56g Stocking advice

[lnmmenthol]

Hello,
i have a empty 56 gallon column tank (30x18x24) i am not really sure what all i want to stock it with. i was thinking something like this:

quantities are just guesses
3-6x odessa barbs
3-6x some type of corries
1-2 pair of GBR or Bolivian Rams or 1 pair of each

these however are all smaller fish and all about the same size, i would like to add one or 2 "showcase" fish that are larger and stand out. Pair of discus maybe? prefer a colorful cichlid or something like that

any suggestions greatly appreciated

 

[Luananeko]

Discus need a school if I remember right, and need much warmer water than the barbs will like. GBRs also need it really warm (80+ F), so stick to the Bolivians. Barbs also need 6 for a school, so I wouldn't plan on anything less than that.

As far as centerpiece options go, an angelfish would work, or you could go with gourami or paradise fish. Some gourami and paradise fish can be shy, so I'd recommend the angel personally. The angel will also tend to fill the vertical space better so it doesn't look "empty".

 

[rockyofhockey]

How bout some kribs?

 

[lnmmenthol]

Ok so i will probably stay away from the discus then, they are kind of pricey anyways. I like the look of the Kribensis Cichlid thank you for that, i dont know anything about them but plan to look them up, would you suggest it also with the fish listed above if so how many would be a good choice?
Thank you

 

[Luananeko]

My main concern with a Krib is that it may compete with the bolivians for territory... With the cories and bolivians that's a lot of bottom level inhabitants to try and fit another bottom level cichlid pair in for a column style tank.

 

[lnmmenthol]

yea i def dont want to have all bottom dwelling fish. so would the cory and kribs be ok together, its my understanding the the corys are bottom feeders where as the krib is just a bottom dweller. if i took the rams out of the running would there be another dwarf cichlid that would play well with the rest and cover more the middle to upper layers?

 

[lnmmenthol]

6x odessa barb
6x cory
2x krib
xx ??
xx ??

i think this is where i seem to be at the moment not sure what or how much i can add

 

[Luananeko]

Angels are the only non-bottom level small(er) cichlids I know of that would fit. I wouldn't try to do more than one though, as you would likely have territorial issues between everyone once they're full grown. So your plan would look like:

6x Odessa Barb
6x Cories of some sort
2x Kribs
1x Angel
xx some other non-cichlid fish - could be additional barbs, another type of peaceful schooler, or another centerpiece type fish like the gourami or paradise fish

 

[rockyofhockey]

No wrong u could do a firemouth I have one but might be a little aggressive but just make sure u have hiding places

 

[Luananeko]

Firemouths are pretty aggressive... I don't think you'd be able to keep them with the Kribs. Kribs can be very shy if not kept with peaceful tankmates.

 

[rockyofhockey]

I have my firemouth with my rams.... here's the proof lol!!! There's some chasing but the rams just go into cover

 

[Luananeko]

Interesting... Not to derail things, but how long have you had the Rams? If it's been longer than a year then maybe you got lucky with a pretty chill firemouth and bold rams. Fish personalities can be hard to predict or generalize... Could work out for the OP, but sounds more risky IMO.

 

[rockyofhockey]

1 month and a half. I mean there's some chasing but he lays off most of the time!!! U should see how they eat!!! Like wild lions!!! Lol

 

[rockyofhockey]

I mean I've had the rams for 6 months and the fire mouth for 2 months sorry for the mix up. Replying to the wrong thread

 

[lnmmenthol]

i dont think i want the hostility that may come with i guess i would choose the angel over the fire mouth even tho i like it better. plus i really want to spread the fish out and the fire mouth seems like another bottom level personality. i would like to think of something else top level with the barb and angel. How do i want to go about stocking these guys, 1 whole species at a time 2 whole sets? 3 of this and 3 of that? ignoring the $$ factor i would like to know how best to introduce the different schools.

Thanks alot to you both, very helpful

 

[rockyofhockey]

U could add both kribs at once then wait a couple days and then the angel!

 

[rockyofhockey]

No what I've got the perfect fish for u!!!!!!! It's top-middle-bottom level fish!!!

 

[rockyofhockey]

Look up leopard ctenopoma!!! I've got one and I can say first handly one of my favorite fish!!!

 

[Luananeko]

Look up leopard ctenopoma!!! I've got one and I can say first handly one of my favorite fish!!!

That would eat the barbs in a heart beat... They're perfectly bite sized for a 6" fish.

Inmmenthol - Add the cories, then the barbs, then the cichlids. That would be least aggressive to most aggressive, minimizing your chances of territorial issues.

 

[rockyofhockey]

Oh I thought the op meant tiger barbs.