Amazon 55 Gallon Aquarium - Dirt And Plants!

[silenthawk2x3]

I am setting up a 55 gallon amazon themed, planted, dirted, generally awesome tank as soon as this semester is over. I have 5 angels that I have been raising for 4 months, and their bodies are silver dollar sized so it's time for my first "big" tank. I've been doing low tech planted tanks for a while now so I know how to plant, keep everything alive, and get awesome green and low-maintenance aquariums without selling organs on the black market.
 
This is what I have planned...
 
Substrate:
Miracle-Gro Organic Potting Mix
Sand of some sort as a topper, need opinions of best sand to use (natural colors only)
 
Lighting:
48" 216W T5 HO Light Fixture Extendable Series
http/www.aquatraders.com/48-inch-4x54W-T5-Aquarium-Light-Fixture-p/52305p.htm
 
Plants:
Amazon swords (have, BIG 'UNS)
Red Amazon swords (have)
Red Melon swords (have)
Red dwarf lily (have)
Star grass
Pygmy chain sword
Open to other suggestions for amazon plants!
 
 
Filtration:
Emperor 400 Pro Series (2?)
 
Other:
Driftwood
Mystery snails (I breed them, too successfully I fear)
Cherry red shrimp (perhaps once the plants have grown up enough cover to protect them from the wrath of the hungry angelfish)
 
Fish:
5 Angels (I already have these)
6 albino corys (I already have these, they are fat)
 
Now here is where I am looking for suggestions and help...
TETRAS!
(#?)Lemon tetras
(#?)Red-eyed tetras
(#?)Bloodfin tetras
(#?)Rummy nose tetras
(#?) Hatchet fish
More corydoras?
 
I don't use heaters on any of my tanks and have never had a problem with any of my tropicals, my lighting and home heating is usually enough to keep the temp between 75 and 80 even in the dead of winter. I will add another filter perhaps after the initial cost of setup has faded from my nightmares a bit. Hehehe...
I can't go any bigger on the tank as we need to get a structural assessment for the floor underneath the tank as it is, plus the cost would be a little much for me.
 
I have been keeping fish for five years so I know the basics and probably a lot more so I know to cycle the tank and such.
 

 

[DrRob]

Staurogyne repens is a good amazonian foregrounder. Hydrocotyle leucocephala is a very nice little plant.
 
There's also the vallis group, which are good low techs along with hornwort, brazilian pennywort, cabomba.
 
For floating plants there's good old duckweed and amazon frogbit, although I'd always go for the latter as duckweed is a pain.
 
As for fish, the plec group is open for this lot, although you'll want the smaller ones for planted sets. Then there are the dwarf cichlids, more cories, as you say.
 
Otherwise, I agree with the tetras/hatchetfish.

 

[snazy]

Whatever sand cap you get, make sure it isn't the super fine form like play sand because the soil may become anoxic in time and you need some debris to fall in between the particles to recharge the soil over time. If you can find pool filter sand or similar size sand, it would be better. You are probably aware of that but the soil will realease ammonia, so don't jump into putting the fish straight in. Put lots and lots of plants. And in the beginning you'll need fast growers/stem plants/floaters until the tank stabilizes. And that seems like too much light for the tank if you aren't going to inject CO2.
And good luck with the tank.

 

[silenthawk2x3]

Whatever sand cap you get, make sure it isn't the super fine form like play sand because the soil may become anoxic in time and you need some debris to fall in between the particles to recharge the soil over time. If you can find pool filter sand or similar size sand, it would be better. You are probably aware of that but the soil will realease ammonia, so don't jump into putting the fish straight in. Put lots and lots of plants. And in the beginning you'll need fast growers/stem plants/floaters until the tank stabilizes. And that seems like too much light for the tank if you aren't going to inject CO2.
And good luck with the tank.

 
I want to have the light in case I want to do CO2 in the future, just because I'm doing low tech right now doesn't mean I won't want to get fancy in the future. And I appreciate your advice on the sand, you have no idea how many forums I've been to reading about sand. XD
Thanks.

 

[This Old Spouse]

Really, really looking forward to this journal! Please keep it up! I'm hoping to do something similar with my 55g.

 

[snazy]

I want to have the light in case I want to do CO2 in the future, just because I'm doing low tech right now doesn't mean I won't want to get fancy in the future.

And I appreciate your advice on the sand, you have no idea how many forums I've been to reading about sand. XD
Thanks.

