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New 55 Gallon Freshwater Tank / First Timer

16K views 86 replies 15 participants last post by  iamntbatman 
#1 ·
For father's day my wife has let me buy an aquarium and I was lucky enough to get my hands on a 55 gallon set up off of craigslist with all the trimmings, everything but plants and fish. I've done quite a bit of research over the last month, reading up on the nitrogen cycle, equipment, fish, etc. Along with visiting several LFS and talking to anyone who will listen about it. I'm just going to toss out my plans, a few questions and any advice/suggestions are more than welcome.

Freshwater tank. Easier, cheaper, more goober proof.

Fish:
Neon Tetra (~12)
Rummy-nose Tetras (~8)
Serpea Tetras (~8)
Panda Cory Catfish (~4)
Red Tailed Black Shark (1)

Fake plants. I want to plant my tank eventually but I figure I'll save myself the added complication to begin with. Just how much cover do the tetras need to relax? One thing I've found is that decorating a 55 gallon tank is far more expensive than I'd have guessed.

Substrate. I was initially planning on using small red/brown river pebbles from Lowes, I was thinking it would set off the colors of the tetras nicely and it looks more natural to me. However I was reading that the corys would do better with a sand substrate. So now I'm considering either splitting the tank with half sand and half pebbles or even mixing the two, mostly sand but with some pebbles mixed in. Is there anything special I would need to know about using sand as a substrate? I was planning on using play sand from Lowes if I went with it. Also, will the corys really benefit from the sand or will they do just fine with the pebbles?

The shark. The advice I have received in regards to the RTBS is that it can be just fine in this tank if I introduce it properly. If the shark is the last fish added to the tank, and it is still young it will do just fine with the other fish, ignoring them as it grows up.

The number of fish. I think I'm fine with the number of fish I'm planning on, would I still have enough space for a small school of harlequin rasboras or maybe some more corys?

My filter is an Emperor 400.

This tank also comes with an undergravel filter but I have no intention of using it. Since it's coming with an air pump and I like bubble stones I was planning on putting one or two in the corners of the tank, just for visual appeal and maybe a bit of added aeration.

That's everything I can think of at the moment.
 
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#2 ·
Cories definitely benefit from sand, when I switched mine over they were *thrilled* and are now very chubby. Sand's no different from any other substrate except that you have to make sure to vacuum it so no air bubbles form. If anyone tells you sand and plants don't work, have a look at my aquarium log :) If you decide not to go with sand, those pebbles sound ok. Just make sure they aren't sharp, as that's the major concern.

Mixing the sand and pebbles won't work because the sand will all sift to the bottom, and the rocks will end up on top. I believe it's called the "Brazil nut effect".

Sounds like everything else is under control stocking wise. The only thing I would suggest is to add more cories. Cories are shy in small groups and need at least 6 to be active and happy. 8 would be better (and cute!). Just so you know, Pandas ship notoriously badly. Make sure you're going to a reputable fish dealer and that they have been at the store for at least a few days, preferably a week. Otherwise they probably won't all survive in your tank, and you run a serious risk of getting any other fish sick. You may want to add the pandas first and make sure they are all healthy before you add any other fish. That way the main tank will act as a QT.

It sounds like you're doing your research, but I wanted to make sure, you're cycling this tank, right? Also, make sure you don't add all the fish at the same time or you'll have an unfortunate ammonia spike.
 
#3 ·
First off, the sand will absolutely benefit the cories. Play sand works great; I have it in my 29g. When you get it, put it in a big bucket in the yard and rinse it over...and over...and over. It took me forever until the water was clear, but from what I've heard it's worth it, as it will likely cloud your water pretty bad if you don't do this. With sand, you absolutely cannot use that undergravel filter. You also need to keep the sand stirred in order to prevent anaerobic pockets from forming. You can do this yourself with a plastic fork during water changes, but it helps to have some of your critters do the work for you. Your cories will certainly help keep it sifted, but I would also look into getting Malaysian Trumpet Snails. They'll burrow through the sand to keep it sifted. You can buy the snails, but also just about every Petsmart I've been to has had an MTS infestation and they'll be more than happy to give you some for free.

Your stocking list looks good, but I would get at least 6 cories for the best results. The serpae tetras are also known to be one of the nippier tetras, so you might have to watch out for that. The RTBS should be ok. They can be aggressive towards others of their own species and some loaches, but I think it will leave your other fish alone or at the worst, chase some of them off from time to time. You might also want to consider something for your top levels, such as danios or hatchets or even guppies. All of your fish are mid to bottom level swimmers.

