How to Set Up a 55 Gallon Fish Tank
A 55 gallon fish tank is about the same volume as a large rectangular cooler. Not huge, but still a lot to take care of. Yet since it is a standard size, it is easier to find pumps, filters, and advice for a 55 gallon fish tank. So, depending on your fish-watching needs, a 55 gallon habitat may be too much – or too little.
The Setup
A 55 gallon fish tank filled with water, gravel substrate, and all the equipment weighs 625 pounds. This is not a thing easily moved around for maintenance. Nor can it sit on just any table; something with a vented or weak top cannot support an aquarium very well. Also, anything that may be even slightly sloped or uneven won’t work.
When you are planning a tank set-up, realize that you will need to put the pumps and equipment somewhere within easy reach for maintenance. You will also need a little clearance between the wall and the tank.
Considering a 55 gallon fish tank is so heavy, it’s probably best to acquire a dedicated aquarium stand. A stand will have a solid, strong bottom with space for all the equipment in a cabinet underneath.
The Hardware
In any fish tank, the water should turn over, that is, run through the filter, six to 15 times per hour. So select a pump or pumps with an appropriate gallons per hour (gph) rating. If you find a used one without markings, try pumping test water from a full bucket to an empty one. See how long it takes to fill up a one gallon bucket and plan accordingly.
The Fishes
According to a rule of thumb, a fish tank can support “one inch” of fish for every gallon of water. Therefore, a 55 gallon fish tank should support 55 one-inch long fish, or 11 five-inch long fish and so on.
However, many fish fanciers say in truth, that rule squeezes too many fish into a tank. Think about it: Both a goldfish and an angelfish may be two inches long, but the goldfish has a much bigger mass.
It’s a better idea to take into account the mass of the fish, its metabolism, and how fast the water changes pH. If pH fluctuation means you are changing water very often, you have too many fish. Start small and keep an eye on pH.