New 55 Gallon Tank Thread

[OvercaffeinatedFishGuy]

Also here is an updated tank supply list:

1. 55 gallon tank
2. Lids, preferably with lights.
3. Two Fluval HOB filters for 55 gallons. (any recommendations besides these?)
4. Two Fluval heaters for 55 gallons (Maybe)
5. UV light filter (Again a maybe, depends on what fish I have and what set up I intend to do)
6. Decor (Wood, Rocks, Fake plants, etc)
7. Substrate (Sand)
8. API Water testing kit
9. Net
10. Sponges or brush to remove algae and clean equipment as needed.
11. Water Vacuum
12. At least 4 buckets with lids to carry fish/do water changes or a Python hose.
13. Aquarium salt for meds.
14. Black background (either styrofoam, painting, or a combination of multiple ideas)
14. API Quick Start.
14. Seachem Dechlorinator
15. Any food that is necessary for the chosen stock.

 

[Omrit]

You could do two fancy goldfish+ dojo loaches in a 55. A pair of goldfish looks good especially a high contrast pair like one black with one white or orange in my opinion.

As for tropicals you of course have a ton of options. I find Discus to be more trouble than they are worth, I think angelfish are just all around a better fish as they are easier to care for while also giving you more options for tank mates. I see Raphaels listed as being safe up to 80 and Discus tanks are usually 82-84 so they probably won't appreciate Discus temps either. The gouramis are not going to like Discus temperatures either.

But like I said a 55 has a lot of options for tropical fish.

If you want a ton of color you can do a mbuna tank in a 55, or there are some lake tanganyikan species you can do to if you want fish with interesting behaviors but with less color. You can't really mix other types of fish in these though aside from maybe small syno catfish like the dwarf petricola.

If you want more oddball fish then a 55 is fine for african river species like ropefish, senegal bichirs, african butterflyfish, and something like congo tetras for color. These are safe to mix with fish from other continents too like the gourami and raphael catfish.

From Asia: A ton of Gourami, barbs, and loaches options. Some barbs fin nip but otherwise safe to mix with other community fish.

From central America: Smaller central American cichlids which can be paired with platies, swordtails, tetras, and most smaller catfish(including the raphaels)

Then of course South America with angelfish, tetras, catfish, and various dwarf cichlids.

 

[duanes]

I would 100% get a 75 instead of a 55 but unfortunately, I don't have the space for one, the 55 I'm looking at barely fits where its going to go as it is lol. One of these days though, once I get my own place I want to have whatever tanks I want lol.

I was thinking 3 so that confirmed my original thought, I'm assuming this is without tankmates?

I agree about 3 goldfish maxing out a 55, 4 for a 75, or at least untill they outgrow it.

Just curious, what are the parameters of your tap water....?
hard, and mineral rich with high pH?
or soft, and low pH?
or neutral and somewhere in between?.

To me this is a determiner of what fish can be successfully kept.

 

[OvercaffeinatedFishGuy]

I agree about 3 goldfish maxing out a 55, 4 for a 75, or at least untill they outgrow it.

Just curious, what are the parameters of your tap water....?
hard, and mineral rich with high pH?
or soft, and low pH?
or neutral and somewhere in between?.

To me this is a determiner of what fish can be successfully kept.

From what I remember, my water is very hard where I live. Like above 7.5

 

[duanes]

If your water is hard, and high pH, I'd stay away from Amazonian soft water, and low pH S American species, west Africans,
and certain Asian species that require acidic water. (chocolate gouramis come to mind)
Gold fish will be fine,
smaller rift lake Africans will work, and some of the smaller Central Americans.

But 100 years of aquarium breeding, will not negate millions of years of survival of the fittest evolutionary conditioning, and heredity.

 

[OvercaffeinatedFishGuy]

I've been continuing to research my options and there are plenty that are very appealing that fit more appropriately within my water parameters. Still entertaining goldfish or an African cichlids tank. Mostly considering mbunas or peacocks. Are there are haps that can fit in a 55 gallon? I love the rich blue color of them but I know most of them get pretty large.

 

[HUKIT]

I've been continuing to research my options and there are plenty that are very appealing that fit more appropriately within my water parameters. Still entertaining goldfish or an African cichlids tank. Mostly considering mbunas or peacocks. Are there are haps that can fit in a 55 gallon? I love the rich blue color of them but I know most of them get pretty large.

