# Pics of my 55 gallon tank getting cleaned and set up.........



## Guest (Sep 1, 2014)

The tank was very dirty to start with when I started. It is looking better as I am getting all the debris out. The first pic is the before pic, the next pics are the during cleaning. Next photos will be on the 8th of Sept 2014. I am cleaning everything and starting over kinda. Going to get decor and after I am done cleaning everything, I will get all the decor in the tank. Going to wait for the fish to go on sale before I get them. Also going to get my tank more established than it was before.


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## Guest (Sep 2, 2014)

Finally got all the water and gravel out of the tank. Going tomorrow to Petsmart to get the black gravel, then fill up the tank after I rinse the gravel. Tonight I am going to wipe the tank down with a sponge and let the tank sit through the night.

Going to clean the filters and put them on tomorrow, letting the tank sit for awhile after I get the tank filters on.

Will post more photos when I get the gravel in and filters on, and tank filled up. Then after that, on Sept 8, I will post the finishing photos.


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## BV77 (Jan 22, 2005)

looks good almost like new...good job


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## big b (Aug 17, 2014)

hmm how do you frill up thee tank i always have to use a 2 gallon bucket.


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## Guest (Sep 2, 2014)

Thanks BV77. It is coming along. This has taught me a lesson though, always make sure to do water changes every week, so you don't have to worry about cleaning the whole tank if/when you don't have any fish.

Evil wizard: see the bucket in the first pic, that is what I use to fill up the tank and do my water changes. I have two buckets, which are 5 gallon buckets a piece. It takes about 11 of those buckets to fill my tank up.

I have to rinse everything and put it in the tank starting tomorrow.


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## big b (Aug 17, 2014)

this is off topic but how do you lift those heavy buckets?


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## Guest (Sep 2, 2014)

Um by the handle. They are heavy but they do have handles which make it so much easier to lift them.


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## big b (Aug 17, 2014)

i know by the handle but thats like..50 pounds i could not do that 20 pounds is more my style.


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## Guest (Sep 2, 2014)

I can lift a 5 gallon tank almost full of water. But back on topic. I can't wait until I get this tank done. I will be very proud of it when it is done.


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## big b (Aug 17, 2014)

yeah!what do you plan to stock?do you know yet or are you gonna do it as you go along?good night yall time for me to go to bed.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

no buckets for me..water changes could never get done...i have 2 hoses , each 50 ft. long..one for draining the tanks and one for filling ..not to mention the fact that both of my rotator cuffs are torn beyond repair....


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## Guest (Sep 2, 2014)

evil wizard said:


> yeah!what do you plan to stock?do you know yet or are you gonna do it as you go along?good night yall time for me to go to bed.


I am planning to go with neons, danios, glass catfish or otocinclus, Cory cats, and/or hatchet fish. But that could change as fish go on sale. I am definitely doing a community tank with small fish.


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## Guest (Sep 2, 2014)

Lohachata: thank you for not yelling at me for the dirty water in my tank. I was worried about that. But since I am getting it clean and set up, it will look a lot better than it did before.


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## big b (Aug 17, 2014)

can we see how nice it looks now?


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## Guest (Sep 2, 2014)

I don't have it totally setup yet. I am getting the gravel, decor and the backdrop today right now, and will set it up tonight and tomorrow. So possibly this weekend I will have it set up all the way with the fish. The fish, I have to get as they go on sale, but that will give me time to get a routine going on the tank maintenance.


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## big b (Aug 17, 2014)

lohachata said:


> no buckets for me..water changes could never get done...i have 2 hoses , each 50 ft. long..one for draining the tanks and one for filling ..not to mention the fact that both of my rotator cuffs are torn beyond repair....


did you get them from walmart?


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

my fill hose is a regular garden hose that can be gotten anywhere..i built an attachment that i can just hang over the edge of the tank and control it with a shutoff valve...the siphon hose is a 50 length of 5/8" i.d. clear vinyl tubing..i also built a python type tube for it...


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## big b (Aug 17, 2014)

WHOA,THAT WILL NOT WORK FOR ME FOR SEVERAL REASONS.BUT I DON'T WANT TO BORE YOU WITH IT.oh i am so sorry i didnt know my cap lock was on i am not yelling at you.


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## Guest (Sep 3, 2014)

Here is the background that I picked out for the tank. Going to add the black gravel as I rinse it. Then fill up the tank and get the filters running. Next pic coming either tomorrow or day after tomorrow.


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## kcrunch (Aug 17, 2012)

Looking really sweet so far... Keep us posted


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## Guest (Sep 3, 2014)

Thanks Rick! I am loving it so far.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

coming along very nicely angel....


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## Guest (Sep 3, 2014)

Thank you lohachata. I have some more pics tonight. The first pic is with the black gravel, the next pic is with the big rock and the new decor I got today. It is a little bubbler, I hooked it up to my air pump and when I get the water in the tank and the filters running, we will see what it really looks like.


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## Guest (Sep 3, 2014)

Well I finally got done setting up my tank. First pic is without the water and other accessories. The next pic is the completed tank. I am actually very proud of this fish tank.


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## big b (Aug 17, 2014)

whoa that tank is sweet!


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## Guest (Sep 3, 2014)

Thanks evil wizard. See why I didn't want to rush getting it set up? I am very proud of it. I am thinking on doing neons and Cory cats in this tank.


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## big b (Aug 17, 2014)

you know what would be awesome?........all cardinals!!!!that would look so cool!!.


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## Guest (Sep 3, 2014)

Oh I have been looking at fish every time I go to the pet stores here in Bremerton, WA.


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## big b (Aug 17, 2014)

i still say that cardinals would be nice.


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## Guest (Sep 4, 2014)

Yeah cardinals are nice.


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## big b (Aug 17, 2014)

i know right...how many could a tank that size hold?100?


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## Guest (Sep 4, 2014)

No, probably about 50. But I have to do the cycling which isn't going to take too long. So I will get zebra danios for that, then when the tank is cycled, I am probably going with cardinals or neons and Cory cats. So it will be 20 cardinals or neons, 10 zebra danios, and 10 Cory cats. I am thinking panda cories, but not sure yet which cories.


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## big b (Aug 17, 2014)

why not do a mix of them?i am doing that in my 29 gallon.


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## Guest (Sep 4, 2014)

I may do that. Still thinking about it though.


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## kcrunch (Aug 17, 2012)

Love the look so far keep the pics coming.


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## Guest (Sep 7, 2014)

Thank you Rick!


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## Toshogu (Apr 24, 2009)

ehehehe, 5 gallon buckets are a fish man's best friend. That and really long hoses.


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## kcrunch (Aug 17, 2012)

Toshogu said:


> ehehehe, 5 gallon buckets are a fish man's best friend. That and really long hoses.



I am partial to a 8 gallon garbage container and a 1/8 hp water pump and a 50' hose. Life made sweet, I cant even put a real price on that water pump. Make things so freakin awesome.


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## big b (Aug 17, 2014)

well your lucky i have a little note pad and a pen near the bath room and i have to use 1 gallon aquariums to move the water.i use i 10 gallon tank for wc.


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