 
I went through a similar torture about the sand. I have no access to pool filter sand and I wanted something nice for my corys without suffocating the soil beneath. So it isn't easy to pick one in this situation. Try to find substrate/sand that is between 1-2mm grain size minimum, which is not made from artificial material as some cheap gravels(it plays a role in the nutritient transfer process), and possibly rounded if you are keeping corys. 1mm will look like sand. 1-2mm is slightly bigger and around 3mm is considered fine gravel.  For soil types of setup, 3mm is considered ideal for oxygen/nutritient exchange, but it isn't sand at that size so it depends what you prefer.
I got stuck with Unipac Fiji fine and although it's a natural colour and right size, it isn't rounded grains. I couldn't find pool filter sand, which has the advantage of uniform grains, which additionally prevents it to compact easily and is possibly better for bottom species.
 I setup a soil tank not long ago. But I mineralized the soil first and I used topsoil with other additives(red clay, dolomite), and I too got too much light but not using it all as now it will be a low tech till I change my mind.
 
Edit: Seeing that you are in the US, I am sure I've seen many types of sands that are slightly bigger than fine sand and have rounded grains. I am suffering from a jealousy attack now

. Wish I kept the links for the ones I saw so you can have a look...
Also, pool filter sand is a coarser/uniform size type of sand.

 

[silenthawk2x3]

Well snazy, sorry about your bout of jealousy I'll try to keep from getting to uppity about my location. Hehehe. Can you tell if the sand is rough by looking at it, or is there a certain feeling that the sand has? It's a rather important quality as nobody, especially me, likes an unhappy cory with sad barbels.
 
Also no one has answered me on my stocking question so I fear I have made it unclear in some way. How many of each tetra should/could I keep, and how many hatchet fish? I know all of the fish I have chosen are schooling and prefer to be kept in groups, but I am unsure of how many I can keep in my tank with my angels and cories. The 1 inch per gallon rule still applies to bigger tanks, but angelfish are shaped in a peculiar way and I'm not sure which inches to count!

 

[This Old Spouse]

I think any of the tetras would work, and I'd probably get at least 8-10. You can up your cory numbers too. I think the hatchetfish would look great with your angels.

 

[silenthawk2x3]

I think any of the tetras would work, and I'd probably get at least 8-10. You can up your cory numbers too. I think the hatchetfish would look great with your angels.

Would you have one school of one species? Or would you have smaller schools of a few or all of the tetras I have listed?

 

[This Old Spouse]

I would have one school of one species. When I first started in the hobby, I got lots of different kinds of tetras, and I've regretted it ever since. A single species in a large number is an incredible sight, and I think they're generally much less stressed and "happier" than just a few of a bunch of different types.

 

[silenthawk2x3]

Just spoke with my lovely fish lady and bought a brand new Marineland 55 gallon and stand while pacing in my dorm... Oh the power of Facetime. Next weekend I will be going home to do the substrate and start the cycling. Should I take some plants back with me to stick in the dirt while I cycle? I don't have my filter yet so essentially I will be taking all of my crappy run down and tiny filters, sticking them all together and hoping for the best. Hahaha! Also my lady said she could get in lemon tetras and more cories and hatchet fish for me in a few moths so... YAY!

 

[This Old Spouse]

Sounds like a good plan so far! 

 

[silenthawk2x3]

It has been dirted! And it's now warming up with a dinky heater in it. :C It's at 55 degrees now and I'm planning on planting it in the morning if I can stand to stick my arm back in it. 

 

[silenthawk2x3]

UPDATE: I added the angels on the 16th of March and have been doing weekly water changes and whatnot. I also added 5 lemon tetras, 1 (more) bronze cory, and 1 bushy-nose pleco. That brings the total fish total to; 5 angels, 6 albino cories, 3 bronze cories, 5 lemon tetras, 1 BN pleco, and 6 apple snails. Since my LFS is a small town privately owned business my fish lady gets her plants in slowly and in small amounts. I have half of the tank planted and I have some hill people lighting set up since I haven't found the perfect light since I had troubles with the one I was ordering. It's starting to look nice(ish)! It seems that my cories were spawning before I came home from college, and continue to do so, but I woke up this morning to see (obviously eaten) eggs on the front glass. About 3/4th of the way up the glass. I'm thinking it might be my angels, even though I haven't seen any sort of pairing off behavior. I MIGHT have 2 pairs... But I'm not sure since it seems that they are just really hanging out together. (Obviously maybe some casual breeding) I have pictures but I have no idea how to put them up. I'll figure it out though... I'm sure there are instructions somewhere.

 

[silenthawk2x3]

 
Not the best pictures ever and the angelfish are moving so... These are the two I am most suspicious of... Little poops.
 
[url=http/s1287.photobucket.com/user/silenthawk2x3/media/photo3_zps3190578e.jpg.html]