Stocking ideas need help

[skiweeangel]

So I am stocking my sons 55gak slowly. Right now it only has two long finned gold danios (I will be filling out that school soon) and three Congo tetras. I plan on adding some cory cats (emeralds if I can find them) for bottom feeders. I plan on adding two small angels as the last thing to go in. Aside from the stock I have decided on of 6 cories, 8 danios, 6 Congo tetras, and 2 angels what else could go in? I would like another mid level I think. Suggestions welcome.

 

[NYgiantsRP]

That's seems pretty good. But if you really really wanted to I guess you could do either another school, like card tetras or maybe a few rainbow fish. Or more bottom dwellers like a few straitia botia or kuli loaches. Or even a couple gourami, depending on the color of the angels, one gold one blue or something.

 

[skiweeangel]

I will have to look up the two bottom dwellers you gave me. I do love the look of cardinal tetras but worried about tetra disease. Maybe I would just QT for a long time first.

 

[NYgiantsRP]

Cards are actually the most resistant to tetra disease. I believe I read that before I got mine.

 

[djtypykuhl]

first of all i'd scratch the angel fish idea STAT!
angels are very touchy to temp/other water levels and die very easily.
for the mid-level fish suggustion, i would recommend mollies because they are very sturdy fish, and also come in a wide variety of colors and shapes
also, since your schooling your fish, you may want to try neon tetras, they do best in groups of 5 or more, and are small and active, so it would give your tank more movement/life.
maybe get a small school of regular danios? they are very active top-level fish, and you already said you have giant golds, so if you get some only get a few.
red-eye tetras and black-skirt tetras are also smei-active schooling fish, so they would be a good idea.
good luck with your fish choices

also, are you planning on using live plants? you should, tons of benefits
what about algae eaters? snails can reproduse asexually, so unless you want to be selling snails, don't get one. plecos get a minimum of 20inches at max growth, so they are a bad idea if you get more than one. (i have 2, and trust me, they get big quick.)

 

[Gboy66]

first of all i'd scratch the angel fish idea STAT!
angels are very touchy to temp/other water levels and die very easily.
for the mid-level fish suggustion, i would recommend mollies because they are very sturdy fish, and also come in a wide variety of colors and shapes
also, since your schooling your fish, you may want to try neon tetras, they do best in groups of 5 or more, and are small and active, so it would give your tank more movement/life.
maybe get a small school of regular danios? they are very active top-level fish, and you already said you have giant golds, so if you get some only get a few.
red-eye tetras and black-skirt tetras are also smei-active schooling fish, so they would be a good idea.
good luck with your fish choices

also, are you planning on using live plants? you should, tons of benefits
what about algae eaters? snails can reproduse asexually, so unless you want to be selling snails, don't get one. plecos get a minimum of 20inches at max growth, so they are a bad idea if you get more than one. (i have 2, and trust me, they get big quick.)

Actually, skiweeangel, i dissagree with most of this. You are experienced enough to deal with angels and you can keep them alive. Also, i wouldnt do neons because they die easily at first, and the angels would eat them up. Try a larger tetra like lemons! Also, nerite snails cant have eggs in fw that will hatch, so some of those would be nice. Then, plecos. There are many types other than commons that would do great in your tank. Bristle nose, clown, zebra, rubberlip, you name it!

 

[skiweeangel]

Thanks for all the replies guy!

I like the idea of the cardinal tetras and also a BN pleco to go with the cories. Does anyone know if that combination would do well? If not the BN maybe some amano shrimp, or another shrimp of similar size. We had a BN before but it passed after a few weeks and when I went back to petco the woman I love to talk with about fish told me that it was the longest surviving BN out of that shipment, so I think it was just a bad batch of fish. I still feel bad about it.

Also I will NOT be scraping the idea of the angels because they are one of the fish that both my son and I really would like, and I am catering my stocking around them. It's going to be a while before they will ever see the inside of his tank because I want all other inhabitants in place first and the system to be strong before I add them in. I have taken their pickiness into consideration.

I do not have giant danios in my son's tank, but rather long finned gold danios. They are about half the size of a giant but still very active and curious, but not quite as "psychotic" as the giant blue danios in MY 55gal. The only problem I have with them seems to be over breeding and weak strains. I am currently looking for a different source for them than petco.

As for snails..... I am unsure about them. I love to watch them along the glass, but I'm afraid of the tank being overrun! Also, I had no idea that Nerite snails didn't bread in FW. Do they require brackish to produce eggs? Will angels eat snails? I read another post which had said something to the remark of angels eating the baby snails. I never bothered to research it myself.

Oops, I think I'm rambling... HAHA

 

[Gboy66]

Ya...not sure how to respond to that post bec i cant remember all that i read hahahah! And specific questions?

 

[skiweeangel]

1) BN pleco with cories in a 55gal, good comb or no?

2) nerite snails won't reproduce in FW. Do they need a brackish environment to do that?

3) amano shrimp with cories and BN. Good idea or bad.

 

[siva]

1. Yes

2. Yup, need BW to reproduce.

3. Angels will eat/kill them.

 

[skiweeangel]

Do angels eat just babies or adults as well?

 

[siva]

Amano shrimp don't reproduce in freshwater. Most cichlids will kill any shrimp.

 

[TheFishBoss97]

first of all i'd scratch the angel fish idea STAT!
angels are very touchy to temp/other water levels and die very easily.
for the mid-level fish suggustion, i would recommend mollies because they are very sturdy fish, and also come in a wide variety of colors and shapes
also, since your schooling your fish, you may want to try neon tetras, they do best in groups of 5 or more, and are small and active, so it would give your tank more movement/life.
maybe get a small school of regular danios? they are very active top-level fish, and you already said you have giant golds, so if you get some only get a few.
red-eye tetras and black-skirt tetras are also smei-active schooling fish, so they would be a good idea.
good luck with your fish choices

also, are you planning on using live plants? you should, tons of benefits
what about algae eaters? snails can reproduse asexually, so unless you want to be selling snails, don't get one. plecos get a minimum of 20inches at max growth, so they are a bad idea if you get more than one. (i have 2, and trust me, they get big quick.)

i disagree with most of this just like Gboy66

Actually, skiweeangel, i dissagree with most of this. You are experienced enough to deal with angels and you can keep them alive. Also, i wouldnt do neons because they die easily at first, and the angels would eat them up. Try a larger tetra like lemons! Also, nerite snails cant have eggs in fw that will hatch, so some of those would be nice. Then, plecos. There are many types other than commons that would do great in your tank. Bristle nose, clown, zebra, rubberlip, you name it!

angelfish don't EAT neons............now that is a fact they may attack and kill them, but never eat......he also said he will start with small angels......last.........so they will be used ot the smaller tetras by the time the angels get bi9g enough(5months +)

i wouldn't do a clown pleco as you hardly ever see them......they are always hiding......an ABN would be perfect and would stand out against plants

and plecos that have been mentioned all require some form of wood to chew on,.............

i'd make the school of congos larger instead of adding another school because it looks much more natural that way, as in the wild, the schools are HUGE.........and its much better to have more of 1 fish than get 2 schools of fewer fish......

 

[TheFishBoss97]

Amano shrimp don't reproduce in freshwater. Most cichlids will kill any shrimp.

except angels...dwarf cichlids......

amanos are the only shrimp that get huge enough for angels to not kill.......the females get 3" and males around 2.5"........that is bigger than a serpae tetra, and i have never seen an angel attack a serpae........

 

[TheFishBoss97]

1) BN pleco with cories in a 55gal, good comb or no?

2) nerite snails won't reproduce in FW. Do they need a brackish environment to do that?

3) amano shrimp with cories and BN. Good idea or bad.

1), yes, but maybe an albino one? if u can find it

2), yeah, ur correct, in BW only

3) great idea no fish that ur planning on getting will kill amanos........

 

[siva]

Many, if not most cichlids, including angels and dwarfs, will kill amano shrimp. I'm not saying ALL of them will. But in genreal, these cichlids are not considered shrimp safe. And that's a fact.

Some angels do eat neons. And that's a fact.

 

[TheFishBoss97]

k, ^

but are u sure dwarf cichlids could kill amanos...............GBRs, and golds are smaller than amano shrimp............the only one brave enough would be a bolivian........but if they have their own space, they r fine

 

[siva]

OH I suspect you've never had/seen a full grown GBR or GGR. They are not smaller than amano shrimp. But even small fish can kill shrimp if they want to. Especially right after a molt. Angels are even more likely to kill shrimp yet you keep telling people they won't. Maybe you can start a thread on the topic and get opinions of others so it isn't just coming from me

 

[skiweeangel]

Well as for the shrimp they where just a thought. Maybe I will maybe I won't. I have lots of time to decide.

Maybe I will just fill out both school more anyway. I love the thought of more of them Time will tell. This is my sons tank so he does get some say but he is only three. Mommy and the wallet have the final say.

Also I will hopefully be getting a new canister filter to put on his tank after Christmas/hanukah! Not sure what that has to do with the rest of my thread. Haha!

 

[absolutangel04]

I agree with siva.
The only shrimp I would consider in there would be bamboo shrimp. Mine lived with angels/rams and a bunch of schoolers without a problem, but some people have bigger fish who harass the bamboo shrimp, so its still a gamble.
BNP with corys is fine. I did not have an issue when I did it and I have never heard of any issues, so I think that would be fine.
Just a note, sometimes angels will eat danios. The danios should reach 2 inches, so it should be fine, but I have heard a few stories where ti didn't work and the angels just picked off the danios one by one. Again, it should work just fine, I am just saying keep an eye on it.
Another possibility to add would be a honey gourami or a paradise fish. I like cards personally, and they are big enough to usually avoid being angel-food. They are a different species than neons, so they do not carry ntd. but, the congo tetras and gold danios are also lovely IMO, so if you just want more of them, thats fine too. let us know what you pick.