# Ultimate 30 or 55 Gallon setup



## citadel (Nov 9, 2009)

what would you recommend?

Budget is pretty high so cost is not a huge concern.

Would like some schooling fish as well.

What would you recommend?


I love the acquascape look


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## TAB (Feb 7, 2009)

with no budget... hmmmm....

Lighting maristar ( 2 t5s 2 250 HQI)$ 550
fliter ehiem pro 3e $300
chiller aqualogic or prime( same company) ~$750
CO2, GLA kit+ pin point PH controler, and custom defuser(I'll discount my labor) $700

Lilly pipes ~ $200

What was your budget again?


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## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

Tank: low iron/starphire rimless
Lights: LED if you can find some that look good, if not opt for a bank of T8's or T5NO with programmed start ballasts
Filter: 2x Eheim Pro III Thermo for a 55 gal, run loc line in and have the bottom drilled
CO2: Inline diffuser from Cal-Aqua or anywhere else that sells nice ones, throw an ADA ruby check valve on just for the status. There are some nice combined electronic solenoid/needle valves that have very precise control. Grab the regs from any high quality brand.
Substrate: ADA AS I
Dosing: Find a couple of peristaltic pumps and plumb them inline
Water Change: semi-auto; full automation is prone to some bumps unless you pay someone who's good with it. plumb it into the filter outtake tubes. Hook up a good RO system if you want to be able to drive the pH down even farther at will.

With this setup you won't have to look at any hardware in the tank, and the aquarium will take care of its self through most of the week if you strap a good quality auto-feeder to it along side light timers. Your job will consist of weekly pruning and pressing a couple buttons/turning a couple valves at water change time, along with refilling the dosing reservoirs. Easy stuff.

Now as for stock... that really depends on what you like. I could dedicate a tank like that to either rare apistos or a breeding swarm of L-46's my self. Plants are largely dependent on how much work you feel like doing, or paying someone else to do.

Budget for your setup could get into 5 digits for the hardware alone if you get into CO2 meters and such. I'd guess as much as hundreds of thousands if you're going to buy $1000 shrimp and $10,000 fish. The sky is the limit if you decide to go with gem studded stands and such.

-Philosophos


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## citadel (Nov 9, 2009)

upon further review.... how about a $1-1.5K budget with off the shelf products?


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## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

1-1.5K will get you an entry level high tech setup. Most of what TAB and I were talking about was total overkill.

Filter: XP4 - $200 plus $50 for a power head or two perhaps; needle wheels are great, and multiple points of current are better.
Basic 55 gal Tank & Stand: $400 with canopy
300w ETH inline heater: $50
CO2 system: $200 if you go with a Milwaukee package and a 5lb canister
Substrate: 2 bags ADA aquasoil: $100
Light: two separate 54w sunblaze will retrofit into the canopy. Best lighting for your dollar I've been able to find: About $150 

So that'll take you to $1150. You'll want the other $350 to stock your tank and buy the odd and ends such as timers and power bars. Get your hardscape from nature if you can. Buy your plants on forums, otherwise that $350 could disappear on plants alone from retail or many online stores. I recommend being prepared to go over your budget in the months following your setup; no matter where you set it, fish tanks will suck in more. Craigslist might be able to save you some money with a cheaper tank and stand.

-Philosophos


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## citadel (Nov 9, 2009)

great info. Any particular stand/ canopy recommended? Want as clean a look as possible.

I am coming from a japanese koi background and have a 12k gallon polyurea lined pond.... no plants and about 6$K in filtration, uv lighting, skimmers and bio water fall stuff. 

Trying to bring some of the waterscaping indoors


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## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

Normally I'd recomend Perfecto Manufacturing 67483 Cab Stand Black 55T and the canopy that goes with it because they're cheap and you can find them in a ton of LFS's. Right now though, it looks like Foster and Smith has $6 flat rate on all their shipping for the rest of the year, so you could pick up a simple stand that way for about $180 shipped. Play things right with the aquarium and you might get both for about $300.

For entry level aquariums, I'd consider Oceanic. All Glass Aquariums are something I avoid for anything but the smallest tanks. Their glass never joins flush, and the silicone is often sloppy.

Coming from koi you should be breathing a sigh of relief about the stocking price. With the odd exception, many of the fist I want and keep sell at $40 a pair tops. If you want some plants just to hold the load and space, you could probably jump on a RAOK or newbie plant package and then piece things together as the species you want pop up.

-Philosophos


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