55 Gallon Tank Ideas

[jpierce3]

If you don't use the 20g for a sump, you can use it for a quarantine tank. If you are planning on adding more fish, you should quarantine them for about 3 weeks anyway, it would be a good place for them. You can just run a simple sponge filter on the tank. In fact, you can keep the 20g under the 55 and then it would be easier to turn into a sump later too if you ever decide to go that way. If you get a sponge filter and pump you can start cycling it in your 40 now.

My kid's 20g long with sand:

 

[Fishfriend1]

While yes it is true that there were rumors that the odyssea fixtures started fires, the dates of the threads and complaints were all old and never proven to my knowledge. The company has become very reliable since then and mine still works perfectly after so many hours of use. Also, the fixtures that were rumored to cause fires were the metal halide fixtures from odyssea. Once again the complaints were all old and when the company first started. I spent many hours researching when I first bought the lights because I was worried and told that they didn't work properly. If it makes you feel better I can take pics/vid of the fixture still working and being used.

You can also buy from http://www.bigalspets.com/ which just sells everything pet related and is extremely reliable. Another common and reliable website is fishneedit.com which specializes in light fixtures.

Thanks for the site! And thanks for the info on the lights, I'll see which is cheaper.

If you don't use the 20g for a sump, you can use it for a quarantine tank. If you are planning on adding more fish, you should quarantine them for about 3 weeks anyway, it would be a good place for them. You can just run a simple sponge filter on the tank. In fact, you can keep the 20g under the 55 and then it would be easier to turn into a sump later too if you ever decide to go that way. If you get a sponge filter and pump you can start cycling it in your 40 now.

My kid's 20g long with sand:
View attachment 183726

Yea, I was thinking about that. Would make good use of the 20tall, and of the filters, to have it as a QT tank.

Now, a question. Which is better, the Fluval 20 g or the Fluval 88g? I mean money for need wise, I have a 55 gal tank, and neither is for such a big tank. Should I just go with 1 88 g or 2 20 g's? I don't think I'll need more then that, the fish do produce some CO2, right?

 

[Fishfriend1]

While yes it is true that there were rumors that the odyssea fixtures started fires, the dates of the threads and complaints were all old and never proven to my knowledge. The company has become very reliable since then and mine still works perfectly after so many hours of use. Also, the fixtures that were rumored to cause fires were the metal halide fixtures from odyssea. Once again the complaints were all old and when the company first started. I spent many hours researching when I first bought the lights because I was worried and told that they didn't work properly. If it makes you feel better I can take pics/vid of the fixture still working and being used.

You can also buy from http://www.bigalspets.com/ which just sells everything pet related and is extremely reliable. Another common and reliable website is fishneedit.com which specializes in light fixtures.

Thanks for the site! And thanks for the info on the lights, I'll see which is cheaper.

If you don't use the 20g for a sump, you can use it for a quarantine tank. If you are planning on adding more fish, you should quarantine them for about 3 weeks anyway, it would be a good place for them. You can just run a simple sponge filter on the tank. In fact, you can keep the 20g under the 55 and then it would be easier to turn into a sump later too if you ever decide to go that way. If you get a sponge filter and pump you can start cycling it in your 40 now.

My kid's 20g long with sand:
View attachment 183726

Yea, I was thinking about that. Would make good use of the 20tall, and of the filters, to have it as a QT tank.

Now, a question. Which is better, the Fluval 20 g or the Fluval 88g? I mean money for need wise, I have a 55 gal tank, and neither is for such a big tank. Should I just go with 1 88 g or 2 20 g's? I don't think I'll need more then that, the fish do produce some CO2, right?

 

[Fishfriend1]

Which model would that be, Davemedinis?

 

[Fishfriend1]

http://www.lowes.com:80/pd_319477-1...br|0||p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=

Just so I remember later, that kind of shelf would probably be a good option if I want to place the 40breeder beneath the 55 and maybe put the 20 tall and 10gal on top of it...

 

[allaboutfish]

yup oddysea has improved. i have one now. i also perfer sand over gravel, and my filters never clog up. you just have to use the right kind of sand.

 

[Kmodd]

Allaboutfish what kind of sand do you use? The stuff i had was a super fine white sand from Petco, that would get kicked up every time my fish would move, in turn then get sucked up into my filter.

 

[allaboutfish]

Allaboutfish what kind of sand do you use? The stuff i had was a super fine white sand from Petco, that would get kicked up every time my fish would move, in turn then get sucked up into my filter.

i use sand collected by a company in camden tn, but pool filter sand is the best way to go if you dont live anywhere near me.

 

[livebearerfreak]

a 55 is really to small for silver dollars, i wouldnt really do anything under a 6 foot but a 75 would work for a small group. but a 55 is to narrow ( only 12 inches wide ) for Silver Dollars.

hi, i guess you are my 1st fishfriend1......just a little humor......
have you ever thought of getting silver dollars? they are the gentle giants as i call them. i started with 2 and now have 4.
they are the size of the palm of my hand and don't bother the smaller fish in the tank. although mostly nocturnal they can be very active during the day especially at feeding time. i like to call mine the gentle piraunas. i love it when they look at me with those big eyes. as they try and spawn they will chase each other around the tank and break the surface of the water when doing so.

 

[Fishfriend1]

I think I'll end up using a mix. My 40 breeder has a mix of super fine, medium, and gravel, with some stones. Once the sand settles, it takes a lot to get into a HOB filter.

As for Silver Dollars, yea, I never really did think I would do them, they are far to big for my comfort zone.