Few Questions Please Help a Fellow Newb

[tsweers89]

First off want to thank all the people on here as i was reading over this site for hours the past few days and it has answered many of my questions and learned quite a few things.

So i use to have a 55gal tank, community fish when i was in highschool. well the fish died beacuse of ich, didnt know why at the time but i know thats what it was now. So i want to get back into it and have a few questions, i will be getting another 55gal tank just for refrence. As far as fish i eith am going to go with discus or community fish. On to the questions.

1. I have the penguin 330 from whe i had the tank a few years back, will this be good enough filtration or do i need something bigger?

2. As far as when i clean the filter, in the past when i was all full of green and such i would removed then entire filter, tanke it apart and clean eveything with a tooth brush under running water. Is this what i should be doing?

3. When i had the filter i would replace the cartriges every month and such but now i see some dont and modify the cartiges so they dont have to replace them so often, any links to that on how to? what are the benefits to this besides the money saved?

4. I found this link on how to modify the penguin 330 which turn it into a mini-sized, wet/dry trickle filter, any thoughts on this?
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/power_filter_tricks_iv.php

5. I plan on going with live plants in the tank, as far as lighting goes do i need T5 lighting or can i get away with something i can use the light fixtures i have now?

6. I see talk about water movement and how important it is. I had a airstone last time. is this enough or do i need an actual aur pump and nozzle in the tank?

7. I see all these things about protein skimmers and co2 injection. Am i going to need any of this? and if so could you point me in the right direction

Those are all the questions i can think of now. im sure i will think of some more later. thnaks for you time and input.

 

[stacic8679]

I can only be of some assistance on #2 and #3. I wouldn't clean the filter under running water because the chlorine can kill the good bacteria. I take mine when I am doing water changes and swish it around in the water I removed from the tank. I don't change my filter that often. I took the carbon out of it and clean it once a week in the old water. Fish seem to be great. Hope you get the answers to the other questions. Good luck.

Staci

 

[MissFishy]

If you are just getting back into fishkeeping, I would not go with discus. They are beautiful, but also very hard to keep. Start a basic freshwater community and get your feet "wet", then tackle discus. Your filter should be fine if it is rated for that size tank. Make sure you read up completely on how to cycle a tank (there's a link in my signature on this and also stickies in the forum). If you plan to do a planted tank, you'll need to read up on what each plant you intend to keep needs, i.e. the light sources and plant food. Protein skimmer is not necessary for a freshwater community tank. Water circulation/movement is important, but a basic filter rated for your size tank will provide sufficient circulation. Airstones aren't necessary unless you like them for decoration. Hope that helps a bit.

 

[littletankbigworld]

5. It depends on which types of plants you are getting. I suggest java fern, java moss, sword plant, hornwort, dwarf grass, and the like, which are hardy and don't need strong light.

 

[jingles]

#1 yes your filter should filter your total gallons 5 times per hour so if the 330 has a gph of 330 and you have a 55 then thats 6 so you'll be good.
#2 A lot of good bacteria live in your filter so cleaning and cleaning it can kill the bacteria so just be careful. Every now and then cleaning is good but cleaning too often can be not beneficial.
#3 That kinda depends on the bio-load of your tank. I'd go with every month or two, as long as you're doing water changes every week or so you'll be fine.
#4 Thats a really cool idea, but its your call. IMO the penguin filters are really good filters so its your call i don't know if that would be a better filter but it looks like it couldn't hurt.
#5 Yes you can get away with what your using now depending on the watts per gallon. The more light you give plants the more C02 they'll need as well as other additives(iron, phosphorus, K, etc.) and it depends on what type of plants. Some plants don't really need anything, while others need a lot.
#6 The filter(HOB) provides enough water movement. You shouldn't need more unless whatever you put into your tank need more water movement.
#7 You don't need a protein skimmer. As for C02 injectors you don't need it for plants to grow. If you want to see bigger growth than C02 will help, as will T5 lighting(or LED). If you don't want to spend the money on those(they aren't cheap) then don't.

Keep reading!, hope I helped.