# just started a 55 gallon and need some advices



## thinhthan (Jan 7, 2008)

hi i just started a 55 gallon tank but seems like i only pored maybe 50 gallons. i mixed the salt in the tank and my sg level is at 1.023 is that good or bad? my filters are the penguin bio wheel 200 and the 350. im plannin on buying a powerhead but iono which one. i was thinking the penguin or the maxi-jet. which one do you guys think and should i get 1 or 2? i toke water from my bath tub so i asked the guy at the fish store and he told me to put Seachem Prime Water Coditioner so i did. was that a good thing or bad? he also told me to put in Cycle Biological Water Conditioner. was that a good thing? i still need to get live sand. is there anything else anyone think i should get to get my tank ready for fishes?


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## Cody (Dec 22, 2007)

You made an uh-oh here; you filled the tank with water from your home. You need special RO/DI (Reverse Osmosis/De-Ionized) water that you can get from your LFS. It shouldn't kill anything, but you will most likely have a massive algea break.

Do you plan on having FO, FOWLR, or Reef?

SG is fine.

The filters aren't the best for this set-up. I, personally, would do a fuge in any tank over 30 gallons. Take out the BIO-Wheel on this filter; this will become a 'trate factory for your tank. That is bad.

Of the two powerheads you mentioned, the MaxiJet is the best. But for best flow, I would get a Koralia Powerhead; maybe two (#2's would be best, saying you already have flow from your filters).


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## thinhthan (Jan 7, 2008)

ok so is there anything i can do to fix my alge prob before it gets big? and so my filters are no good? and i should take out the bio wheel? i thought that was suppost to help the ammon prob? and its fish only for now


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## blueblue48 (Dec 18, 2006)

you need to take the actual biowheel part out of the filter, little greenish thing that spins and has a bunch of flat spaces.


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## thinhthan (Jan 7, 2008)

what if i had it running for a couple of days now with the wheel? but i toke the wheel out now. so the bio wheel is a bad filter? what kind of filter should i get than. im on a budget so i really cant spend that much


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## DJOstrichHead (Feb 29, 2008)

if your on a budget then i suggest going freshwater. Saltwater is incredibly expensive. I've spent around 400 dollars on a 30 g tank and dont even have fish yet. Most of my work has been diy and bargain deals so that puts the price at 600 for a normal person


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## thinhthan (Jan 7, 2008)

im just trying to learn saltwater right now so thats why im just using cheap things until i know more and can take care of saltwater but until than im on a budget


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