Setting Up New 55g Tank

[tafet]

Hello everyone, I'm new to the forum and I'm looking for a little help. I'm not new at setting up aquariums, however I've never setup a S American cichlid tank before. I'm looking for assistance with a strata that will work for a planted cichlid aquarium. I have a few peices of driftwood already, and a few broken plant pots. The types of fish that I've been looking at are: Gold & Green Severum, Bolivian Ran, Festivum, Black Veil Angel, Bumble bee cat, corys, and a Clown Pleco. (I love these little guys). So far my research says that most of these fish require soft slightly acidic water. What is the best way to soften water and keep it a little acidic. (I've always had regular tropical fish that weren't real tempermental out water PH) Thanks for any help.

 

[shroob]

Peat and bogwood lower pH, but the best way would be to use an RO unit.

http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/cookie_cutter_55g.php
Gives you some brief ideas of 55 gallon stocking, scroll down to the SA bit.

 

[jayjay]

I'm looking for assistance with a strata that will work for a planted cichlid aquarium. I have a few peices of driftwood already, and a few broken plant pots. The types of fish that I've been looking at are: Gold & Green Severum, Bolivian Ran, Festivum, Black Veil Angel, Bumble bee cat, corys, and a Clown Pleco.

Severums with plants will not work, the plants will be ate.

 

[andyourblueblood]

I'm looking for assistance with a strata that will work for a planted cichlid aquarium. I have a few peices of driftwood already, and a few broken plant pots. The types of fish that I've been looking at are: Gold & Green Severum, Bolivian Ran, Festivum, Black Veil Angel, Bumble bee cat, corys, and a Clown Pleco.

Severums with plants will not work, the plants will be ate.

i believe you mean they will eat them...and i disagree. i have seen it done many times.

 

[shroob]

My severums destroyed my plants, the only ones that survived was a vallis and floating plants.

 

[andyourblueblood]

My severums destroyed my plants, the only ones that survived was a vallis and floating plants.

i have a friend with a 90 plated to hell, and he has 2 full grown male green sevs. and they're fine. they dont bother the plants at all. but not all fish are the same.

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

My severums destroyed my plants, the only ones that survived was a vallis and floating plants.

i have a friend with a 90 plated to hell, and he has 2 full grown male green sevs. and they're fine. they dont bother the plants at all. but not all fish are the same.

Okay, thats one case... What are all the others you have claimed to see? Severum are omnivores, and have a lot of vegetable matter in their natural diet... I would see them going for those plants in a heart beat...

 

[Sailor]

If i miss a feeding mine will nip the plants, but most of the time they don't.

 

[bobross]

I have my severum in water with a ph 8.0 or higher. Some of those fish should be able to acclimated to the higher ph. I feel that my sev is doing just fine with water that high.


What is your ph at currently?



BobRoss

 

[funkyhoney]

My severums destroyed my plants, the only ones that survived was a vallis and floating plants.

i have a friend with a 90 plated to hell, and he has 2 full grown male green sevs. and they're fine. they dont bother the plants at all. but not all fish are the same.

Okay, thats one case... What are all the others you have claimed to see? Severum are omnivores, and have a lot of vegetable matter in their natural diet... I would see them going for those plants in a heart beat...

I have a medium planted tank and my severum doesn't touch them...

 

[shroob]

I just ordered £12 of mixed plants recently, in the first night I observed the severum up rooting about half of them, by the time I had come down the next morning, it had totally destroyed some. Thankfully it is leaving some of my plants alone, though I think they are on borrowed time.

So I guess that it depends on your fish, some will eat and uproot, some will leave alone.