55 Gallon Fish Tanks

55 gallon fish tanks make for great center pieces in a home or office. They are visually appealing and offer give a fish keeper a wide range of options. Below we outline some of the best 55 gallon aquariums and stands on which to keep them. Hopefully you find a combination that meets your requirements!

55 Gallon Fish Tank Starter Kits

Aqua Culture 55 Gallon Fish Tank Kit

Aqua Culture 55 Gallon Fish Tank KitA Little Bit Fishy Score: 4.5/5
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The Aqua Culture 55 Gallon Fish Tank is made from glass. It is approximately 51 x 15 x 23 inches in size once assembled. Aside from the tank itself, this 55 gallon fish tank kit also comes with:

  • A Tetra internal filter with filter cartridges included
  • Water treatment and fish food samples
  • An aquarium hood, with in build LED lighting.

Note that it does not come with substrate or an aquarium heater. If your fish need a heater, there are a range of options available for purchase separately.

Overall this tank is a great place to start for those wanting a good sized tank and most of the items needed to get you started. It is great that the filter is a Tetra internal filter rather than a lower quality filter. This will certainly help to keep your water clear and fish healthy.

Tetra 55 Gallon Aquarium Kit

Tetra 55 Gallon Aquarium KitA Little Bit Fishy Score: 4.5/5
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The Tetra 55 Gallon Aquarium Kit is a great option. The tank measures 48 x 13 x 20 inches in size. Aside from the tank, this 55 gallon fish tank kit also comes with:

  • A 200 Watt water heater
  • 2 Tetra 24 inch hinged hoods. These allow you to open the hood easily and access any part of the tank.
  • Plastic plants to give your 55 gallon fish tank an immediate homely fee
  • A Whisper 60 Power Filter
  • Water treatment and fish food samples
  • LED lighting
  • Thermometer to ensure your water is at the correct temperature

Almost everything you will need to get you started! Just add a stand (options laid out below) and substrate which is readily available.

Overall this Tetra 55 gallon fish tank kit is a winner. The individual components are each of high quality. No need to swap them out of other options after a few months! The kit isn’t cheap, but if you want a reasonably priced, high quality option, then this is definitely worth considering!

55 Gallon Fish Tank Stands

Aquatic Fundamentals 16551, 55 Gallon Upright Aquarium Stand, Black

Aquatic Fundamentals 16551, 55 Gallon Upright Aquarium Stand, BlackA Little Bit Fishy Score: 4.5/5
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A great stand to showcase your long, rectangular aquarium, the Aquatic Fundamentals 16551, 55 Gallon Upright Aquarium Stand has a powder-coated finish for added moisture resistance. Unlike the Sauder model, the Aquatic Fundamentals stand has a metal to metal locking assembly, avoiding hours of screwdriver use.

The double doors at the front of this 55 gallon fish tank stand give plenty of storage space for fish food as well as spare pumps, hoses, and other accessories. This Aquatic Fundamentals aquarium stand is not the highest quality product on the market, but is easy to assemble and offers a value for money option.

Aquatic Fundamentals 50/65 Gallon Upright Aquarium Stand

Aquatic Fundamentals 16501, 50 Gallon Aquarium StandA Little Bit Fishy Score: 4/5
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Aquatic Fundamentals 16501, 50 gallon fish tank stand is a piece of moisture-resistant aquarium furniture with a powder coated finish. It has a storage cabinet, great for keeping fish supplies out of sight. Made in the USA.

Unlike some other fish tank stands, the Aquatic Fundamentals 50 gallon aquarium is heavy duty. It is easy to put together and we feel that it offers great value to the consumer. The only slight negative is that the wood can be scratched relatively easily – not ideal if your cat is trying to climb up to see the fish tank – but otherwise a non-issue.

Sauder 55 Gallon Aquarium Stand – Jamocha Wood Finish

Sauder 416443, Select Aquarium StandA Little Bit Fishy Score: 3.5/5
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The Sauder 416443, Select Aquarium 55 gallon fish tank stand has a Jomocha wood finish. It is water resistant (although not water proof) and has adjustable shelves and hidden storage for your fishkeeping items such as food and water purification essentials.

Despite the decent overall quality of the piece, the Sauder 416443, Select Aquarium 55 gallon aquarium stand is not easy to put together. If DIY is not your thing you may want to look elsewhere. Having said that, if you are patient (and own an electric screwdriver) then this model offers good value for money.

How Many Fish in a 55 Gallon Fish Tank?

The general rule for fish tanks is that you should have a maximum of 1 inch of fish (length) for every gallon of water. Some people extend this to 1.5 inches with success, but it is not generally recommended. Bear in mind that the 1 inch of fish per gallon of water is based on the fish at their fully grown size, not the size that you buy them at!

It is therefore recommended that you have a maximum of 55 inches of fish in a 55 gallon fish tank. If you want to keep more fish consider either a 90 gallon or 100 gallon fish tank.

Fish For 50 Gallon Fish Tanks

As discussed above, it is best to limit your fish to about 55 inches in total length when constructing a 55 gallon fish tank. 55 gallon fish tanks give you the ability to start thinking in terms of zones (rather than it being one big aquarium.

Cory catfish, which can grow to about 2.5 inches in length depending on the specific variety, are a great choice for the bottom section of your tank. Cory’s are bottom dweller and help to keep your tank clean.

For your middle / upper section of the tank, consider:

  • Guppies. Guppies come in a range of colors and are a staple of tropical aquariums. Definitely one of the most popular species for freshwater aquariums.
  • Mollies
  • Cherry Barbs

55 Gallon Fish Tank Dimensions

The standard dimensions of a 55 gallon fish tank are approximately 48 x 13 x 21 inches. This equates to approximately 122 x 32 x 53 cm in metric measurements. There are some beautiful 55 gallon fish tank stands available on the market to help you optimize the display of these beautiful tanks.

When full these aquariums will weight 625lbs (approximately 283kg). You will want to make sure that any stand you choose is of good quality – the last thing you want is 625lbs of weight falling over in the middle of your home or office!

A 55 gallon fish tank can also be a good option for keeping turtles, frogs or newts. If this is your style, check out our guide on the best turtle tank filters. These filters take into account the higher bio load these animals produce compared to fish and work to keep your tank clean and healthy.

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