Schooling fish for a 55g?

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Morgie

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Joined
Feb 22, 2011
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I'd like to get a small school of fish for my 55g, probably 5-10 in the school.

The only issues with typical schooling fish I can see are..

My tank is planted, so nothing that will strip my tank bare.
The fish should get at least 2.5-3"+ (I have large catfish)
I also need a schooling fish that won't nip my angelfish's fins.

What are your thoughts/suggestions?
 
You can get Paracyprichromis nigripinnis it is a cichlid.It grows to 3.5in to 4in.It is a little nippy.They need at least 6 together.Glass catfish need at least 3 fish and they grow to an average of 2.5in.
 
A group of one of the "small" rainbows would likely work well for you.
 
I'm doing glass cats in mine :) They should be in groups of 6+. Also boesmani rainbows are really pretty but I don't think they are really considered a schooling fish. I think zebra danios/glo fish would be awesome in a 55 but I guess they are a little small for your big guys. I was thinking of some barbs but they get too nippy for the angels, I would assume. Tricky one!
 
I really like those cichlids! But I feel they'd be better suited in a cichlid exclusive tank. I read up on them and it said they were fairly peaceful, but needed large rocky outcroppings and weren't as lively as many of the other cichlid species. Maybe someday! I actually already have 5 glass catfish in another tank, so I don't really want to double up on them in another tank.. Rainbows, however, I was and am still seriously considering. (especially the boesmani rainbows! ahh so beautiful!)
I was just wondering if anyone knew of any tetras/barbs that aren't nippy and fit my size requirements.
 
You can get Paracyprichromis nigripinnis it is a cichlid.It grows to 3.5in to 4in.It is a little nippy.They need at least 6 together.Glass catfish need at least 3 fish and they grow to an average of 2.5in.

Glass catfish sound amazing. I have 3. However, I have always heard they reach 4-5 inches~!
 
I really like those cichlids! But I feel they'd be better suited in a cichlid exclusive tank. I read up on them and it said they were fairly peaceful, but needed large rocky outcroppings and weren't as lively as many of the other cichlid species. Maybe someday! I actually already have 5 glass catfish in another tank, so I don't really want to double up on them in another tank.. Rainbows, however, I was and am still seriously considering. (especially the boesmani rainbows! ahh so beautiful!)
I was just wondering if anyone knew of any tetras/barbs that aren't nippy and fit my size requirements.

Don't you think the glass cats would be better suited to your larger tank? I've always wanted them but have been waiting for my 55 because I thought that would suit them best.
 
You could do blind cave tetra. Those are interesting...and strange lol
 
I really like those cichlids! But I feel they'd be better suited in a cichlid exclusive tank. I read up on them and it said they were fairly peaceful, but needed large rocky outcroppings and weren't as lively as many of the other cichlid species. Maybe someday! I actually already have 5 glass catfish in another tank, so I don't really want to double up on them in another tank.. Rainbows, however, I was and am still seriously considering. (especially the boesmani rainbows! ahh so beautiful!)
I was just wondering if anyone knew of any tetras/barbs that aren't nippy and fit my size requirements.

Most barbs other than tigers and larger tetra (congos, emperor, etc.). You have a lot of options.
 
australian silverfish might be okay,my mom used to have a school of them and they were fairly nice until we addede small angels.then they got evil and started murdering fish.now weve got 1 and he is a murderer, he'll kill everything in his way,even gouramis bigger than him.mora of the story-if you get them,dont put little angelfish in with them,or let the school get below 5.

^wasnt swearing,i just put he'll without the '
 
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Don't you think the glass cats would be better suited to your larger tank? I've always wanted them but have been waiting for my 55 because I thought that would suit them best.

Nah, they really don't require much space. They grow about 3-4" and aren't very "active" fish. Mine stay in the place with the highest amount of current and just swim all day, they only break from their habits when it's time for food. They form little pairs and it's fun to watch them "play" with each other, occasionally, but they really aren't the most exciting fish. They are content to swim at 30degree angles all day and explore caves at night. :) I could recommend them for a 20G+
 
australian silverfish might be okay,my mom used to have a school of them and they were fairly nice until we addede small angels.then they got evil and started murdering fish.now weve got 1 and he is a murderer,**** kill everything in his way,even gouramis bigger than him.mora of the story-if you get them,dont put little angelfish in with them,or let the school get below 5.

Well, I have an angelfish so that doesn't seem to be like a good option, haha
 
Oh, and just as a general statement (cause I think there's a lot of confusion going on) there are TWO species of "glass catfish". One, the true Glass Catfish, Kryptopterus bicirrhis, is a native to Asia. It grows to the 4-6" size mentioned earlier and is a feistier fish. It is rarely, if ever exported to North America for the aquarium trade.
The ones that are sold in pet stores are technically GHOST Catfish, Kryptopterus minor, only grows to about 2-3".. They are also much more peaceful than their larger counterparts.
Pet stores just refer to them with both names, most of the time I see ghost catfish for sale, they are labeled as glass catfish, which are another thing altogether.
Sorry for the lecture :rolleyes: but the fish are quite easy to tell apart and are suited for much different aquaria setting. "Glass" catfish seems to be the name most people here (and pet stores) are using for ghost catfish, and the information found on the internet can be misleading (obviously). ((and also take what I'm saying with a grain of salt, I'm not a FW biologist))
The two are actually really easy to tell apart (besides size). Glass catfish have a pinkish-white head, while Ghost catfish have a silver-black head. There's also a striped variety.
Ghost catfish stay small, and are easy to care for in a 20+ gallon tank, but can be finicky eaters in my experience.
 
Morgie, if I PM'd you a picture of mine, can you tell me which type they are?
 
I can try, but I'd bet you anything they're ghost catfish. :>

I'll attach a pic here. It's really weird though, almost every place online showed picture that looked like mine and still said 4-6"... but I'd been confused because mine are thriving and eating but not growing! Haha! They're about 2"! Here's a pic.
 

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Yep! Your little guy looks just like mine! (I've got a picture of one of mine in my albums)
He's a Ghost Catfish, and he'll be lucky if he gets 3"
3 of mine are about 2.5", and 2 are a little bit bigger.

How long have you had yours? I've had my first pair since January. :>
 
Yep! Your little guy looks just like mine! (I've got a picture of one of mine in my albums)
He's a Ghost Catfish, and he'll be lucky if he gets 3"
3 of mine are about 2.5", and 2 are a little bit bigger.

How long have you had yours? I've had my first pair since January. :>

Thank you, that' such a relief! I have three total, and I've had them for about 5-7 weeks, I think. They're doing great. They all survived an unfortunate fish-in cycle (we were noobs!) and a move from a 10 to a 29g tank. I'm so lucky.

They are my favorite fish. They tickle each other and rub on each other just to be friendly. They have never ever had any aggression towards a tankmate, and one of them is a food piggy and always gets really fat after a brine shrimp feeding!

^^;
 
Congo tetra's are definitely awesome. I just got a school recently because neons in my area seem to be horribly weak as of late. Very active and so far haven't been nippy. Plus they're not teeny tiny.
 
Yep! Your little guy looks just like mine! (I've got a picture of one of mine in my albums)
He's a Ghost Catfish, and he'll be lucky if he gets 3"
3 of mine are about 2.5", and 2 are a little bit bigger.

How long have you had yours? I've had my first pair since January. :>


I need to get a picture of one of mine next to a tape measure. One of mine I've had for around 2 years now.. A friend had given me hers and I added to it, and my other 5 are getting up there in age too and don't hold a stick to this cat. He's at least 5 inches, probably closer to 6. I think he's just got really good genes. :D
 
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