# Aquarium Ideas



## Fish Kid 808 (May 30, 2011)

Hello Fish Forums. It's me, yet again. Anyway, I was wondering if any of you had any aquarium ideas for me. I am planning on buying a 55 gallon aquarium and would like some help with ideas for the fish I'd like to stock it with. I'd like this tank to be a planted/community tank. The fish must be peaceful and be freshwater. Also, if you have any aquatic plant species you know of that would go well in a community tank, please leave them here too. Thank you.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

a 55 is deep tank. If you use 'typical' lighting, say 1 40W T12 or 1 32W T8 bulb, you must stick to 'low-light' plants. Java fern, java moss, anubias, etc and its best to put them directly under the light, not at the front edge of the tank. Search for low-light plants on the net. Light intensity falls off exponentially with distance. You can still have nice plants, but you need to be careful and patient.

2 bulb fixtures for 4' long tanks are common, but more expensive than one-bulb lights and may or may not fit an existing lid (cover or "glass canopy"). Other options include hanging a 'shop light' over the tank or building a fixture into a DIY canopy (wood). IMO, this is a great level to be at. Low-light plants still, but they will be faster growing than with only 1 bulb and you have a wider area of tank to plant them in. 

Serious 'planted tank' keepers would buy really expensive lights with 3 or more bulb and pressurized CO2 to create an underwater garden. The can grow anything, but the lights get hot and they have to keep trimming plants. On the plus side, many sell the trimmings. If this is where what you want, there are lots of books and dedicated sites (plantedtank.net). 

If I were stocking a 'community" 55, I start with a good sized (6-12) single school of a medium tetra, congo or emperor, add a shoal of corydora (4-10) and a single pair of 'laterally compressed' cichlids, such as Laetaca dorsigera or Mesonauta festivus. I would NOT do 1 each of 20 different fish. Cichlids and bigger tetra are arguably not "peaceful". For placid, try about 40 neons.


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## Fish Kid 808 (May 30, 2011)

emc7 said:


> a 55 is deep tank. If you use 'typical' lighting, say 1 40W T12 or 1 32W T8 bulb, you must stick to 'low-light' plants. Java fern, java moss, anubias, etc and its best to put them directly under the light, not at the front edge of the tank. Search for low-light plants on the net. Light intensity falls off exponentially with distance. You can still have nice plants, but you need to be careful and patient.
> 
> 2 bulb fixtures for 4' long tanks are common, but more expensive than one-bulb lights and may or may not fit an existing lid (cover or "glass canopy"). Other options include hanging a 'shop light' over the tank or building a fixture into a DIY canopy (wood). IMO, this is a great level to be at. Low-light plants still, but they will be faster growing than with only 1 bulb and you have a wider area of tank to plant them in.
> 
> ...


Hello there, and thank you for the post. 

Thank you for informing me of the low light factor and the possible plants I could get. Gives me a good idea. Oh, question, if I put the tank where it could get direct light during the day would that be a help to get the low light plants to grow better? OR would it just make a huge supply of algae. 

I definitely don't haves the funds for extremely expensive lighting but I will indeed keep that in mind. 

Corydora's are a species of catfish correct? What kind of food would they eat? Tablets of veggies is what I presume but not sure. And thank you for the tank stocking ideas. Would platies do well with corydoras and neons? I currently have 5 platies and need fish compatible with them.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Corydora is a genus of catfish and "Cory" is a generic that refers to several similar genuses (geni?). They eat from the bottom so they clean up what other fish miss and sinking food like Xtreme "catfish scrapers" or for a treat, live or frozen blackworms or bloodworms. The move all over the lower part of a tank are a great use of 'bottom' in planted tank. A 55 is tall enough you can often keep 3 'levels' of fish, bottom, mid, and top.

Cories, neons, congos, and S. American cichlids thrive in similar soft water conditions making them good tankmates and many plants like the same water.

Ambient light could go either way, helping plants or just growing algae on the glass. Be ready with an opaque background if the latter happens. 

