Stocking ideas for a 55 gallon

[Rossnthade]

Hi!

I've got a 55 gallon tank, fully cycled, that I've been slowly stocking over the last couple of months. So far I have 10 Lamp-eyed Tetras, two Julii Cory Cats (planning on getting a couple more of these), and one clown pleco. I'm not quite ready to put more fish in yet (wanting to give it a bit longer for everything to settle) but I'm trying to plot my next purchases and cannot seem to settle on anything.

For a while I was thinking that I wanted to add one electric blue acara but now I'm not sure. I've also been mulling around having a school (6-8) of roseline sharks, but I can't quite commit to that either.

Whenever I go to the fish store I realize how pretty gouramis are and consider doing some of those (but to be honest, they scare me a bit because I don't want to deal with aggression), and then other times I just want to get a bunch more tetras and maybe some harlequins and call it good.

Ideas? Recommendations? Info on whether or not Gouramis would work?

What kind of community tanks have you put together that are visually unique but function well?

Thanks!

 

[libertybelle]

So much of this is just preference!

My 55 is a massive school of rummy nose tetras, smaller schools of tiger barbs and white skirts (the glofish versions, to appease my toddler) and otos. Plus one panda Cory, remaining from my attempt to add a school. I want more obviously, but I haven’t found a healthy source of them yet. Poor little guy!

 

[Rossnthade]

So much of this is just preference!

My 55 is a massive school of rummy nose tetras, smaller schools of tiger barbs and white skirts (the glofish versions, to appease my toddler) and otos. Plus one panda Cory, remaining from my attempt to add a school. I want more obviously, but I haven’t found a healthy source of them yet. Poor little guy!

Thanks!

I think rummy nose tetras are really pretty. Maybe I'll do that if I can find some. I hear you on the cory issue. I haven't been able to find a good supply of julii corys and I'm also down to just one, though he appears to be going strong. I do feel bad for him though, down there on his own.

 

[rlederer]

I don't find gouramis aggressive. I've had 3-spot/blue gouramis, pearl gouramis, chocolate gouramis and dwarf gouramis (although male dwarf gouramis can be nippy.)

 

[Rossnthade]

Interesting. How many do you keep at a time? Do you mix different types together.

I just realized that my lamp-eyed tetras are really fast and aggressive eaters and now I'm concerned that I'll end up with a fish that won't get enough food because it won't be aggressive enough during feeding time. How are your gouramis at feeding time? Can they hold their own?

Thanks!

 

[rlederer]

I had six blue gouramis and six pear gouramis, but not together.

 

[CardinalDiscus]

I would honestly not go for the gourami's they are peacful at times but they die really easily and are not a good fish to keep. i have kept gouramis a while back and they seemed fine but that was 20 years ago now they have breed them so much they are weak and not a very hardy fish they can die out of nowhere. I would honestly go for some barbs . There is alot of viriety of themand they are very hardy idk what your water conditions are but i would go for those if you have medium to hard water and medium to hight ph. Or you could go with a big school of cardinals about 25-30 of them easily they would look great they sell them for 99 cents where i live they are dirt cheap and are very hardy. Plz respond to my post i would like some answers all that i can get.

 

[rlederer]

I don't totally agree that gouramis are not hardy. Dwarf Gouramis are a bit hard to keep healthy, and Chocolate Gouramis are sensitive but I've had Pearl Gouramis for years and I now have a half dozen blue gouramis that are outliving every other fish in the tank. But they do get fairly big.

 

[CardinalDiscus]

ok well maybe that is where u live but gouramis here are always dieing

 

[Rossnthade]

I would honestly not go for the gourami's they are peacful at times but they die really easily and are not a good fish to keep. i have kept gouramis a while back and they seemed fine but that was 20 years ago now they have breed them so much they are weak and not a very hardy fish they can die out of nowhere. I would honestly go for some barbs . There is alot of viriety of themand they are very hardy idk what your water conditions are but i would go for those if you have medium to hard water and medium to hight ph. Or you could go with a big school of cardinals about 25-30 of them easily they would look great they sell them for 99 cents where i live they are dirt cheap and are very hardy. Plz respond to my post i would like some answers all that i can get.

I've heard that before, especially concerning dwarf gouramis.

I've considered getting some barbs. My water is on the higher end of the ph scale and on the hard side (which I know tetras don't really like but so far the lamp-eyes are doing great). I saw some large tiger barbs at the pet store and those were fun. Cherry barbs would be a nice color addition.

I do also love neon and cardinals. I'm very torn between all these options.

 

[Rossnthade]

I don't totally agree that gouramis are not hardy. Dwarf Gouramis are a bit hard to keep healthy, and Chocolate Gouramis are sensitive but I've had Pearl Gouramis for years and I now have a half dozen blue gouramis that are outliving every other fish in the tank. But they do get fairly big.

I think I'd go for full sized if I went that direction. Thanks for the info!

 

[CardinalDiscus]

yes the barbs would be better for the higher ph gouramis like lower ph. barbs will look lovely in your aquarium. 15 would be awesome.

 

[Rossnthade]

yes the barbs would be better for the higher ph gouramis like lower ph. barbs will look lovely in your aquarium. 15 would be awesome.

Thanks, that's helpful advice.

 

[Rossnthade]

Went in to the local pet store to get a mystery snail (sadly everything they had was dead so...) and walked out with 5 green tiger barbs. I'll probably add a few more as the school's on the small side but they only had 5.

 

[CardinalDiscus]

awesome