fish tank help??? please!?

Question

what brand kit do you recommend i get that will test everything i need to test for a 55 gallon tank? what supplies do i need to make the water safe for the guppies (i havent bought them yet/buying females). like the stress coat, de-chlorinator, im not sure? when i have the water and gravel, filter, lights, heater up and running, when can i put live plants in? what plants are recommened that are easy to care for and are beautiful? any other info will be greatly appreciated!!

Answer 1

http://www.aquariumpharm.com/en_us/productCategory.asp?categoryname=TestKits
Freshwater Master is a great value.

Answer 2

Somebody said go with fake plants... DON'T. Real plants are much more fun and natural. The fish will appreciate it more too. If you can get a hold of some Taiwan or Christmas Moss, that is a great starter plant, it will attach itself to the gravel and even the side of your tank and grow. It is nearly impossible to kill also. Why are you getting a 55 gallon tank with Guppies unless you are using them to cycle the tank? Get real fish with a 55 gallon tank! If you have experience with fish, try keeping some smaller African Cichlids like the Ellectric Yellow or the Powder Blue Cichlid. You can heavily stock these fish because it will evenly distribute their aggression. If you are an aquarium novice, try some Dwarf Gouramis and Yo-Yo Loaches (different than Clown Loaches, Clown Loaches get REALLY big). If you really wanted the Guppies, you could keep them with the Gouramis and Loaches, not the Cichlids though. Do not get any kind of algae eating fish (like Plecostomus or Chinese Algae Eaters), they are very messy, very ugly, very lazy, and very large.If you have any specific questions, email me at "[e-mail]" and I will get back to you ASAP.

Nosoop4u

Answer 3

Pet Smart or Petco has everything you need. You have to treat the tap water to remove ammonia, metals, chlorine and other stuff. After treating, wait about 30 min. then fish can go in. Male guppies are more colorful. Artificial plants are better then live - tank stays cleaner.

Answer 4

aquarium pharmaceuticals master freshwater test kit contains all you need for testing equipment. prime is considered the best de-chlorinator, but i actually use tetra's aquasafe. you can put in live plants as soon as you have the temp right and de-chlorinators in. make sure you have aquarium fertilizer and CO2 injector if needed. plants are OK to put through the cycle (make sure you research the nitrogen cycle and how to properly cycle a tank). java moss and java fern are more popular plants, but it's all up to you. research some plants that are attractive to you and you'll find how to take care of them.

Answer 5

you can start plants right away -- no need to wait. they help reduce nitrates so it makes your tank cycling easier. they will need fish to provide some poop though -- and i recommend a iron fertilizer (api's leaf zone or tetra's flora pride) it will keep your water hardness and ph fairly level -- more extreme fertilizers can mess your water up.
i like low-tech stuff that grows in standard lighting (just get fluorescents for maximizing plant growth -- you don't need any additional) and doesn't need co2 -- there are lots to choose from --

the bulbs are great - -just drop em in -- apongetons, dwarf lilies, and crinum onions are all great and easy to grow.

there are lots of plants that don't like being planted -- they will root to rocks and driftwood. java fern, java moss, anubias, and bolbitis all work great.

the cryptocorynes are like really decorative mini-swords -- they might be a bit small for 55 gallons. most swords would work fine though. be forewarned "brazilian sword" is actually a bog plant and common houseplant -- the peace lily -- it doesn't really grow that great underwater.

i like water sprite -- guppy fry will like water sprite too -- you just can't keep it with snails. it doesn't like having its roots burried -- it doesn't root well at all -- i like to float it (my bettas love hanging out in floating water sprite) or weight it down and leave it behind a clump of stuff planted on driftwood so you don't see the roots.

the last plants i would recommend are hygrophelias -- they grow really fast and you have to trim them every couple of weeks but they are very dramatic and make great additions to your aquarium without a lot of demand --

hygrophelia difformis is sold as "wisteria" and kind of resembles water sprite.

hygrophelia corymbosa comes in a lot of different varieties -- one is the temple plant (but not the red temple -- that is different and a lot harder to grow)
my favorite is giant hygro -- it looks kind of like bamboo and in large clumps is very dramatic looking. the leaves are long and narrow and come off a center stalk.

there are lots more to choose from -
oh -- here are some pics --

http://www.aquahobby.com/e_aquarium_plants.php

Answer 6

These sites should give you all the info you need

http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=326

http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=56

http://www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?cur_lang=2&what=article&id=35

http://www.aquariumfish.net/catalog_pages/livebearer_guppies/guppies_page_4.htm

Good luck

Answer 7

ask your local pet store