Re-Starting A 49 Gallon

[xlinkinparkx]

Hello everyone, I have a 49 gallon aquarium with some fish that are becoming overly aggressive and I have decided to find new homes for them and re-start an aquarium that I haven't changed for 4 years and would love some new ideas. I would also like to know if I should completely clean everything and start a new cycle or if I should keep the filter running while I change everything inside, including the substrate.​

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First off, I want to change my current substrate to silica sand and buy a large piece of drift wood that will look like roots in a river bed if you can picture that with a dark background. I plan to attach java ferns to the drift wood, but I'm not too sure what plants I can plant into the sand, I have never been great with plants so if anyone knows of a plant that grows well in sand and is very hardy. As for fish I am pretty open to anything, I would love to have one or two center piece fish and a small school of tetras or barbs and some bottom feeders. I was thinking a pair of Keyholes would suit this aquarium as a center piece, but I'm open to anything so if you have ideas I would love to hear them.

 

[brian1]

your tank makes my 16 gallon look like a toy,I have sand substrata and it is planted with Baccopa & twisted Vallis to the right.
Either Cabomba or Limnophila rear middle, with Java Fern in font of it.
Not sure about the stem to the left, maybe Ludwigia, but the leaves look too small.(from an expert on here)not me as im not up on plants yet

 

[xlinkinparkx]

That's beautiful and that's exactly what I had in mind

 

[brian1]

That's beautiful and that's exactly what I had in mind

Thanks, very nice of you to say so..........

 

[TekFish]

Hygrophila Polysperma is fairly hardy.
So is Anubias [although it should be grown on bogwood]
Java Fern [Also on bogwood]
Java Moss [spreads like a weed]
Vallis [Like Brian has]
Amazon Frogbit looks nice too [floating plant]

Did you want ideas for fish too?

TekFish

 

[xlinkinparkx]

Yes I would love as many suggestions as possible, also I am still looking for the perfect piece of wood and I plan to have many plants attached to it so these would be great.

 

[xlinkinparkx]

Anyone know of a good place to but drift wood online?

buy*

 

[TekFish]

eBay. They have loads of shapes and sizes.

Fish wise what did you want?
Shoaling fish? Centerpiece fish? Acidic water? Alkaline Water?
Oh and post the specs of your water.
pH, kH, gH everything.

Then we can help

TekFish

 

[crazyforcordoras]

Get some espeis rasboras and kuhli loaches.