# And the rookie was able to plant the 55g!



## LizG (Sep 25, 2016)

So my green thumb is black. I typically overwater. Hopefully overwatering will not be a problem here..... 

I even used some tabs in the gravel to help the plants along. If you knew how terrible I am at planting, you would be really proud of me.....

And here is the final product, minus the cycling and the fish - I gotta be patient.








https://vimeo.com/186523661


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## Gariana (Jul 22, 2015)

Very nice start  

I do have to point out - two plants you have in there are not fully aquatic. The one on the left (and the same one a bit right from the middle), with long narrow white edged leaves. These will eventually rot underwater.


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## LizG (Sep 25, 2016)

Interesting, because I got them from the fish tank display at Petco. Not that they are experts.... the plants came right out of the tanks. I will keep an eye out for rotting. 

Do you know the name of that plant?


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

They are the Dracaena plant, the typical house plant. They do love water, but only on their roots. You can happily take them out and stick them in the open areas of the back of the tank and let them grow with their leaves out of the water. But yes, they are not aquatic at all. Those plants you see in their display tank are replenished very quickly and so the plants are sold before they start to rot. Trust us, you definitely don't want one of those rotting in your tanks, it gets pretty nasty >.<

I believe they are this subspecies: dracaena sanderiana
Also "Lucky Bamboo" is the same species as you'll see if you do a quick google images search, those too are not aquatic but will do great if you leave the leaves above water!

But otherwise, that tank looks amazing! Love the setup, one of my favorite types of aquascaping by making a path in the middle! Looks beautiful :-D


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## LizG (Sep 25, 2016)

Oh! I trust you!  

Should I take it out of the tank? - seriously, leave it up to me and I will overwater the aquatic plants.....


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

No worries, we all make the same mistake! PetCo is so guilty of this it isn't even funny :-/ at least PetSmart will put in tiny print "semi-aquatic" instead of just nothing! Don't worry about it, it really wasn't your fault at all!

Yes, definitely take it out. And like I mentioned, you can keep the roots in but as long as the leaves are dry, it will be much much happier ^_^ Or you can simply plant it! It may have a bit of difficulty transitioning at first but just give it tim and it will perk back up for you :-D


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## CollegeBettas (Feb 23, 2016)

I keep a handful of ribbon plants in a planter in my tank. I made the planter out of a plastic cup. I just put small holes in the bottom, then two holes just big enough to put suction cups in the back. I just filled it up with aquarium dirt and the leaves stick out above lid.


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## LizG (Sep 25, 2016)

Ok! Removed non-aquatic plants, and replaced them with. South American sword. The non aquatic plants are now living in a jar with gravel and water next to my 5 gal tank. (Didn't have any dirt on hand)

The 55 gal started to cycle. Tested 1.0 ammonia, 0.25 nitrite, and 0 nitrate. So I added some Special blend, and tomorrow will add the microbe lift night out.


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## LizG (Sep 25, 2016)

Ammonia is still at 1.0, but nitrate and nitrite are 0. Added 25 mls of Microbe Lift Night Out.

Wondering if Ammonia has to be at 2.0 minimum for the cycle to really take off.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Are you fish-less cycling it? If so, you should have it around 4ppm to get it going properly and quickly. From there, it should be kept at 4ppm best you can, not over 5ppm though because it will stall your cycle.

Are you planning on stocking it immediately once it's finished? Do you have a stocking list in mind?


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## LizG (Sep 25, 2016)

Yes, I do have a stocking list, based on 3 fishes I'm going to be moving from a smaller aquarium, and new friends that can live with them peacefully. Thanks to the help of Aqadvice and to all of your help in this forum! 

So the plan is to move first just the 3 fishes (platy, lemon tetra, and an oto). Let them be there while I quarantine new additions slowly in a 10g.

The final list is:
- 3 platies 
- 6 lemon tetras
- 2 otos 
- 3 guppies
- 6 rummy nose
- 2 Siamese algae eaters
- 2 nerite snails
- 2 Amano shrimp
- 2 Pearl gourami


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

I actually have a few suggestions in terms of your stocking as well.

