Newbie here what do you think

[Nave]

My tank is 10 days running i got it from a friend and got some good filter media and water from another friend. i allowed the water to cyle on its own for several days then i added some white clode feeders to see if they would live and didnt lose one so i got five glow light tetras and they are happy as can be. i have been testing my water myself the past ten days and then decided i should have an expert test it as well. the LFS told me i was good to go so i got three cory cats (1 spotted 1 albino 1 green) and a dwarf flame gourami. the albino and spotted cats were at home as soon as they got released the green cat and gourami hide as expected. this morning i woke up and the two hiders were out n about . the gourami i noticed that tje blue was very pale compaired to whe. I had pick it out but right now its swimming about and as colorful as when i seen it at the fish store. i am done getting fish for the moment till i know for sure everything is going perfect in my water. i failed to mention this is my first tank its 55 gal and the white clouds i had gotten (20 of em) 15 got fed to the brown knifes at the store lol i didnt need that many in my tank but they sure helped get me going sorry for rambling ive just been over excited about my tank heres some photo bucket links of my tank the pictures were too large to post
http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums...38908AB-6133-00000467763493B0_zpsefdc1ae0.jpg

http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums...63398F5-6133-000004676E5F71C6_zpsb3b27505.jpg

http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums...7250D02-6133-000004676917D540_zpsd7db7df2.jpg

http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums...EFC1D18-6133-00000467621B32DA_zps695cc5e9.jpg

Any feed back will be much appreciated and taken into consideration does anyone see any potential problems? Have I rushed my tank? Is too muck decor too much?

My fish I have now seem happy but what do I know about fish I've only been doing this for ten days :-/

 

[exhumed07]

make sure u keep monituring the ammonia and nitrites. just to be sure u don't get a spike. u said u got used media so that will help with the cycle and the tank is far from being stocked so the used media will REALY help out. as for to much decor i don't think there is such a thing but open space is good for the fish. you want swimming space but a complex environment is good for fish to hide when aggression does come out but with the fish u have thats not really an issue. the looks of the tank are entirely up to what the owner wants. I love a tank with live plants so thats what i have. i also love a bare tank with a black background and black sand so i got that. it's all up to u. personally i think u did a bang up job on your first aquascape. i do like the black and white gravel mix. just keep in mind that it will get uniformly mixed over time as u gravel vac. it wont stay seperated. but so far i think u are on the right track, keep us updated

 

[FreshyFresh]

Nave, welcome and great looking 55!

So you have dozen or so small fish in it? I would NOT consider your average LFS as being a water testing expert. It's up to you to determine your actual ppm readings for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate like exhumed said. What test kit are you using?

What type of filtration? Looks like you have twin 24" T8 fluorescent hoods. Those won't do much for you if you intend to grow live plants.

Joel

 

[Nave]

Thanks guys. I too love a tank with live plants I just didn't feel I wanted to take that step right off the bat and have another thing to worry about. My buddy I got the tank from had live plants in it and gave them to his mom before I got the tank but he gave me everything I need to grow plants in the system such as the appropriate lights and co2 canister. The reason I call the LFS my expert is because his store is dedicated to fish fish and fish. I used to go in there just to look (like it was a free aquarium) he has been in that store for 20 plus years and has a bunch of tank of his own at home including one that's a 200 gal. I felt I could trust his word. He didn't seem like he was "out to get my $" as he told me to wait till my tank fully established before I add some of the more sensitive fish I was looking at. I really want to get a stripped peacock eel. That's why I've thrown so much decor in the tank. I understand he will more then likly just burry himself then hide in a cave but I want plenty of hiding for him so he's not tempted to eat the rest if my tank.

 

[Nave]

Oh yeah I'm using an API drop kit I don't have phosphate tho. And my filter is an aquaclear 70

 

[Nave]

I did have an ammonia spike over the weekend on Saturday and it went back down now that I have taken some little fish out added more larger fish I may see another spike if I do see said splie what should I do so I don't kill the fish? Is that when I would need to do a water change?

 

[FreshyFresh]

Nave, I don't think one AC 70 is nearly enough filtration for a 55. I'd want two of them, or atleast a couple of large sponge bubblers or the likes along with the AC 70.

 

[Nave]

Really not enough? It says its rate for tank 40 to 70 gal. What is a sponge bubbler... I will google it right now.

 

[Nave]

The ac 70 is rated at 200 gph wide open that's a cycle of almost 4 times an hour could I put a smaller filter right next to it? I'd hate to add too much current to the tank

 

[FreshyFresh]

You could run a smaller aquaclear along side the 70, or just go with twin 70's.

If you don't mind aeration in your tank, the look of a bubbler filter inside the tank and the need for an air pump and tubing, go the bubbler route. They're really inexpensive on eBay. Search "sponge bio filter" or the likes.

FWIW, I've got a Sunsun 302 canister on my new 55 and an internal filter that's basically a large power head with a sponge in it.