Sounds like you're off to a great start. Keep us updated on the tank!
 
#4 ·
Yes, the neons were going to be my cycling fish.

I wasn't going to mix the sand and stones so much as have small patches of stones in the substrate. Is there any difference in vacuuming sand as opposed to pebbles, can I still use a python?

Adding more corys isn't a problem. Every time I see the little guys I like them more.

Would the Rasboras be a problem in the tank?
 
#5 ·
iamntbatman said:
Malaysian Trumpet Snails.
Will these snails stay in the sand? I know some people like snails but I'm not wild about them.

You might also want to consider something for your top levels, such as danios or hatchets or even guppies. All of your fish are mid to bottom level swimmers.
Will guppies work with the serpaes? I like guppies but held off because of the nippiness of the serpaes and was worried they'd go right for the guppy's tails.

One thing I forgot to mention, I'd like to have some shrimp in my tank. Will they work with what I'm planning to stock it with? And what's a colorful variety, I can get ghost shrimp very easily but... well you can't see the dang things.
 
#6 ·
Your RTBS will probably eat the shrimp. Red cherry shrimp are great looking, but at $5 a pop, I'm not sure they're worth the risk.

Sand vacuuming is the same, I use a python in mine.

Malaysian trumpet snails are great for sand. I don't see much of mine, as they borrow in the sand. You'll definitely see some from time to time, but they are rather inconspicuous and quite pretty actually.

What sort of Rasboras were you thinking?

I'd worry about fancy guppies with the serpae, it's probably best to stay away from them. Plus, livebearers are a pain in the butt! Too many fry :(

Gourami would make a great addition to the tank. Pearl and honey gourami are both very peaceful and pretty.
 
#7 ·
Pity, would have been nice to have some shrimp. Well ghosts are cheap, maybe I'll give my RTBS a treat once in a while.

If the snails will help keep the sand clean and stay out of sight most of the time then they'd make a good addition.

I was thinking harlequin rasboras.

The dwarf and honey gourami's both look quite lovely.
 
#8 ·
Harlequin's should work quite well in that tank- they tend to use more of the water column than tetras so they will be a nice addition.

Dwarfs gourami will probably be too territorial to have more than one. They are also very heavily bred with hormones, so it's not a fish I would advise. The fish are pumped up with hormones so they all come out male, and as colorful as possible. Unfortunately, it has made them much less hardy and it's also become almost impossible to find a female.

Both pearl and honey gourami should be hardier and are much more docile. However, it's probably a good idea to watch out for them with the serpaes again :(
 
#9 ·
Oops, I forgot to mention that mixing the serpaes and guppies is a bad idea. The serpaes and gouramis might also be a tough mix, since the gouramis won't really appreciate nippy fish, either. If you get dwarf gouramis, I wouldn't get more than 2 even in a 55g tank. They can get pretty aggressive towards one another and need to be able to get away from each other. Honey and sparkling gouramis are less aggressive so you should be able to have a few of those. The bigger gouramis, such as golds, blues, etc can get fairly large and are very aggressive towards their own kind.

I don't think the RTBS will eat shrimp unless the shrimp are young, at least until the RTBS has some size on him. Until he's pretty big, I think your ghost shrimp would probably be fairly safe. I still wouldn't risk the more expensive cherry shrimp, though.

Personally, I would ditch the serpaes in favor of the harlequin rasboras. They'll go well with the rest of your stocking list and will allow you greater options in other fish to add. Not to mention they spend more time in the middle/top levels of the aquarium. Switching the serpaes out for rasboras will allow you to more safely keep something like guppies or gouramis for the top levels of the aquarium. If you decide to get any kind of livebearer (like the guppies) they will have tons of fry unless you get all of one sex. For guppies, a group of males will get along and be good-looking fish.
 
#11 ·
As limiting as the serpaes might be they are also the fish that convinced me to do a tetra set up. Only the RTBS is more firmly entrenched in the set up. If they are going to limit my options with what I can have in the tank well I might just forgo another species and pile on a few more of the serpaes or one of the other tetras. I appreciate the advice, I really do, but the serpaes are going to be part of the line up and will have to be worked around.
 
