I think I have a fish problem

Most low light plants (anubias, java fern, java moss, etc.) don't require much work at all, but they do require some decent lighting and some "food" here and there. The problem is that LED fixtures can either be for display purposes or marketed for plants and/or corals. Unless you get a fixture that is the latter, your plant options are very limited and you'll see very little grow at all.

The Bichir may be fine, but at full adult size I'd be inclined to upgrade to a larger tank with more width at least. People over at MonsterFishKeepers.com (one of Aquaria Central's sister sites) keep these types of fish and may be better to ask. A 55 gallon is only 12" wide, so it's not a good tank for fish that get to around that length and longer. The angel and raphael can fit for sure, but the others not so much.

How do you treat the water? If you're on city water you would want something that covers both chlorine and chloramines unless you are absolutely sure your water isn't treated with both. Chlorines can off gas but chloramines wont, which is why they are being used more often.
 
Bala Sharks do the best in groups of 6 or more. You need no less than a 100 gallon tank for them. Iridescent Sharks have been known to grow to 3ft long in the wild. They will be substantially shorter in an aquarium setting. Bichirs also can get to a decent size. You do not have small community fish in your 55. Angelfish are not angelic. being a cichlid, they have many of the cichlid personality quirks. Your best move it to get rid of them and get fish that ARE appropriate for a 55. You can then have multiple fish of a species. Birchir and Balas are jumpers.

You should not rinse or clean a bio-wheel, just the filter. Contrary to popular opinion, they do not hold the majority of you bacteria. It will be mostly located on hard surfaces within your system. There is nothing wrong with them as long as the water turn-over is no less than 6x an hour. I use 2-400's on a 90 gallon tank that has a 12" pleco in it and 2 silver dollars.

All plants need TLC of some fashion. There are many fertilizers out that are good for even low-light plants. DO NOT use Flourish Excel on Java Moss, crypts, or anacharis plants as they usually melt. Swords are root feeders as previously stated and do NOT bury the rhizome on anubias. Anubias are hardy slow growing plants and can withstand more abuse than the average plants can. Even they can tolerate just so much.

Avoid bottom-feeders if you want plants. They won't necessarily eat them but they can inadvertently harm them when foraging.
 
excuzzzeme said:
You should not rinse or clean a bio-wheel, just the filter. Contrary to popular opinion, they do not hold the majority of you bacteria. It will be mostly located on hard surfaces within your system.
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respectfully requesting elaboration on "they" and "hard surfaces." I'm thinking they = cartridges, and hard surfaces includes biowheels?
 
I wouldn't rule angels out in a community. A 55g is plenty of vertical and horizontal space for them and other tankmates to keep a distance if needed. Their worst behavior is protecting eggs/fry so a single may not be all that cichlid-like often.

Glabe said:
respectfully requesting elaboration on "they" and "hard surfaces." I'm thinking they = cartridges, and hard surfaces includes biowheels?
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I think Jeff is saying that the filter itself doesn't hold the bacteria so much as the other "hard surfaces" so it is ok to clean them...?
 
jpappy789 said:
I wouldn't rule angels out in a community. A 55g is plenty of vertical and horizontal space for them and other tankmates to keep a distance if needed. Their worst behavior is protecting eggs/fry so a single may not be all that cichlid-like often.



I think Jeff is saying that the filter itself doesn't hold the bacteria so much as the other "hard surfaces" so it is ok to clean them...?
Click to expand...

Just wondering if I'm missing some recent info on biowheels being bunk. I'm under the impression that filter cartridge mesh accumulates a good amount also, but not enough to disturb the cycle in a good filter
 
I have never said that bio-wheels were bunk. Just stated that they are over-rated. "They"- was referring to the wheels. I did not and will not say they don't work. If they do any good at all I would lean to the aerobic bacteria. Hard surfaces are your decor, substrates, glass, hard plastic parts of your filter. If you run your finger on them they should feel a bit slimy, that is bio-film, a source of bacteria. Yes, the filter pad will hold some bacteria, it usually doesn't hold enough to cause a mini-cycle when you change them. Since the filter pad will hold the solids, it works as a bio-media source as well, just not large amounts of it. That is why you can replace them without a mini-cycle occurring.
 
Well, the nitrifying bacteria are aerobic bacteria. Since they oxidize the nitrogen products they need access to a lot of oxygen. That was the original reasoning by exposing the biowheels to air. Whether or not it makes much difference, I don't know.
 
I base my post on experience. I have 2 Emperor 400's a Penguin 100 and 200. I have removed these and just tossed them into the tank to keep them wet. After a water change and filter media change, there was no mini cycle. On the 400's I left them off for a month on purpose. (I do weekly water changes) There was no discernible change in water parameters with them off or on. This is what I based my opinion on and why I suggest that they are overrated and not suggesting they have no effect or were a waste om money. It's just a different approach to a common problem. That doesn't make it wrong. I will say however, that changing the media in both 400's at once did cause a mini-cycle. (Thank you Hurricane Irene) at the time the tank contained one 12" Oscar and one 13" pleco. Like you, I have no scientifically provable method to say yeah or nay about the biowheel systems. If they work they work. If they don't, got get an AC!

Apologies to the OP for the side-track. Have you had anymore deaths?
 
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