New 55 gallon tank stocking.

[Verzo]

Hi everybody. My name Ash and I am a new member of this wonderful community and forum. At this present time I am in process of cycling my new 55 gal fresh water tank. I’ve got 5 juvenile platy fish and 2 dwarf gouiramies living happily in it. I am finishing 3rd week of cycling process and it’s about to finish. (Used TSS initially). For the first time my ammonia dropped bellow 0.25, 0nitrites and 5ppm of nitrates are shown on my daily water tests using API fresh water master kit. May be another week or two… I do have 2 HOB filters emplaced :Marinland 350 with 2 x-tra baskets for Matrix bio media, and AC 50 with extra mix of Matrix and Biomax. No life plants yet, eventually, though. Plastic plants and décor are there + water bubbling/aeration. Here is my question. My ultimate goal for this tank is:
2 Angel Fish ?mix gender?
5 Tetras Glo fish Green mix gender
2 Dalmatian Mollies females
1 Swordtail male
4 Guppy Fish ?mix gender?
2 or 3 Blue Rams mix gender(1male+1/2fmales)
5 Platties (already there) mix gender
2 dwarf gouramies (already there) male
Like I said, with time, gradually introducing more and more fish, is it possible to maintain community listed above, keeping everybody happy? I know, it is kind of overstocking but I am willing to try and want to succeed in it. Water parameters, food, behaviors??? Guys, any suggestions or recommendations... Thanks

 

[Wiggles24]

I do know one thing, if u r going to mix genders with guppies u want a minimum of two female for each male! Otherwise the males won't leave them alone I've seen them kill females

 

[Verzo]

Yeap, u r correct. Forgot about it. Thanks.

 

[bettaowner]

I would keep all males unless you want baby guppies. I really like how you have all the gender ratios sorted out already.

 

[natedogg569]

Have you seen a Nitrite spike yet? If you haven't seen one you might want to suspect one because a cycle is never finished until you have had high ammonia and high nitrites

 

[Verzo]

Yes, interesting, very good point. Nitrites spiked just for 1 day only for .25ppm or slightly above it sometime at the end of 2nd week as ammonia stayed around .25-.5 whole time long with Nitrates been around 5 from the first week. I would still take an extra time before slowly introducing new fish gradually. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

 

[natedogg569]

Yes, interesting, very good point. Nitrites spiked just for 1 day only for .25ppm or slightly above it sometime at the end of 2nd week as ammonia stayed around .25-.5 whole time long with Nitrates been around 5 from the first week. I would still take an extra time before slowly introducing new fish gradually. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

If you are able to read 0ppm Ammonia and Nitrite and have 10-20ppm Nitrate, You should be cycled and when I say spiked, I mean a whole 5ppm

 

[Rivercats]

Hi everybody. My name Ash and I am a new member of this wonderful community and forum. At this present time I am in process of cycling my new 55 gal fresh water tank. I’ve got 5 juvenile platy fish and 2 dwarf gouiramies living happily in it.
2 Angel Fish ?mix gender?
5 Tetras Glo fish Green mix gender
2 Dalmatian Mollies females
1 Swordtail male
4 Guppy Fish ?mix gender?
2 or 3 Blue Rams mix gender(1male+1/2fmales)
5 Platties (already there) mix gender
2 dwarf gouramies (already there) male
Like I said, with time, gradually introducing more and more fish, is it possible to maintain community listed above, keeping everybody happy? I know, it is kind of overstocking but I am willing to try and want to succeed in it. Water parameters, food, behaviors??? Guys, any suggestions or recommendations... Thanks

Personally with the list you have it's alittle too much. You already have the 5 platy's and 2 DG, if off your list you add 2 angelfish, 5 Tetras (which you should up it to at least 6), and a pair of rams to one's already in there, that is going to give you a nice tank without crowding everyone. Angels are going to grow. The rams in that size tank would be better with two or you could have alot of bickering/chasing. If you put in a nice school of say about 8 tetras and have the 5 platy's and 2 DG your tank will have plenty of movement. Both Angelfish and GBR are cichlids and can be agressive at times. DG can be aggressive too, not saying they will be but can be. If you over crowd a tank you are more likely to have aggression issues. Hope this helps.

