55 Gallon Stocking Ideas

[DarkShadow]

Hi,

Finally cycled a new 55 gallon tank and the first residents of the environment were pair of very active Pictus Catfish that have settled into their new home and have called dibs on opposite sides of the tank.

The tanks consists of black sand as substrate and light colored 'slate' slabs and a piece of Mopani driftwood as decoration and 2 java ferns.

I've read about the Pictus cats and they are every bit active and 'aggressive' as the literature shows, which is the exact personality I wanted in my fish. But, I've also realized that because of their personality and feeding habits, any tank mates will have to be able to hold their own and cannot be timid or shy, it seems.

I was thinking of re-configuring the slate slabs to allow a better environment for some cichlids, but don't know how many I can get before my tank becomes overcrowded, because I see that the catfish enjoy swimming the length of the aquarium often.

Are there any other tank mates that would come recommended that can live with the personality of 2 Pictus cats?

And are there any recommendations for positioning of plants, driftwood and these slate slabs? I'm not a very good interior design type of person.

Thanks in advance for the advice!

 

[AtoZ Cichlids]

Check out cichlids. They are super fun and really smart! I've been told they are the smartest fw fish out there

 

[DragonFish71]

Pictus are fun cats to have. Make sure whatever you get can't fit into their mouths or it will be dinner, so with that being said, my favorite combo with pictus is:

giant danios
tiger barbs/albino/green mix
australian rainbows
madascar rainbows
turquoise rainbows
bolivian rams

As for the tank layout, can you post a pic?

 

[Rivers2k]

I would go with cichlids or any large fast moving fish. Mbunas are a favorite with people. I have a preference for New world cichlids so I would go with 1 or some of the following firemouth, Blue acara, Blood Parrot, severum, green terror, convicts.

You could also have Kribnesis as long as they aren't small enough to fit in the cat fishes mouth. Silver dollars and angels are also options.

I also agree with DragonFish Rainbows and Rams are also good choices.

Basically 55s are a great size because you have allot of options.

 

[DarkShadow]

Basically 55s are a great size because you have allot of options.

That's the main reason I upgraded from my original 36 gallon bow front.

After reading about the Bolivian Rams, I think that'll be the first tank mates I introduce to Cheech and Chong, the current Pictus that reside in the tank. I named them that because they'll eat everything in sight.

My original set up consisted of this:

Add 2 java ferns and a Mopani driftwood.

I just know that I could re-arrange the slate rocks to better accommodate the residents.

 

[DragonFish71]

If I may, I'm more of a full tank person, so I'll show you my 55 gallon tanks to give you an idea of what I mean by "full". Now, I'm not suggesting you go as crazy as me These are just to give you some ideas.

The first one is my bolivian ram tank, the second is my river tank.

So, add more plants, more wood, make caves out of your slate would be my suggestion.

 

[AtoZ Cichlids]

I agree with dragon, not only are your fish going to like it better, but I feel with a tank that is that open, although I think it looks good it'll seem like your fish are all just mixed around in a big open space. Besides it's much more fun to watch your little buddies interact with the decor and foliage. It should creat a better natural environment and fish should look better up against the decor rather than a flat back. And not to mention, more hidey holes for your little guys. If you love your setup now, just make sure to tell all your fish when you get them that you feed them so deal with it