55 stocking advice

[Kellie]

Don't feel old, I'm 23 and I dealt with dial up Internet in high school because my mom was so stubborn and didn't get DSL for forever lol. I have bronze and peppered cories, I have Bolivian rams so that would probably exclude them for me.

I'm within a decade of you but talking about technology always makes me feel old! I have German rams and i definitely think the rams are to tame for tigers. They get along with my alpha black phantom tetras but i think that's the most aggression they can handle based on the interactions i see in my tank. During feeding time the rams patiently wait and eat with the cories (i have pandas) it's adorable.

 

[Wolfsblood]

Id skip the convict and the jewel. Maybe do an eartheater or firemouth. Jewels dig and can mess up your plants. Most eartheaters wont.

 

[Mrs.h2012]

I'm within a decade of you but talking about technology always makes me feel old! I have German rams and i definitely think the rams are to tame for tigers. They get along with my alpha black phantom tetras but i think that's the most aggression they can handle based on the interactions i see in my tank. During feeding time the rams patiently wait and eat with the cories (i have pandas) it's adorable.

That's funny, I had long finned black skirts and they didn't get along with my rams but my serpaes do. My rams must be pigs lol. When I feed the moment the see one IFAD the shrimp pellets they make a b line for it even if it's only sank halfway down in the tank lol.

 

[Aqualady40]

I currently own 7 tiger barbs of all 3 types 3 gouramis and all three are different types 1 redtail black shark & 1 rubberlip pleco. The tb's chase each other and has not nipped fins.....rtbs patrols the bottom.....gouramis get along and hang out mostly mid to top......rubberlip pays no attention to any of them.....

 

[PsiSoSerious]

I was just about to say give it a try with your original plan. My first 55 was a "you can't have that with that" tank and it was a great tank. I found out what fish I liked and which I didn't, I also found out what lfs took trade in's and which didn't . But ive had tiger barbs in a school as large as 20 and they were just amazing to watch. I have also owned every fish cichlid you were thinking about. And I would suggest no to the festivum only because they aren't that evasive and scare easy (from what i've seen).... Now my notes on convicts and jewels are that they are two of the most aggressive little cichlids for their areas. Convicts being central American and jewels(correct me if i'm wrong) African. I've seen both win jaw locks with full grown flowerhorns. So yea have fun

 

[Kellie]

Thank you so much for the replies! It's really hard to google search suggestions for cichlids in the type of tank i want everything I'm seeing assumes you want to breed which i don't want. I've been seeing species that may work then punching it into aq advisor to check size info then researching personality when aq says stock level is ok and it doesn't need a group. I know a lot of Africans are out due to different water parameters. Aside from learning who are harem breeders and who forms pairs I'm getting very frustrated with the searching. Trying to create a list so i have options on who my 3 cichlid personalities will be and can choose based on researching specific species and what's available at lfs. Any suggestions on other cichlids i can research that would thrive as a single specimen in this kind of environment? Thanks again for all the replies.

 

[PsiSoSerious]

Eartheaters may work very well, maybe kirbs, blue acara may be great I had a pair once and they quickly became a favorite fish of mine. Maybe a parrot fish.....i've never kept one but I heard they keep to themselves unless provoked?

 

[Kellie]

Eartheaters may work very well, maybe kirbs, blue acara may be great I had a pair once and they quickly became a favorite fish of mine. Maybe a parrot fish.....i've never kept one but I heard they keep to themselves unless provoked?

I'm going to look at those for sure, blue acara had previously stood out as a possibility. I had previously plugged parrot fish into aq with convict and it gave me a cross breeding warning. I want to try and get all juvies so they can grow up together i will research sexing and see if it can be done younger. Thanks for giving me more to consider. General cichlid research is so overwhelming having species to look at makes it so much more manageable!

 

[Wolfsblood]

Have a look at this Kellie. This really helped me out in picking species. Species Profiles

 

[PsiSoSerious]

I know what you mean. When I started up again I bought everything for my 55 I was told I couldn't have and it made me fall i'm love with jack Dempsey, hate jewels, not mind convicts and despise firemouths. I can't wait to find out what you pick

 

[Kellie]

Thanks for the link now that i have some ideas of different varieties it will make looking easier. I think I'm going to do a photo journal of this tank. It's going to be a long while until completion. I just want the stocking plan quasi finalized before i start the aquascape so i can plan for each fishes needs. My plan is to add the barbs six at a time then the cichlids together then the shark last. i have an awesome idea to create a territory for the rtbs if you're interested I'll try and start the photo journal tonight look for me in the picture thread tomorrow!

 

[PsiSoSerious]

Awesome!

 

[Bumble bee goby owner]

For cichlids could you use kribs

 

[Kellie]

For cichlids could you use kribs

I'm definitely exploring that as an option. i really want to get 3 very different looking cichlids with minimal chances of them killing each other. And different enough that i don't have to even have to consider being worried about cross breeding.

 

[Bumble bee goby owner]

Kribs electric blues and if given room dwarf pike cichlids ?

 

[PsiSoSerious]

Electric blue teams right? Cause ebjds will be out of the question well....maybe not I wouldn't try it tho

 

[CharlieKlein]

Kribs electric blues and if given room dwarf pike cichlids ?

If say no, because the kribs and rams are from different reigions. You could however do a mawali set up! But if you like dwarfs, I think you could do a pair if German blue rams and a trio of any apisto cichlid, then an angelfish as well as dither fish

 

[PsiSoSerious]

Wow.....I can't believe that I forgot angles.....and i've seen kribs and rams together before, but I don't think she wants her rams in this tank....unless I read it wrong

 

[Kellie]

I'm looking to avoid rams since i have them in my community tank. Want to go a bit meaner this time. I don't know about the malawi guys as i believe they are the ones that like the higher ph? I want to make sure the water quality will be ok for the barbs and shark too.

 

[CharlieKlein]

Yeah, just with kribs from Africa and rams from SA/CA its not the best to mix from opposite ends if the world. It can be done tho