 

[Verzo]

Thank you Natedogg and Rivercats for your help. I'll consider you suggestion, Rivercats. As far as nitrites, I've never registered more than .25 of it in water, so I guess no spiking, which is good.

 

[Verzo]

Rivercats,
I like your idea more and more. You are saying "2 Angels, 2 GBR, 8 Glo Green tetras as addition to my 5 platties and 2 DG". What if I I'd do 5 Glo Greens and 5 Red Minor Tetras instead of adding 8 Glo Greens. It means that we are adding 2 more fish to your plan but Red Minors are smaller in size than Glo Greens. So:
2 Angels
2 GBR
2 DG
5 platties,
5 Glo Greens
5 Red Minors.
My biggest concern -wouldn't R Minors be too aggressive and fast for the tank with some bad fin nipping attitudes. What is your opinion?

 

[Rivercats]

You will get a bigger visual impact with a larger school. Personally I would stay away from the Red minor tetras (Serpae Tetra) due to the fact they tend to be fin nippers where angels are concerned. I like the look of them, especially the longfinned variety but just wouldn't do them with the angels. Another thing I was thinking Glowlight tetras, not Glo as in dye injected into the fish green tetra's. They may look cool but it is an unhumane thing to do to fish and as long as people keep buying them then they will keep doing this to them. There are other colorful tetras, check out cardinal tetras (neons are too small and are dinner for angels) they are naturally bright. I like rummy nose tetra's. Check out all the different tetras to get an idea.

 

[Verzo]

Thanks,
I agree, R minors are out of consideration. Just finished reading about them. Glo Greens I am talking about are genetically modified, not injected and I, personally, have no problems of buying them. I would not buy injected, though.
Yeap, then might stick with your initial recommendation. Thanks.

 

[Rivercats]

Glad they aren't those injected ones... everytime I see them in a store I want to scream. I'd just do the school of them and I think you are good to go!

 

[Verzo]

Good deal, thanks.

 

[Verzo]

Oh boy,
today I saw Congo Tetras and Boesemani Rainbow fish. They looked beautiful. So, what if:
2 Angels
5 Glo GreenTetras
5 Platties (already in the tank)
2 Dwarf Goiramies (already in the tank)
5 Congo Tetras OR Boesemani Rainbow Fish.
Is it possible to have all of the in 55 gallon tank?

 

[Rivercats]

IMO you'd be pushing it. If you wanted to go with the Congo's or Rainbows I'd leave out the smaller tetra's. Remember both the Congo's and Rainbows are larger fish than the Glo Greens. If you'd go with one of the other two your best to have 2 males and 3 females or 1 male and 3 females.

 

[Verzo]

Ok, make sense, Rivercats. Let's exclude GGT
And what about Clown Rasboras? Are the schooling or just community?
Also, would different types of rainbow fish school together?
In your opinion, which one is more beautiful - Congo or BRainbow?

 

[Rivercats]

Don't know much about clown rasbora's but bet the are schoolers. Congo's have a sutle beauty and look best in lower light (IMO), now rainbow fish. When I was stocking my 220 I was really tempted to get a few Orange Albino Millenium Rainbowfish (check out the one's on Oddballfish.com I also like the red colored rainbowfish. Think they are called Iranian Rainbowfish. If I got any those are the two I would definitely get. We are going to get complicated here but if I went with Rainbows I'm not sure I'd do the Angels. But with colors like on those rainbows a school of those glo green tetras and the orange platy's and DG's would give you a pretty awesome looking tank too. Decisions...decisions.... better you than me

 

[Verzo]

Oh boy, too much choice is not always a good thing, as my father says. Well, decisions decisions, decisions... I would have to think it over again overnight. Thanks for helping me in it.

 

[Verzo]

Today, I think, my aquarium finished cycling in 3 weeks exact. Ammonia/Nitrites 0, Nitrates around 10. Today I went to privately owned local fish store to check their stock. It is huge. Among other fish the most colorful happened to be Oddessa barbs. But I would prefer something a little bit bigger, 4 inches, let's say. Rainbow and Congo looked very paled. But advisers kept telling me that this is because fish is stressed and space they stay in is too small for them and once they'll feel comfortable in your tank, colors will become so pronounced. Wondering it it is true. If I introduce something, what specie should it be first?