IMO, two filters are a good idea so you always have a spare and spare established media to transfer to a hospital tank should you need to.

 

[exhumed07]

i agree with freshy, i run 2 penguin 350 series on both of my 55. i disagree with sponge filters just for the simple fact i don't like how they look in a tank. also when u see an ammonia or nitrite spike that is prime time to do a water change.

I love the fact that u are going to a local little lfs instead of petco or the like. i'm a big advocate for supporting local stores and petco employees generally don't know half as much as the people who work in the local little stores.

As for doing a planted tank, they are not to hard to do in all honesty. i run a dirted tank and that would require u to completly rip out the tank and redo it so i would not suggest that route yet. but with good lighting and root tabs live plants will do pretty good in nearly any tank. there are some good hardy plants like java moss and crypts as well as jungle val and sag. just keep in mind with java moss, there is no getting rid of it once it is in the tank. I've heard stories of it being on deco thats been dried out for a year and it cam back once hydrated. don't know if it's true but i do know if u kill it u are doing something very wrong lol.

If i have any questions at all don't be afraid to ask. there will be many opinions and many facts to help u

 

[OrangeCones]

The ac 70 is rated at 200 gph wide open that's a cycle of almost 4 times an hour could I put a smaller filter right next to it? I'd hate to add too much current to the tank

I personally see nothing wrong with AquaClear 70 for the 55gallon tank. Unless you plan on overstocking the tank (like most will do with cichlids to spread out aggression), that size should provide plenty of filtration. The risk you run with having only one, is that if it fails, you have to act quick to get another one. That is why many will run two (sometimes smaller) filters on one tank.

I use powerheads that are attached to sponge filters in my tanks. The powerhead is what runs the filter (sponge in my case). I only have one in one tank, and 2 in another. But, I have a bucket under the stand of the larger tank with 6 others. I swap the ones in the tanks out every few months, and clean the one I just took out really well so its ready to be put into use again later.

 

[OrangeCones]

IMO, two filters are a good idea so you always have a spare and spare established media to transfer to a hospital tank should you need to.

I think the media from an established filter is an excellent idea to put on a quarantine tank for new fish or to nurse an injured fish back to health that was removed from your display tank.

Be careful with diseases, however. If your display tank's fish have a disease, the extra filter's media could transmit it to the hospital tank.

 

[FreshyFresh]

The powered sponge filter I recently got looks something like this (but a bit larger). It was ~$12 mailed to the door. The bottom pops off to remove and clean the sponge.

 

[Nave]

K I will buy another filter as soon as I get paid till the. I will closely watch my ammonia and nitrite and do water changes as needed. My ammonia and nitrites are not reading anything and I have nitrates at a level I'd guess about 8 or 9 ppm. I don't mind area ration at all I have one pump that has a regulator for 4 hoses and all four hoses are pumping air into the water if that makes sense.

 

[Nave]

So how often should I do my water changes and how much while a tank is cycling? My buddy gave me a box of stuff with the tank and I found a bottle of prime, I had no idea what this stuff was till I read people talking about it. Can I add it to my tank now to help the cycle and will it even help? Or do I just wait till water changes to use the prime? Or do I just let my tank do its thing and just monitor the water levels?

 

[exhumed07]

if the ammonia or nitrites go up do a 50% water change. besides that a 25%-50% weekly or biweekly is good enough as long as the tank is cycled. as for the prime u shoudl use that to dechlorinate the water before adding the new water to the tank.

 

[Nave]

Ok wont a 50% change prolong my cycle? And my other question is can I use prime in the existing water that's in the tank or is it strictly for new water?

I think I might be in trouble guys so I set my tank up mon the 1st four days later my mom got me a ticket to come see her on sun the 14 as a surprise I will be gone for ten days. I was hoping the tank would have cycled by now do a good water change the day before I leave and as soon as I get back do another water change and be ready for the rest of my fish... This is not the case. My girlfriend will be here to feed my fish and my beardie but I don't think she will do water changes for me she isn't the slightest bit interested in my tank. I have kiss some $$$ to see if she will test my water for me and send me the results just so I know how terrible I am. I feel really bad that I can't get this thing cycled YESTERDAY what do I do.

 

[Nave]

I just tested my water this morning and here's what I have

Ammonia between 0.25 and 0.50 ppm

Nitrite 0 ppm

Nitrate between 10 and 20 ppm

Should I do a water change right now? If so 30% 40% 50%?

 

[exhumed07]

the 50% water change is to prevent the ammonia or nitrites from reaching leathal levels for the fish. any amount of ammonia or nitrites is bad. it means there is not enough bacteria to digest it all into harmless nitrates. as the tank is not cycled yet i would recommend talking your girlfriend through the process if doing water changes if the ammonia or nitrites go up. I would do a water change right now. and keep monitoring it till u leave. I've been in similar situations. all u can realy do is just prep the best u can.