The elmers site is a good "guide" except it doesn't really give you any recommended stocking numbers, it just lists about a hundred different species for each type of tank setup and sort of implies that you can put one of each into any size tank over their recommended minimum and everything will be fine. Oh and their info on maintenance and filtration isn't too great IMO.
Calling 30-55 gal tank owners
- Thread starter cee219
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
frog girl
Aquarium Advice Freak
Make sure you get your plants in there & established first it will help your tank cycle faster so that you have things to absorb the fish waste & oxygenate the water.
With a planted tank you have to decide a lot of things
lighting
CO2 addition or not
substrate
fertilizing
As a new person I had luck with Cryptocorne ciliata but I have a pretty deep rich substrate. Anacharis & hornwort are probably your best starters. Both help prevent spikes in ammonia & anacharis produces a lot of oxygen. I think hornwort also absorbs a lot of phosphorous which is what you will need to watch out for to prevent algae from taking over. Anacharis will root eventually but hornwort is free floating.
I have a 60 gallon & have otocinclus catfish (great for algae which you will discover can be a problem). I have 6. They are small but fun to watch & extremely peaceful. Also very gentle on plants.
I also have harlequin rasboras (6 was a good stock rate for them). They do interesting displays at each other when they are happy. They look ugly cream & gray in an aquarium store but turn pink & bright blue when happy.
I also had 6 tiger barbs which when kept in school in a tank with plenty of hiding places & plants are much less likely to bother your other fish. I had no trouble with this mix. The barbs are so fun to watch. They are always arguing over who is the top fish & when they display or get excited their fins get extra red. Just by watching them you can figure out what they are saying to each other. Like when the hang in the water with their heads down or tip 45 degrees or so when near others of their species they are saying to a more dominant fish "Uncle - you win".
Anyway these are all pretty tough fish & survived all my newbie mistakes.
With a planted tank you have to decide a lot of things
lighting
CO2 addition or not
substrate
fertilizing
As a new person I had luck with Cryptocorne ciliata but I have a pretty deep rich substrate. Anacharis & hornwort are probably your best starters. Both help prevent spikes in ammonia & anacharis produces a lot of oxygen. I think hornwort also absorbs a lot of phosphorous which is what you will need to watch out for to prevent algae from taking over. Anacharis will root eventually but hornwort is free floating.
I have a 60 gallon & have otocinclus catfish (great for algae which you will discover can be a problem). I have 6. They are small but fun to watch & extremely peaceful. Also very gentle on plants.
I also have harlequin rasboras (6 was a good stock rate for them). They do interesting displays at each other when they are happy. They look ugly cream & gray in an aquarium store but turn pink & bright blue when happy.
I also had 6 tiger barbs which when kept in school in a tank with plenty of hiding places & plants are much less likely to bother your other fish. I had no trouble with this mix. The barbs are so fun to watch. They are always arguing over who is the top fish & when they display or get excited their fins get extra red. Just by watching them you can figure out what they are saying to each other. Like when the hang in the water with their heads down or tip 45 degrees or so when near others of their species they are saying to a more dominant fish "Uncle - you win".
Anyway these are all pretty tough fish & survived all my newbie mistakes.
xxmoorishmanxx
Aquarium Advice Addict
Been to scotts a bit of a drive for me? nice selsection, but they did seem high priced.
MoxieGrrrl
Aquarium Advice Freak
My signature has the fish in my tank - it's a peaceful community, and the cories add a little action when they get revved up and swim the length of the tank a few times. The dwarf gouramis add a calm gracefulness (make sure you don't get aggressive gouramis, the dwarves I have are quite happy with the group I have in there). The mollies and swordtails add a splash of color.
All in all the group I have is very content and get along with each other fantastically
Good luck with whatever you decide to do!
All in all the group I have is very content and get along with each other fantastically
Good luck with whatever you decide to do!Wow, everyone here is so helpful, after a week I'm still waiting for a response on the about.com forums. Thanks! I have a much better idea about what I'm going to put in my aquarium. I'll just need to a little reading on each of the fishes you suggested. I'm pretty sure I am getting a 55 gallon now.
I'm looking for small-medium sized fish that are peaceful-ish. I'd really like schools. I've mostly been looking at tetras, barbs, zebra danios, Harlequin Rasboras, and Cory Cats. My fish experience isn't much, but I've kept Bettas quite successfully and my little guy seems happy. He most likely will not be joining the tank, especially if I obtain Tiger Barbs.
NewFishGuy
Aquarium Advice FINatic
In mine I have:
1 fire gourami
2 Minor Black Spotted Tetras
2 Albino Cory Catfish
this combo is working wonderfully for me.
1 fire gourami
2 Minor Black Spotted Tetras
2 Albino Cory Catfish
this combo is working wonderfully for me.
Menagerie
Aquarium Advice Addict
That's right up my alley, except my fish are in cliques
As a general rule, I would not mix tetras with barbs. My 50 Gallon Community Tank: small gravel and gravel that looks like river stones, centerpiece castle, real plants, and lots of natural wood; 304 Fluval:
13 assorted Cory Cats, Rubber Lip Pleco, white spotted Bristle Nose pleco, Bolivian Ram, 2 German Rams, 12 Kuhli Loaches, 12 white clouds (give or take), 3 little brichardi, 5 Apistos, lots of pygmy cories
KaiserFish
Aquarium Advice Activist
My 30 gallon used to house a group of mbuna cichlids, however they've graduated a month ago to a 90 gallon tank and have all grown rapidly now.
The tank is currently used to hold six fry from my haplochromis quads and 5 green terror fry (surprisingly, they all leave each other alone). There is also one clown pleco in there. (all the fry are approx 1-2" big)
The tank is currently used to hold six fry from my haplochromis quads and 5 green terror fry (surprisingly, they all leave each other alone). There is also one clown pleco in there. (all the fry are approx 1-2" big)
