What components are needed on a good 55 gallon freshwater setup?

It's hard to say, really. It depends entirely upon what is being put in the tank. Will it have cichlids, small tropicals, just two or three bigger fish, live plants?

Without being specific on types of things you will need:

• Tank
• Stand
• Filter
• Top
• Substrate
• Light
• Heater
• Thermometer
• Decorations
• Net(s)
• Testing supplies (a master test kit to start with is usually a great idea)
• food
• Dechlorinator
• Gravel vacuum
• Power Strip (optional but dead useful)
• Five gallon bucket(s) new and used only for aquariums (again, optional but very useful)
• Lots of Research
• and of course Fish

After that there may be additional costs as well like medications, a quarantine tank (I highly recommend it as an essential) higher quality lighting for plants... the list can go on quite a ways. If you have specific questions, fire away.

squale said:

okay could you explain what the better brands of filters, etc are? what type of filter I would need, etc? I see like canister filters that go in the cabinet and other filters that just hook onto the back of the tank itself..
It looks like the filter is going to be the big ticket item besides the tank and stand. I will probably just start off with smaller fish, like some little water frogs and some angelfish. I doubt I will have live plants, probably just fake ones.

what are these things and what do they do?
Substrate
Dechlorinator
Gravel vacuum

Thanks

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Well, actually, you will see where I addressed your filter concerns in your filter question in the Freshwater Products and DIY section. I covered which you could use, maintenance involved and some brands.

Substrate is whatever you use on the bottom of the tank, be it sand, gravel, what have you. Dechlorinator is an important item. It makes tap water safe to use in an aquarium by removing chlorine and or chloramines. Chlorine is deadly to fish and the beneficial bacteria you need to keep a tank healthy. To learn more about this bacteria, I strongly urge you to read the thread near the top of this forum entitled Sitkcy: Cycle. It has a wealth of information to help you avoid the deaths of many fish when you start out. The last thing, a gravel vacuum is usually a length of hose attached to a wider tube like structure. It is a siphon, in actuality and it sucks up all the fish poop and whatever else ends up on the bottom of the tank. If you want a brand recommendation, I suggest a Python. It's a nice gravel vac that makes life much easier in the long run.

Also, since money is always a concern when starting a new tank, I suggest buying your tank and stand locally, then buying everything else online. I like a place called Big Al's. They have a low price guarantee, but I've never had to use it as they always seem to have the lowest price. You'll find that it is much cheaper to buy from Big Al's than from a local fish store. It can literally save you hundreds of dollars.

I like All-Glass products just fine. I have had 8 of their tanks over the years, mostly 20 gallon longs. They make a quality product and I have never had a problem with one. I also like the versa top because it gives me more options as far as lighting goes. Since I am a planted tank buff, I need lots of light. I would suggest staying away rfom the high output compact light unless you decide to go with a planted tank. Fish look fine in surprisingly low amount of light, but plants have to have better light for photosynthesis. For a 55 gallon you could easily get by with 30-40 watts of flourescent light for nice viewing. If money is a concern, I say buy used. There are certain things you should be careful of when buying used.

I would ask first and foremost if it leaked. Also, ask them when was the last time they had it set up. Ask them if it was fresh or saltwater. Ask them if they ever housed a reptile in it (this is important because they would not have had water in the tank.) Ask them if you can fill it up with water and if it leaks, bring it back. Get that part in writing. Something as simple as "Tank won't leak" on a piece of paper signed by them should suffice. You want to inspect the tank for scratches and make sure there are no chips in the glass. Also, make sure the trim is intact and looks in good repair. Also, check the silicone in the seams. if any of it is flaking or otherwise loose, it may not be the best tank for you, unless you don't mind reparing bad seams. If you feel up to that, be sure to point out to the seller that the tank looks rough and you'll have to redo the seams, then try and get them down to a much lower price.

Then, test that tank out somwhere you don't mind 55 gallons of water leaking out. 55 gallons is a LOT of water. It could flood a living room an inch deep in water, destroying your carpet, padding, and anything that sits on them. I suggest a carport, backyard, back porch... anything like that. Make sure the tank is level and flat on the ground. Fill the tank all the way up. Don't be shy, some leaks occur on only the top inch or two. If it holds water for a few days, chances are you are in luck. you can drain it part way and then begin cleaning. I suggest a bleach solution of about 9 parts water, 1 part bleach to clean and sterilise. I like bleach because it is made of chlorine, and as a fish nut, I have dechlorinator on hand to make it safe. After that, rinse it in water that is overdosed in dechlorinator a couple times. Leave it out in the sun for a day or two to air dry afterward. The sun will break down the chlorine as well. After that, clean whatever equipment you got in a like manner, if it was used, then start setting things up for the cycle.

As for how much it will cost, well, on a new set up you can usually figure about 10 dollars per gallon of tank. So $550 is a decent aestimate for a 55 gallon tank. Buying used, I'd half that, but I am picky about equipment and lighting, so you could get into a 55 gallon for even less if you luck out and find it all used and in great shape.

I'm glad you're looking at a tank this big. I think 55 is a perfect size for a beginner as there's lots of room for the inevitable screw ups. My recommendations (and they'd have to be tailored depending on what kinds of fish you're getting.)

Essentials:
Tank
Stand
Hood w/lights
Bio-wheel filter
Heater
Dechlorinator

Optional:
Aerator
Background
Gravel or sand
Decorations

That's basically what I have in my 55 gallon tank.

Check out the Walmart 55G set-up. Its a good starting tank that you can upgrade components on as you go.

i bought my 55g w/cabnet at wally world. boycot their fish but for 200 a 55g and a stand was a nice price. wood trim, take wood cabnet.

squale said:

thanks for the tip on the big als site, yeah I will definately check that out.

I was contemplating whether to buy a used tank off of ebay or just buy a brand new one. I know if you buy used you can usually get all the accesories already with the tank, but then you might have to worry about cleaning everything and no warranty, etc. I just don't know what the best way to go is..

I think if I do go new, I want to get the 55 Gallon All Glass Black Seal Aquarium (part #10255) http://www.all-glass.com/products/aquariums/blackseal.shtml

I want to get the matching Hi Gloss Black Stand: http://www.all-glass.com/products/stands/higloss.shtml

As for the top and lighting, I was thinking of going with the following:
Hood = Versa-Top http://www.all-glass.com/products/hoods/versatop.shtml
Lighting = High-Output Compact: http://www.all-glass.com/products/hoods/hostriplites.shtml

OR

Lighting = Twin Tube Strip-Lights: http://www.all-glass.com/products/hoods/twintube.shtml


What do you think of this setup? is it a good quality setup or should I go with something else for roughly the same amount of money that I will spend on this?

what do you think the above will cost me btw?

Thanks

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Hey if your looking for a cheap hood I have an all-glass deluxe full hood and all-glassstrip light that I could sell you really cheap. Let me know.