Beginner 55g Plan

9061 Views 76 Replies 14 Participants Last post by Nazrat, Jan 7, 2011

Nazrat

Discussion Starter · Oct 31, 2010

Well, this is my first tank.

I am looking to pick up a used tank with lights, filter and stand for $100.00. Despite repeated questions, the current owners cannot clarify what type of lights or filter. It still looks like a good deal. :confused1:

Substrate will be Flourite.

Stocking:
6 Green Tiger Barbs(to be added last)
6 Platys
5 Bosemani Rainbowfish
1 Tiger Pleco
1 Red Tailed Shark

I plan on decorating with driftwood and stones.

I really want this to be a low tech, well-planted tank like so many of you have built. I have studied quite a bit and figured out what I want in most areas. However, I can't quite figure out the best plants.

I like the Lilaeopsis mauritiana as carpet but it seems hard to find.

Can anyone give me some suggestions on finishing out this design? :help:

Thanks for taking the time to respond.

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Hoppy

· #2 · Oct 31, 2010

A lot is going to depend on the light you get with that deal. To light a standard 55 gallon tank for low light, non-CO2 use, you could use:
4 - T8 bulbs, with a plain white reflective surface behind them. 3 bulbs would be marginal.
An AH Supply bright light kit, 2-55 watt kits or one 96 watt kit, with the 2 - 55 watt giving better uniform light coverage.
One T5HO bulb, with a good quality highly polished reflector, suspended about 25 inches from the substrate level.
Two T5NO bulbs, with typical reflector, an inch or two above the top of the tank.

What you probably will get is a one or two bulb T8 light, which will not be enough for any plants except very low light plants, like mosses and Anubias. In that case, spending a bit to upgrade to one of the choices above would help a lot.

Nazrat

Discussion Starter · #3 · Nov 1, 2010 (Edited)

Hoppy said:
A lot is going to depend on the light you get with that deal. To light a standard 55 gallon tank for low light, non-CO2 use, you could use:
4 - T8 bulbs, with a plain white reflective surface behind them. 3 bulbs would be marginal.
An AH Supply bright light kit, 2-55 watt kits or one 96 watt kit, with the 2 - 55 watt giving better uniform light coverage.
One T5HO bulb, with a good quality highly polished reflector, suspended about 25 inches from the substrate level.
Two T5NO bulbs, with typical reflector, an inch or two above the top of the tank.

What you probably will get is a one or two bulb T8 light, which will not be enough for any plants except very low light plants, like mosses and Anubias. In that case, spending a bit to upgrade to one of the choices above would help a lot.

Hoppy, thanks for the lighting lesson. That helps a lot.

I did confirm that there are "double lights on both sides of the hood." From the picture that I have, I can see that there are two lighting fixtures on the tank. It was one of the reasons that this might be a very good deal. They could be 4-T8s.

I am making pickup arrangements now and will post more details as soon as I learn them.

lauraleellbp

· #4 · Nov 1, 2010

Welcome to TPT!

I got my own Lilaeopsis mauritiana from www.SweetAquatics.com. They have nice Crypts, there, too.

4 T8 bulbs would give you a nice low light level for this tank. I expect that most stem plants might get leggy at the bottom at this light level, but you should be able to do well with rhizome (Anubias, Java fern) and rosette (Crypts, swords) plants.

Hoppy

· #5 · Nov 1, 2010

"Four T8 bulbs" means 4 bulbs extending the full length of the tank. Using 4 24 inch long T8 bulbs is the same as just 2 48 inch T8 bulbs, and is probably too little to let you grow much.

I would start looking for a 2 bulb 48 inch T5NO Coralife aquarium light. (That's 2-28 watt bulbs, not 54 watt bulbs.)

Nazrat

Discussion Starter · #6 · Nov 1, 2010

Hoppy said:
"Four T8 bulbs" means 4 bulbs extending the full length of the tank. Using 4 24 inch long T8 bulbs is the same as just 2 48 inch T8 bulbs, and is probably too little to let you grow much.

I would start looking for a 2 bulb 48 inch T5NO Coralife aquarium light. (That's 2-28 watt bulbs, not 54 watt bulbs.)

Something like this?

Would you recommend the Coralife light or the AH Supply 2-55W kit? They look to be in the same price range so which would be better for actually growing plants.

Thanks for the help.

Hoppy

· #7 · Nov 1, 2010

Yes, that is the light I meant. The AH Supply light kit has to be installed in your own hood, and would provide about the same amount of light, perhaps a little less, but it would use 110 watts of electricity vs 56 watts for the Coralife light. You might as well save a little on your electric bill. Either one would work ok.

goot776

· #8 · Nov 1, 2010

Hoppy said:
Yes, that is the light I meant. The AH Supply light kit has to be installed in your own hood, and would provide about the same amount of light, perhaps a little less, but it would use 110 watts of electricity vs 56 watts for the Coralife light. You might as well save a little on your electric bill. Either one would work ok.

How is this light meant to be mounted? Does one need to buy a plastic cover, and then place the fixture on top of it?

lauraleellbp

· #9 · Nov 1, 2010

Most people put the AH Supply lights into wooden canopies. They come as "retrofit kits" so require assembly. You can buy one, build one, or buy the one AH supply makes also.

With the Coralife, it's already inside a fixture.

Nazrat

Discussion Starter · #10 · Nov 1, 2010

Ok, I picked up the tank and stand. No filter. Lights are in a Perfecto lid with 2 18" f15 T8 bulbs.

So, I definitely need to upgrade the lid and lights and find a good filter for a 55g.

Any other tips? I appreciate the help.