#12 ·
It's no problem! We aren't trying to sell you on anything. If you like the serpaes you can certainly keep them.

The threadfin rainbows are also very nice, but won't work with the serpaes. Praecox rainbows would probably be ok, though. Another top-dweller you could consider would be hatchet fish. They can move fast and don't have flowing fins, so they wouldn't be targets for the serpaes. They also need to be in a school and need to be well covered as they're known to be excellent jumpers.

However, having larger groups of fish, as you've already suggested, is certainly another option. Schooling fish always look better the more you have, so increasing the numbers on the fish already on your list would work as well.
 
#13 ·
I've been doing more research on the serpaes and I have a question about their nippiness. Most of what I've read seems to indicate that they are nippy with other fish when they don't have enough of their own kind in the tank. Since I'm planning on having at least 8 but probably closer to a dozen of them would this be enough to keep them occupied and leave some gourami's or guppy's alone.

Also, and this probably sounds a bit cold hearted, would the rest of the tank's residents keep the guppy's fries in check?
 
#14 ·
I know the "Serpaes are nippy" factoid is one of those tried and true basic fish facts, up there with "Goldfish are dirty" and "Cichlids are always meaner than you think", but do you think Tyyrlym should be really worried about his fish getting harassed? In a 55 gallon tank, with the stocking that he's describing and assuming it is well decorated, there should be a good amount of space and cover for fish to stay out of each other's way, shouldn't there?

Aside from that, I have Rummynoses, Neons, Harlequins and Swartz Cories together in my 30 gal hex tank and they are doing great together (play sand substrate, fake plants).
 
#15 ·
In regards to sand I would simply add that it might be wise to shut off filter while doing maint. the first few times. That way if you stir up the sand with vaccum more than you intended, The sand won"t wind up in your filter gears, motor, bearings etc. I recently went with sand in 29 gal. And found it better to hover a little higher with gravel vac than you would with pebbles. :wink:
 
#16 ·
It's true that the larger groups you keep them in, the less of a problem they are, but likelihood is they will still take a bite out every once in a while.

I'd recommend adding the serpaes and seeing how the act around the other fish. If you think they keep to themselves mostly, you can try to add one of those other fish. Just be prepared to rehome them if something goes wrong.

As for the guppy fry, theoretically, yes. However, if you've got a heavily planted/decorated aquarium it may not work out that way. In fact, I had a chinese algae eater in with some guppy fry and even he couldn't take care of the problem! Another alternative is to get only males.

Hatchetfish are another cool top-dweller that wasn't mentioned before. So are halfbeaks. Both of those guys stick up at the top about 99.9% of the time. And they're funky looking!
 
#17 ·
Well I haven't checked my LFS (where I plan to buy all my fish) but I'm pretty sure Petsmart stocks nothing but male guppies, they're all pretty darn flashy so I don't think any are females. I dunno, might be kinda fun to have some little ones swimming around the tank, though I'd have to see if my LFS would accept them since I can't have them over running the tank. I do like the idea of some guppies in my tank, I think I have a thing for small flashy fish. The gouramis look nice too. I'll just have to see what I want to do when the time comes, since these would be the last species added to the tank prior to my RTBS they're probably three or four months from getting bought.

The hatchetfish are an interesting idea. I'll have to inspect the hood when it gets here to see if I could have them.

I'm definitely going with a sand substrate, I'd love to do black sand to give the cories a good home and set off the tetras but paying $50 for enough sand to cover the tank bottom is more than I can swing right now.
 
#18 ·
Another solution to a guppy fry problem: make friends with someone who lives nearby and owns some cichlids. My sister's boyfriend keeps a decent-sized Texas cichlid, so I always have somewhere for my guppies to go (i.e. in the cichlid's stomach) if they get out of control.
 
#19 ·
Well good news, my equipment made it to me. Now the cleaning can begin.

First up is the tank and stand:



It looks good, no leaks, no cracks. The stand is a simple angle iron affair that I know will hold the weight but I'd prefer something a bit more substantial aestheticly.

The bio wheel filter turns out to be a Penguin 300, not an Emperor 400.



I'm a little concerned about the Penguin 300, just because its out of production and finding appropriate parts and such for it. Yes, I have the rest of the uplift tube and the cover I just left them off for the picture.

Also part of the deal were these power filters.



