starting my new 55gal

F

frenchbread47

AC Members
Feb 7, 2006
6
0
0
Hello, I have been using these forums for the past two years and have found them very useful. I have had a 20 gal for about two years now and it is running well. I got a 55gal from my girlfriend who got it for free. I am in college right now but my parents have said they will keep it in their house until I have a more permanent residence.
We just filled it and put in 55 lbs. of leveling sand from Home Depot. We should get the filter, heater and everything else in the next two days. I leave in a week for school but would like to start filling the tank with fish and plants. I know about cycling and I plan on using the large, porous rock and fake plants from my parent's current 10gal to jumpstart the process. I am hoping that with all the plants I am putting in and the starting good bacteria I can put in fish by Thursday or Friday. Does this sound like a safe idea? My parents don't want to do too much work with my tank while I am at school so I want to have as much started up for them as possible. But I don't want all of our new fish to die within a week.
I plan on putting in 6 tinfoil barbs, 12 or so tiger barbs, 6 clown loaches, and then snails and ghost shrimp.
 
if you have good media to pul bacteria from ..technically you should be able to add fish immediately.

I would suggest you re-think the tinfoil barbs as they get pretty large and a 55 cannot house a school of 6 tinfoil barbs very long.
 
They may not need weekly but probably can't afford to wait until you are home on an occasional break from school. Even with a light bio-load and heavy planting, some water changes are needed and it should not wait until the next time you happen to be in town.
 
My parents are willing to do monthly water changes like I do with my 20gal but they are not willing to do weekly water changes.
 
Why would you want to have an aquarium that you will not see and cannot maintain properly?
 
I have decided to get three tinfoil barbs and the school of tiger barbs. I will hold off on the clown loaches for now. I know my parents are willing to help with the tank and will enjoy it in their house. They also are willing to help pay for the equipment since it will be in their house for so long. I think monthly water changes are fine. That is what I do with my 20gal and everything in there has been healthy. Thank you all for your help. I am really looking forward to putting this 55gal together.
 
Clown loaches grow pretty slowly. I have a couple in my 72 gallon to keep the snails in check. I will then move them to my 55 gallon to do a number on the snails there. Then back to the 72. If they start getting to large, I will trade them in at my LFS for smaller ones. MIne were about 3 inches when I bought them 2 years ago and they are probably around 4 inches now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom