Calling On All Forum Members!!!

[osomxl]

Ok so here goes! I found this forum several weeks ago and have been reading like crazy. Man this place cool! All of the experience on this forum is amazing! My wife is now ready to take the plunge. I am now calling on the expertise of you guys to make any recommedations.

I am going to purchase an "All Glass" complete kit to get things started. I remember reading in other places that the all glass kit contained components from either Tetra or Marineland and that they were of decent quality and the only problems were the clear plastic covers for the lights would fall off and end up in the bottom of the tank. I will inspect the covers and modify as necessary.

I want to have live plants and need recommendations as to which plants do well in low light situations.

How many watts of light do you feel the low-level light plants need to be healthy for a 55 gallon tank? I also dont want the tank to be too bright as all of the species of fish I want seem to like a bit of shade.

I will be making a background and other rock features out of concrete to include caves and crevices and possible a mid water shelf for the little guys to hide in and rest. Which specific concrete have you guys been using? There are several types and want to know which are the proven safer to use. Concrete is a mixture of Portland cement, Sand and Gravel, but is there any reason that the Quikrete brand of post setting cement that cures in an hour could not be used?

I would like to have a substrate of sand and gravel. Is play sand from home depot suitable if is washed properly? I would like to also use River gravel that lowes sells in thier garden department. It doesnt appear to be treated with anything and is cosiderably cheaper than the gravel they sell at the pet stores. I am trying to go for a more natural looking aquarium.

I dont have any local natural sources for driftwood so I will end up paying for a few pieces at the LFS.

I will be buying a second filter to support the filter supplied with the kit as well as a second heater just to have on hand. I live in Mexicali Mexico in the middle of the desert and temps reach into the 115 degree range a few months out of the year. The house will be running the air conditioning when temps get high, but what is the likelyhood of needing a chiller?

Here's my list of accesories that will be purchased and please feel free to make any additions you feel are necessary.

Air pump to 60 gallons tetra brand
air line 25 feet
suction cup air line holders
air line check valve
air line proportioning block
airstone
bubble wall 10" (for the heck of it)
mag float algae cleaner
Ammo-Lock
Tap water conditioner
Master Test Kit (for ammonia, nitrate and nitrite)

I will probably construct my own python gravel cleaner. Do you guys have problems sucking up the sand in the python?

I will add my own Moonlights and timer for the lights. Do you recommend running the air on a timer as well?

Now on to the fishies!
I would like to have the following:

-3 clown loaches
-3 plecos
-15-20 neon tetras or a combination of lemon, cardinal, neons, bloodfins
-10 mickey mouse platies
-3-5 tiger barbs
-3-5 long fin zebra danios
-1 redtail or rainbow shark

I would love to cram all of these fish in the tank, but based on your experience, what would you recommend?

I am also worried about the size of the clown loaches and the plecos. Exactly how large do the clowns get and are there any other attractive loaches that stay on the small side? What type of plecos like to eat algae and do not grow very large? I am hoping to have loaches and plecos that grow no more than 5-6 inches in length.

I hope my list looks okay. I have been studying everynight and I hope that it looks as if I have some understanding of how to go about doing this!

I have tried to fill out the levels nicely to include bottom-mid-top levels of the tank. I understand that this is a three dimensional habitat and that the fish will be healthier and happier if they feel comfortable at thier respective level of the tank.

Now I need to build the tank stand before anything else can happen. I will be building the stand out of 4x4's and plywood. '

I promise to take pics of the process and will be asking alot of questions and hope you will join me on this wild ride! See you soon!-Eric

[brianyu]

hi dude
55gal for the first tank is great, my first tank is 5gal :hmm3grin2orange:
if u want a plant tank , there is no need of air kit. maybe co2 kit will be better hehe, lighting is very important for plant tank, try out dual 48" T5 or 4x48" T5 will be great thumbs2: . and buy a bigger canister that u can buy !

[NickFish]

My answers are in red, and have been placed under your questions in your original post.

Ok so here goes! I found this forum several weeks ago and have been reading like crazy. Man this place cool! All of the experience on this forum is amazing! My wife is now ready to take the plunge. I am now calling on the expertise of you guys to make any recommedations.

