Setting up my new 55 gal tank!!!!!

I've just set up the tank today, using 40 lbs CaribSea Instant Aquarium black sand with "good bacteria" water in it and 20 lb CaribSea black sand.

I put some API QuickStart in it as well as the smaller bottle of Dr. Tim's refrigerated good bacteria elixir (my word). I also put in the new tank 2.5 gal of ReadyWater and about 7 gal of cycled water from my 30 gal tank. When I feel I can take it out, I will put all the media from the Eheim canister filter that does the 30 gal tank in a biobag and hang it in the new tank. I don't have any other "mature" media to put into the new tank.

I'm hoping in a couple of days that I can put my 6 Choprae danio into the new tank to help cycle it. When that's done, I would actually like to move them back into my 20 gal high tank, where they've been living for a few months very happily.

The inhabitants of my 30 gal. tank will move over, including 4 Diamond Tetra, 3 Redeye Tetra, a female Bosemani Rainbow, 5 Neon Rainbows, 1 male Turquoise Rainbow (he's currently in my quarantine tank). I have about 10 neon tetra in the 30 gal but don't know if I can put them in the 55 with the Turquoise. I'd love to have a mess of them in there.

Question: could I go ahead and put the Diamonds and Redeyes in the new tank to help the cycle? I don't want to put the Rainbows in there too soon.

Also, I have 3 black Kuhli loaches and would like to get a couple more of these to put in the 55 gal tank; I heard they would love to move around in and out of the sand.

Also thinking of some corries, probably Julii ones. I like their markings - unless another kind would be better for color.

Not sure how this works out in terms of top, middle, bottom dwellers. Not sure if I could have a larger fish in there. Always have loved Pearl Gouramis. But also Honey Gouramis, who show up well in a tank.

Right now I have a smallish (for this tank) bit of driftwood, a few medium sized rounded rocks, a variety of plants - about 10 right now.

I have some plants in my 30 gal that I plan to move over but the fish in that tank, including 3 otos, need them there now.

Thanks for your thoughts!

I'll see if I can take some tomorrow if it's clearer than tonight - or anyway. I've not really thought of getting a tank this large until recently. It's about as big as I can go, so I don't want to overpopulate - but it's quite exciting.

Do you have a favorite cory?

Sounds like you have everything going great, can't wait for pics. I dot know a lot about Corys by name but my favorite ones are the all black ones but they are expensive

I put all of my six Choprae danio in the new tank and took some photos. As soon as I get them into Picasa I'll upload them. The danio are all still swimming around, but I think they are horrified by so much space!

The tank has not cleared up as I'd hoped for the second and a half day so I did put in the clarifyer.

The tank that looks the clearest is the 30 gal. with the Eheim canister filter. I have a bigger Eheim, which will go on the 40 gal breeder that I'm going to put the goldfish in. I'd love to have the 55 gal look that clear, but not sure I could come up with the funds for something to handle it.

Back to the pet store for a bunch of prefilters for all the tanks. I can't figure out where I put the ones that were on there before....so distracted.