*help* i got a 55 gal...

cutetravis · April 16th, 2007

and i have no idea what to put in it, i kno u have to cycle it and stuff first... but i dont kno what to put in it!! i really want little ghost shrimps hehehe im goin to have alot of plants and driftwood and pvc caves etc... and maybe a sand type gravel, how do u siphon/clean light substrate? i think i might have a community tank with little neon tetras and corys and maybe a pleco... would the pleco eat the little ghost shrimp if i got some? and what slightly larger fish could i have in a community tank.. i like dwarf gouramis... would they be ok in there? ... so much to think about... oh and i heard that having 2 smaller heaters at opposite ends of a large aquarium is better than having one big one? is that true?

capekate · April 16th, 2007

Hello there from another newbee. I found answers to alot of your questions through out this site. There is a whole section on tank set up, water conditions, and also fish species, there you can find out which fish are compatable. This is a wonderful educational tool and worth taking the time to read up on all that you can before starting...
Good luck to you!

~ kate

COBettaCouple · April 16th, 2007

Pleco's put out a lot of waste and you might consider a combination of cory cats and otos along with an apple snail for the cleanup crew. A tank of gouramis would be cool, but i'm not sure that they wouldn't make snacks of the ghost shrimp.. you could go with a cichlids tank too.. some angels, african cichlids, etc.. or go with a "clear" tank of things like glass cats, x-ray tetras, etc.. it's really whatever you prefer, just make sure they're all compatible and that you don't overstock your tank and you'll be setup when you pick the fish you really like.

cutetravis · April 17th, 2007

ok yea that sounds good, i like lil corys...
this is my ideas so far:
dwarf gouramis
corys
glass cats
maybe some smaller fish like cardinal tetras or cherry barbs
a snail tehe
maybe a couple of little bristlenose fullaz? or one

thats bout it, is there any in there that you cant put together
??

whetto · April 17th, 2007

in a tank that size, fish that small generally will have no problem living together as it is big enough for them to stake out their own territories. if you go with corys, make sure you get at least three, and bristlenoses are good too, because they are great little cleaners and dont get bigger than 4-5 inches, which helps avoid overstocking. personally i love my tiger barbs, and with a tank that size, 5 or 6 of them would be great fun to watch. i also have a rainbow shark that i LOVE, and he might chase some of the fish, but as long as he has a hiding place to call his own, he'd be fine. with a 55, the possibilities are really only limited to your own imagination and preferences. good luck with your fish and welcome to the site!

COBettaCouple · April 17th, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by cutetravis

ok yea that sounds good, i like lil corys...
this is my ideas so far:
dwarf gouramis
corys
glass cats
maybe some smaller fish like cardinal tetras or cherry barbs
a snail tehe
maybe a couple of little bristlenose fullaz? or one

thats bout it, is there any in there that you cant put together
??

You could definitely get to 55" of fish with that list. Sounds like a good list to me.

cutetravis · April 18th, 2007

yay... ok so this is what ive got in minc so far:
*im having dark gravel, becuase with that and lighting, the colours of the fish will come out more.
*im having it quite heavily planted with dark green foliage
*im going to get a little cave (or make my own pvc cave)
*some of those little statues of heads... u kno the ones like off easter island?
maybe a few rocks or a pile of shcizt?...(dont kno how to spell it)

with the schist how would u stack it? u would have to glue it i imagine , so it dont fall on ur fishys?
and also, to cycle my tank.. if its going to be planted, do u think i should cycle it with plants?

thanks

COBettaCouple · April 18th, 2007

The best way to cycle your tank would be with BioSpira since it's an instant cycle.. if you can't find that, look for Zymbac. Or you can use fish flakes to cycle the tank. Or drop pure ammonia in. http://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm - this gives you the drill on cycling.

susitna-flower · April 18th, 2007

Care does need to be taken when you stack rocks. I have heard about two different methods. One is to drill (metal drill bit, not wood), insert stainless steel rods, plastic rods would work also if you could find some. NOT any regular metal as it is bad for fish. The other easier way is to use aquarium safe silicone. Be sure to cure 2 days before adding water so the rocks won't move.

As far as shrimp, I have 5 in my tank with all sorts of big bad fish, they are still all with the living, but have hiding spots. There is one rock with a hole dug under which backs right up to the back glass on the aquarium, that is the spot they chose, and it is good because I get to watch them. As far as a cleaning crew on this size tank, they don't do much, unless you have hundreds! Best of Luck.

Land of the Midnight Sun 8)

COBettaCouple · April 18th, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by susitna-flower

As far as a cleaning crew on this size tank, they don't do much, unless you have hundreds! Best of Luck.
Land of the Midnight Sun 8)

Yea, maybe if we give them a raise in pay, they'll clean harder?

I think that I've seen at pet stores a sort of stackable or configurable rock formation kit for aquariums.. not sure if it's what you're looking for, but it might be something to check out.. could put less weight into your tank and be more fish-safe.

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