Here would be my list:

3 x Platy (All Male if possible)
3 x Pearl Gourami (1M:2F)
12 x Lemon Tetra
3 x SAE
1 x Nerite Snail
10+ x Amano shrimp 

Reasonings for my changes:
Platy and GUppy would end up cross breeding if you had females. If you have all males of both types, you would still end up with guppies with ruined tails due to the Gourami, Tetra, and Platy. Pearls aren't as nippy but they will bite at something that flashes in their face just like any other fish. Tetras are known nippers and would be bad with the Guppy. Better to stick to 3 male Platy or even just your single one for best outcome with your other fish.

Pearl Gouramis should be in a bigger group and with the ratio of 1 male for 2 females to prevent too much aggression if they feel they need to mate or anything. This isn't something you can stop and better to be prepared to spread the aggression so the male doesn't kill the female over stress.

Rummynose tetra are fantastic but I recommend keeping one larger group, even for a large-ish tank like yours. The Lemons will be much more confident and less nippy to your Gourami's long feelers. Either do one group or the other, not a smaller one of both. I know it's great to have both but trust me, your fish will be much happier in the end and so you will; you'll be together and have much more color all around ^_^

Otocinclus would not have enough to eat with both Platy and SAE around so either chose 6-8 Otocinclus or the 3 SAE. Otos do much better in larger groups as do all schooling fish. They don't always enjoy prepared foods do you will have to have enough algae to sustain them. They only eat soft algaes; green and brown (diatom). They will eat blanched veggies though. SAE should also be in odd numbers or you risk one being dominant against the other and killing it. Make sure it is an SAE and not a Chinese algae eater that are often sold as SAE: Chinese turn into carnivores! No good! They also get a tad bigger as well. If you keep both Otos and SAE there is a chance for the Otos to be outcompeted in food if you do not provide enough veggies, dried seaweed, or algae for both of them.

Nerites are vigorous cleaners as well. One will be more than sufficient for your tank! Especially with the other algae eaters you wish to keep. Make sure your water has enough calcium in it to keep their shells healthy as well. Adding some cuttlebone or some crushed coral will help increase your alkalinity and calcium/magnesium. Nerites are also known picky eaters, add this last after about six months when the tank has fully matured.

You can actually keep as many Amano shrimp as you like, well, almost lol. Keeping 10-20 in your tank is still well under "budget". Some may be eaten by the Gourami and SAE as the fish age but that's only natural. Shrimp is actually fantastic for the fishes fins and will create gorgeous finnage in time.

If you wanted to keep the Otocinclus over the SAE, I recommend switching it to 6-8 Otocinclus and 1 x Bristlenose Pleco. Another bottom dweller that doesn't get big, eats some algae but primarily he will munch on wood instead as well as blanched veggies which leaves more algae for your Otos in the end.


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## LizG (Sep 25, 2016)

Lilnaugrim - Wow. I really appreciate all you had to say! The stocking options are a bit more complicated than that. Technically, I need to make sure each of my 2 kids get the same amount of fish, each with their schooling group, and husband gets his pearls. I must have my cleaning crew - gotta have my representatives in the tank. 

So one kid would get the rummy nose, guppies, and the other would get the lemon Tetras, and the platies. I could decrease my cleaning crew, and increase the size of the schools. Suggestions?

Our platy and lemon tetra get along really well, and have been together for a couple of months. I was hoping they would all behave the same way... 


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

While that's fine and dandy, you still need to think about the safety and the natural behavior of the fish that you want to get. Having two schools is fine, better to just keep that at 6, do 3 SAE, 3 Pearls (still need 1M:2F). While I understand what you're doing and it's nice, it's also good to teach your kids about how fish react and just because it's pretty doesn't mean it will get along with the other fish, or that they will be okay with just 2.

3 x Pearls
3 x Platy
3 x SAE
6 x Lemons
6 x Rummies
1 x Nerite
_ x Amano

I still recommend that Guppies should have their own tank. They will be easily picked on and possibly injured by all of the fish. Pearls are much more peaceful than other gourami but they can still be territorial and since they share the same level in the tank (top) then it's best to get them their own small tank. You could easily get a small 5.5 and fit in 3 nice little males for your kid. I realize that's kind of a "special treatment" but fish can't be divided up and thrown together just because your kids want them. I personally just went through this with my mom and her boyfriend. We have a display tank in the living room and I was trying my damndest to stock it with fish that they would like. Well, turned out that the Rainbows were much too rambunctious for the rummies, then the Angel ate the Cardinals I introduced later after all the Rainbows were dead.

