Rate My Setup + Tips

HI everyone! This is my 55 Gallon setup. I’d love to get some feedback since you all probably know a lot more than I do .

Fishies:
Around 20 Guppies (3-1 female/male ratio)
2 Molly (male & female)
2 Common Plecos (housing one for a mate temporarily)

Tank & Equipment:
*55 Gallon (100x37.5x53 cm)
*SunSun 302 external canister (1000L/H)
*Internal pump with oxygen airflow into a 5 stage mechanical filtration system
*150Watt heater
*Sera External thermometer
*Temporary lights (switching to led strip)

Decorations:
Couple stones + Liveplants with soil substrate. I’m not sure of the types of plants since the person selling them didn’t know. A big piece of Driftwood as well.

 

Glad you're ditching those lights. My lights have a 'blue' setting, but I rarely use it.

Personally, ANY tank I own has lighting on a timer. Things get ugly when the light
is left on a few too many times. My tank lights go on about 3pm, off about 11pm.
This gives fish a night and day, and regulates lighting to avoid algae blooms and the like.
You might need a bit more light for a planted tank... Let those 'in the know' chime in.

If the tank is against the wall, a backdrop will make tubes and wires less visible.
A dark back drop hides the bits on the back wall in the tank too.

Make sure your water parameters are good for the fish you're stocking.
I'd go for a bristlenose pleco for a tank that size... Common Plecos are a bit
much when mature for a tank that size.

I like the aquascape. Might do a tall plant or two on the left for a little balance,
but that's personal taste... It's YOUR tank, if you like it, that's what's important.

Keep the water right, and the fish happy... You've got a great start!

 

Great tank setup, I love the aquascape and that great piece of driftwood and the tree!
The only problem I see is the pleco. They can grow to 24 inches (61 cm) long, outgrow a 55 gallon tank and produce lots of waste (you do have great filtration though). You may find yourself rehoming the one you keep in a couple years!

 

Glad you're ditching those lights. My lights have a 'blue' setting, but I rarely use it.

Personally, ANY tank I own has lighting on a timer. Things get ugly when the light
is left on a few too many times. My tank lights go on about 3pm, off about 11pm.
This gives fish a night and day, and regulates lighting to avoid algae blooms and the like.
You might need a bit more light for a planted tank... Let those 'in the know' chime in.

If the tank is against the wall, a backdrop will make tubes and wires less visible.
A dark back drop hides the bits on the back wall in the tank too.

Make sure your water parameters are good for the fish you're stocking.
I'd go for a bristlenose pleco for a tank that size... Common Plecos are a bit
much when mature for a tank that size.

I like the aquascape. Might do a tall plant or two on the left for a little balance,
but that's personal taste... It's YOUR tank, if you like it, that's what's important.

Keep the water right, and the fish happy... You've got a great start!

Thanks a ton for your feedback ! I was planning on getting a timer once I had proper lighting, I’ll also look into getting a backdrop. I’ll try switching out my pleco for a bristlenose one whenever I’m at the shop, thanks again!

Great tank setup, I love the aquascape and that great piece of driftwood and the tree!
The only problem I see is the pleco. They can grow to 24 inches (61 cm) long, outgrow a 55 gallon tank and produce lots of waste (you do have great filtration though). You may find yourself rehoming the one you keep in a couple years!

Thank you for your feedback . I’ll definitely try getting a bristlenose pleco instead as someone suggested.

 

1m+1f molly will cause problems as the male will harrass the female.
Mollies and guppies can and will xbreed
Common plecos have to big of a bioload and are way too big for a 55g

 

Hi, that's a nice looking scape, once the plants grow in it will look amazing, I agree with ditching the blue lights, they don't do anything for me either. My only concerns are that with that many guppies you're going to need a way of moving the young on, they are breeding machines & will very quickly overrun your tank, (I made the same mistake when I first started & I only had a group of 8 in a 4 foot tank). Secondly the common plecs, even given that one of them is going to go, your tank is way too small for anything other than a bulldog, a common will grow to 18+ inches which is half the size of your tank so I would advise you re-home the plec. If you can get some close-ups of the plants I'm sure we can ID them for you.