I am going to purchase an "All Glass" complete kit to get things started. I remember reading in other places that the all glass kit contained components from either Tetra or Marineland and that they were of decent quality and the only problems were the clear plastic covers for the lights would fall off and end up in the bottom of the tank. I will inspect the covers and modify as necessary.

I want to have live plants and need recommendations as to which plants do well in low light situations.
Anacharis, java fern, java moss, anubias, cryptocorne, crockscrew val, hornwort, duckweed, ledwigia and wisteria will all grow fairly well in a low-light tank.
How many watts of light do you feel the low-level light plants need to be healthy for a 55 gallon tank? I also dont want the tank to be too bright as all of the species of fish I want seem to like a bit of shade.
You generally don't want more than 1-2wpg or you are going to have to put CO2 in that tank to really keep it stable and algae away. Aim for 1.5-2wpg if you are using T8 bulbs and aim for just over 1wpg if you are using T5 bulbs. T5s put out more light per watt than other bulbs. You can put in floating plants like duckweed to shade certain areas. The more light you put on the harder it is going to be to control algae, and the more CO2 you will need. A CO2 system costs hundreds of dollars so you shoudl stay out of that right now, and keep just enough light for the plants. No need to complicate things. When starting off keep it simple
I will be making a background and other rock features out of concrete to include caves and crevices and possible a mid water shelf for the little guys to hide in and rest. Which specific concrete have you guys been using? There are several types and want to know which are the proven safer to use. Concrete is a mixture of Portland cement, Sand and Gravel, but is there any reason that the Quikrete brand of post setting cement that cures in an hour could not be used?
Sorry, I don't have and answer for that one. I would never dream of using anything other than wood and rocks, expecially in a tank like a 55g where it is so easy to find pieces that fit and go well in one. But if you have your heart set maybe another more DIY member will have an answer. Personally I would just drop it though.

I would like to have a substrate of sand and gravel. Is play sand from home depot suitable if is washed properly? I would like to also use River gravel that lowes sells in thier garden department. It doesnt appear to be treated with anything and is cosiderably cheaper than the gravel they sell at the pet stores. I am trying to go for a more natural looking aquarium.
Yes you can, just make sure you really throughly wash it. When you think it has been scrubbed completely clean and all the dirt is off, wash it again. Then when your hands feel numb, wash it again. Only after washing it one more time is it ready to go in your tank. You can't over do these things.
Ideally you should get a planted tank soil like Fluorite or Eco-complete, but it isn't completely nesessary if you don't like the look.
Make sure you position the gravel carefully on top of the sand, and make sure you get pieces that are fairly large. Because if it is the other way around or there is too much disturbance the gravel will just sink into the sand.

I dont have any local natural sources for driftwood so I will end up paying for a few pieces at the LFS.
Do you have trees anywhere near you? You can use any dead branch from a tree if you soak or boil it long enough and there is nothing living in it. It doesn't nessesarily have to be actual driftwood. If not, pet store wood is fine, and even better than native wood.
I will be buying a second filter to support the filter supplied with the kit as well as a second heater just to have on hand. I live in Mexicali Mexico in the middle of the desert and temps reach into the 115 degree range a few months out of the year. The house will be running the air conditioning when temps get high, but what is the likelyhood of needing a chiller?
With those temps there is a huge chance. But depends on how strong your air conditioning is. If the house doesn't go over 80F you won't need it, but you start climbing up there it becomes essential.

Here's my list of accesories that will be purchased and please feel free to make any additions you feel are necessary.

Air pump to 60 gallons tetra brand
air line 25 feet
suction cup air line holders
air line check valve
air line proportioning block
airstone
bubble wall 10" (for the heck of it)
mag float algae cleaner
Ammo-Lock
Tap water conditioner
Master Test Kit (for ammonia, nitrate and nitrite)
Sounds good. I have to disagree with the above poster. You will need an air system to run at night in a planted tank. Since plants give away CO2 during the night oxygen levels get very low and an airpump is very much appreciated by the fish. You shouldn't leave the air pump going 24/7 though. Only at night.
Ammo-Lock isn't at all nessesary if you are keeping up with water changes, but it wouldn't hurt to have on hand. To that list I would also add a pH test kit and at least one net for catching and moving fish.

I will probably construct my own python gravel cleaner. Do you guys have problems sucking up the sand in the python?
Yes, there are problems with sand. Generally for sand you only use a single piece of airline tubing. You have to be very careful and very precise to only suck up waste, something pythons don't usually let you do. I would keep an extra bag of sand on you, since you will no matter what be losing a bit of sand here and there.

I will add my own Moonlights and timer for the lights. Do you recommend running the air on a timer as well?
Like I said, the air pump should only be on at night. You can turn it on an hour after the lights go off and an hour before they come back on. They shouldn't be on during the day because they drive out CO2 that the plants need.

Now on to the fishies!
I would like to have the following:

-3 clown loaches
-3 plecos
-15-20 neon tetras or a combination of lemon, cardinal, neons, bloodfins
-10 mickey mouse platies
-3-5 tiger barbs
-3-5 long fin zebra danios
-1 redtail or rainbow shark

I would love to cram all of these fish in the tank, but based on your experience, what would you recommend?

Ditch the plecos. They get over a foot long and you can't keep them. Unless you mena bristlenose plecos. Those would be fine. They do eat wood though so you'll need a bit of driftwood.
The clown loaches also get fairly big and need schools of at least 5 or 6. I would ditch those as well. Replace them with corydoras. They stay under 3" and you could keep a half dozen no problem.
Get more tiger barbs. They are huge fin-nippers by nature and the only way to combat that is to keep them in large groups. If you have your heart set on them get no less than a dozen. That means of course you will have to cut back some where else. Maybe with less platies or less tetras. If not though it would be better to drop them.
Speaking of platies, make sure to get all females of all males. If you cross them they will breed like crazy mice and you will end up with 100 fish in no time at all.
The red tail shark would be fine. Some claim they are agressive and fin-nippers. If you do get one just keep a close eye on him.
Another fish I would recommend would be bolvian rams. Very personable dwarf cichlids. You could keep a trio in there. They get about 3" and stick to the bottom of the tank.
. I am also worried about the size of the clown loaches and the plecos. Exactly how large do the clowns get and are there any other attractive loaches that stay on the small side? What type of plecos like to eat algae and do not grow very large? I am hoping to have loaches and plecos that grow no more than 5-6 inches in length.
I believe I answered this in the last bit of info. Bristlenose plecos are the way to go.

I hope my list looks okay. I have been studying everynight and I hope that it looks as if I have some understanding of how to go about doing this!

I have tried to fill out the levels nicely to include bottom-mid-top levels of the tank. I understand that this is a three dimensional habitat and that the fish will be healthier and happier if they feel comfortable at thier respective level of the tank.

Now I need to build the tank stand before anything else can happen. I will be building the stand out of 4x4's and plywood. '

It would be better to build it out of something solid like oak or maple. I've never built a stand myself so you should talk to someone else, but plywood sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. You have to be very careful building your own stand. These tanks weigh thousands of pounds and coming home to a house flooded with 55 gallons of water is not a pretty sight.
I promise to take pics of the process and will be asking alot of questions and hope you will join me on this wild ride! See you soon!-Eric

Sounds good, keep us updated!

[korith]

Well Nickfish rocked those answers. Just wanted to add if you do end up going with plants, the stock light you get with your tank will most likely not give nearly enough light. In which case you'll probably end up getting another light fixture, and then a hood/glass lid that works with the light fixture. Stock light probably gives 40watts, and with the plants you'll probably want closer to 100 watts. May want to price the items separately instead of the kit.

Oh one great site to take a look at is [Only Registered Users Can See Links.] , you can list plants by different categories, choose the lighting requirements link and try to figure out what sorts of plants you want, to figure out how much lighting you'll need. You probably don't want to get too much light, then you have to deal with co2.

[Northernguy]

Quickcrete play sand is also a good substrate!
Your stand would be stronger if made from 2x4s.There are a few plans on the net for a decent stand.:22:

[Wild Turkey]

Agreed with nick on lights/airstone times in planted tank pretty much everythingthumbs2: hes been rock and rolling some answers lately!

I dont like ammo lock though, it doesnt do anything for the aquarium that a waterchange wont do more effectively and accurately imo.

[Lady Hobbs]

On a side note, when you do the cement backgrounds, the pH will be very high. You will have to fill the tank, let the water sit a couple days, do a total water change and do this over again several times over a week or two.

Water softener salt is said to work well at helping that concert to "cure". Like about 40 pounds of it. Everyone doesn't use the salt but you may want to consider it. Also, the caves, etc, are more for african cichlids. You really don't need all those caves if you are planning on a planted tanks. The caves are mostly used for african cichlid tanks.

[osomxl]

Wow guys and gals! Thanks for the input so fast!

As far as lighting goes, if I cant simply replace the bulbs to a higher wattage then those will be ditched and I will purchase a simple shop light fixture at home depot/lowes. They are really cheap.

As far as the concrete background, I planned on making something that resembles a riverbed or pond which has natural nooks and cranies and small holes or caves where the minerals dissolve out of the sandstone. This will be done outside in large rubbermaid bins to cure and lower the PH of the concrete. It will also be colored with liquid concrete color to more closely resemble mud/sandstone.

The play sand available at the hardware stores actually say that they are aquarium safe and only costs $5 for a 40-50 lb bag. The same goes for the riverock or gravel that is sold in the garden department. They stock alot of supplies for outdoor ponds at a much fairer price than the petstores.

Thanks Nickfish for the detailed answers! Are there no loaches than stay a reasonable size or are they pretty much out of the question?
I also will be looking for the bristlenose plecostumussesesses! Corydoras and Bolivian Rams! Do you guys see a problem with the amount of fish or overstocking? I figure with the balance of the plants and the air pumps and both filters it should balance out nicely and not be a problem as well as occupying different parts of the tank.
I thank you very much for the list of plants and a thanks to korith for the link, I will check on that link in a little bit.

I little background on myself... I live in the middle of the desert! Just south of the border in Mexicali, Mexico which is just south of the Southern California desert. What exactly Is a tree! :hmm3grin2orange: And the rocks aint much better either! Full of calcium from all of the underground rivers and pools.

By trade I am a Union Electrician and I grew up and worked for several custom cabinet shops. The base cabinet will be built out of 4x4 legs and 2x4 bracing with an internal shelf and doors and stained or painted. It will hold the tank fine "Stand Back! I am a Professional!"

[NickFish]

Once again, my answers in red.

Wow guys and gals! Thanks for the input so fast!
No problem, you are very welcome!
As far as lighting goes, if I cant simply replace the bulbs to a higher wattage then those will be ditched and I will purchase a simple shop light fixture at home depot/lowes. They are really cheap.
Probably won't work to well unless you put proper aquarium bulbs on there. You need to have lights that are a certain kelvin rating for fish tanks. A misbalanced color will just lead to algae. Specifically bulbs that are 5000-10000k, most regular bulbs are in the area of 2000k which will only stunt plants and cause algae. You can use a shop fixture but the bulbs need to be in that range.

As far as the concrete background, I planned on making something that resembles a riverbed or pond which has natural nooks and cranies and small holes or caves where the minerals dissolve out of the sandstone. This will be done outside in large rubbermaid bins to cure and lower the PH of the concrete. It will also be colored with liquid concrete color to more closely resemble mud/sandstone.
Like has been said, it isn't really nesessary to do. But if you have your heart set on it, by all means. Just don't add any fish until you are sure your pH is stable. A fluctuating pH can and will kill fish.

The play sand available at the hardware stores actually say that they are aquarium safe and only costs $5 for a 40-50 lb bag. The same goes for the riverock or gravel that is sold in the garden department. They stock alot of supplies for outdoor ponds at a much fairer price than the petstores.
You got it. Except this sand is so low in nutrients plants get very little from their roots. You will have to put in root tabs every square foot or so initially to get the nutrients in the substrate. Check out Flourish Tabs. Buy at least a box of 10 for $10, not sure what that is where you live, and space all 10 out throughout the entire tank. After that you only need to add a tab here and there to keep the nutrients in teh substrate. It will be no where near the nutrients of a specially formulated planted tank substrate but it will work.
You will also need to fertilize with something. With no CO2 a single comprehensive solution will be fine. Something like Flourish Comprehensive or CSM+B. Using flourish excel wouldn't hurt either, nor would dosing with a bit of potassium.

Thanks Nickfish for the detailed answers! Are there no loaches than stay a reasonable size or are they pretty much out of the question?
No, there are some. They will compete for the cories with food though and the cories will usually win. It pretty much comes down to one or the other. You can keep both but you will have to pay close attention that they are all getting food. You get to choose though.
Check out Kuhli Loaches, yoyo loaches and Dwarf Loaches(which by memory would be Botia Sidthimunki but anyone correct me if I'm wrong).
I also will be looking for the bristlenose plecostumussesesses! Corydoras and Bolivian Rams! Do you guys see a problem with the amount of fish or overstocking? I figure with the balance of the plants and the air pumps and both filters it should balance out nicely and not be a problem as well as occupying different parts of the tank.
We haven't worked out the exact numbers yet but so far you seem fine. The smaller fish you are keeping like the tetras hardly add anything to the bio load at all. And like you said, your residents are very well placed at all swimming levels of the tank.
I thank you very much for the list of plants and a thanks to korith for the link, I will check on that link in a little bit.

I little background on myself... I live in the middle of the desert! Just south of the border in Mexicali, Mexico which is just south of the Southern California desert. What exactly Is a tree! :hmm3grin2orange: And the rocks aint much better either! Full of calcium from all of the underground rivers and pools.

Welcome to the forum!
I can't even imagine that! Living in the beautiful boreal and carolinian forests of Canada myself a world like you describe is so much different. How do you like it there?
By trade I am a Union Electrician and I grew up and worked for several custom cabinet shops. The base cabinet will be built out of 4x4 legs and 2x4 bracing with an internal shelf and doors and stained or painted. It will hold the tank fine "Stand Back! I am a Professional!"
LOL, ok if you say so! You probably know more about that stuff than me anyways. Just don't forget how heavy these tanks really are.

Good luck!

[bushwhacker]

quote by osomxl..By trade I am a Union Electrician and I grew up and worked for several custom cabinet shops. The base cabinet will be built out of 4x4 legs and 2x4 bracing with an internal shelf and doors and stained or painted. It will hold the tank fine "Stand Back! I am a Professional!"

lol if you have done custom cabinetry you can build this thats my trade too, scroll down thru this thread and youll see the pics of the stand i built for my 75 gallon.. i also did one for my 55
[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

[osomxl]

Hey Nickfish! Just doin more research on the species you suggested. As fas do I like living in the desert? No not really! It gets cold and windy for two three months in the winter and the rest of the time it is really hot! I spent the summer building a casino with the Electricians Union and I spent over a month on top of the roof which was nice shiny galvanized steel and no shade in 110-115 degree weather for eight hours a day in very high humidity. I was drinking around 2-3 gallons of water a day up there as well as several gatorades a day. Right now there has been no work out here and everyone is waiting for projects to start. Darn economy has everyone scared to put money out for projects to be built.

Can I only put soil around the plants or can I pot the plants in those tiny little flower pots to keep the fish from uprooting them?

Do the Bolivian Rams feed on snails as well? This would be an added bonus with the possibility of a few snails sneaking in under a leaf or would it be advisable to add a few snails anyways as another means to control algae and dead plant matter?

Dont worry about the cabinet, Actually almost anything will hold a tank up!
The trick is distributing all the forces equally and avoiding the shear forces applied to the screws or nails. The store bought cabinets are very suspect to premature failure due to thier camlock screws that hold the side together and the cheap particle board. The camlocks eventually loosen up because the particle board is not very strong and do not hold the joints together tightly. If I could make stands for everyone, I would, and it would be nice to make a few dollars inthe process instead of cheap chinese imported crap that sells for a pretty penny. I would guess that those cheapo stands actually cost about 10-15 dollars to actually make and ship and the rest is all markup. A really nice stand made to last a lifetime should cost between 50-100 dollars!

[brianyu]

hi all thumbs2:
i saw someone use a 4xT8 48" shop light (6400k) and is work well, but he have a co2 system, and yes Nick is right about the air pump , turn is off at day. but i never a big fan of air pump.

in the pic
65 Gallon (48x18x18), fully planted tank 100% flourite. Low Tech, Low Cost Aquarium. 4x40W shop light GE bulbs, with DIY CO2.thumbs2:

[karbomb]

you could also probably add weather/dojo loaches

[osomxl]

Okay, after reading more info on the species suggested I have an updated list of fish a little with more variety.