You also have to keep in my the water needed for each of these fish. Tetras, SAE, Oto, and Gourami are softwater fish. Platy, Guppy, and the Nerite all need hardwater to live happily. It's very difficult for a hardwater fish to adapt to softwater and vice versa.

In the end, I know you will do what your kids want which is admirable, but try to think of the fish as much as possible as well.


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## LizG (Sep 25, 2016)

Lilnaugrim - I seriously appreciate all the info you are providing! And I think it is important to keep the safety of the fish in mind, and teach that to the kids.

I'm very open to to suggestions on stocking options, since this is the perfect time to figure this out, while the tank is cycling.

Because we already have the 3 fish, I need to create something around them.

If the Pearls could be a potential problem, we can find another fish that will be to husband's liking, and that would also work with the rest of the community.




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## Kaykay (Oct 12, 2016)

That is a nice tank you got there


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Pearls are the least of the problem lol. As long as you have a trio, it's fine. The Platy's are more of the issue honestly. They can inbreed with the guppies and create sterile, deformed platy-guppy mixes if you have females. But Platy's are known to be very food aggressive and nippy to other fish. They are more likely going to pick on the Guppy's and the Pearls.

It would be best to keep your Platy in a separate tank if possible and nix both Guppy and Platy if possible. Pearls, Lemons, Rummies, and all your bottom feeds would be fantastic in your tank. I would also still recommend choosing either Otos or SAE, not to have both. Or if you do, you can do a group of 6 Oto and 1 SAE instead. Also keep in mind that SAE also get up to 6 inches in size as well. The next largest fish you'll have is the Pearl's at 4 inch each which is perfect for the 55. But you won't be able to create enough algae for all the algae feeders you have and so you can supplement with veggies each week but it still may not be enough is all. Nerites are the pickiest of your algae eaters followed by the Oto and then the SAE. The last two will sometimes take prepared foods as well but it's not typical for a Nerite to do so. Shrimp will eat anything and everything lol.


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## LizG (Sep 25, 2016)

This does create a problem, because I already have a platy. 

Also, I can't really say if the tetra and platy are boy or girl.  

Here is Sunset:









And here is Shimmer:










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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Tetra doesn't matter on sex. Platy is a female which means, if you get more females or males, your tank is going to explode with Platies. Females come potentially already hit-up from the store even if they separate the sexes, livebearers can hold sperm for many months and they can start to breed as early as a month old so there is never a guaranteed not-hit up female unless they were all separated at birth lol. Of course, no one does that.

What tank are they in right now? Can you just keep the Platy by herself? She really doesn't need friends or anything and would be better not having babies as it can physically hurt the mothers as well occasionally. She could easily chill out in a little 2 gallon or something with a good, big filter since Platy's are horrible poopers and need lots of filtration.


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## LizG (Sep 25, 2016)

They are in a 5 g, but the plan was to transfer them to the 55, so my daughter could have a Betta in the 5g.

We got Sunset about 2 months ago, as a ~3 month old platy. So basically, she could already be "expecting", based on what you are saying. We had a molly that came pregnant, had the fry while we were not there, and arrived to find her dead, and a crashed tank due to the other fish eating the 30 babies or so, in the 5g.

Now I'm concerned!

We already have 4 tanks, and a quarantine. Not sure we can handle 5 permanent tanks!


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## CollegeBettas (Feb 23, 2016)

I got my first fish this way. My dad got my brother and I a 20-gallon tank kit and set it up. He would let us pick out our own fish, but would tell us if we couldn't get a particular fish. Of course, I was always mad I couldn't get Angelfish, but I did learn from it. Because of it, I already knew some things about proper fishkeeping before starting on my own. We usually had zebra danios, a pleco, mollies, and tiger barbs. We also had a gourami at one point. I am sure we had more than that over the few years we had the tank.


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