Best planted community fish combo for a 55g?

[SuperNewb]

Which fish work well together? how easy would it be to have all these fish breeding (at their whim, not encouraged) and have a new fish or two every couple months?

 

[Atxpunx]

Corydoras! Although those are bottom dwellers. Where in Austin do you live? I miss it. There are some good live fish stores around.

 

[siva]

Tons of options. Is this your first tank? Any specific fish you are interested in?

 

[SuperNewb]

WEstlake.
yes, first tank

I love corys and bottom dwellers. I like ghost shrimp. I also like live bearers just because I can breed them so easily. If I get too many, I will giver them to friends. I just hate the idea of a tank where no babies are being made. Then you are just waiting for fish to die :/ I also would like a bigger fish to keep the guppy population in check.

 

[Atxpunx]

Red cherry shrimp are good for getting a good amount of babies. Ghost shrimp don't make babies.

 

[siva]

In a tank this size you can have any type of cories you want, and they are definitely peaceful enough for anything else you choose. I would probably do swords and guppies or platties and guppies for the livebearers. Mollies are an option as well. If you want you could try and find something a little less common like some wild types, or a really nice strain of guppies. Poke around the livebearer section on aquabid and you'll find lots of cool stuff. As far as larger fish for population control, dwarf cichlids such as apistogrammas and bolivian rams would be great, as would a keyhole cichlid. Gouramis like dwarfs and pearls would work as well. Lots more options out there, just naming some.

Red cherry shrimp are good for getting a good amount of babies. Ghost shrimp don't make babies.

Some ghosts breed in freshwater and some do not.

 

[Atxpunx]

Agreed, ghosts are not for the new to the hobby though. Cherrys would give him quite a show though.

 

[siva]

We'll have to agree to disagree on that one. I think ghosts are a fine option for those new to the hobby, and were the first invert I ever kept. Cherries would be great, depending on the fish you stock, since they are much smaller. The larger fish you choose may pick off all your cherries, especially if you go with cichlids. Some also report ghosts picking off fry, so they may be helpful in that regard as well.

 

[Ryleyman]

Red cherry shrimp are good for getting a good amount of babies. Ghost shrimp don't make babies.

Mine had a ton of babies In my little 10 gal

 

[Ryleyman]

We'll have to agree to disagree on that one. I think ghosts are a fine option for those new to the hobby, and were the first invert I ever kept. Cherries would be great, depending on the fish you stock, since they are much smaller. The larger fish you choose may pick off all your cherries, especially if you go with cichlids. Some also report ghosts picking off fry, so they may be helpful in that regard as well.

My ghost shrimp would eat my guppies when they where sleeping :\

 

[Ryleyman]

In a tank this size you can have any type of cories you want, and they are definitely peaceful enough for anything else you choose. I would probably do swords and guppies or platties and guppies for the livebearers. Mollies are an option as well. If you want you could try and find something a little less common like some wild types, or a really nice strain of guppies. Poke around the livebearer section on aquabid and you'll find lots of cool stuff. As far as larger fish for population control, dwarf cichlids such as apistogrammas and bolivian rams would be great, as would a keyhole cichlid. Gouramis like dwarfs and pearls would work as well. Lots more options out there, just naming some.

Some ghosts breed in freshwater and some do not.

Gouramies are very entertaining when they play around with there feeler

 

[siva]

My ghost shrimp would eat my guppies when they where sleeping :\

I can't help but wonder if what you really had was red claw macros. I've seen them for sale mixed in with ghost shrimp, and they are fish eaters. I've kept ghost shrimp with fish in more set-ups than I could count and never had any issues.

 

[Atxpunx]

Is there a recipe to success at keeping the ghost shrimplets alive at the larval and benthic state before it gets easier for them to eat larger food?

 

[SuperNewb]

Would Gouramies do the job at taking care off some weaker/unlucky fry and cherry shrimp? Do they breed?

 

[SuperNewb]

Also, how many to keep?


Could you give me a procedure to follow for what I want? I know absolutely nothing about what to do, and sense my fish is going to come with a placo, eel, and convict- I don't want to kill them. Would it be better to see what I could get for them at a pet store? I would like to keep the eel. Maybe the convict. one more fish I don't sell is one more I don't have to buy.
(ex- step 1....)

 

[SuperNewb]

Also, how many to keep?


Could you give me a procedure to follow for what I want? I know absolutely nothing about what to do, and sense my fish *tank* is going to come with a placo, eel, and convict- I don't want to kill them. Would it be better to see what I could get for them at a pet store? I would like to keep the eel. Maybe the convict. one more fish I don't sell is one more I don't have to buy.
(ex- step 1....)

 

[SuperNewb]

what about (down the road) something like


Prehistoric Dragon Goby (Gobioides broussonnetii)

 

[siva]

Would Gouramies do the job at taking care off some weaker/unlucky fry and cherry shrimp? Do they breed?

Yes. I have little experience with larger gourami species so I'm not sure if adult RCS (that's Red Cherry Shrimp) would survive with them. IME with dwarf gourami they will not wipe out the adult population of RCS in a planted tank, though it is a possibility.

Do some research on the breeding labyrinth/anabantoids fish. They do breed, but it's different from your average egg layer.

Also, how many to keep?


Could you give me a procedure to follow for what I want? I know absolutely nothing about what to do, and sense my fish is going to come with a placo, eel, and convict- I don't want to kill them. Would it be better to see what I could get for them at a pet store? I would like to keep the eel. Maybe the convict. one more fish I don't sell is one more I don't have to buy.
(ex- step 1....)

This is going to depend on the species of gourami you choose.

You mean pleco? I didn't know about the pleco, convict, and eel. Convicts aren't generally considered to be good candidates for community tanks, though I have no experience with them myself. We need to figure out what kind of pleco and eel, as some get too large for a tank this size, and so we can figure out what other fish the tank can accomodate.

what about (down the road) something like


Prehistoric Dragon Goby (Gobioides broussonnetii)

These are actually brackish water fish so you can't keep them in your tank.

 

[SuperNewb]

Whats a good unique fish that can be the star of the show?

 

[Atxpunx]

How about a German blue ram? I've seen them with red cherry shrimp and other fish. Just make more hiding spots are available. Lots of plants, lots of rocks and driftwood.