-3 Yoyo/Reticulated loaches (thier size seems good)
-3 Bristlenose plecos
-3 Bolivian/German Rams
-3 Panda Corys
-20 Cardinal/Neon Tetras
-10 Long Fin Zebra Danios
-1 Redtail Shark

[Wild Turkey]

Okay, after reading more info on the species suggested I have an updated list of fish a little with more variety.

-3 Yoyo/Reticulated loaches (thier size seems good)
-3 Bristlenose plecos
-3 Bolivian/German Rams
-3 Panda Corys
-20 Cardinal/Neon Tetras
-10 Long Fin Zebra Danios
-1 Redtail Shark

I prefer this:
-3 Bristlenose plecos

-6-8 Yoyo/Reticulated loaches (thier size seems good)
OR
-6-8 Panda Corys

-3 Bolivian/German Rams
-20 Cardinal/Neon Tetras

Its less packed, no shark, no danios, removing the two highest candidates for aggression issues/fin nipping imo
Just my two cents though.

[NickFish]

you could also probably add weather/dojo loaches

I wouldn't recommend that. They are truly coldwater fish, and they can get fairly large.


You know the drill!

Hey Nickfish! Just doin more research on the species you suggested. As fas do I like living in the desert? No not really! It gets cold and windy for two three months in the winter and the rest of the time it is really hot! I spent the summer building a casino with the Electricians Union and I spent over a month on top of the roof which was nice shiny galvanized steel and no shade in 110-115 degree weather for eight hours a day in very high humidity. I was drinking around 2-3 gallons of water a day up there as well as several gatorades a day. Right now there has been no work out here and everyone is waiting for projects to start. Darn economy has everyone scared to put money out for projects to be built.
Wow, thats too bad! It never gets over 85 or 90F here at the peak of summer, so again, I can't imagine that! It does get very cold though! Hopefully the economy will clear up sooner rather than later.
Can I only put soil around the plants or can I pot the plants in those tiny little flower pots to keep the fish from uprooting them?
None of the fish on your list will uproot plants. Usually only larger cichlids do any uprooting. All of my plants are just right in the substrate. Dig a little hole, stick it in an inch or two and fill the whole back in and you are done. Little tweezers can come in handy if your tank starts getting really densely planted.
Do the Bolivian Rams feed on snails as well? This would be an added bonus with the possibility of a few snails sneaking in under a leaf or would it be advisable to add a few snails anyways as another means to control algae and dead plant matter?
No, bolivians are not snail eaters. They're jaws aren't strong enough. They might succeed in dislodging one or two but they won't be eaten or killed. Snails can be used as a clean up crew, but if they really start procreating and you have hundreds of little dots all over your glass they become a problem. Snails produce waste too, so the more snails you have the less fish you will be able to keep. A dozen here or there won't make a difference but you have to keep them in check, which is nearly impossible.
I can save you a bit of a headache early on. Check all your plants throughly before putting them in the tank, and I mean throughly. If you ever catch the slightest glimpse of a snail in your tank kill it right away. Just pinch or squish it with your finger. Cracking the shell is enough to kill them. You have to keep the population in check from the beginning, because if they get out of hand there's no stopping them if you decide you don't like them anymore.

Dont worry about the cabinet, Actually almost anything will hold a tank up!
The trick is distributing all the forces equally and avoiding the shear forces applied to the screws or nails. The store bought cabinets are very suspect to premature failure due to thier camlock screws that hold the side together and the cheap particle board. The camlocks eventually loosen up because the particle board is not very strong and do not hold the joints together tightly. If I could make stands for everyone, I would, and it would be nice to make a few dollars inthe process instead of cheap chinese imported crap that sells for a pretty penny. I would guess that those cheapo stands actually cost about 10-15 dollars to actually make and ship and the rest is all markup. A really nice stand made to last a lifetime should cost between 50-100 dollars!
Well, you got me there! I wish I had even the slightest shred of carpentry ability. I suppose I could take a crack at it but I really don't trust myself. A lot of my stands are those cheapo chinese import crap particle board things, I try to get stronger wood though when possible. I hate them but to get a strong wood stand costs quite a bit around here. I just can't find anyone that will make them for me. I haven't lost a tank yet though (knock on wood).