Nazrat

Discussion Starter · #11 · Nov 2, 2010

2

Here are two iPhone pictures of the gear that I am keeping from the purchase. Please excuse the quality.

The tank and the stand. I'm not sure that they will stay in that location.

Some petrified wood:

I have a lot more work to do but this is a good start.

Thanks for the assistance.

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Nazrat

Discussion Starter · #12 · Nov 2, 2010

Update.

I ordered Coralife T5NO light from Pet Boulevard.

The SunSun canister filter is ordered off of ebay.

3 bags of Flourite Black, 1 bag of Flourite Black Sand, new glass canopy and an inline heater from Foster and Smith.

Tank was cleaned with bleach and rinsed. The tank is now completely full and left standing. I will test the water in the morning to get an accurate read on my local water.

So, I have the hardware en route.

Now, back to the plants. Any more suggestions now that the hardware is upgraded?

Thanks again.

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goot776

· #13 · Nov 2, 2010

Nazrat said:
Update.

I ordered Coralife T5NO light from Pet Boulevard.

The SunSun canister filter is ordered off of ebay.

3 bags of Flourite Black, 1 bag of Flourite Black Sand, new glass canopy and an inline heater from Foster and Smith.

Tank was cleaned with bleach and rinsed. The tank is now completely full and left standing. I will test the water in the morning to get an accurate read on my local water.

So, I have the hardware en route.

Now, back to the plants. Any more suggestions now that the hardware is upgraded?

Thanks again.

I'm following this thread closely, since I'm in the same boat as you -- just picked up my first 55g, and I'm scrounging around for parts/ideas. Why the Sand in addition to the 3 bags of Flourite Black? And also, why SunSun and not Eheim?

Nazrat

Discussion Starter · #14 · Nov 2, 2010

goot776 said:
I'm following this thread closely, since I'm in the same boat as you -- just picked up my first 55g, and I'm scrounging around for parts/ideas. Why the Sand in addition to the 3 bags of Flourite Black? And also, why SunSun and not Eheim?

SunSun v. Eheim was simply a cost issue. I saw the thread about the SunSun filters and figured that I might as well give it a try since the filter was $60.00 including shipping. Since I am so new, I don't know any better yet. :wink:

Is that filter alone enough for a planted tank? AqAdvisor doesn't think so but I am at a lost of how much more filtration to add. :icon_conf

Flourite issue--I wanted to use Black Flourite for aesthetic reasons. I was going to use 4 bags of it but, when I saw the Black Sand Flourite, I thought that it might give me some aquascaping options that the gravel alone would not. I plan on putting 2 bags of gravel down first, followed by the bag of sand and, then, the final bag of gravel to anchor the rocks and/or driftwood in the scape.

I don't see that any harm would result from mixing the two. I tend to copy other successful plans in a rote format. This was my minor attempt to make my tank unique. In short, I tried to have fun with the decision.

I have now figured out that the stand has a shelf that is at exactly the correct height to ensure that the canister filter will not fit. So, I will have to break out the tools to alter the stand. I can either cut the shelf out of one side or remove the entire shelf and return it at the necessary height. I have to think this one out.

I did a first test on my tap water in the tank. I am not good at reading the pH levels yet. I can't tell if my pH is 7.4 or 8.2. On a positive note, my tap water has no ammonia. I don't know why I can read the ammonia test so easily but have trouble with the pH colors. Hopefully, with experience, I will get better.

Being a beginner is fun but scary. I am drinking water out of a fire hose right now but I am learning something.

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goot776

· #15 · Nov 2, 2010

Read this. It has helped me immensely. Good luck!

Check out the AGA contests to get some planting inspiration. I still don't know what to do! So many options, haha.

lauraleellbp

· #16 · Nov 2, 2010

Nazrat said:
Now, back to the plants. Any more suggestions now that the hardware is upgraded?

Stick with low light plants and you should be good. The plants that have done the best for me under those Coralife lights are Swords, Crypts, Hygrophila sp., Bacopas, Rotala rotundifolia, and low light carpeting plants like Lilaeopsis mauritiana, Echinodorus tenellus 'narrow,' and 'red,' Dwarf Sagittaria, and Marselia minuta.

Sounds to me like things are coming along well! :thumbsup:

Nazrat

Discussion Starter · #17 · Nov 2, 2010

Thanks, Laura Lee.

Your tank with the Lilaeopsis mauritiana really stood out to me and inspired the choice of that plant.

At some point in my schooling, I should have taken more Latin. Knowing the common legal terms from Latin isn't really helping with aquatic plants. I haven't learned the common names to associate with the more specific scientific names. Unlike everything else, I can't memorize the plant list in 10 minutes.

Nazrat

Discussion Starter · #18 · Nov 2, 2010

goot776 said:
Read this. It has helped me immensely. Good luck!

Check out the AGA contests to get some planting inspiration. I still don't know what to do! So many options, haha.

Thanks for the link. At some point, I have to stop reading about planted tanks and do some work this week.

Prostock442

· #19 · Nov 3, 2010 (Edited)

I'm new at this also Naz. Do some searches in the forums & you'll find many threads of interest. My tank is in it's second week of cycling, all is going well thus far. Here's a link to a thread I put up to help us with low light plants. Good luck & I look forward to following your threatd. Hope the link on plants helps you. Brian

Too see pictures of the plants, copy the plant name & then click on "Plant Profiles" at the top of the TPT page & then paste the name on that search page & you'll see a picture.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/plants/119642-list-low-light-plants.html#post1192595

goot776

· #20 · Nov 3, 2010

Does anybody have a low-light list of plants with pictures? That would make it SO MUCH EASIER to pick out complementary plants for us newbies.

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