Building a freshwater vivarium?

[Skiploder]

Hi I was recently tossing around the idea of building a freshwater viv with live plants and the whole 9 yards. I was wondering if anyone on here has any experience with this. I have a 55 gal aquarium just need to find a nice stand. Any ideas on a good filter or will any filter rated for this sized tank be ok. Also any forums or sites with info on plants and fish would be nice I don't want to buy plants/fish that are incompatible. Thanks. Also how long after planting my setup should I let it cycle before adding fish. I will be eagerly awaiting your replies meanwhile off to research some more.

My 30 gallon cube:





A good starting point:

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/

Planted tanks are a PITA. They require tons of care, correct lighting, proper fertilization, proper water parameters, etc. They can go south in a hurry.

There is no quick and easy advice that anyone can give you. For a planted tank, I would go with a canister filter with an output well under the surface to minimize agitation. I have a preference for Eheims.

I would get your plants thriving before adding any fish. Fish in planted aquaria can also be tricky as they will need to be compatible with the water parameters that the plants will need to thrive.

Anyway - start with the forums. Proper lighting, filtration and CO2 supplementation costs $$$$.