plants, and also upgrade your lighting.

If you don't want to get into the high tech side of things and dose CO2 (in which case you would need to get a more expensive pressurized CO2 setup for a tank your size), stick to less than 2 watts per gallon. But I'd definitely put more light on the tank than you've got now.

There's a great list of plants that can do well in low lighting in the sticky at the top of this forum. roud:


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## Complexity (Jan 30, 2008)

I agree with LL's suggestions and want to add that the most important aspect of a sucessful tank is patience.

At this point, it seems you don't really know what kind of tank you want. Community? Planted? Cichlids? Semi-aggressive? Until you know what you like most, you're going to spend a lot of time and money without any direction, and the results are usually less than satisfactory.

For example, with the thousands of fish available, do you really know you want Tiger Barbs? How about those convicts? Buying fish just because they are _there_ and because others suggest them is doing yourself and your fish a huge disservice.

Let me give you an example. If you want a planted tank, you will need to replace the substrate. If you want a community tank with plastic plants, then the substrate is fine. If you want a cichlid tank, you'll need to yank out the bacopa plants (the cichlids will be happy to do it for you) and learn the art of rock caves.

Cichlid tanks, community tanks and even planted tanks all have their own needs. Mixing them or not giving the fish in the tank what they need is only asking for trouble, and usually it's the fish that lose the most as they are killed or die from injury or illness.

To start getting a feel for what you personally like in a tank, rummage through the pictures of other people's tanks using Google images.

Community Aquarium
Cichlid Aquarium
Planted Aquarium

Right away, you'll notice how different each of these tanks are, especially between a cichlid tank and a planted tank. Find pictures of tanks you like and post links to them so we can help you better work towards your goals?

Also, what do you like about certain fish? Colors? Shapes? Behaviors? Breeding?

Some people like a few large fish while others prefer schools of small fish. Some people like unusual fish (such as a ropefish) while others just want color moving in the tank (cardinal tetras). And some people like to have a mixture of these fish which can be done as long as each fish is carefully researched to ensure that they will be able to go together in the same tank.

Before you do anything or spend any more money on your tank, you first need to know what kind of tank you like best. Then we can then better help you to have the tank you like.


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## williargo (Jan 6, 2009)

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...prev=/images?q=community+aquarium&gbv=2&hl=en

here is something i like im liking the planted and community tanks i dont really like the cichlids really so more towards community and planted what works for a planteds substrate


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## Complexity (Jan 30, 2008)

Okay, so that narrows things down. Next, what kind of budget do you have for your tank? Money is no problem, college student on a tight budget, or somewhere in between?


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## williargo (Jan 6, 2009)

on the fish im wanting a variety of colors sizes in a way i dont want nothing to big maybe like 4 or 5 inches at the biggest


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## williargo (Jan 6, 2009)

right now money is tight but i can pull strings so what are your ideas i am really wanting a variety of diff fish but i want the best enviorment for them so ill see what goes with what i can do. i run a reptile rescue so money comes and goes in a few weeks money will not be an issue but i like to figure out things before hand


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## Complexity (Jan 30, 2008)

With the information you have given, I'm going to suggest that you start out with a "low tech" planted tank. You can add to this as you go if you want to so nothing's lost, and it's a great way to get started without making things overly complicated or expensive.

My suggestions are:

1. Find new homes for the convicts. They are not a good choice for neither a planted tank nor a community tank.

2. Replace the substrate. This is a must, not an option. This must be your first expenditure. You need a substrate that's plant friendly at the very least. There are many good substrates available, some more expensive than others, so choose wisely. I think the most common substrate for new users is Eco-Complete and Flourite, but as I said, there are a lot of other options. Rummage through the Substrate Forum here for ideas and post specific questions if you need help.

3. I am not familiar with the filters you have, but while it's not a requirement, it is a huge advantage to have a canister filter. You're looking at spending $100-$300 for each; although, some deals can be found by buying used equipment. Again, the selections are endless, but the two main favorites I've noted are Eheim and Rena XP.

4. Lighting. For a low tech tank, you can go with low lighting. This decreases the needs for CO2 and fertilization (both of which can be added later). I prefer fixtures with T5 bulbs, but again this is a whole subject onto itself.

5. Plants. Once you get the substrate, filtration and lighting in place, it'll be time to buy plants. When you do, know what you're getting before you buy it. Just with outdoor plants, they each have specific needs and you will need to keep your selections to what will work well in your tank.

6. Fish. Please notice how far down the list this is. I know, it's extremely hard to put this off because, after all, isn't that the main focus of a fish tank? You finally get the actual tank so it's natural to want to fill it with fish! But try to hold off. Start with the basic fish until you have the tank setup in place. Then you'll have the proper caves, hiding places, and swimming areas for your fish to enjoy. You will then be able to see the fish at their finest instead of when they're stressed and scared.