I wouldn’t even look at Haplochromis in that sized tank. You could look into 12-14 Pseudotropheus demasoni as a species only set up if you’re looking for blue. As P phreeflow mentioned Chindongo saulosi gives you the classic yellow/blue. Another species only tank would be Cynotilapia afra “Cobue” for yellow/blue as they’re similar sized to saulosi and demasoni.

 

[jamschris]

Looks like you’ve already got a pretty solid and realistic checklist, especially for a 55-gallon restart. The fact that you’re thinking about past algae problems before even setting the tank up is actually the biggest advantage you have this time.

A few thoughts that might help refine your plan:

Your filtration choice is good—running two filters is actually better than relying on one big unit because it improves oxygenation and gives you backup if one ever fails. Just make sure the flow isn’t too strong for the fish you eventually choose.

On heaters, it makes sense that you’re unsure right now. I’d personally keep at least one as a backup even if you go coldwater, just so you have flexibility later. Tank stability matters more than locking yourself into one direction too early.

The UV sterilizer is one of those things people often expect too much from. It can help with green water, but it won’t really solve algae growing on glass or decor. So I’d treat it as optional, not essential.

Your decor plan with rocks and wood is a strong base. The one missing piece from your list that could really change everything is live plants. Even a simple low-maintenance setup can seriously reduce algae by competing for nutrients. In most tanks where algae becomes a problem, the real issue usually isn’t fish—it’s imbalance in light + nutrients + plant mass.

For substrate, sand is fine, just keep in mind it can trap waste a bit more easily, so gentle maintenance will matter more.

Your maintenance tools and buckets setup is spot on. That’s exactly the kind of practical planning that prevents future headaches.

And honestly, your biggest win this time will come from not trying to “fix algae later” with fish or chemicals, but by controlling:

• lighting hours
• feeding habits
• nutrient balance
• and adding fast-growing plants early

If you get those four right, algae usually stops being a major problem altogether.

You’re basically already rebuilding it the right way—now it’s just about balancing it instead of overloading it.

Hello everyone,

I'm dedicating this thread to my thought process as I plan for the new 55 gallon tank I mentioned in my introduction thread.

Here is a list of supplies I had the first time around that I intend to get again, however, I am very open to improvements on any of these:

1. The obvious...the tank itself.
2. Lids, preferably with lights.
3. Two Fluval filters for 55 gallons.
4. Two Fluval heaters for 55 gallons (I am debating whether I will need these in the new setup as I may end up doing coldwater fish).
5. UV light filter (Again a maybe, depends on what fish I have and what set up I intend to do)
6. Decor (I'm probably going to end up doing a combo of rocks and wood again. Not 100% about plants)
7. Substrate (Sand)
8. Water testing kit (Any recommendations?)
9. Net
10. Sponges or brush to remove algae and clean equipment as needed.
11. Water Vacuum
12. At least 4 buckets with lids to carry fish/do water changes.
13. Medicine (will vary depending on what fish I intend to keep).
14. Black background.

I think this is the comprehensive list of everything that I had last time around or need this time. One of my biggest issues last time was algae and quite frankly plecos and other algae eaters were admittedly useless so I'm hoping to combat it more effectively this time around. Now on to the fun part....the fish.

 

[jjohnwm]

Hey, OP, a couple of comments on some of the above comments

Sand, like any substrate, requires some attention to cleanliness, but in general it is less likely to accumulate fish waste, uneaten food, plant debris, etc. than gravel. Much of it is personal preference for one aesthetic or the other, but gravel's larger particles translate to larger interstices between those particles, allowing debris to quickly fall into the nooks and crannies, out of reach of the fish. Sand's smaller particles/grains produce a tighter surface that the debris is much more likely to just sit on top of, easily accessible to the fish and to you for cleaning purposes. And many fish....Goldfish being a prime example...will naturally sift through the substrate, keeping it aerated and free of dirt. Many other species want to burrow into/under the substrate. Sand is an ideal substrate to facilitate those behaviours; the bigger the particles of substrate the less suitable it is for them. IMHO it just doesn't seem right to keep fish like Goldfish, Geos and many other substrate-sifters, or burrowers like eels, some cats, etc., and then not provide them a chance to practice these basic facets of their natural behaviour.

Algae...is a fact of life. It only becomes a "problem" when you decide that it is. The display tanks that are inspiring you all have that sterile, spotless, just-set-up-yesterday look that is very far from natural...and is absolutely the most labour-intensive to maintain. If you want your tank to look that way long-term, then algae of one type or another will be a constant "problem". If you can grow to love a softer, less-sterile, more-natural look, which includes algae allowed to grow on surfaces like rocks or driftwood...wow, life for you and your fish will be much more relaxed and pleasant.

