Re setting up my 55 gal last update 9-10-07

6429 Views 90 Replies 19 Participants Last post by Roc, Sep 16, 2007

Roc

Discussion Starter · Jun 19, 2007 (Edited)

Well I am finally going to be upgraging my 55 gal and thought before I started I would ask the group for seggustions.

New set-up

55 gal tank 48"x13"x18"
4x65watt 210000k 2 6700k PC fixture
200 watt heater (my home and tank temp are almost the same year round)
Presuized CO2 (from rex)

I don't know what type of filter to use, the currant one is an old penquen bio wheel (with the bio wheel removed) which has worked well but ppl often tell me it's not enough.

I already have a ton of plants which I will keep at 1st until I see how growth is going.

fish:
3 mini clown loaches
3 Bolivien rams
5 Black skrit tetras
1 silver tail angelfish
1 albino rainbow shark
1 red flame gourami
1 common plec (to be removed later)
2 Clown plec's

1 - 20 of 91 Posts

epicfish

· #2 · Jun 19, 2007

Bump up the filter to an XP2/XP3 or better yet, Eheim.

Substrate? Looks like a fine plan to start with.

MemphisBob

· #3 · Jun 19, 2007

A canister filter is your best bet and how much you're willing to spend will determine how nice you'll get. Canisters are most certainly one of those "you get what you pay for" kind of products.

Get a starter pack from Rex or some such if you don't have dry ferts already.

I've used eco and sms as substrates and like both if you want suggestions for that.

macclellan

· #4 · Jun 19, 2007

Sounds good.

I agree with Epicfish, but go with the XP3 and not XP2. I find the XP3 barely adequate on my 75g. The price difference between the two is pretty negligible. I have an eheim too, but actually prefer my xp3.

Try to get 1m bolivian and two females if at all possible to avoid excessive fighting. You might want to bump the number of tetras a bit higher, say to 8.

That is a lot of light! I'd just do 2x65, but I'm cheap and lazy (lotsa trimming for you!).

Roc

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jun 19, 2007

macclellan said:
Sounds good.

I agree with Epicfish, but go with the XP3 and not XP2. I find the XP3 barely adequate on my 75g. The price difference between the two is pretty negligible. I have an eheim too, but actually prefer my xp3.

Try to get 1m bolivian and two females if at all possible to avoid excessive fighting. You might want to bump the number of tetras a bit higher, say to 8.

That is a lot of light! I'd just do 2x65, but I'm cheap and lazy (lotsa trimming for you!).

Well I am planning a 2 x 65 from 6:00 - 10:00
lights off ofr 4 hours
4 x 65 from 2pm - 9

Roc

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jun 19, 2007

Question for the group

If I got a XP3 which is cabiable of cleaning a 175gal tank, could I rig it up so it cleaned both my 20 gal and my 55 gal (20 gal's filtration has been brought into question lately by some members)

Would this be a bad idea? Why?

epicfish

· #7 · Jun 19, 2007

iroc said:
Well I am planning a 2 x 65 from 6:00 - 10:00
lights off ofr 4 hours
4 x 65 from 2pm - 9

I'd much rather do:
9am-12pm: 2x55w
12pm-2pm: 4x55w
2pm-6pm: 2x55w

That gives you a 9 hour photoperiod to start with. If you go to work in the morning, then have the lights come on much later. I actually have my lights come on around 3pm-4pm and have them run until 11pm when I go to bed. It's still 7-8 hours, but they're on when I wanna see my tank.

iroc said:
Question for the group

If I got a XP3 which is cabiable of cleaning a 175gal tank, could I rig it up so it cleaned both my 20 gal and my 55 gal (20 gal's filtration has been brought into question lately by some members)

Would this be a bad idea? Why?

Bad idea? No. Can you easily implement it though? No. You could never get the inflow rates to match the outflow rates. The only "easy" option I see is rigging it to a sump and having the canister in the sump...but that's a little more complicated than it needs to be.

macclellan

· #8 · Jun 19, 2007

iroc said:
If I got a XP3 which is cabiable of cleaning a 175gal tank, could I rig it up so it cleaned both my 20 gal and my 55 gal (20 gal's filtration has been brought into question lately by some members)
Would this be a bad idea? Why?

I think that Filstar seriously overrated the capabilities of their XPx filters. I think that two XP3s would barely be adequate for a 175g. As I said, it isn't enough for me on a 75g. 55+20 is 75, so you might end up with inadequate filtration, not to mention the physics problems that epicfish brings up.

Another issue is that of redundancy. I prefer two filters on my tanks so that one is always running during cleaning. If your filter failed while you are at work or worse, on vacation, you'd have two tanks full of dead fish instead of one.

HOB filters for 20g tanks are cheap.

