[holoublahee]

Ok, so im new here and thought I'd share what I have.

55 gallon
Fish:
-5 angels
-school of neon tetras
-4-corys
-sailfin pleco
- vampire pleco

Plants:
-Red Flame sword (1)
-Aponogeton crispus (2 bulbs)
-Mayaca fluviatilis (looks like a thinner elodea)
-Italian vals (LOTS!)
- Radican Marble Queen sword (plus 3 runners)
-Glosso

equipment:
-Eheim classic 350 canister
-Coralife 4 foot 2 bulb fixture
- coralife t5 6700k
-coralife t5 colormax
-and some heater

So thats what I have for now. I also have a 10 gallon where I'm raising some angelfish fry.
The plants are growing well, but the glosso is just growing up, and not out like a carpet. I'm thinking of adding CO2 but i dont know if DIY or canister would be better. I figure some CO2 is better than none, and I'd rather not spend an unnecessary $200.

Ill post pics when I get a better camera.


--Juan

 

[Axelrodi202]

For a larger tank like a 55 gallon you definitely should go with pressurized CO2 if possible. DIY CO2 would run out very quickly on a tank that size.

 

[neilshieh]

why is this in the lounge?
anyways, 200 dollars for a co2 setups is definitely not "unnecessary" in fact 200 dollars is only possible if you get a cheap chinese budget all in one regulator with a 5 pound tank or if you're a serious bargain hunter on [Ebay Link Removed]
for your plants you don't need co2, but if you ever decide you want rarer plants, especially the red ones, you'll definitely need to invest in co2. I'd set aside 300 for a co2 setup. think about it this way, you have a industrial co2 cylinder in your house, why in the world would you not use quality equipment to regulate it? It may seem seemingly safe but believe me, compressed co2 in the house is not something to be taken lightly. I for one was scared of my 5 pound co2 tank for a couple months because of a very.... exciting.... expenditure with my first cheap "all in one" regulator. lol that ended in a disaster btw. 100 dollars down the drain.

 

[holoublahee]

Okay. So I've been looking around and I think I could do pressurized. But I've found a lot of information, but nothing really conclusive thats like a good straightforward guide. Like I'm not sure if I should do paintball, or canister. Should I get a regulator with a solenoid? Are there any set ups, or products you recommend--or ones I should stay away from?

Lots of questions. Thanks for the help!

 

[GMYukonon24s]

This should be in the Tank Journal Section.

 

[maxwellag]

For a larger tank like a 55 gallon you definitely should go with pressurized CO2 if possible. DIY CO2 would run out very quickly on a tank that size.

I agree, pressurized co2 would be a lot better. It's not really an issue of when it runs out, but rather how much a DIY bottle would produce. Usually multiple bottles are needed for larger tanks, and they only last a few weeks. That means replacing 2-3 bottles every 2-4 weeks.

 

[holoublahee]

rescape+update

So its been a while. I added a 5 gallon co2 tank, and started dosing liquid ferts (weekly) and root tabs every 4 month--at least thats what the plan is-- and my plants have really taken off. I got a bunch of plants from an RAOK and splitting my Radican mrble queen sword, so I decided to rescape.

Still have the same fish, but I added a few otos (5) and 4 juli corys and red spotted golden severum. The tetras have dropped to 5 now, but I haven't had a death in over a month.

I just realized I hadnt posted any pictures of the tank before... guess this is an introduction. My b.

 

[blue1delta]

Looks great!

 

[holoublahee]

So I've been out of town for about 3 weeks, and, sadly, this tank was neglected a few weeks before that, so it has mostly failed. I plan scrapping it completely this weekend and restarting. I don't really know what I want to do with it though. Any inspiration, or ideas on plants/stock for the tank?

Also, I got very tired of the blue color the lights were giving off. What kind of lights should I get in order to get a nice, crisp white light that is still adequate for plants?