Need help with stocking ideas. 55 gallon

[ktulu909]

Okay, this will probably sound completely out there, but over the last month, I have bussied myself acquiring equipment and stuff for my 55 gallon aquarium, filled it, put sand in it, seeded the filter and honestly put no thought whatsoever into what kind of fish I would like to keep. I have a couple of amazon swords in there and pfs as substrate.

Since seeding, I should be done with cycle soon and though it might be a good idea to start considering compatible fish selections lol

I guess I would like an active, but friendly tank with some cool schools and maybe an oddity or two. Only current scaping is the bubbling dragon from petsmart lol.

Throw me your suggestions!
Thanks in advance

 

[Samzter]

Are you experienced?I have great ideas in mind!
Option one:
3 pearl Gourami
10 glow light tetra
8 cherry barb
10 panda or 8 sterbai Cories
4 guppies or platies 1m 3f

Option two:
2 german blue rams
8 panda Cories
6 neon tetras
Snowball pleco
6 ember tetra

Option three:
3 dwarf gourami 1m 2f
10 lemon tetra
2 bristle nose pleco
8 panda Cories

Can't think of any other good stocking options. If you want you could move the centrepiece fish around ex: pearl gourami and option 2 and take out the rams. You could do these as centrepiece fish as well
Angelfish
Kribensis
Bolivian rams

 

[jackwagon]

First thing is you have to use an ammonia source with the seeded media. Either fish in or out would work but without the ammonia the BB would die making the material useless.

It would be cool if you could do
15-25 neon tetras
2 bn plecos
Another school of different tetras
And possibly some cories (panda or something like that)

Others will have more stocking suggestions

 

[TankMan]

I agree. We kind of need to know if you are on the more experienced side. If so, the. We could greatly expand and experiment with all kind of possibilities. A 55 is a GREAT size.

 

[ktulu909]

I'm definitely more on the beginners side of things, but definitely committed.

Don't worry, I'm still dosing ammonia to keep the bb alive. Just seeded yesterday, gonna do tests again tonight and dose if necessary.
Also aware of the major pwc I have to do before stocking, all that should come this weekend if everything goes as planned.

 

[ktulu909]

Also, what type of cleanup crew would you guys suggest that would get along with everyone?

 

[Samzter]

Guppies are brilliant little fish! You could do:
8 sterbai Cories
8 cherry barbs
6 guppies
A few platies

 

[ktulu909]

Is there anything that's a little larger and more odd I guess for a lack of a better term that would go well with these suggestions?

 

[bettaowner]

Zig zag eel or a pair of peacock eels. Don't worry they won't eat your other fish. I would add swordtails or sparkling gouramis.

 

[Chiroptera]

Zig zag eel or a pair of peacock eels. Don't worry they won't eat your other fish. I would add swordtails or sparkling gouramis.

I doubt a pair of peacock eels would fit, 55s have horrible surface area. One may.

 

[ktulu909]

I doubt a pair of peacock eels would fit, 55s have horrible surface area. One may.

I understand the surface area issue,but would it help any that Im running 2 emporer 400's on it?

 

[Chiroptera]

First thought should be space. The filters will take care of the bioload, but will the fish be comfortable? It's your call ultimately, but I wouldn't. They like burrowing in sand or substrate and that means that in a tank like a 55, they'll have less room. You can always try if you really want, though.