Old, newbie here. Dusting off and setting up my 50 gallon, corner aquarium for a freshwater community tank after a twenty-year hiatus! I am a one-tank hobbyist, not looking to intentionally breed fish, and might have a couple of live plants. Seems like most of the comments in this forum are from folks with much more sophisticated objectives and experience. 🙂
Spent the last week researching equipment and watching Cory's videos. Bought a Fluval 307 for my primary filtration - I had success with a Fluval canister in the past. Some questions:
>> Secondary Filtration / Water Flow / Aeration: I'm under the impression that my Fluval 307 should be "enough" filtration. I plan on adding one of Aquarium Co-op's Pre-Filters. I am contemplating buying the Fluval Spray Bar Kit to help with dispersion of the outflow. Any suggestions on whether I should be complementing the canister filter with something else? (Sponge Filter / Air Stone / Air Pump. Nano Circulation Pump. Redundant Internal Filter (Ziss, Shark ADV)). Tank will be in my living room, so I would appreciate any recommendations for specific equipment that is quiet. (Over-the-back filters don't work with my corner tank.)
>> LED Lighting: I'm intrigued by LED lighting that can be programmed / controlled by an iPhone app. The couple of threads that I've read on this topic seem to be oriented toward growing plants - versus just illuminating and not stressing the fish. My tank to has room for a ~28x4" or ~20x8" footprint. It is two feet deep, so would one lighting fixture be enough?? I would spend $150 on the Fluval Plant 3.0 if the technology & app features are much better than the $60 Fluval AquaSky 2.0. I also wouldn't shy away from the $30 Hygger or NICREW if they are excellent lighting with basic controlling / scheduling app features. Recommendations?
Thanks, Bill