# 55 gallon tank w 10 sump



## HFRCampbell (Jun 23, 2008)

here is my plans im getting atleast a 55 if not bigger and i am also using a 10 gallon empty terrarium as a sump (i need to know how to set one up plz tips or a link to a post about it) and a water fall filter.
Substrate: mostly sand, three inches from the left in is going to be filled with fine gravel
Plants: plants are new to me so im going with java moss java furn and some anubis and a few floating plants need help choosing that
Decor: one large piece of driftwood in the middle home made rock caves and ornament caves
Fish:
4-6 bolivian rams
12 neon tetras
8 black widow tetras
1 catfish (idk about this will the bolivians have a problem with the catfish)
maby (this will be well after the fish above and only if the tank could fit these)
1 aggas. chichlid (idk the real scientific name for them but it is something that starts like that)
1 m 2 f black lyir tail mollies or 1m 3 f platys

im think the mollies or platys because i have a good bit of experiance w them but also for there babies that they produce i think they would be a great suplement for the rams and maby the black widow tetras when they are first born

thanks for the help


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## Pasfur (Mar 29, 2008)

HFRCampbell said:


> here is my plans im getting atleast a 55 if not bigger and i am also using a 10 gallon empty terrarium as a sump (i need to know how to set one up plz tips or a link to a post about it) and a water fall filter.


I will let someone else address the remainder of your questions. However, this is a very important point. A 10 gallon sump is not large enough to accommodate a 55 gallon aquarium. If the power goes out, the backflow of water from the 55 would overflow the sump.


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## iamntbatman (Jan 3, 2008)

I would be careful with adding that many rams. While they may be peaceful at first, if a pair forms they will become aggressive towards the other rams. If they start to breed, they will become even more aggressive, even towards your other fish. In a 55 gallon you have enough room to house a pair and the other fish, but I'd be worried that you might have a lot of infighting among your rams. If you get multiple breeding pairs, you're definitely going to end up with some rams killing each other.

The tetras sound fine. 

There are many, many different types of catfish so I can't really say if you'd have problems there until you pick out a more specific species.

For the aggas. cichlid, are you talking about the Apistogramma agassizii? This will probably work in your setup as well, although you should be on the lookout for aggression between the apisto and your rams.

The mollies and platies will breed if you keep a male with females. You will have a decent drop of fry every month. While the cichlids (rams and apisto) as well as the mollies or platies will help keep the population under control, odds are some of those fry are going to survive to adulthood. You'll end up with a 55g stuffed to the gills with livebearers unless you had a plan to move the fry to another tank.


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## HFRCampbell (Jun 23, 2008)

well for the sump i was thinking of having the outlet from the 55 being like half way up and having a small pump help in pushing water down to the sump.
For the fish only one pair? what is the best way of getting a male and a female of the bolviarian rams
and instead of that other pair and the apissto im thinking of adding another type of fish that could maby help control the mollie fry, i had to put a female betta into the mollie tank a while ago for a bit to clean out its tank and the female betta swam around and started eating the mollie fry so do you think adding a few female bettas and maby a male would work?


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## Pasfur (Mar 29, 2008)

HFRCampbell said:


> well for the sump i was thinking of having the outlet from the 55 being like half way up and having a small pump help in pushing water down to the sump.


Just be sure to test the system. When you think you are good to go, cut the power off and test what happens.


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## Ward (Jun 24, 2008)

Couldn't you use some kind of adjustable overflow, and just adjust it so if the pump stops, the overflow will empty before the 10G overflows? That's sort of what I'm planning to do.


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## HFRCampbell (Jun 23, 2008)

how would oneself to about setting up a overflow unit is it like a electronical device ?


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## Ward (Jun 24, 2008)

No, it's just a small tank inside the aquarium that water "overflows" into. In saltwater tanks, they're usually built into the tank. You can add one though, that hangs down into the tank. It takes water in just below the waterline via gravity, and then is piped (also via gravity) down into the sump. It is then pumped back up into the tank. This way, if the power goes out, or the pump fails, the tank can't siphon itself dry. Once the waterline goes below the overflow, no more water can come out of the tank. By adjusting how far below the waterline the overflow is, you can adjust how much water would go into the sump, in the event of a pump failure. There are plenty of ways to make your own overflow, or you can get a pre-made one. I plan to do something like this guy did:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ofEHUJtsweY


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## HFRCampbell (Jun 23, 2008)

thats kinda what i was planning on doing in the first place having the tank outlet be on the side of the tank
but i twas thinking about a diffrent fish list
2 bolvirian rams
4+ angel fish
8 black widow tetras
the black widows should be big enough as to hold there own and the bolies live on the bottom so there shouldn't be any conflict between them and the angels but could i fit more angels or should i only have three ?

w the sump should i add another form of filtratoin i was thinking of a water fall filter on the suction side to help keep the floating plants from sucking over to that side. I was looking at a emporer 280 or a penguin 350 most likely the latter of the two

another thing is i was wondering if i put 15 or so ghost shrimp in the tank would they breed or somehting for food and cleaining purpouses?

thakns


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