Many people get into fish-keeping because they want to do something creative and relaxing.
Fish are beautiful and soothing to watch, and having a tank of fish in your home is a clever way of decorating. As an added benefit, watching fish lowers stress.
If you’re new to the fish-keeping hobby, a 10-gallon fish tank is sufficient for you.
However, as you start developing an interest in them, you need a bigger home aquarium.
So, for many people, a 55-gallon aquarium is a perfect size. It’s big enough that you can have a variety of fish and plants.
Therefore, you need not have to spend hours on maintenance.
There are plenty of options for setting up your tank, depending on what you want.
The easiest option is to buy an all-in-one kit; this comes with everything you need, including filter and light, though it may take some tweaking to get things just as you like them.
If you’re going to add live plants, they will do better if your light provides full-spectrum lighting (e.g., “daylight” or “aquarium” bulbs).
How Much Does A 55 Gallon Tank Cost?
55-gallon tanks are pretty affordable. You can get one for under $100, which is much cheaper than some smaller aquariums.
The stand will cost a little extra if you don’t already have something that will work.
A wood or metal stand with doors or shelves fit your tank will be around $60.
If you want a more decorative stand, you can run up to $200 or more.
Best 55-Gallon Fish Tanks
Aqua Culture 55 Gallon Aquarium Kit
The Aqua Culture 55 gallon aquarium kit is a great starter kit that comes with everything you need to get started. However, it’s more suitable for a freshwater beginner than saltwater.
Assembly is straightforward, and it will take you about 10-15 minutes to unpack and put everything together.
The only thing that might be tricky if you don’t have anyone to help you would be lifting the tank in place because of its size (50″ x 15″ x 23″) and weight (80lbs).
It’s not impossible, though – make sure you have enough space to move around and try not to drop it!
The light system is not something I would personally use for a planted tank, but for most freshwater fish tanks or saltwater tanks without plants, it should be fine.
You can always change it later on if you want.
Overall, this is an excellent 55-gallon aquarium kit at an affordable price.
Aqueon 55 Gallon LED Aquarium Kit
The Aqueon 55 Gallon LED Aquarium Kit is the simplest and most popular of these alternatives.
It’s easy to find, usually inexpensive, and doesn’t require any special tools for assembly.
In addition, it comes with almost everything needed to set up an essential ecosystem.
But if you want simplicity and ease of use, there is another alternative.
Aquarium kits are designed for beginners and experts who have different needs.
The Aqueon 55 Gallon LED Aquarium Kit is designed especially for beginners.
It includes almost everything needed to set up a primary ecosystem without buying extra equipment or taking any special efforts.
But if you want to set up an aquarium that meets your needs more precisely, there are other options on the market.
Many enthusiasts prefer the use of pre-assembled kits or full-featured aquariums that come complete with lighting, filtration system, heater, filter cartridges, and other accessories.
These tend to be more expensive and harder to find.
Still, they can be used in place of the Aqueon 55 Gallon LED Aquarium Kit as a starting point for customizing an aquarium into something more suitable for hobbyists.
Clear-For-Life 55 Gallon Hexagon UniQuarium
Hexagon-shaped aquariums have a unique style.
This particular unit is a 55-gallon tank, providing you with plenty of room for setting up your fish tank.
A good thing about this setup is that the internal filter compartment frees up a lot of room in the tank itself, allowing you to add more decorations, substrate, and plants to make your aquarium look even better.
One issue with this aquarium is that it comes with very little in the way of lighting.
The fluorescent light fixture is not top quality and will need to be upgraded if you want to keep live plants or corals in your tank.
Keep this in mind when considering whether or not to buy this unit.
Clear-For-Life 55 Gallon Rectangle Aquarium
When it comes to the best acrylic tank, I think the Clear-For-Life 55 Gallon Rectangle Aquarium is the best choice for people who want a larger aquarium.
This particular aquarium comes in a rectangular shape, but other shapes are available, such as a hexagonal version.
These tanks are made from top-quality cast acrylic, which means you will get the clear view that you want.
You can also use this tank for both saltwater and freshwater fish. It’s an excellent option for those of you who wish to house reef fish or corals.
This brand also offers a lifetime guarantee for this particular product, so you can be sure that if anything happens, they will replace it with no questions asked!
Red Sea REEFER 250 Rimless 54 Gallon Aquarium
Red Sea’s Reefer series is an excellent line of aquariums. They’re high quality, well designed, and very easy to set up.
The Red Sea Reefer 250 Rimless Aquarium 54 Gallon is the best reef tank in the series.
It will look great anywhere in your home or office, and it can be customized to your liking – you can choose from four different cabinet color options, and there are also matching stands available from which you can choose as well.
Overall, this almost complete kit is excellent for any aquarium enthusiast – suitable for both saltwater and freshwater – but it is built mainly for reef aquariums.
