Basic questions I can't find answers for. *newbie*

Thanks for the input firefly. I am thinking I might go with the Kuhli Loaches. I was thinking originally of having gravel mixed with substrate on the tank floor. As far as filtration I had planned on a Penguin Filter I believe it's called. They have the Bio-wheel. Would you recommend just one strong filter for a 55 gall or two? I've been reading around it seems a number of people have more then just one.

I did plan on trying a DIY Co2 injection system. I've heard that helps the plants really flourish.

As far as cycling I was probably going to try that Bio-Spira as I hear it takes about half the cycling time that fishless cycling would take.

I was also toying with the idea of a ropefish. I really like those things. But I am thinking that size would become an issue. My main goal, since I don't see upgrading right away, is to get the 55 gallon community tank with fish that will be able to all grow and stay in the same tank together. Sort of no upgrading required. Basically my fish list so far has been revised to this:

3-4 Angelfish
6 Kuhli Loaches
1 Red-Tailed Black Shark
6 small Tetras of some sort

Is that a good amount of fish for that tank?

Thanks,
Curtis
 
I think your stocking plan looks good for a 50 gallon tank, maybe get a couple of more tetras.

Most people recommend 2 filters for redundancy, if one breaks you don't have to freak and rush to get another. And there is no such thing as over filtration.

CO2 will definately help plants grow, even if you aren't using alot of light.

Bio-Spira will significantly reduce the cycle time. The regular cycling process can take over a month. Bio-Spira can cycle the tank in 1 day.
 
phanmc said:
Bio-Spira will significantly reduce the cycle time. The regular cycling process can take over a month. Bio-Spira can cycle the tank in 1 day.
Click to expand...
Only if you have a good batch that hasnt been exposed to heat. Dont get me wrong i used bio-spira but i also had seeded media in my tank. Dont count on bio-spira and loose alot of money you blew on fish.


Let your tank cycle while you research your fish some more. That way you dont rush into something and can better think everything out although it sounds like you already have done alot of thinking/researching.
 
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Your fish would be fine in a 55 gallon for life. If you get a red tail shark, you don't want anything similar... siamese algae eaters, clown loaches, other sharks, they get very aggressive with similar fish. Clown loaches are so great that a lot of people keep them despite the fcat that they get to be 12". They usually die before they get that big. You need a group of them so that they are happy... that equals a lot of room needed. Tiger barbs will nip the fins of the angels. Barbs need to school like tetras, but they grow much bigger... usually and create more waste. Smaller barbs like cherry barbs are great. Tetras are even better as a schooling fish because they are small and therefore you can get more. A large shoal of tiny fish looks great. Can't go wrong with cories, get a group of 6 of the same species. Yea most gobies are brackish water fish. Angel fish are not a problem. I love my pair of koi angels. Angels are not aggressive. Sometimes in a group, a pair will bully others but this doesn't happen much if they are not crowded. a pair or even 4 would do well in a 55 gallon. If raised with tetras, they will likely not eat them when full grown.
 
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I would try and resist the sharks totally.
Even if the red tail only gets 6", they are constantly moving and highly active.
Even with a 48" long tank, it's really too short for a 6" red tail.
Fishes like that should be in a minimum 72" long tank, which means 100+ gallons.

Clown loaches do get very large, but with a slow growth rate, they should be okay.
Just be prepared to move them if they start to get full-grown.

Some angelfishes can get pretty big - do your research before commiting to a particular species of angel.
Most of the angel enthusiasts will recommend a "tall" tank.
Your standard 55G is not considered a "tall" tank, so be aware of that.
If it's a dedicated angel tank, then it might be okay, but I think with 4 large angels, it'll get pretty crowded with the rest of your list.

Stay away from pacu's, arowanas, and other "tank busters".
I would also stay away from some of the larger growing cichlids, since some of them can grow bigger than 10"!
Almost anything else will work in your 40 - 50G.
 
Wow everyone has been so much help in refining my planning thus far. I still have other basic questions. (Yes I am noob, hear me ask!) =)

I'm set on the 55 gall. With the filters should I basically get 2 that filters that could technically run the entire tank on their own? Of course this makes sense as a good contingency should one break down.

I also have a question about live plants. Should I put the live plants in right away? Or should I wait until the tank is cycled? If I have to wait until the tank is cycled is it ok to put the fish in right after or should I wait for things to settle?

