55 Gallon Fresh Water Community Aquarium

[tsharkey]

This is my 55 gal. community aquarium. I've had it setup for about eight years. Here's what's in the tank now:

Balloon Mollies (6)
Lyre Tail Mollies (6)
Wag Mollies (4)
Snails (I don't know what kind) (3)
Common Pleco (1)
Albino common Plaeco (1)
Emerald Cory (1)
Zebra Catfish (1)
Zig zag Eel (1)
Angel fish (1)

To be added

Balloon mollies (6)
Lyre Tail mollies (6)
Hi-Fin Platies (9)
Emperor Tetra (10)

The filtration is an Emperor 400 Power Filter. There are air stones all along the back wall.

I would greatly appreciate all thoughts about things I should change or add!

Oopss!!! Can someone tell me how to put pictures on this thread? I'm on an iPod touch and won't let me copy and paste!!! All it will do is copy the the picture code.

 

[alLexX]

i sugest you dont get more ballon mollies(there horribly deformed),move the plecos(commons get up to 2 fett long),and dont get more fish.your pretty well stocked as it is.

 

[TonyDanza]

I have to agree with him you have 25 fish in there and want to add 31 more! Sounds cramped. Maybe think about getting another tank and possibly putting one of your plecos in the new one. If you must have another pleco I suggest a bristlenose since they stay small. Good luck and don't overcrowd please for the sake of your fish.

Also you can't use an iPod to post photos unless you have a flickr account or somewhere to post photos online and than insert a hyperlink. Again good luck.

Last post I promise but have you ever had any problems with your eel at all? Nipping or biting or anything?

 

[tsharkey]

No I have never had any problem with the eel. He is great!!!

Yah I think I'll lay off on getting so many more fish. Thanks for the advice.

 

[TonyDanza]

Sounds good. Im interested in an eel myself but heard nothing but horror stories. Maybe I'll think about it again.

 

[alLexX]

No I have never had any problem with the eel. He is great!!!

Yah I think I'll lay off on getting so many more fish. Thanks for the advice.

and get rid of the plecos(120 gallon minimum for commons).

 

[tsharkey]

Pleco's will not outgrow their enviroment.

 

[rich311k]

Pleco's will not outgrow their enviroment.

Yes they will they need a much bigger home than you have for them and you have two of them.

 

[tsharkey]

I have had him for about nine years. Longer than I have had this tank. He has not grown at all. All of my LFS say he will not outgrow the tank too.

 

[alLexX]

thats called stunting,it is horrible for the fish.they dont grow on the ouside,but they do on the inside,its horribly painful until something vital gets squished.then there dead.

 

[mfdrookie516]

My guess is that you're calling your 'common pleco' by the wrong name. A 9 year old common pleco would be well over a foot long unless it was in a very small tank.

 

[vitacrux]

Sounds good. Im interested in an eel myself but heard nothing but horror stories. Maybe I'll think about it again.

I have a striped peacock eel, and haven't had any nipping, or anything. My one compliant is that he is buried nearly all the time so there isn't much to look at, though when he finally does come out they are very interesting to watch!

 

[tsharkey]

Yah mine is buried most of the time to. It's a miracle to see him up once or twice a month

 

[tsharkey]

It is a common pleco. You can argue with me all you want about the size of the fish. However you cannot argue with experts. The Smithsonian Freshwater Aquarium Fish Book clearly states that the common plecostomus (hypostomus multriadiatus) will NOT outgrow it's environment. However, if the pleco cannot reach it's full length and size it will potentially shorten the lifespan of the animal. This also applies to loaches, cories, catfish, etc.
Also it does not make logical sense to grow inside and not outside to the point of exploding. (As stated by one post.)

Thank You to the people who are trying to help. I greatly appreciate your help and thoughts.
Thank You

 

[alLexX]

It is a common pleco. You can argue with me all you want about the size of the fish. However you cannot argue with experts. The Smithsonian Freshwater Aquarium Fish Book clearly states that the common plecostomus (hypostomus multriadiatus) will NOT outgrow it's environment. However, if the pleco cannot reach it's full length and size it will potentially shorten the lifespan of the animal. This also applies to loaches, cories, catfish, etc.
Also it does not make logical sense to grow inside and not outside to the point of exploding. (As stated by one post.)

Thank You to the people who are trying to help. I greatly appreciate your help and thoughts.
Thank You

this applies to all fish.if the enviroment is too small,they will be stunted.this is horrible for the fish. and its not to the state of exploding,only until a vital organ is destroyed.

 

[Zagz]

I'd have to agree that forcing fish to become smaller than they were meant to be is inhumane to the fish. It is not natural for the fish. If someone were keeping another type of animal (ex. Dog, cat) in a container too small for them, the humane society would step in. Just because they are fish does not make it any more right.

You asked for advice and comments on your current and planned stocking. The only thing I would add to your tank is more cories. Cories prefer to be in groups.

 

[McLumpy]

How in the world can you stand to have 2 Common Plecos in your tank? I just have one in my 55g and the waste he produces is... just... um, WOW!! lol Have both of the Plecos been in your tank for 8 years?

That's an interesting stock you have there too. I don't suppose you like Mollies, do you?

Can't wait to see pics of your tank!

 

[mr.waffles1842]

i think your a bit overstocked there. I dont like balloon mollies myself, nut hey, its your call.

 

[Johnstamos003]

Have to agree with the Pleco comments. They are really great fish, but they are tank busters for sure. Was raising one for an eventual move to a pond, however he recently died after appearing to stop growing after a rapid growth period. We continued to watch his health and plan an intermediate home until we thought he would be pond ready. Unfortunately the fish did not survive long enough. I have been sold a bag of goods many times a they will only grow to the size of there environment, simply isn't the case. Buy a baby elephant for your bedroom - I promise it won't out grow it's environment!!!!! The fish do get large an are sold to new hobbyists every as great algae eaters. They need alot of room an alot of care and are not usually advertised an sold as a large fish. Next time you are at a dealer, try and see if they have any adult specimens. The ones at my dealer are quite larger and would likely be to large for my 55 gal tank.

 

[bstnrdsx]

However, if the pleco cannot reach it's full length and size it will potentially shorten the lifespan of the animal.

Which pretty much defines "stunting". You would die early too if someone kept you in a box with no room to walk or stretch. I'm not sure you'd like that way of dying either.

However, to each their own, if you like having them in your tank, and they're alive, so be it. If you don't mind them dying early then the only thing that is wrong is how the fish feels, and nobody can prove that (sort of). We're just on this board giving out and taking in advice. We don't need to agree with 100% of what is said here.