55g Freshwater Work-in-progress
 

Here are some pics of the 55 gallon my boyfriend and I got today. We got the tank plus the two filters, all used, for $100. We also got a stand and 2 pieces of driftwood. Any suggestions for media to put in the two filters?
Sorry for low quality pics - I only have my camera phone. I'll update this thread as we work on the tank!

http://www.fishforum.com/userpix/4143_tank55_1.jpg
http://www.fishforum.com/userpix/4143_filter_1.jpg
http://www.fishforum.com/userpix/4143_filter_top_1.jpg
http://www.fishforum.com/userpix/4143_stand_1.jpg
The stand is upside down right now.
http://www.fishforum.com/userpix/4143_driftwood_1.jpg

Planning to plant the tank with low light plants. Fish we are planning to get are a school of long-fin black skirt tetras, school of dwarf rainbow fish, 1 long-fin ancistrus, and 4 panda cories. And maybe 2 pearl gouramis if we can find them anywhere.

If I were you I'd increase the panda cories to 6-8 rather than 4. They will be happier and much more active, therefore much more fun to watch.

Looks good, and seems like you got a good wee deal. I like the driftwood. Gonna look good whane it's finished. :)

Thanks! We were lucky on the tank. And you're right - I'll probably up the number of cories to 6.

Nice looking tank, looking forward to the finished article.

Today we cleaned the tank out and put it + the stand in place. We hooked the lights up and got a timer for as well.

The driftwood is soaking and we bought some play sand and pea gravel to use as substrate. Also got some peat moss to put as the bottom layer. I plan to use the pea gravel where the plants are going to be and the sand everywhere else for the cories.

http://www.fishforum.com/userpix/414...55_stand_1.jpg

Thanks. :)


Today we filled the tank. Its quite cloudy right now, but 1 filter is on and things are slowly clearing up. I got plants today: 2 anachris, 1 java fern, 1 frilly plant, and 1 red something I can't remember. Added peat moss, pea gravel, then play sand.. making small mounds of the gravel around the plants.

I'm kind of concerned about the current that is being produced from the filters. With the second filter on, I wonder if it will be too much for the fish. The water level is up all the way to the bottom of the filter where the water pours out, and the anachris at the bottom of the tank is waving slightly.

http://www.fishforum.com/userpix/414...55_empty_1.jpg
http://www.fishforum.com/userpix/414...5_cloudy_1.jpg

The tank has finally cleared up to the point where we can add fish to cycle. The 5 black skirt tetras from my 10 gallon, along with the old filter media plus the old gravel (now put in the filter with panty hose) have been moved to this 55.

The plants we got are: 1 red ludwigia, 2 anachris, 1 java fern, 1 frilly plant

http://www.fishforum.com/userpix/414...55_tetra_1.jpg
http://www.fishforum.com/userpix/414...5_tetra2_1.jpg

It's looking great so far Jasey! Are you going to put a background on the tank?

how i love threads like this :)
it's looking good,and it will look better still when the water clears.
if the plants are only swaying a tiny bit,then don't worry about
the current.
i shall enjoy watching your tank grow.

it looks amazing i cant wait to see it with all the fish! i LOVE the driftwood! :wink: