PokeSephiroth's 55 Gallon Community Tank

[PokeSephiroth]

-=Update 7/31/2014=-
Here's the most current video of my 55 Gallon Community Tank!


sooo... I guess I never made a post about my 55 gallon tank...which is funny, because it was the first tank I ever started with ever since I moved to Bremerton, and it was the first tank I had when I joined WaFishBox... odd... I guess I just had such a hard time getting decent video footage of the tank because of its size. Filming smaller tanks is SO much easier!

At any rate, here's a quick clip of the 55 gallon community tank, slightly after a feeding. The Black Neon Tetras definitely like to swim together, but not in a tight school. Just overall around the tank (which is a good thing, right? lol)

[Guest]

very nice! Lots of little fish swarming around.

[PokeSephiroth]

theChad, thanks! Yes lots and lots of little fishies!! I love how they just swim around like they own the tank. lol... But from time to time, they will school together especially AFTER feeding time, like in the video

[Guest]

Truly inspirational. Im about done planting a new 9.5 gallon. Its just clearing up and all the plants have dust on them. I ventured into the shrimp hobby with this tank, and just picked up 10 dwarf Cory cats.
After LJ adopts my Ctenopoma I plan on getting a large school of Cardinal Tetra for my 140. Think it would be real nice to have about 100 of these schooling the top levels of the tank

[PokeSephiroth]

theChad, if you want real schooling action, I would advise you to get some Rummynose Tetras, those little things school is REALLY tight groups!

And for smaller tanks, if you plan on wanting more fish that travel in tight groups, I would recommend Exclamation Point Rasboras

Both of which, Cory has at his store. Wheeeew!!

Cardinals are nice, but after a while, then end up just laying low near the substrate level and just kinda chill... not necessarily travelling together hehehe. Still neat to have, to add a splash of color though!

[Guest]

theChad, if you want real schooling action, I would advise you to get some Rummynose Tetras, those little things school is REALLY tight groups!

And for smaller tanks, if you plan on wanting more fish that travel in tight groups, I would recommend Exclamation Point Rasboras

Both of which, Cory has at his store. Wheeeew!!

Cardinals are nice, but after a while, then end up just laying low near the substrate level and just kinda chill... not necessarily travelling together hehehe. Still neat to have, to add a splash of color though!

A tight schooling fish would be preferred. The common type rummynose are from S American so this is doable! I once had a school of a less popular and rarer Asain type rummynose. It was a fav for the longest time. I do not want a fish that's going to just lie there. Need a school that will stay at the top. So, rummy would be a better choice! Thank you

[PokeSephiroth]

theChad, hmmm... my rummynose tends to stay towards the bottom of the tank. If you want fish that stay towards the top..... well, I'm not sure. LOL. Maybe hatchet fish?

Those Exclamation Point Rasboras though...boy, they are tiny, like half the size of neon tetras, but they swim in like...a swarm. Kinda reminds me of a swarm of bees swimming underwater or something. LOL I think Cory is selling those for $2 each.

And $2.50-$4 for the rummynose.

[binbin9]

sweet tank, so relaxing.

[PokeSephiroth]

binbin9, thanks! I'm sure that awesome dutch tank of yours is going to look awesome!

[PokeSephiroth]

We ended up getting a new "stand" for our 55 gallon tank. This one is so much higher (43") than the older stand (25") and it really makes a difference! No longer have to bend down to see the fish, as the tank is now at eye level (well, for me it is) You can see the older stand towards the right side of the picture.

Yay Christmas!

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[KaraWolf]

You'll have to tell us what's the difference in trying to clean it. Debating myself on how tall the stand to my 125 is going to be...and I'm wondering if needing a stepladder would be worth it! looks fantastic!

[PokeSephiroth]

Working at Aquarium Co-Op, we already use stepladders to clean any tanks that are up high, so I'm kinda used to it already. If you're using a siphon to take water out, it will definitely go a lot faster because the height difference is greater when the tank is higher. That also means that filling it back up with water will take a bit longer since it has to fight gravity. If you're using a python or something similar to a python, it makes life sooooo much easier!

[KaraWolf]

Hubby said it should be his eye height and he's nearly 6ft I don't think so!! I have one of those sink attachments but I don't think it works very well. One direction takes forever to do if I use the faucet. but i can't remember if it's in or out....though I know most of the time I'd rather just run the hose into the yard to drain it if I'm not gravel vac-ing. So you already know!!! lol are extra tall tanks noticeably harder to clean then ones that are armpit tall or shorter?

[PokeSephiroth]

Taller ones are indeed more difficult to clean especially when you have to scrape the glass with a razor, but other than that, nothing too bad..

[fishNAbowl]

Very nice looking stand. Looks great!

[LuminousAphid]

Yeah that looks awesome, and I like that there is extra room, you should get some nice planters to go along each side to compliment the plants inside, it could make a nice show tank!

[PokeSephiroth]

Thanks fishNAbox and LuminousAphid! That plant idea sounds great! I was trying to figure out what I could do to fill in the spaces, and that idea sounds awesome!

[PokeSephiroth]

I'm thinking of re-scaping my 55 gallon tank... maybe I'll do it tonight. We will see... I just... I don't... know if I really like where it's at now. :\

Looks too jungly. Even if I were to trim some of the plants back, it just looks like a chaotic mess. Maybe I'll just group some of the plants more. We'll see.

Before:
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[cichlid-gal]

Lots of really beautiful and healthy plants in that tank so there is a lot you could do Angelo. I'm sure whatevver you end up doing will be beautiful. Can't wait to see it!

[PokeSephiroth]

Thanks, Donna! I took some progress pictures while doing the rescape. I... I'm fairly happy with it. I did take out some plants/decor all together, and by the time I finished, and really took some time to *look at all of it* . . . . it kinda still looks like a jungle, too many plants maybe? I don't know... I might end up just taking some more plants out (anubias, mainly) to see if that makes it more visually appealing. There's definitely more swimming room for the fish, that's for sure!

I ended up taking out a couple rocks here and there, the two large java fern plants, which I put in my axolotl tank, the small dwarf red lily plant. I figured that since I already have the tiger lily in there, the dwarf lily wouldn't stand a chance against it. And the bacopa caroliniana, which I transfered over to my 36 gallon tank.

I'd like to say that I'm about 89% happier with this new scape. I'm sure if I take out a couple more plants and let the other plants fill in, then I will be even happier with it!

After:
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I can't wait for the water to clear up, so I can take a better picture of the tank!

[Anthraxx]

i REALLY like it, looks loads better. much more defined swimming area for the fish it seems like.

[PokeSephiroth]

Thank you, Anthrax!

I also forgot to mention in the previous post, that I also took off the HOB filters (Marineland Penguin 350) it used to have two, then I took one off, and left the other one on for several months, and now I've gone and taken the last one off... I like it better now. It seems quieter without the HOB.

Now the 55 gallon tank just has two cascade 1000 canister filters, which seem to be doing a really good job so far. I just hope that by taking off the HOB, that I don't run into a mini cycle. I probably will, so I'll just have to keep an eye out for any ammonia/nitrite spikes, and do water changes accordingly.

[fishNAbowl]

Nice Poke! Once the dust settles I think this will be a winner   

[PokeSephiroth]

Thanks fishNAbowl!
I can't wait for the water to clear up. I think I'm going to do a water change tomorrow when I get home from work. Just to be sure that I didn't release any nasties while I was moving stuff around. I already did a partial water change tonight, and the fish seem to be doing fine.

[PokeSephiroth]

EEEEEEE!!!! Water is clearing up!!
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[fishNAbowl]

 - Awesome!

[cichlid-gal]

I really like the rescape Angelo. When I pulled all my plants from 33G to do the upgrade to the 75G, I had all that cloudiness too. I did what you did, a partial water change (about 50%) and then a couple of days later, I did another one. I left my filters for normal maintenance but boy were they filthy when I did them. They had sucked up all that gunk from the water column. I didn't lose any fish though and I had babies in the tank.

Oh, and I love love love your huge school of neons...wowza.

[hose91]

Angelo, rescape looks really good! Your plants are super lush, but I like being able to see the hardscape elements again, and you've done a great job of unhiding the rocks and driftwood! I have two plant ID questions. What is the grass in the center foreground and behind that, what is the tall light green "Dr. Suess" looking plant just to the right of the filter output? I have that in one of mine, and don't remember what it is. I also have some blyxa japonica, but I don't know if I have enough light to green it up on a low tech tank. Does this one have a full CO2 system?

Also love the huge school of neons! Great work, I'm sure you feel much better whenever you walk by that tank!

[PokeSephiroth]

Thank you, Donna! Your 33gal inspired and motivated me to rescape my 55 actually! :-) your plants are always healthy and I'm always inspired to try something new in my tanks whenever I are yours! :-)


hose91, thanks! The foreground plant is dwarf chain sword, it's growing pretty slow for me for some reason, although, I will add that when I first got it, it was, literally just a small little plant no taller than an inch. Lol!!! I'm glad it's starting to grow and spread via runners! I hope it spreads throughout the entire foreground. The other plant you're asking about is Asian ambulia (limnophila sessiliflora).

There's currently no co2 at the moment. I'm using those small co2 kits that use the disposable co2 cartridges, and I need to buy another cartridge. I'm currently saving up for a real co2 system so that I can dabble into a higher tech planted tank, but that won't be anytime soon :-)

The only fert I have been dosing, is potassium, because lately I've noticed some pinholes in the older leaves.

[DMD123]

That looks really good! I went back and watched the older video and looked at the pictures and it seemed everything had just grow together and there was no clear definition of the plants. Now it really 'pops' because it just has the right aesthetic look about it. Good job!

[Anthraxx]

poke ive done the dwarf chain swords before, if you simply cut a cpl off and then place them in areas where youd like a little more plant action. before long they will start spreading all over again.

[PokeSephiroth]

Anthraxx, thanks for the tip! I might end up just cutting a couple from my 10 gallon tank and transfer them into the 55 :-D I'm excited!!

Thank you. DMD123! I'm really happy that I can see all the rocks and driftwood again! The older scape really took off and the plants just took over. It was too much. It was fun seeing the fish swim between the leaves and all, but I also like seeing them swimming in open space. :-D

I can't wait to get home and do another water change!! I'm currently waiting for the ferry.

[PokeSephiroth]

An official video is up!

[ShortyKiloGyrl]

Angelo, this video is awesome!!! I LOVE how you put the name of the plants next to them on the video. Such a great idea!! You have so many fish in there and it's so crystal clear! Your tanks are awesome. Keep up the good work with video's and your tanks.

[DMD123]

Very nice video. I agree with Shorty about the labeling of the plants in the video. Very good idea!    Now you just need to do that for all the fish....      

[PokeSephiroth]

Angelo, this video is awesome!!! I LOVE how you put the name of the plants next to them on the video. Such a great idea!! You have so many fish in there and it's so crystal clear! Your tanks are awesome. Keep up the good work with video's and your tanks.

Thank you, ShortyKiloGyrl!! I think I'll do the plant identification thing whenever I do a full tank video, after a rescape... or something to the lines of that. Thank you for the kind words! I always feel motivated to make new videos because of all of you! I hope my videos can also inspire and motivate other people, the same way you all inspire and motivate me!

Very nice video. I agree with Shorty about the labeling of the plants in the video. Very good idea!     Now you just need to do that for all the fish....       

Thanks DMD123! You know, I actually did think of doing that. Can you imagine, all the text going around, FOLLOWING each fish?! LOL... I'd probably be able to do that with Sony Vegas Pro (way expensive... so that's out of the question)... I'm still looking for a decent video editor, I've used Windows Movie Maker in the past, and I think I've used that to its maximum capacity, and I was limited with their "features".

Camtasia is a decent one, with a good number of features, it's what I've used in my more recent videos, however, my license for it has already expired, and trying to find an Arrr Matey copy that actually WORKS is a pain. Let's not go there. =P
So as of now, I'm just drifting from one free video editor to another until I find one that takes my fancy. So, you'll just have to wait for that day to come, before you start seeing me tagging each neon tetra. HEE HEE!!   

[DMD123]

So as of now, I'm just drifting from one free video editor to another until I find one that takes my fancy. So, you'll just have to wait for that day to come, before you start seeing me tagging each neon tetra. HEE HEE!!   

And then you always get those crazies that will point out you made a mistake with that one Cardinal that you tagged as a Neon....   

[cichlid-gal]

Angelo...your tank looks gorgeous. I love your video too (does it repeat?) Great work!

[PokeSephiroth]

So as of now, I'm just drifting from one free video editor to another until I find one that takes my fancy. So, you'll just have to wait for that day to come, before you start seeing me tagging each neon tetra. HEE HEE!!   

And then you always get those crazies that will point out you made a mistake with that one Cardinal that you tagged as a Neon....    

That WOULD happen, wouldn't it?!?!?     

Angelo...your tank looks gorgeous.  I love your video too (does it repeat?)  Great work!

Thank you cichlid-gal! The video footage of the tank, is one continuous video (except the intro, I used the same footage, but slowed it down by 50% and blurred it, I find that I like doing that in my intros for my videos [and some of the videos I've done for the Aquarium Co-Op youtube channel]). The connotations/captions, however... do loop around throughout the video (I think it just repeats 2 cycles)... It was like 3am when I finished editing the video LOL...   

[dwarfpike]

I have to agree, I like seeing the hardscape as well, it makes for a better contrast which just makes the plants look better. Also a neat idea to ID the plants in the video like you did, saved me having to ask about the amazing looking Barclaya.

[PokeSephiroth]

I have to agree, I like seeing the hardscape as well, it makes for a better contrast which just makes the plants look better. Also a neat idea to ID the plants in the video like you did, saved me having to ask about the amazing looking Barclaya.

Thanks dwarfpike! I remember wanting to ask someone what plant was in their video, but it was always difficult trying to explain which plant I was trying to ask about. "What's the plant that's on the far left, but not totally left, kinda in the background, to midground area?"

LOL... could you imagine? =D

[dwarfpike]

Don't have to imagine, I've done it before.   

[ShortyKiloGyrl]

Don't have to imagine, I've done it before.   

yeup me too! That's why I liked your descriptions above it. If only other people took the time to do this!

[Nick_87]

Amazing tank and video!!!

[PokeSephiroth]

I think we've all done it before (trying to ask about a certain plant, etc...) But thanks for the compliments, everyone! I'm glad that labeling the plants was a big hit!

[PokeSephiroth]

Here are a couple pictures with more of the chain sword that I harvested from my 10 gallon shrimp tank. It definitely does look fuller I can't wait to see it spread! Thanks again for the tip, Anthraxx!!   

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[ShortyKiloGyrl]

So many cardinals and tetras!!!!

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