Each of the things I've listed are subjects in their own right. Take it step by step. There is no "right" answer so I can't say "go buy this". It's a matter of options. Just like buying a car. Not only do you need to decide on the make and model, but what color and features do you want, too? This is all a matter of personal taste.

So start off by finding new homes for the convicts. And then investigate the various substrates until you select what's right for you. And then move on to the next step. It won't be long before you will not only have a successful tank to enjoy, but the tank will be exactly what you wanted, from the substrate on up.


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## Complexity (Jan 30, 2008)

Oh, one other thing I meant to mention. In your pictures, it looks like the tank is sitting on a bedroom dresser and not a stand specifically made for aquariums. If that's true, then *immediately* get a proper stand.

A 55 gallon tank will weigh over 600 lbs once you get it all set up. While the dresser might be able to hold the weight for a little bit, it can't hold it for long. If even one corner begins to buckle under the weight a little bit, it can cause the tank to crack. The tank needs to be securely held with 4 level posts on the 4 corners. If any of them are off, it will create a stress point in the tank which will finally crack the tank.

Even if you have to get an inexpensive metal stand, get one that is specifically made for a 55g aquarium. This is not an option, but a requirement.

If the tank is on an aquarium stand already, then my mistake, and you're in good shape.


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## williargo (Jan 6, 2009)

thanks so much i have a unused 30 gallon ill put the convicts in for now till i figure out what to do with them now while i change the substrate how do u recomend i keep the plants from dieing off.


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## Complexity (Jan 30, 2008)

Just put them in a bucket of original aquarium water. They'll be fine there for a day.

The 30g will be great for the convicts. Be sure to add a lot of rocks (that they cannot knock over and break the tank) so they'll have a lot of caves. Cichlids always needs caves. Look at the cichlid link I gave you above for some ideas. It doesn't have to be fancy.

You may want to put an eggcrate on the bottom of the 30g with the rocks. I use egg crates on all my tanks now. It's cheap and gives that little extra bit of protection against rocks cracking anything. Here's a good example for you:

http://www.greenstouch.com/africanlakes.htm


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## williargo (Jan 6, 2009)

ok thanks ill definatly be asking some more questions as i go along but ill start with all this thank you guys very much you have been a great help


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## Complexity (Jan 30, 2008)

You're welcome. Feel free to ask all the questions you want. I've been doing this for over a year, and I'm still full of more questions than answers. I think most of us are. That's part of the fun of this hobby. You can't master it in a day, and the options are endless.


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## williargo (Jan 6, 2009)

is there a better or worse between a internal filter an a external filter


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

IMO internal filters are a pain to clean, and also ugly in the tank.

If you can't afford a canister filter then my recommendation would be to get some HOB external filters; AquaClears and Penguins are the ones I personally prefer.


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## williargo (Jan 6, 2009)

im going to be getting a Eheim Pro External Canister Filter 2224 im thinking on now does that come with everything to hook it up? Is a good filter?


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## williargo (Jan 6, 2009)

im going to be getting the substrate next week and order the canister filter than is there anything else i should be getting i have a good heater already do i need to have the air pump hooked up even with the plants i have right now im kinda clueless


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## Complexity (Jan 30, 2008)

williargo said:


> im going to be getting a Eheim Pro External Canister Filter 2224 im thinking on now does that come with everything to hook it up? Is a good filter?


I just put a post in the "Eheim Pimp" thread, asking the Eheim guys to give you a hand with this. I'm not familiar with the different models, but there are some on here who are very knowledgeable.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/e...eim-pimp-club-registration-54.html#post758238


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## williargo (Jan 6, 2009)

thanks


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## Complexity (Jan 30, 2008)

williargo said:


> im going to be getting the substrate next week and order the canister filter than is there anything else i should be getting i have a good heater already do i need to have the air pump hooked up even with the plants i have right now im kinda clueless


Let's see... 

How about the lighting?

I'd also look into getting some ferts even though you're keeping things pretty simple to start. I'd definitely suggest you get Flourish Excel. Get a nice size bottle. Even if you go to DIY or injected CO2, there are a lot of good uses for Excel.

Don't forget to get a timer for the lights.

Make sure the Eheim canister comes with all the media you'll need, and if not, pick some up while you're at it.

There's always the nets and random stuff, but you probably have some of that now and will get more as you go.

Planting tweezers are a huge help when planting aquatic plants. The 12" size should work well for your needs.

That's all I can think of at the moment. Maybe someone else can help with anything I've forgotten.


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## lescarpentier (Feb 2, 2008)

williargo said:


> im going to be getting a Eheim Pro External Canister Filter 2224 im thinking on now does that come with everything to hook it up? Is a good filter?


This is an older model and I have never heard of them coming in the kit form with all the media,however you can rest assured that the necessary plumbing will be included.

These are actually more reliable filters than the ProII series.


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