I haven't yet confirmed that they have all their parts but they do look to have most of them. At the very least I should be able to scavenge enough to put one of them back together. That'd be great since I'd have a back up filter if the Penguin ever conks out or just a working filter for my next tank. Oh, and yes the motors and impellers work just fine on all three HOBs.

I also got two light fixtures. A single 48" long affair and two 24" ones.



Unfortunately the long fixture's only markings turned up nothing in google though the bulb is marked T8. I really have no idea if this is a good fixture or not but it is fluorescent. The bulbs work for now which is what counts, in a few months when I've got some more cash I'll likely replace the bulbs with ones I know are gonna be fine.

Since the old tank had yet ANOTHER filter, an undergravel one, it came with a pretty substantial air pump and gang valve. The only use I have for it is to run a pair of air stones for the tank. I'm a little concerned about just the size of the thing and its potential power use. I may hock this thing on e-bay or something and use the proceeds to buy a more appropriately sized air pump.



I also got a gravel vac, a simple siphon not a python, and a heater. The heater is tragically undersized at only 50 watts. Since my office can get cold in the winter I'm planning to eventually have two 100 watt heaters. During my cycle period of the tank I'm going to monitor the temperature of the tank and see if the 50 watt can handle the 3-4 degree temperature raise over ambient (I'm not hopeful) and if it can I might be able to wait on buying another 100 watt heater for a while and save the second for closer to winter.

I also received a lot of slate with this tank which I'm already planning on turning into some caves for my fish.



I also got some quartz gravel, which is useless to me since its jagged as all get out and I'm going to have catfish in my tank. Sand ho.

I do have one question, what would make a good cleaner to clean all this stuff up with. A mild bleach solution? Most of this stuff should come off with a little elbow grease but some of the uplift tubes for the filters and the gravel vac look like they could use a soak in something.
 
#20 ·
I recently received a 75gal. tank from my brother that he had set up as saltwater. I used warm water and vinegar and a new brush and everything cleaned up nicely. It is now home for dwarf cichlids.
 
#22 ·
The blue rams are small and for the most part peaceful towards tankmates except during spawning activities. They are very sensitive to nitrites and poor water conditions and thrive at temp. of 82 to 84 degrees. Sadly they are a short lived fish 3 maybe 4 years in ideal conditions. Tank raised specimens as opposed to the ones imported from the east seem to do better. I have never been able to sustain the imported ones for more than eight momths. Currently have seven of the tank raised specimens and for my money they have more personality than many people I have known. :D
 
#24 ·
Bleach is good for cleaning. Just make sure you rinse anything bleached very thoroughly afterwards!

Blue Rams do tend to be very sensitive- not so much because they're a sensitive species but because of the breeding practices of them. They're mass farmed in asia with major hormones to they all come out male, and extra colorful. Consequentially they are quite prone to, um, dying.

I've read a bunch of different temperature ranges on these guys, anywhere from 72-85. The book I have, which I trust immensely, leans towards the cooler end of the spectrum. They are from a large range, and so occur in a pretty wide range of temperatures, which is probably why there's so many different reports. They should do absolutely fine in 78 degrees.

I have 1 Bolivian Ram (Mikrogeophagus altispinosus) whom I absolutely love. They're quite a bit hardier than the Blue Rams and known to be a little less shy. They may be a little less colorful, but mine has become gorgeous as he has matured. I keep him at 78-80 degrees and he's very, very healthy and active.

Also, a note on Rams, they are definitely a more docile cichlid than many, but they are still cichlids. If you keep a pair, and they decide to spawn, be prepared for carnage. Even if you keep a single one, they are territorial, and him and the RTBS may not share space well.
 
#25 ·
Well I'll just have to consider my options. I've still got a while to find something that swims at the top of the tank, won't get nipped to death by serpaes and can cohabitate with a RTBS.

In other news cleaning is proceeding, my biowheel filter and one of the power filters are cleaned up and ready to go. I'm only fixing up one power filter because three filters is two more than I need, and one more than if I'm paranoid. The other powerfilter is also pretty awful looking.



I pulled off the rest of the uptake tube for the photo.
 
#26 ·
More is definitely better :D You can't overfilter a tank (unless there's too much current for the fish to swim, lol). But I agree that if one looks nasty, and is probably noisy, there's no need to use that one. Two should be plenty.

Also, just for reference, Rams are bottom dwellers. I wasn't sure if you realized that.
 
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