Platies, although often kept in the "community" aquarium pictured on the boxes at the store, much prefer higher pH and "harder" water, even to the point of having some salt in it. I, personally, wouldn't keep neons and platies together because I'd rather have one fish happy with the water than 2 kind of fish in 'less than ideal" compromise. With platies, replace American tetra with Asian barbs, but be careful chooisng, many are mean. Torpedo barbs are neat. So are 'white cloud mountain minnows'

Platies can live in planted tanks, though they may nibble a bit. However, adding any salt (or using alkaline tap water) will further limit your choice of plants. Java fern will still do well, but skip the java moss. Floating honwort makes a good baby hiding place.


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## jlpropst00 (Jun 12, 2011)

A great place to find low light plants http://shop.plantedaquariumscentral.com/Low-Light-Plants_c17.htm
I linked the low light plant section. Someone on here recommended this site so I tried it out, and they have awesome prices and service.


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

Try getting a lot of neon tetras and one male betta, and some corys. In a 55 gal, it MIGHT work to put 2 male bettas because it is so large.


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## humdedum (Feb 18, 2009)

Just looking at emc's previous posts...a shoal of cory cats and brightly colored tetras (such as neons/cardinal/diamond...hmm, there are hundreds of colorful tetras) would look striking. Especially if you have slightly duller (beige, tans, and browns) cory cats.


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## Fish Kid 808 (May 30, 2011)

emc7 said:


> Corydora is a genus of catfish and "Cory" is a generic that refers to several similar genuses (geni?). They eat from the bottom so they clean up what other fish miss and sinking food like Xtreme "catfish scrapers" or for a treat, live or frozen blackworms or bloodworms. The move all over the lower part of a tank are a great use of 'bottom' in planted tank. A 55 is tall enough you can often keep 3 'levels' of fish, bottom, mid, and top.
> 
> Cories, neons, congos, and S. American cichlids thrive in similar soft water conditions making them good tankmates and many plants like the same water.
> 
> ...


Thank you for the great ideas. I suppose I will leave the platies where they are for now. They are comfortable. 

And your tank ideas sound stunning. I definitely will have to ask my LFS when/if they will be getting shipped corys. Thank you so much for the fantastic plant and fish species you've listed. Really given me a picture in my head of what I want.


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## Fish Kid 808 (May 30, 2011)

jlpropst00 said:


> A great place to find low light plants http://shop.plantedaquariumscentral.com/Low-Light-Plants_c17.htm
> I linked the low light plant section. Someone on here recommended this site so I tried it out, and they have awesome prices and service.


That site does indeed look great and I would indeed shop there if shipping wasn't such a downer. I live in Hawaii and unless those are sold locally it wouldn't be an option. Will have to check CL and my lfs. Thank you though.


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## Fish Kid 808 (May 30, 2011)

Betta man said:


> Try getting a lot of neon tetras and one male betta, and some corys. In a 55 gal, it MIGHT work to put 2 male bettas because it is so large.


Hm, the neons sound cool but from what I've seen they have been known to be fin nippers. And it is indeed a lot of space but I don't think I'd risk having 2 males fight. Thank you for the ideas.


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## Fish Kid 808 (May 30, 2011)

humdedum said:


> Just looking at emc's previous posts...a shoal of cory cats and brightly colored tetras (such as neons/cardinal/diamond...hmm, there are hundreds of colorful tetras) would look striking. Especially if you have slightly duller (beige, tans, and browns) cory cats.


Indeed, he definitely gave me some great ideas. Also, if I do use his ideas I agree that some less striking colors on the corys would make the neons pop. Thank you for the ideas and post.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

No aquarium plan survives first contact with the fish store. Take notes at the store, look up the fish you like, then go back and buy the most suitable of the list. No impulse buying. Not even plants. Non-aquatic plants are sold in stores all the time and if kept submerged, many will eventually die and rot.


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## Fish Kid 808 (May 30, 2011)

emc7 said:


> No aquarium plan survives first contact with the fish store. Take notes at the store, look up the fish you like, then go back and buy the most suitable of the list. No impulse buying. Not even plants. Non-aquatic plants are sold in stores all the time and if kept submerged, many will eventually die and rot.


Thank you for the tip. Will keep in mind. Definitely have bought on impulse and that never works out.


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