Roc

Discussion Starter · #9 · Jun 19, 2007

Excuse the newbie but what is a HOB filter?

I currantly have a whisper 20 on the 20 gal which I have always thought was fine but others tend to disagree

And are you saying that I shouldn't replace my currant filter on the 55 gal but instead just add the XP3?

frozenbarb

· #10 · Jun 19, 2007

hang on back filter lol,

Any pictures yet??

epicfish

· #11 · Jun 19, 2007

Hang-on-back. Like the Whisper.

I'd run both on your 55g. Why not?

Roc

Discussion Starter · #12 · Jun 19, 2007

epicfish said:
Hang-on-back. Like the Whisper.

I'd run both on your 55g. Why not?

I just didn't know there was an advantage and it does take addtional power plug space.

Frozenbarb I hanven't taken any pics becuase I am lazy as all hell (not really it's becuase I don't like the scape at all right now, but when the ligh shows up I will snap some pics.

macclellan

· #13 · Jun 20, 2007

iroc said:
And are you saying that I shouldn't replace my currant [sic] filter on the 55 gal but instead just add the XP3?

No, I am saying that the XP3 would be great on the 55.

pittiepride

· #14 · Jun 20, 2007

I find the xp3 fine for my 45g, more than enough, i have it even throttled back a a bit.

kara

PRESTON4479

· #15 · Jun 20, 2007

I run 2 xp3's on my 55g. I just couldn't pass on the $75.00 pet smart deal. I just turn the flow down on them and they are working great and very quiet. I think one xp3 would probably be enough though.

Brian

Roc

Discussion Starter · #16 · Jun 20, 2007

PRESTON4479 said:
I run 2 xp3's on my 55g. I just couldn't pass on the $75.00 pet smart deal. I just turn the flow down on them and they are working great and very quiet. I think one xp3 would probably be enough though.

Brian

When was this deal they want twice that now

Wanta sell one? :icon_smil

By the way the heater I put in here is the one I got from you.

I will put up some pics but the lights came with some of 2 of the 4 as blue blubs so I need to get some other ones. Plants look werid

The daylight bulbs are 12000K what would be a good natural color to go with them?

epicfish

· #17 · Jun 20, 2007

iroc said:
When was this deal they want twice that now

Wanta sell one? :icon_smil

Hehe, like 3 weeks ago!

A mix of 6700K/10000K would be good. If you only had to pick one, 6700K would be best.

Roc

Discussion Starter · #18 · Jun 20, 2007 (Edited)

3

epicfish said:
Hehe, like 3 weeks ago!

A mix of 6700K/10000K would be good. If you only had to pick one, 6700K would be best.

DAMNNNNNNNNNN I missed it.

I will get some 6700K bulbs now, maybe when the 12000K bulbs burn out I will get 10000K to replace them but the cost of this new set up are already getting up there.

As promised here are some pics, this is just with the new light I haven't yet got the new filter and presuized CO2 (DIY CO2 is still running though)
**pics reduced ***
Both Daylights and Blue tint lights on:

Just Daylights:

Just Moon Lights:

More and better pics to come later as I rescape and add equipment and plants

See less See more

PRESTON4479

· #19 · Jun 21, 2007

iroc said:
When was this deal they want twice that now

Wanta sell one? :icon_smil

By the way the heater I put in here is the one I got from you.

I will put up some pics but the lights came with some of 2 of the 4 as blue blubs so I need to get some other ones. Plants look werid

The daylight bulbs are 12000K what would be a good natural color to go with them?

Thats funny you mention that. I was actually thinking about buying a few extra just to sell them.
Anyway I got 2 so I have plenty of filtration when I upgrade my tank to 75 or 90 gallon.
Yes it was a great deal though. I printed out the coupon and walked in the store with it. They price matched it and gave me the coupon price so I left with 2 xp3's for $150.00!!

Hope your enjoying the heater. Glad someone is gonna get some use out of it.
Brian

Roc

Discussion Starter · #20 · Jun 21, 2007

PRESTON4479 said:
Thats funny you mention that. I was actually thinking about buying a few extra just to sell them.
Anyway I got 2 so I have plenty of filtration when I upgrade my tank to 75 or 90 gallon.
Yes it was a great deal though. I printed out the coupon and walked in the store with it. They price matched it and gave me the coupon price so I left with 2 xp3's for $150.00!!

Hope your enjoying the heater. Glad someone is gonna get some use out of it.
Brian

Funny thing about the heater, since I added the new light which are about twice the light I had before the heater only kicks on for 2 mins or so every couple of hours.

I'm sure during winter I will get a lot more use out of it.

Does the XP3 come with everything I will need or will I have to buy the plumbing parts myself?

1 - 20 of 91 Posts

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