NEW FISH TANK

1. NO! Water changes are crucial no matter how many filters.
2. Bio-Spira instantly cycles tanks.
3. It depends. Plants like java moss and anacharis are easy but others like madagascar lace can be difficult. IMO, try fake first.
4. Eels tend to be aggressive, so i wouldn't recommend anything to be put with one, especially community fish. Start out small, peaceful and easy.
5. With fish, decor, filters, stand, etc. the minimum is around $250.
6. Just do a weekly water change,,, 30% each week. Check with us when you're ready to stock your tank.

firebellynewt25 said:

Hello, Im new to the forums and I am ready to listen and learn. Im not new to fish tanks though I am new to owning a big tank. I used to have a small ten gallon but for my birthday Im getting a 55 gallon. I have a few questions:

1. My friend has a 55 gallon with two filters and a undergravel filter. He says if you have this then you only have to scrub down the side of the tank instead of having to clean everything. Is this true?
I'd probably recommend one HOB (Hang on back) and one canister (RENA XP, Magnum, Eheim). Weekly water changes are a must, but if well kept you should not have to "scrub" anything often at all.

2. What do you reccomend for cycling the tank. Iv heard there are instant cycling substances but that probably isn"t true.
There are, but their effectiveness is debatable. The best way to go (IMO) is a fishless cycle with used media.

3. Live plants. Are they more exspensive then fake? If not, are they a pain to maintain?
Cheaper than fake since they reproduce. They also add to the overall health of the tank since they utilize some nitrogen components. Low light plants (Java Fern, Java Moss, Guppy Grass, Anacharis, Wisteria, Water Sprite, etc.) are easy to maitain.

4. I really want to get a nice community tank with an eel or two. Im looking into a peacock or a spiny eel. Do you have reccomendation for fish that would go perfectly with it?
I don't know much about eels, but it's good that you're researching and asking before you get them!

5. Its a b-day present so Im not sure how much it would cost. I think the tank at the stor is $80 ( not sure if thats with the lid or not). The stand was i think $70. Im not sure how much the filters and everything are but roughly how much do you think it would cost. I mean i guess i don't mind pitching some money in but if its outrageous I might have to reconsider.
Not sure where you are, but I check Craigslist daily. You may be able to find a great deal.

6. If i do indeed have all the filters I mentioned up in questions 1, what are the daily maintenace I would have to do ( besides feeeding the fish).
Weekly water changes of 25-50% and occasional filter cleaning should be all that's needed if the tank is kept up.

I think that is all that comes to mind right now. Thank you and I hope you experts can give me some knowledge.

Click to expand...

:welcome: to AC!

Read about cycling your tank in the sticky at the top of this forum.

.......You don't just dump all fish in. Doing it slowly and monitoring your Nitrites, Nitrates, and ammonia is crucial when cycling your tank. I'm a newbie too and have found the thread on cycling to be quite helpful.

Maybe you could jumpstart your cycle by getting some substrate from your friend......or starting one of your filters in his tank for a while (if he lives close).

Good luck!

firebellynewt25 said:

Thats a good idea. Yea he lives like in the next neighborhood. Once I get him to use the filter for awhile, how long should I let it run in my tank before I can add fish?

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You should add fish immediately with the filter. The bacteria only survive one day without food, which is fish waste in this case.

Of course, this is only true for an uncycled tank.

Ulan said:

You should add fish immediately with the filter. The bacteria only survive one day without food, which is fish waste in this case.

Of course, this is only true for an uncycled tank.

Click to expand...

Huh?! Only if you're against fishless cycling. The bacteria can survive just as well on pure ammonia or decomposing fish food without subjecting the fish to amonia poisoning. Fish shouldn't go in until Ammo & NO2 are stable at 0 IMO.

Not an expert...but have lots of opinions...

1. My friend has a 55 gallon with two filters and a undergravel filter. He says if you have this then you only have to scrub down the side of the tank instead of having to clean everything. Is this true?

Nope...ya still gotta change the water. weekly preferable.

I would recommend an undergravel filter (RUGF) driven by 2 penguin 660R powerheads ($18@petsolutions.com) AND a Whisper 60 HOB or equivalent. You can get an extra 660R sponge and use it over the HOB input with minor alterations...keeps the small fish from getting sucked up.

2. What do you reccomend for cycling the tank. Ive heard there are instant cycling substances but that probably isn"t true.

Cycled filter media from a healthy tank. I've done that several times myself and had good results.

3. Live plants. Are they more exspensive then fake? If not, are they a pain to maintain?

expensive is relative. Some Plastic plants cost "silly money" and all look fake IMHO. You can get a bunch of anacharis or hornwort for the same or less....and they'll make more! low-light plants will work fine at 1-2 Watts/gallon. Watch the ads here on AC for deals.

4. I really want to get a nice community tank with an eel or two. Im looking into a peacock or a spiny eel. Do you have reccomendation for fish that would go perfectly with it?

I'd skip the eels for now until you get 'back in the game'...and do research. I'd start with suggest robust cheap fish such as...
danios(any)
platys/swords/Endler's/guppies
corys
etc

5. Its a b-day present so Im not sure how much it would cost. I think the tank at the stor is $80 ( not sure if thats with the lid or not). The stand was i think $70. Im not sure how much the filters and everything are but roughly how much do you think it would cost. I mean i guess i don't mind pitching some money in but if its outrageous I might have to reconsider.

I would look at local classifieds, garage sales, and craigslist.
I would avoid ANY stand that has to be assembled (not counting study homebuilt ones, of course.)

The 55G is the "10G" of big tanks...common and cheap. ought to be able to find one for $60 used and maybe $100-120 with stand/etc. I paid $150 for my 75G/Oak stand+top but put another $150 into it.

Be patient, watch the ads, ask around.

Buy the filters/powerheads online if cheaper than the LFS.

You might want to consider a 30 or 40G breeder tank if you find a good deal. They are 36x18" and will fit on a sturdy low dresser...and have more surface area than a 55G! Tops are not as common, but any glass shop can make tops for you, then buy the hinges/handles online.


6. If i do indeed have all the filters I mentioned up in questions 1, what are the daily maintenace I would have to do ( besides feeeding the fish).

Daily? look at the fish and enjoy...check for any problems. That's the fun part

i dont know if anyone ha said this but i would check out craigs list also fw eels are not true eels they are fish but they are still cool i have one in my 55 and yes he eats of tries to eat all my small fish. you can find full setups for cheap on craigslist.com