55 Gallon Stocking

[Dieses Madchen]

Definitely read up on fishless cycling prior to setting up your large tank. It will save you a lot of the problems you are having now with your current tank. Plus, as an upside, you can stock fully at once rather than having to add in batched every few weeks.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

There is a link to a nice article in my sig.

 

[Man of fish]

Ok well I know to cycle the tank on my 29 figured that out. Big ammonia spike cycled it for 3 days then added 4 fish. Big ammonia spike!

 

[Dieses Madchen]

cycling takes a lot longer than 3 days unfotunetely.

 

[Man of fish]

Yes did I figure that out. My ammonia reach 7 ppm a few days later.

Back on topic what kind of sand should I use and is there anything I need to place under the sand to help the plants grow.

 

[Man of fish]

I was reading somewhere you need some like roll in fertilizer mat covered by sand. What kind of sand though and do I need this mat?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Regular play sand, and no need for the mat. The simple solution if you find you need fertilizer, is to either dose the water column (water plants can draw nutrients from the water) or add fertilizer tabs near the plane roots.


When adding the sand, be sure that you have completely rinsed it out in a 5 gallon bucket.

 

[Man of fish]

How should I rinse it?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Put some sand into a 5 gallon bucket (about 1 gallon at a time). Then fill it up with water and swish it around - pour off the excess. The small grainy parts of the sand will be poured off. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. (do you get it?) Repeat until the water runs clear. I did this in my backyard, but I did it back in April. You probably would be best doing this in your bathtub at this time of the year.


The more you clean it before you put it into your tank, the better off you will be in the long run. If you don't clean it well it will greatly cloud the entire tank (an easy way to get around that is to add it to the tank with no water in it, and then slowly add the water). I don't recommend that, however. I did it with the tank about 20-30% full of water. This allowed the wet sand to be gently poured into the position I wanted it to go. If there is no water, the sand will just clump up and make little sand castles. And even when you fill it up, you will still have a very wavy bottom. Pouring the sand in with the water in the tank will allow the sand to make a much more uniform thickness. It is really easy, and if the sand is clean, the water will remain fairly clear.


It is best to buy a new bucket for this purpose and make it a dedicated bucket for all things fish related. This bucket would be useful for acclimatizing your fish later. As well as many different things, such as rinsing your filter media, etc.

 

[Man of fish]

I've got a 3 gallon bucket I use right now but I think a new bigger bucket would be better for water changes too

 

[eaglesaquarium]

It could be done with a 3 gallon, certainly.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

Where is your tank going to be in relation to the back door or front door? I bought a pump for larger water changes and I run the dirty water right into my flower beds Then I have a smaller bucket for when I do my substrate cleaning with the siphon.

 

[Man of fish]

It'll be next to a door but we dong really got flowered there and I'm gonna invest in a 25 ft. Water changer run dirty water to the sink then use that to run the water into a basin or bucket then use that to run it into the tank. (don't want to put the tap water right in the tank in case temp. Is off.)

Thanks for all the help btw.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Suit yourself.

 

[Man of fish]

I like being unique. always do things in unexpected ways.