Sinister 55g FW build
I think what Paul might have been shooting for is do you want to keep the zebra's once you get the tank where you want it to be. It can be tough to get a fish or two out of a tank without tearing it up once you have it the way that you want it to... There are so many variables to consider, such as do you use tap or well water, or even ro water, as they all affect mineral content and ph. I'd need to know what type of water you plan on using to give better insight. Planted tank, driftwood, high temp, ph, all of it. Driftwood is going to lower your ph, adding a tea-color tint from the tannins. I'm all about indigenous tanks, but unless you are dead-set on an Asian tank, I'd really reconsider. You can cycle a tank without fish by adding dead pieces of fish or inverts, but it works out about the same. I use two 150w 6500K HQIs on my 90 gal planted tank, but this is over kill for many plants. I wish you the best of luck, and if you have any questions please feel free to pm me. If your going to keep live plants, I recommend you design the system as a planted aquarium. I think it's more important to watch your ph and temperature, and natural buffering, (avoid using chemicals to buffer, use natural products). If you are going for an Asian tank, chances are your tap water's ph will be just about right. There are a decent amount of Asian freshwater fish to be had, but the most common are loaches, including the clown loach, but you will find that even those will acclimate very well to an Amazon set-up. I keep my discus tank at 86-88 Fahrenheit with no issues with the rest of the fish. It's very easy to set up an Amazon type tank, especially if you are looking to do it without chemicals. From the sounds of what you are planning to do with this tank, I'd consider an Amazon set-up. I use peat moss (make sure to get the fert-free variety if you plan on doing this) to buffer my water. Discus can be kept without problems if you get your parameters right, and they are without doubt the most colorful and rewarding freshwater fish. If you have at least 3 watts of lighting per gallon, the temperature won't matter and your plants will thrive.