All the factors described earlier as algae-control secrets will work...to help control algae, not to eliminate/prevent it. Plants will compete with it, UV will help with non-sessile types ( green water), limited lighting periods make a huge difference...but there will still be some algae. I'm using the term "algae" as a catch-all phrase to include several other things like cyanobacteria and diatoms, which most aquarists think of as algae.

From looking at the tanks that inspire you, I suspect you might have a seizure of some sort if you saw my tanks. I allow and encourage algae on all the rocks and driftwood. I harvest it from some tanks and toss the stuff into other tanks that house fish which eat it. I virtually never clean any glass other than the front viewing pane, and definitely never touch the interior of plywood tanks. I have a couple of no-substrate tanks that have a thick furry layer of algae on the bottom and I dote on it!

It's almost a Zen thing. Let a little algae grow "on your mind". Get used to it. Embrace the green. Your fish will thank you. Ommmmmmmmmmm...

Finally....I'd keep a close eye on J jamschris , the poster just above this post. Lots of good info, a bit I don't agree with, but...his profile says he's from Australia...and he didn't call you "mate" even once?!?!?!? Can't be a real human, no way...bot?

 

[OvercaffeinatedFishGuy]

A couple of comments on some of the above comments

Sand, like any substrate, requires some attention to cleanliness, but in general it is less likely to accumulate fish waste, uneaten food, plant debris, etc. than gravel. Much of it is personal preference for one aesthetic or the other, but gravel's larger particles translate to larger interstices between those particles, allowing debris to quickly fall into the nooks and crannies, out of reach of the fish. Sand's smaller particles/grains produce a tighter surface that the debris is much more likely to just sit on top of, easily accessible to the fish and to you for cleaning purposes. And many fish....Goldfish being a prime example...will naturally sift through the substrate, keeping it aerated and free of dirt. Many other species want to burrow into/under the substrate. Sand is an ideal substrate to facilitate those behaviours; the bigger the particles of substrate the less suitable it is for them. IMHO it just doesn't seem right to keep fish like Goldfish, Geos and many other substrate-sifters, or burrowers like eels, some cats, etc., and then not provide them a chance to practice these basic facets of their natural behaviour.

Algae...is a fact of life. It only becomes a "problem" when you decide that it is. The display tanks that are inspiring you all have that sterile, spotless, just-set-up-yesterday look that is very far from natural...and is absolutely the most labour-intensive to maintain. If you want your tank to look that way long-term, then algae of one type or another will be a constant "problem". If you can grow to love a softer, less-sterile, more-natural look, which includes algae allowed to grow on surfaces like rocks or driftwood...wow, life for you and your fish will be much more relaxed and pleasant.

All the factors described earlier as algae-control secrets will work...to help control algae, not to eliminate/prevent it. Plants will compete with it, UV will help with non-sessile types ( green water), limited lighting periods make a huge difference...but there will still be some algae. I'm using the term "algae" as a catch-all phrase to include several other things like cyanobacteria and diatoms, which most aquarists think of as algae.

From looking at the tanks that inspire you, I suspect you might have a seizure of some sort if you saw my tanks. I allow and encourage algae on all the rocks and driftwood. I harvest it from some tanks and toss the stuff into other tanks that house fish which eat it. I virtually never clean any glass other than the front viewing pane, and definitely never tough the interior of plywood tanks. I have a couple of no-substrate tanks that have a thick furry layer of algae on the bottom and I dote on it!

It's almost a Zen thing. Let a little algae grow "on your mind". Get used to it. Embrace the green. Your fish will thank you. Ommmmmmmmmmm...

Finally....I'd keep a close eye on J jamschris , the poster just above this post. Lots of good info, a bit I don't agree with, but...his profile says he's from Australia...and he didn't call you "mate" even once?!?!?!? Can't be a real human, no way...bot?

Yeah, I've been concerned about algae, I know its a natural part of the tank so some growth is expected and I'm ok with that, but I had a problem with overgrowth so I'm going to do a couple of preventative measures to at least keep it at a minimum. Admittedly I would do live plants, but I don't really want to set up the tank as a planted tank as I had a lot of issues with keeping them alive lol.

I think my overall issue was that my tank light was basically a max brightness flashlight with no way to adjust it. I'm hoping to find some lights that are dimmable or put a switch on them to make them dimmable.

Also it is suspicious that the Aussie didn't say mate or crikey- I suspect a falseie in our midst-