Getting sooo close to setting up, few ?s

Lady G

Lady G

It's a mafia thing, nothing personl
Oct 6, 2005
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gingersassatelli.bodybyvi.com
Ok, sorry if I'm driving some of you nuts here :p: but...........,
I'm getting a step closer every day to getting to set up my 55/g I just have some "just making sure" questions here.

At first I was going to use my gravel from my old tank (plus some) but now I've decided to go with all new gravel and substrate, I will be planting around 20 plants. I am getting 2-3 15lb. bags of florite (unless I should buy more?), and a 25 lb. bag of small gravel, then some play sand also. (I am going to do part sand part gravel) Yes I know eventually it will mix but I am going to make some sort of rock type barrier between the 2 to try and limit it as much as possible. Now I know I put the florite first then the gravel but do I need to add the florite under the sand also? This is going to determine how many bags of florite I end up ordering (ordering online so its pricey for me and I don't want to get more than I need right now).

I will be using a marineland emperer 400 bio-filter, but I should use my old filter too at first (right?) until my new filter gets the "good" bacteria I need for the tank?

I have a few existing plants and decor I will be adding along with the new stuff.

So my biggest question of all here is do I need to worry about cycling or will it be ok with using my old filter and decor?

Oh and one more thing what would be the best size heater to get for this tank? Is one brand better than the other, what about submersible..non-sub?

Any and all suggestions would be sooooo helpful here ;) :thm:

Thanks (again),

Gin :girl:
 
You need to put the florite anywhere you plan on putting the plants.The root systems feed off the florite,not the breakdown of it floating in the water,well I'm sure it does leech some but not the same effect.

I think I read you wanted to do a beach front type setup.If the front will be plantless or very lightly planted,just a few small plants I wouldn't worry about florite under the sand.

It would be best to use your old filter until the new one grows some bacteria or you could just move the filter media into the new filter,either way will work.It might be a small cycle but nothing that should hurt the fish.

I can't recommend a heater as I have never used one.I live in the south and the house is constantly over 70 degrees and the tank is always about 78 degrees.
 
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ice is right on the filter question, I'm clueless about gravel... BUT I would recommend buying 2 quality heaters. On a tank that size it doesn't hurt to have 2, that way if one goes out you're covered, and the single heater won't have to work so hard because the work will be distributed. Honestly I don't think the brand is so important, I hear good and bad reviews for all of them. Just buy one of the mid-most expensive ones and you'll be set. I've only had trouble with the cheap heaters I've bought. They don't last as long, and they seem really hard set to a certain temperature.

Good luck :D
 
I haven't really made my mind up about if I'll plant in the sand or not, if I do it would be very lightly though the whole purpose for the sand (besides I like the look) is so the ropefish my son recently brought home can burrow. So if I do plant, it would be the crypt retrospiralis or dwarf sags, something like that. I think the florite can go just under the gravel.

The filter I will be sure to do one of the two, maybe the media in the new one would be easiest, but how do I know when to remove it? I just stick in there huh?

The heater if I go with 2 should it be two smaller ones then, or both bigger? If I understand right I should be getting a 250-300 watt one right? I haven't used a heater before (I know I should of been) but my water has stayed right around 70-72, but I'm sure with a bigger tank it wont be that way.

Thanks for the help!!

Gin
 
About the sand. Have you considered going all sand? no matter what kind of barier It will most likely get mixed.
Filter: Just put the old media in the new filter and after a month or so, replace one piece of media then a month later replace another piece, if you have 3 pieces of filter media then one more month and you will have all your correct media in and you won't have killed off your bacteria. Your tank will be instantly cycled when you put the old media in the new filter so you will have to add fish at the same time or your bacteria will die.
Can't help with the heater, I only run one in my 30. most heaters also state what size tank they are suitable for so check for that, and probably get two 55 gallon heaters?
 
Yes I have considered all sand too, I really do love the look of sand but i wasn't sure how the plants would do in all sand. I will have an assortment of cyrpts, anacharis, java fern, broad leaf & dwarf subs, and a couple other low/med light plants.
And I know I will need to aggitate the sand from time to time and was worried about the roots of my plants?
 
I'm no plant expert, but those are prett hardy plants and should be fine in sand as long as you don't bury the rhizone on the java fern. I think there is a type of snail that digs the sand up enough or you could get a fish that dose that, but I'm not sure what kind hopefully someone else can help you more.
 
COOL...Thanks alot!!
I'm just going nuts wanting to get it all done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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