Thanks again all. You have really helped immensly already.

Curtis
 
a great refrence is the fish listing on this very site under species profiles it has a lot of great information.
 
2 filters that can handle the tank by themselves is ideal.

I recently set up a tank with live plants and Bio-Spira. I basically planted the tank and stocked it within a day, adding Bio-Spira at the same time as my fishes. I checked the water the next day and had an ammonia and nitrite reading but they were well within safety limits. The following day only nitrate was detectable, the tank was cycled.

However, Sivic's warning about Bio-Spira is a good one. The stuff in Bio-Spira is live bacteria and they can die off if not kept refridgerated or if kept for too long. Always pay close attention to your water parameters while using Bio-Spira.

If you are going to cycle your tank without Bio-Spira, its probably better to cycle the tank first and then add plants. The plants will absorb some of the ammonia and nitrate, making it hard to tell when your cycle is complete. Unless...

Another option is if you plan on going for a heavily planted tank. Use alot of fast growing stem plants (anacharis, hornwort, water sprite, wisteria, etc) along with the plants you want to grow. Dump them into the tank for a week or 2 or until you start seeing some roots forming from the stems, then add your fishes slowly. The fast growing stem plants will suck up all the ammonia. When your tank matures and the plants that you want to keep are big and healthy, you can remove the fast growing stem plants that you don't want.
 
I would go with three angels, not four. They do best in odd numbers. Otherwise, your stocking sounds good, I'd maybe increase the number of tetras, depending on the type, and I'd stay away from tiny tetras (like the neon) which are often natural food for angels (though many say if they grow up together, the mix can work...). As for the shark, he' d be the one I'd leave out if I had to. He could be nippy or not depending on his personality, and he definitely will move all over the tank! You could try a red tail as opposed to a rainbow (they are VERY similar, the redtail has a red tail and is all black otherwise, the rainbow has red fins, and a black body), which will only be about 4", but you'd have the same temperment issues. It's not a definite no, but something to keep an eye on. They all should grow up fine together in the tank, and not outgrow it. As for filtration, I like the biowheel filters myself. I also like cannister filters. I'm going to run a cannister on mine, but have biowheels on many others. I don't usually have two filters on my tanks, but I always have extra pieces etc. around, and in a pinch if I transfered the biowheel or filter bio-media over to anew one, the tank would stay cycled.
The plants can definitely be added while cycling, I plan to add and establish my plants well before adding fish. With the biospira, your tank will likely insant-cycle, provided it is still a good batch of biospira. You could always add the biospira in conjunction with a fishless cycle (i.e., start addign your ammonia, then add the biospira, then see if the tests show the tank is cycled). That way, if the stuff is good, you can add the whole lot of fish right away, if it isn't, you know it and can try again, and haven't put any fish in jeopardy. Just make sure if you do have a good supply of bio-bugs that you keep feeding them (either with fish that produce waste or by addign ammonia to the tank).

IF you do penguin filters, I'd go with the 350, or you could use the Emperror 400 (the 'deluxe' model of penguin I guess). Penguin just recently upgraded all their filters (Right after I bought a bunch), and I like the new style. I finally got one of the new ones, so I"ll have to see how it works up close...

If you go with a cannister filter I"d do a FLUVAL either 304 or 404. I agree with others that you can't really over filter, but you do want to make sure the current isn't too heavy in the water--ANgels are a slow current kind of fish.

Sounds like you've got some good plans going on, and you should have a very nice looking tank! Please post pics when it's up and runnign.

Emily
 
Firefly you have been so much help. I just want to thank you up front.

I am beginning to agree with you that 3 Angelfish is better then 4. Furthermore, I have read all the warnings with the Red-Tailed Shark, but thank you for the heads up. I gotta stick with him because he was my focal point when I began this journey. So darnit that punk better get along with the other fish. I have this real inkling in the back of my mind to add a ropefish to this tank. At least until he begins to get too big and need and upgrade. I just LOVE that thing.

It's gonna be a spendy project so I want to do this right. Not to mention I don't want to kill a bunch of fish.

I thank you all for the assistance. I think I have a really solid game plan thanks to you all. So I shall now wait the month-month.5 that it takes me to get everything together. I will definitely post pictures when I get it going though.

Going to start a 10 gall next week with a Betta I inherited. So after cycling and all that I will get some pics of that up too.

Thanks again,
Curtis
 
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