Stocking Suggestions for 55gal Office Tank

[fishyrican]

I need some ideas on stocking a 55 gal tank that sits in my office waiting room. I have had a school of tiger barbs that have been moved to a tank at home. I am running an Emperor 400 on it. I have gravel substrate and plastic plants in it since I am often out of the office. Does anybody have any suggestions about what to put in it? This time, I want to try two or three larger fish as opposed to a school of smaller fish but want something that will give the tank some life.

TIA

 

[Guest]

angel fish, i just got some and i love them... but im still learning about what can go with them.

 

[severum mama]

How about a severum?

 

[fishyrican]

How about a severum?

I'll have to look one up. Admittedly, I have been curious about them since I first saw your name, but have not looked it up yet.

 

[severum mama]

Well, I have a gold severum (see avatar) and he is one of my all time favorite fish. They get big, about 10+ inches, so I'm not sure I would keep more than one in a 55 gallon (mine is the only sev in my 55 gallon). The good news is they are not as aggressive as some other large cichlids so you can keep them with other fish. Mine lives happily with a firemouth, convict, tiger barbs, and sailfin pleco (for whom I will have to upgrade my tank in a couple years ). Here's a pic of mine in case you want to see it:

 

[TankGirl]

I think that is a great idea, Severum Mama. One with a few smaller fish and you will have a very nice display. I would not get too many other fish, though, since the filtration you have won't support it (JMO )

 

[severum mama]

Good point TG, I didn't notice the filtration. I use an Emperor 400 and an Emperor 280 on my 55 gallon so it is not as much a problem for me. Maybe you could go with 1 severum and a school of barbs or large tetras- nothing that could fit in a sev's mouth. Black skirts or congos or something would probably work. My severum grew really fast at first, from 1 1/2 inches to 6 1/2 inches in just over a year, but then the growth slows down a lot. If you get one you will love it- they have so much personality and will even eat out of your hand. The most common ones are the green and turquoise, and the gold variety is readily available too. There are other, more expensive, color variants that I don't know too much about, like the red headed and rotkeil varieties. Good luck and let me know what you decide!

 

[fishyrican]

Sev, I like your stocking suggestions. In trying to get a bigger fish, I knew I would have a problem with the filtration. I had wanted to get a canister for that tank anyway, so this will give me an excuse.

 

[TankGirl]

Rock on, fishyrican!

 

[severum mama]

Sweet, let me know how it turns out. You shouldn't have any problems finding a severum at your LFS, or if you feel like spending more $$$ check out Aquabid for the more rare ones. Again, make sure your dither fish are big enough. I made that mistake once with small tiger barbs (replaced some that died of old age) after my sev was already pretty big. I thought they would be ok since they are so fast, and the sev is so docile most of the time (although I think I have one of the more aggressive ones I've heard of). 3 of them disappeared. 8O

 

[mentallylost]

You could also try a couple of pair of Lake Malawi Peacocks. They have beautiful colors, average about 6", and are peaceful but active enough to give the tank some fun personality.

 

[TankGirl]

I'd be happy to sell you my Malawi peacock for cheap (link in my sig for a pic that does not do him justice) but he is by no means peaceful. He will own that tank all by himself, and that is why I need to get rid of him.

I think the best way to stock an African tank is to slightly overstock it, and you would need to be ready for the inevitable aggression issues that will arise. You can go to cichlid-forum.com and look in their library at cookie-cutter setups for excellent stocking suggestions for different sized tanks, but for a waiting room setup you might want some inhabitants that don't have the potential to be so problematic.

 

[fishyrican]

but for a waiting room setup you might want some inhabitants that don't have the potential to be so problematic

As an attorney, the last thing I need is to have my clients worked up by what they see before they meet me.

 

[Pacifico]

Not that my $.02 are necessary, but I also think a Severum would be a great choice. I had one for a number of years--fantastic fish. They have good personalities, get beautiful, and usually don't turn out to be terribly aggressive (in my experience).

 

[TankGirl]

I think your input is valuable, Pacifico, and all this severum talk makes me want to put one in my 55! I saw some today at the LFS and it was certainly tempting.

 

[Blazeherd2306]

I agree with TG. I've seen severums before, and they have lots of personality. I'd get on , but my 55 gal. is fully stocked.

 

[fishyrican]

I'm going to try my local lfs this weekend to see if they carry severum. If they do, I'll have to upgrade the filter first, and then I will get it.