# My 55 Gallon SA Tank...



## curt_914 (Oct 24, 2007)

Ok guys I just tried to post this but something happened lets try this again. Here is a list of what I am doing in my 55 Pics to follow as soon as I can.

Tank- 55 gallon AGA
Lighting- DIY T-5 with 2 54w Geissman 6000k middays 1-54watt current 10000k bulb over driven to 80Watts
Substraight- 40lbs Eco complete, 20lbs Taheation moon sand, 15.7 each Florite Black, and Black Sand
Heating- Hydor 300 watt inline
Filtration- eheim 2217, Pentiar aquatics Customflo kit
Co2- 10lbs tank, jbj regulator/buble counter and selinoide, DIY inline Reactor
Driftwood- Manzanitta
Rock- River and Slate
Caves- Coconut

Flora to include;
Echinodorus Parviflorus tropica
Echinodorus Quadricostatus 
Eleocharis Acicularis Giant and dwarf
Vallisneria Gigantica
Hydrocotyle leucocephala/ Brazilian Pennywort
Heteranthera Zosterifolia (Stargrass)

Fauna to include;
15-Apistograma Cacatoides Double and tripple reds
1 pair- L144a Ancistrus temminckii
12- Rummy Nose Tetras, Hemigrammus rhodostomus
12- Glowlight Tetras, Hemigrammus erythrozonus
12- Neon or cardinal Tetras or Black neon tetras
12- Masked Corys
6- Otocinclus Affinis

Let me know what you think of this set up. It will all be coming togeather in the next month with build pics to folow.

Curt


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## Cook.MN (Mar 11, 2008)

Way too many Apisto's IMO, I had 2 pair in my 55 Gallon and my 1 Cacatoides male dominated the other and pushed him into a little corner of the tank.


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## curt_914 (Oct 24, 2007)

I have so many juvies to get some good pairs formed. They will be thined out to a small harem in the next 6 months or so.

Curt


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## curt_914 (Oct 24, 2007)

Hey Guys here are some Pics.... Sorry for the wait.










































Currently I am fighting green water. My apistos havent been moved in yet but will be doing so in a couple weeks. Currently there are, 11- Amanda Tetras, 6-Corydars Axelrodi, 2-L144a bristlenose plecos. Sugestions welcome,

Curt


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## renegade545 (Jul 4, 2008)

I agree that is way more than enough Apistos. You really only need around six to eight individuals to get a good pair.


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## morefish4me (Mar 22, 2008)

that's an awful lot of tetra schools...I much perfer the look of one very large school. I have a mix of cardinals and lemon tetras (75 gallon). When they're seperate it's cool, but it doesn't look as cool when they're all jumbled together. I'd pick one kind of tetra and get 30 of them. Just my two cents.

Tank looks good so far...


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## blairo1 (May 7, 2006)

I agree - a large single species school is much more impressive and easier on the eye - if you want diversity throw in a few small numbers - ie 4 Red eye tetra/black phantoms etc as this adds a nice twist without being distracting.

I think your tank looks fantastic though!

:thumb:


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## DeadFishFloating (Oct 9, 2007)

I disagree *blairo1* and *morefish4me*, to an extent.

I've always had multiple schools in my tanks. But I've always researched my choices, and picked combinations that inhabit slightly different areas of the water cloumn and are definate schooling tetras.

I had large schools of Lemon tetras, blackline penguin tetras and golden pencilfish in my 6 footer. Each species schooled with it's own species and occupied different areas. The Lemon tetras prefered swimming in and out of the planted areas and pretty much stuck to the mid level. The penguin tetras prefered staying in the open water, streaming back and forth the length of the tank, and they liked the mid to top level of the water column. The pencil fish stayed close to driftwood in the tank, in the lower levels of the tank, or would swim in amongst the penguin tetras.

What appeals to one person may not look so good to another. I like seeing two or three shools of tetra in larger sized tanks, but think it's better going with one school in a smaller tank.

Again, I believe research is important here. Pick schools that inhabit different areas.


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## blairo1 (May 7, 2006)

> What appeals to one person may not look so good to another. I like seeing two or three shools of tetra in larger sized tanks, but think it's better going with one school in a smaller tank.
> 
> Again, I believe research is important here. Pick schools that inhabit different areas.


 :thumb:

We agree more than you may think Peter. It's different when talking about going biotopic, as that is more about representing the environment and its biodiversity, rather than creating something purely to be aesthetically pleasing.


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## kingpoiuy (Jun 9, 2008)

I have a large school of neon tetras and I enjoy the large schools sofar. But they poop alot! :x


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## curt_914 (Oct 24, 2007)

Hey Guys thanks for the posts. I am doing a school of Ember Tetras about 11, And will be doing a school of 12 cardnal tetras. Also I am puting in 12 oto cats next weeks to help with the hair algae. Tanks almost fully stocked, an I will be moving my cacatoides next week as well. will post more pics next week.

Curt


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## curt_914 (Oct 24, 2007)

Ok guys a little overdue update. The tank is being torn down and re scaped for discus at the hight of its planted wonder it looked like this;










Will post pics of my rebuild next week.

Curt


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## FishFanatic245 (Oct 17, 2012)

that looks absolutely amazing. to bad you will be ripping her down, what a shame that will be. what are your plans for the discus?


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

Wow, epic thread bump 
Good luck with the new setup and congratulations on your previous setup success!


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## curt_914 (Oct 24, 2007)

Thanks guys I took that about 1.5 years ago. It went down from there, I lost my sowrds traded some plants and put some discus in well needless to say I got stressed at work and was loseing my discus so got very discouraged. The tank is not in our main living area so I would forget about it for weeks at a time. As of this past july I lost my last discus, and have been in revamp stages. My valls over took the tank and chocked out most everything else. So I am going to tear down and start over. my plans for discus are as folows. I will have 6-8 2.5" fish I will grow out in one of my 20's to get on top of and in routiene for daily Wc's. Tank is going to have most of the substraight removed. Plants will include Crypt spcs, and moss's, with some Hygro Polysperma. Other then that an keeping the temp around 83, not much will change. I will have my Eheim 2217, and a mag drive 5 pulling a DIY UGF and running a CO2 reactor. Will get pics up later of my progress.

Curt


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