Questions about a 55 gallon freshwater?

Question

Hi, I have a 55gallon tank I'm trying to set up. How much gravel does it take for one without an undergravel filter? (It's got the one that hangs on the back)
Is there any kinds of gravel I need to avoid?
What do I need to make sure I DON'T use in it in order to keep the ph down?
What natural ways are there to lower the ph? (Still having a very high ph problem)
What chemicals are a waste of money, for equalizing it out and new setup?
Thanks in advanced for your help.

Answer 1

Most chemicals are a waste of money. Driftwood will naturally lower your ph. Check on ebay, they have some great pieces and compared to the LFS (live fish store), even with shipping, it's cheaper.

Good chemicals to buy are a water conditioner. I use stress coat (just a regular water conditioner), but anything which removes chlorine, chloramine and heavy metals would be find. If you go to http://www.bigalsonline.com, they have many types. This one is one I have recommended to friends as well, and they have had luck with it:
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18580/si1380618/cl0/fincareaquaplus16oz473ml
If you are just starting your tank out, you may want to try something
This product may help to keep ammonia and nitrite levels down: http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18574/si1380934/cl0/aquariumpharmaceuticalsstresszyme8oz Although, it may not work. It is biological though, so if it doesn't work, you won't be messing with a bunch of nasty chemicals that will do all sorts of things to your water. I had a friend use it when he started a tank, and it helped speed his cycle along.

I would not recommend using any chemicals to lower your pH. These types of things are not really for a beginning aquarist, and any time you add chemicals to your tank for whatever reason, it can be problematic later down the line. The above two products I mentioned should really be the only chemicals you need. Another reason not to use pH lowering chemicals: for most fish, (ie most hardy fish) pH doesn't matter too much unless it fluctuates a ton. If you are adding chemicals, it will make it fluctuate, and this will actually be worse for your fish.

Don't buy chemicals that claim to clear the water. If your water is cloudy, you need to do a water change (30-50%), not add a chemical.

As far as gravel goes, the depth of it is really a personal preference. I have about 30 pounds in my 55 gallon, and it's probably 1-2 inches deep. I don't really like to keep it too deep, it's just more area for things to go into and rot. If you are regularly doing gravel vacs as well, lower gravel levels make it a bit easier.

If you're planning on getting cories or loaches, look for a larger gravel or one with rounded edges. This can be a bit difficult however. I have my cories with regular gravel, and although I woy a bit about them, they're fine. I will be switching to sand this summer however. I think sand is a bit more difficult for a beginner though, so you may want to avoid that for now.

Another thing with gravel: It's not something you'rer going to want to change, so make sure what you get is something you can live with. I had blue gravel in my first tank, and by the end of the first month, I HATED it. I prefer more natural looking things now. It doesn't make the tank quite as gaudy.

Good luck!.

Answer 2

Glad you aren't using an undergravel filter. You'll be much happier with a hang off the back one I'm sure.
Anyway, you can get any type of gravel you want, really. I'd go for a natural colour but you can go with neon pink if that's your thing. If you want sand, that's fine too, just ask what it's made out of. If it's silica sand then it's fine, but if it's crushed coral then that will increase your pH. If you want to test it, put a pinch of sand in a cup of vinegar - if it bubbles, it means it will alter your pH. If you do go for sand, pick up some wooden chopsticks, because you'll need to give it a stir on a weekly basis so that gas doesn't accumulate under plaques that can harden within the sand.
You'll want maybe 50-75 lbs of gravel.
Most decor should be fine for your pH - just avoid certain types of rock like texas holey rock and dead coral. As a general rule, anything white will probably alter your pH. Test with vinegar if you need to.
There are not really any effective methods of reducing pH. You can put lots of driftwood in your tank - the tannins that are released lower the pH. You can also get a second power filter and fill a nylon sock with boiled peat moss and put it in the filter instead of regular filter media - this will also decrease the pH. However, both of these methods may give the water a brownish tint, and are not particularly stable.
You can also use CO2. If you want plants, this is an added benefit. DIY CO2 reactors won't be sufficient, but if you get a realy CO2 pressurized system (like a canister) it will decrease the pH a little bit. It'll cost you about 100-200$ to set up but will be more than worth it if you want plants.
However, do know that most fish are fine even with a high pH. The exception would be very delicate fish like discus. But most fish, even fish from naturally low pH regions, are highly adaptable and will not have a problem with a higher pH. Anything up to 10 or 11 should be perfectly fine.
As for chemicals, all you need is water conditioner. No other chemicals should be necessary. The only other product I would recommend is Bio-Spira. This will kick-start your cycling process by directly adding the live beneficial bacteria to your fish tank. You don't need it, but it can help if you want to cycle your tank in less than the 2-4 weeks it would normally take.

Answer 3

The normal measuring equation for the amount to use in a fishtank is 2.5lbs x Gallon of tank=lbs of gravel to get. Also, you should think about the types of fish you will keep in you tank, as well as if you are going to have live plants in the tank. Botias and Loaches prefer a smaller substrate so they can dig into the gravel and search for food. Whereas plecos and larger bottom feeders don't mind it either way. And I learned this after the fact, but if you are planning on having a planted tank a smaller substrate, with some plant substrate will help the roots spread & grow more easily.

I purchased a ph regulator from Seachem to help neutralize the water to a 7ph. It was a powder substance that I dissolved in a glass before adding it to my 20 gallon tank and I used the proper dosage once a day for almost 3 weeks and I saw a great difference in my fish. They were more active, more hungry and their skin coloration was alot better.
I think this product would help you with your ph problem. It helped me adjust the inhabitants of my 20 gallon tank which had a ph of less than 5 to be able to survive the change of moving into the 55 gallon with a ph of 7.
Check out the product online, below, but you can find it at most LPS.
Good Luck!
Also changing the water with a siphon to get all the waste materials out from the substrate.

Answer 4

You'll want enough gravel to cover the base of plants and decorations you use, typically about 1 to 2 inches.

Finer gravel is better then coarser because less waste and food will sink in and rot.

Do not use any chemicals to fight the PH, it will only become unstable, which is much worse then too high. Driftwood and peat can help bring it down, but the higher it is in the first place, the less effect it will have. The best way to bring it down is to use distilled or R/O water mixed with your tap water to achieve the desired results.

The only additive your fish need is water conditioner. Everything else is a cash cow for the fish shops. All the stress stuff, ph stuff, clear water stuff, etc... it's all not worth it - all the fish really need is clean water, a big enough tank, and suitable tankmates. Salt has become a staple in peoples aquariums it seems, but most don't even know why they are using it any more. You don't need this either.

keep it simple. Less can go wrong.

Answer 5

Since your not using an under gravel filter the amount of gravel you use is up to you. Usually 2 inches is a good depth for anchoring plant and other decorations.

If this is a freshwater tank you should be OK with most gravel that you find in the pet store. just make sure it doesn't say for salt water on the bag.

Sorry never had a pH problem so i cant help there.

Other that a fast aging water conditioner (to remove chlorine) I only use a little salt (aquarium salt not table salt) lol, to help keep the mineral levels in my fish normal. The salt along with the proper water temp and regular cleaning will stop most common fish diseases before they become a problem.

Good Luck
Eric.

Answer 6

You should get an undergravel filter & use with the filter you have.
It will take about 40# of stone... Start slow after about 3-4 days of running without fish then add 2 of 3 fish. The only thing I really worried about was choline in the water ph was never a factor for me. Good Luck... They are alot of fun & very peaceful... Enjoy...

Answer 7

Golden Gourami are attractive, affordable, and get along well with other community fish. They also come in Powder Blue if you want them to contrast with your Tiger Barbs. Angels are another good selection. If you have wood in your tank for your Pleco, then your water should be soft enough for angels.You could also go to the local pet store and see what community fish peak your interest. I would avoid Oscars and Cichlids, both are aggressive and Oscars get big enough to eat tank mates. Why are there so many down votes on everyone's answers?