Opinions...

[metfan581]

Hello,
I’m finally getting a 55 gallon fish tank for Christmas and I have a few questions and I would like your opinion regarding filters, heaters, gravel, stocking, and plants.

Filter
-I have I penguin 330 will that be good? (330 gph)
-Or should I look into a canister?

Heater
-I have a Rena-cal 100wt heater, is that good, or should I get another one? If so what size/type/brand?

Gravel
-I was thinking of natural or black gravel, what brand do you suggest?
-Any info on clams and shrimp?

Stocking/Fish
-I like angle fish, what are compatible tank mates?

Plants
-I would love to have live plants, what do you suggest, I will probably have 40wts?
-What kind of bulb do you suggest?
-Is there anything else I need to know about plants?

I would like to do what is right for the fish and have a nice tank so if there is any information that you would like to share please do.


Ps-It may sound like I'm asking for a lot and I have no experince, but I just want everything to run smoothly because this is going to be my biggest tank I ever had.

 

[metfan581]

Come on you know you have an opinion.

 

[metfan581]

 

[Inchworm]

Hi metfan581

The reason you aren't getting responses to this thread might be that you are asking too many questions at the same time. Why not start by deciding what kind of fish you want. From that point, the members could help you by suggesting the kind of set up and equipment that would be best for them, since different fish have different needs.

Why not start by asking about the angel fish you seem interested in. If you make up your mind to get them, it will rule out keeping certain other kinds of fish, and they might do best with some kinds of equipment and poorly with others. Or, you might find that you don't really like them, and move on to looking into other fish. Either way, it would narrow the questions down to where they are manageable, and you might get the answers you need.

 

[rdd1952]

I'll give this a shot.

Filter: That particular filter will process enough water (need minimum of 5 times per hour) so it would work but on tanks of 48" or more, I think it is better if you have dual filters (and heaters), one on either end. You could go with 2 smaller filters that still give you the needed filtration. The main thing is that you are processing the water at least 5 times per hour (over filtration is good though, the more the better). I am running 2 Fluval 304 canister filters on my 75 gallon (48").

Heater: Same as above but probably more important with the heater than the filter. With only one heater placed in the middle of the tank, you can have a pretty wide temperature difference on the ends. I have 2 Hydor inline heaters running through the Fluvals. They work great but are a little more expensive than the hang on type. You will also need more wattage. The general rule of thumb is 5 watts per gallon so a 55 gallon would need at least a 275 watt heater (or two 150 watts).

Gravel: Not a big deal which type you choose, more a matter of what you want the tank to look like. One thing to consider is that bottom feeders like corys and loaches among others prefer a sandy substrate. Sharp edged gravel can damage the barbels they use to sense food. My personal opinion though is that a black substrate provides the most stunning appearance and brings out the colors in fish better than any other color substrate. I recently changed all my tanks over to the black Tahitian Moon Sand.

Stocking/Fish: I love angels and they get along with most fish but can get aggressive when they are breeding (haven't experienced that yet with mine). With angels, you need to avoid the nippers such as serpae tetras, buenos aires tetras, and some danios among others. You also want to stay away from small, slim bodied fish like neon tetras because they will probably eventually become food. Neons are the natural food for angels in the wild. I currently have 10 black phantom tetras, 4 SAEs and 4 corys in with my 4 angels (about 2 or 3 inches long) and they all get along fine.

Plants: There are a lot of low light plants that will work with less than 1 wpg. Most are slow growing for obvious reasons and are prone to algae sometimes. Amazon swords, anubias, java ferns, and hygrophilia just to name a few will be ok with limited lighting. Here is a good site for plants (I have ordered from them twice and will again if I need more plants). The page I linked to is for low light plants. If you want to get into more plant options, you will have to upgrade to power compact lights to get the 2+ watts per gallon needed.

I see you have numerous posts and have been a member here longer than me so please excuse me if I have told you something you already knew. I hope this helps.

 

[cujoho78]

Hi. I just got a 55 gal tank a couple of months ago, so i will offer my experiences.
Filter: I bought a Penguin 350. I think it is plenty for my set-up. Your 330 should be fine with a reasonable amount of fish.
Heater: I bought a 300W Rena Cal and it does a great job. For you i would add another 150W or 200W heater to the one you have already and put them at opposite ends of the tank.
Gravel: This is personal opinion. I haven't decided on what i'm going to use yet. I don't think i want sand, but rather a very fine gravel. Haven't decided on colour but i don't think i like black.
Stocking: Good advice given already in the other post. Angels get big, so i decided i'm going to stay away from them. I prefer smaller fish, and more of them as opposed to a few large fish.
Plants: As noted above there are low light plants, but i decided that i am more interested in keeping fish than plants. Some fish eat plants, and they require attention and the right conditions, and i consider it as being for more advanced aquarists than myself.

Whatever you decide I'm sure you will love it. I really like my tank, and i get comments on it all the time!