[troy]

Also IME amazon swords work well in low light but grow slowly.

[osomxl]

I prefer this:
-3 Bristlenose plecos

-6-8 Yoyo/Reticulated loaches (thier size seems good)
OR
-6-8 Panda Corys

-3 Bolivian/German Rams
-20 Cardinal/Neon Tetras

Its less packed, no shark, no danios, removing the two highest candidates for aggression issues/fin nipping imo
Just my two cents though.


Sounds good to me, are the redtails and long fin zebra danios that aggressive? Who would be the fin nippers in the tank?

From Korith:

Oh one great site to take a look at is [Only Registered Users Can See Links.] , you can list plants by different categories, choose the lighting requirements link and try to figure out what sorts of plants you want, to figure out how much lighting you'll need. You probably don't want to get too much light, then you have to deal with co2.

That is a great reference tool!
I surfed there for a bit and came up with these candidates:

Foreground: coffee leaf anubias, cryptocoryne undulata, narrow leaf nana

Middle level: anubias barteri-glabra/ fazeri, cryptocoryne walkeri, giant hygro, phillippine java fern, temple plant

Backdrop: african fern, anubia gigantae, asian ambulia, cryptocoryne aponogetifolia, cryptocoryne retrospiralis/ spiralis, green hygro, water sprite, willow leaf hygro

Floating: duckweed, guppy grass, hornwort, stonewort


It all depends on availability, same goes for my fish.

[Gemini]

I prefer this:
-3 Bristlenose plecos

-6-8 Yoyo/Reticulated loaches (thier size seems good)
OR
-6-8 Panda Corys

-3 Bolivian/German Rams
-20 Cardinal/Neon Tetras

Its less packed, no shark, no danios, removing the two highest candidates for aggression issues/fin nipping imo
Just my two cents though.

I like this as well. I would go for the corys over the loaches but this is just because I like their personalities!
IME sharks hide a lot so you wouldn't see him as much as rams or tetras.
If you have air con keeping your house to less than 90F you should be fine without a chiller. My house regularly gets to 94F and my tank sits on about 78-82. If it will get warmer though or you don't use air con I would consider a chiller.
Welcome to the AC :19:

[Wild Turkey]

I just hear red tail sharks get aggressive, I dont keep any.
Long finned danios is an oxymoron for lack of a better term, they put long fins on a fish that is known for driving slower, longfinned fish insane with its nipping and activity level.

[osomxl]

What online suppliers do you guys use for live plants and fish? does it cost much more for shipping? Are there any super secret suppliers of equipment and or other aquarium supplies that have awesome deals?

[osomxl]

Just bringing this back to the top! I only have 3 options as far as suppliers of fish products go, Petco, Walmart, and I believe Petland. Petco is the most well stocked and has the largest section of fish supplies, Walmart... is... well... Walmart, and Petland only has I think 8 small tanks and not well stocked. I havent ever purchased anything online and if I decide to purchase from online suppliers I would like to who are the most reputable, what to look out for and any fallbacks or benefits!

[Wild Turkey]

Just bringing this back to the top! I only have 3 options as far as suppliers of fish products go, Petco, Walmart, and I believe Petland. Petco is the most well stocked and has the largest section of fish supplies, Walmart... is... well... Walmart, and Petland only has I think 8 small tanks and not well stocked. I havent ever purchased anything online and if I decide to purchase from online suppliers I would like to who are the most reputable, what to look out for and any fallbacks or benefits!

Yuck, Wallmart and petco are places i wont buy live stock from, due to policies and the like.

Petsolutions.com is a good place to get supplies, live plants and stock though i have never ordered stock from them, just out of chance.
BigAlsonline.com excellent for equipment
drsfostersmith.com is another good one
Aquabid.com is a great auction site for live plants and stock
I get most of my live plants from private sellers, either on forums, aquabid, or e-bay.

[invadertoast]

I've bought plants on ebay (seller, AquaticMagic) and they have been great! Shipping was cheap or free.