55 Gal Tank setup 4 NEWBIE

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Anelva

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Dec 9, 2003
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Hello all,
I've done my homework on cycling and fish selection, my only dilema is on what equipment to get. I got the tank from a buddy he used it for his reptiles, I've already water tested (no leaks) very good condition. My question is what filtration system should I use or what components would I need to get the tank up and running. Undergravel vs wheel filiters, type of heater etc. Any advice on specs would be greatly appreciated.

:confused:
 

Wippit Guud

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Sep 27, 2002
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Actually, a lot of it would depend on what kind of fish you're planning on. For exampe, an Aquaclear 350 would be enough for the tank for something like a community setup, but if you want messy fish or fish that are gung-ho on water quality, I'd actually suggest two filters, a fluval and a penguin with a biowheel.

Undergravel would depend on your substrate, and what bottom fish you have (I wouldn't suggest it for diggers).
 

tricksterpup

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Apr 16, 2001
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Jim Soos
I always used an emperor 400 on mine along with a power head at the other end of the tank (for extra circulation) and right now on it I have the Tetra Tec PF 500 Power Filter. I believe in over filtration on my tanks. ;) But my mollies and knight gobie do not care and are doing well in that tank. Soon to be converted into a SW.




jim
 

TKOS

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Feb 6, 2003
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I would stay clear of the UGF. It will limit you in the future and once clogged can be a real mess cleaning up.

If you want a planted tank then it is probably best to look at getting a canister filter. Otherwise the HOB like Aqua Clear are generally good. Just make sure to get a filter that is registered for 1.5 times your tank size. Those filters are often on the low side.
 

Anelva

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Dec 9, 2003
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I'm staying away from the messy fish, I do plan to use some herbivorous freshwater crabs and a few peppermint shrimp to help with the upkeep. The gravel I'll be using is 2mm in size. Also do those bubble walls really help or is it just more for looks? I do plan to have a somewhat large community for that size tank. Thanks for the advice :bowing:
 

TKOS

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Peppermint shrimp are saltwater and freshwater crabs are actually slightly brackish. And the crabs need to breath air so they have to get out of the water and are really great at escaping tanks. Plus they have a nastey habbit of eating slower fish.

There are great freshwater shrimp like ammano and ghost that stay small and help clean up.
 

Aquarius0015

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Sep 29, 2003
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Ah, saltwater! No wonder I did not recognize the name. Not that I think I'm the master of FW shrimps, but I've done my fair share of Googling lately.

As for ghost shrimp, they are cheap and neat to watch but I can't claim that they've had a huge impact on the general cleanliness of the tank, but that might be because I have had trouble keeping them alive. The current batch is on Day 8, and I have not lost one yet, which is a record. I've heard good things about amanos though, wish I could find some for myself.
 

cblin

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Oct 26, 2003
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Two thumbs down for UGF here too. On my 55 gallon, I have Eheim 2028, which is an overkill, but I love the amount of water it moves. If you have a canopy on your tank and you'd like to have your tank close up to the wall, I'd definitely recommend a canister filter of some sort. That way, you don't have to be always removing the canopy to clean the filter. If you don't have a canopy, a HOB filter rated at least 300g/hr would be fine.

BTW, this hobby is a bottomless money pit. ;)

Originally posted by Anelva
Hello all,
I've done my homework on cycling and fish selection, my only dilema is on what equipment to get. I got the tank from a buddy he used it for his reptiles, I've already water tested (no leaks) very good condition. My question is what filtration system should I use or what components would I need to get the tank up and running. Undergravel vs wheel filiters, type of heater etc. Any advice on specs would be greatly appreciated.

:confused:
 

GoLdFiSh_GrL

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Aug 25, 2003
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for a filter, i suggest an Emperor... they work great!
 
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