Reefer Deluxe Concept 250 54 Gallon Aquarium
The Reefer Deluxe 250 is a complete system designed for ease of use while maximizing performance, style, and design.
The aquarium is made from Starphire ultra-clear glass with precision beveled edges and a seamless silicone finish.
An integrated filter wall conceals the 100% pipework-accessible filtration compartment.
The aquarium also provides a surface skimmer that easily removes oils and organics from the water surface, as well as strategically placed media baskets to house all your filtration requirements.
The cabinet that comes with this set is in Black, and it’s made from high-quality marine plywood, which comes in 3 pieces, where the bottom piece splits into two sections for easy access during maintenance.
It also features a sliding front door that allows you to access the sump without removing the whole front panel.
The cabinet is solid and sturdy yet light, making moving around the aquarium possible.
The lighting system included in this set is 2x ReefLED 90 lights by the Red Sea, which are connected with WiFi to a mobile app so you can control them via your phone or tablet.
SCA 55 Gallon Fish Tank
This aquarium is made of modern glass with beveled edges.
It comes with an adjustable flow rate return pump system that makes it easy to control your water flow.
This is important for saltwater tanks because the water flow needs to be measured precisely to create the right environment for your tank inhabitants.
What’s more, the protein skimmer on this tank does a fantastic job of keeping the tank clean and removing waste from the water without causing too much disturbance for your fish and corals.
This means that you won’t need to replace your water as much!
The final kit is an LED light that replaces your typical T5 or T8 lamp.
This LED light has different color settings for different viewing needs.
For example, you can have the light shining white for daytime viewing or switch to blue for nighttime viewing.
This setup includes everything you need to get started in keeping saltwater fish and invertebrates in your home or office aquarium.
Just add fish.
SeaClear 50-Gallon Rectangular Aquarium
I love the contemporary, sleek look of this SeaClear 50 Gallon Rectangular Aquarium Combo in Cobalt Blue.
The acrylic material of SeaClear 50 Gallon Rectangular Aquarium Combo in Cobalt Blue offers a crystal clear view that is just as good as glass and even better than some tanks I’ve seen.
In addition, the cobalt blue background is attractive and adds to the tranquil environment for your fish to swim against.
The tank assembly was simple and easy to do, taking about 30 minutes with my son’s help.
Everything arrived in perfect condition thanks to the packaging. It has a seamless design, and the quality of artistry is excellent.
In addition to the aquarium, you also get a canopy and light fixture that I like and a SeaClear System II Filter that is super quiet and works great.
Also included is an under gravel filter, activated carbon cartridge, fluorescent lamp, and starter unit, so you have everything you need to get started right away.
I would highly recommend this aquarium kit to anyone looking for a nice rectangular tank for their home or office at a reasonable price!
Tetra 55 Gallon Aquarium Kit
The Tetra 55 Gallon Aquarium Kit is one of the best-selling starter kits for a reason.
It’s equipped with all the essential gear to get you started, including a powerful filter, heater, thermometer, and even fish food.
The size is impressive and will allow you to set up a nice-looking aquarium.
The LED lights are bright enough to give you a good view of everything inside while still ensuring that plants and fish get the lighting they need.
If you’re looking for a bigger fish tank that comes with everything you need and also has some bonuses like plants, food, and guides, this kit from Tetra is worth considering.
Clear-For-Life 55 Gallon Rectangle Aquarium
The tank comes with a built-in filtration system, which is a neat feature because you don’t have to worry about finding the right filter for your aquarium.
In addition, the tank’s placement on the top back allows for unobstructed viewing from all sides and provides room to create a visually exciting landscape.
The filtration system consists of a biological filter section, an overflow section, a return pump, and activated carbon cartridges.
The filters are straightforward to access and clean.
The package includes an extra-long cord, so you don’t have to worry about your power strip being close enough to the tank, and it also comes with a lighted hood that has a switch that turns on the light when you open it.
It is essential to know that the lid does not come with hinges, so it’s not a flip-open-lid, but I found that this works better because you can put whatever you want on top of the lid without worrying about it falling into the water or getting wet when you open the lid.
It also means that if you have jumping fish, they won’t be able to jump out of the tank.
Top Fin Essentials Aquarium Kit
The Top Fin® Essentials Aquarium Starter Kit is a glass aquarium kit that measures 48 L x 13 W x 20 H inches (122 L x 33 W x 51 H cm).
Its 200W heater comes with the adjustable kit and should be able to maintain a consistent water temperature in the range from 68°F to 88°F (20°C to 31°C).
Two LED light strips are included, illuminating plants in the tank.
The kit includes two aquarium hoods with pre-cut feeding holes, an internal thermometer, a water test bottle, filter media, a fishnet, and a Top Fin® Silenstream PF75 Power Filter.