New Here....starting up my 3rd tank..55Gal.

[chrisRstelly]

hey guys! well i was looking aound and came across HFB...i started off a couple months ago when my girlfriend brought home a betta. i got her a 5 gallon tank and small filter cause she was getting frustrated with waterchanges in a glass vase haha. And there is when the Fit hit the Shan haha...i put a divder in there and bought a white betta that she fell in love with. Picked up a free 10 gal from the school i work at and started off with some neon tetras and tiger barbs...she the came home with 3 small cichlids. but i noticed one tetra was gone the next morning! so i gave the tetras to my buddy who just bought his little boy a tank too...they have been fine there. Now i have a 55 gallon that shes not too happy about. but i promised id get rid of the 10 gal and just keep the 55 . so i have the 55 gal with just fine sand bottom, oxygen bubble wall at back, Eheim Canister filter and cycled it fishless. now i dont know what want in it! i dont want just petshop normal fish. Id like something different thats a nice conversation piece, even if the tank doesnt have alot of fish. i dont have any plants or decorations in yet. Not sure if i want that. I know Some river rocks will be going along the bottom in the sand but dont know which directio to go with this!
any ideas? appreciate any help or advice. i was looking into saltwatrer but most saltwater info is on reefs and thats just a money pit for me with a small child and me still in college. oh and the aquarium came with stock lights..and also coralife 48" 2X65 watt light. i dont know much about the lighting but know the bulb has 2 colors. have been trying to research lights but cant find the exact model. i think online porduct number is 53008. thanks guys hope to hear from yall.

[jarrodaden]

Suggestion - Do a google image search for "freshwater 55 gallon aquarium" and find pictures that look good to you. Post those pictures on this thread and we call tell you what is in the photos and what you might try. I think you are headed for a community tank with a few plants that are easy to maintain. Also, what kind of Eheim cannister do you have?

[chrisRstelly]

yessir! the filter is the Eheim Ecco 2236 rated for 80 gallon. would the lighting i have be decent for plant growing? i run it on a timer from 4pm to 12am just for sake of making it a habit. and im about to jump online!

[Darbex]

Do you want a planted tank or not?
Do you want small or large fish?

[chrisRstelly]

i dont mind plants, just a few, i want much room as posible because i would like larger sized fish.

[supadave]

Congrats on the new 55 gallon tank . You have a lot of different options with that size tank . Have you found a particular fish that you are interested in keeping ? If so , do your homework on that fish and find out everything there is to know about that fish . You can search the internet and various forums and find loads of valuable info . For starters , you may want to look into keeping Mbuna , Peacock or Haps (Haplochromines) . Both of these work really well in community tanks and are very colorful . Now , since you said that you want something a little different than your pet store norm....... I would keep Lake Victorian Haps in that tank . Lake Victorian Haps are extremely colorful and pretty much easy to keep . The only problem you will find with Victorians is that most LFS (Local Fish Stores) don't carry them .


BTW..... if you think your girlfriend is not to happy about the 55 gallon tank now........wait a few months until the day that the "addiction" really kicks in and you tell her you want to upgrade to a 6 ft. tank . TRUST ME ......THIS DAY WILL COME !!!!!!!

[Darbex]

If you want larger fish then I would not get plants and you should look into cichlids either African or SA

[jarrodaden]

+1 on cichlids. Use artificial plants (if any) with cichlids. Rocks and driftwood are more likely your choice depending on the specific type.

+1 on researching the fish carefully. Generally with cichlids you need to be really carefully about combining males with females. Males are generally more colorful and I try to keep an all male tank.

[chrisRstelly]

sounds good..i appreciate yalls feedback..i think i will want a bigger tank...i just am not satisfied with the size lol...(bad thinkers) but thats what i may just do...nice piece of driftwood across the center and and some riverrocks stacked along the back with a couple plants or grass will do for me..in my 10 gal i had 4 cichlids, got home today and 1 was dead :(...took them all out and put them in the 55gal immediatly in hopes to save them since that water is all leveled out at 0.my buddy had a crazy idea to put a cool blue cray and maybe just catch some crappie at a little lake haha...anybody mess with actual gamefish like that?