suggestions on tank mates

[Lt.]

Well I've got my self nice 55 gal. tank, and I'm just haveing fun planning out the future stock for it. I plan to have it up and running in 2 wekks, and I expect it'll be cycled in a month and a half. So far I think I've planned out about 2/3 of the stock, which is as follows:
-12 or so neon tetra for blue and red colors, plus I'm dead set on having them since they were my first fish so they hold a special place in my heart.
-7-10 assorted cories, what ever my LFS has in stock or you all suggest.
-5-8 Australian rainbow fish
-a gold nugget pleco
-i might keep my current sailfin pleco, but not sure

Other than that, I'm not sure, I thought guppies might be cool.cause of the big wavy fins, but my dad thinks I should get something more interesting than boring old guppies. I like to have differently colored fish, so that I get a rainbow of sorts going, and I prefer schools of small fish over a few big loner fish.any day, just so that there's a guide line for suggestions. Thanks for the help.

 

[hellaasian]

Chili rasboras are cool or scarlet badis and a cool schooling fish is the halfbeak

 

[hellaasian]

Maybe red cherryshrimps

 

[Lt.]

OH YEAH! Shrimp! I forgot to ask about shrimp, what kinda shrimp would work? I've never even thought about shrimp? Suggestions? I've never had shrimp before.

 

[hellaasian]

Red cherry shrimps are cool and cheaper ones are called ghost shrimp they keep your tank clean and eat left over food and even have babies heres some pics of my shrimp

 

[hellaasian]

Heres a ghost shrimp that i have

 

[hellaasian]

If you have any more questions just ask cause trust me there are amazing small fish you tht u wont think exist i have a rare licorice moonspot gourami and i think you will like peacock gudgeons theyre pretty colorful i have two of them

 

[Lt.]

Do the cherry shrimp do well in community tanks? Would they do well in a tank what the above mentioned fish? Are they at all aggressive?

 

[Cynic]

Harlequin Rasbora are quite nice fish to go with neon tetras.

Also don't keep your sailfin unless it's a bristlenose sailfin.

 

[hellaasian]

Yea theyll be ok just have alot of live plants for them and cover ur filter intake with a sponge so they wont get sucked into it just start with ghost shrimp theyre only 25cents because red shrimps are 5$

 

[Rivercats]

Personally I'd get rid of the sailfin pleco it is going to get way too big. I'd get a Longfin albino bristlenose pleco. They stay small and also the albinos are known to be more active during the day not to mention their bright yellow color. Since you like schooling fish and color look into rummy nose tetras and possibly a school of lemon tetras. Lemon tetras will add yellow with a touch of red in the upper eye iris. They are pale in the beginning but as they settle in they color up ever nicely. If you decide to do shrimp as mentioned above be sure to add some thick plantings especially for the young. Any type of moss is good. I have a couple thick plantings of Pogostemon helferi that even the smallest fish can't get into for cover. A pair of peacock grudgeons could work but you need to give them a cave or rockwork in the event they want to spawn. Dwarf gouramis like Licorice or Sparkling gourami's are too small for a 55g and would have a hard time competing for food. You'd have to watch that with grudgeons also. If you have a lid on your tank you could do something like Marble hatchet fish that will basically stay at the very upper level of your tank. Honey gourami's have good color and also come in Sunset honey and Golden honey color varieties.

 

[Lt.]

Looked up the marble hatchet fish and I like the looks of them, so they are gonna be my top water fish. Any tips about them would be helpful. But what other fish can I get. Thanx

 

[Thilligoss73]

I'd like to suggest a Banded Leproinus. I recently acquired one for my community tank and he's been a wonderful addition. They get to be about 6 inches or so, he's gotten along with all my other fish, and the coloration is bright and attractive (think a mix between bumble-bee colors and a zebra pattern). The only fish that might have issues with a Banded Leoprinus would be something "gracefull", like a Betta or Angelfish. The Leoprinus tends to nip fins of slow moving fish. Mine has been a wonderful addition!

 

[Cynic]

I'd like to suggest a Banded Leproinus. I recently acquired one for my community tank and he's been a wonderful addition. They get to be about 6 inches or so, he's gotten along with all my other fish, and the coloration is bright and attractive (think a mix between bumble-bee colors and a zebra pattern). The only fish that might have issues with a Banded Leoprinus would be something "gracefull", like a Betta or Angelfish. The Leoprinus tends to nip fins of slow moving fish. Mine has been a wonderful addition!

Actually in my experience the only thing that doesn't have a problem with Leoprinus are Leoprinus. They are true predators and I would be watching him like a hawk as they are well known tank killers, not kill the occasional fish, kill everything.

 

[Thilligoss73]

Really? I'm shocked! Mine shows very little aggression, and basically just swims around all day. Very active, but I haven't noticed any pestering or harassment of the other fish. I've heard of danger to slow moving fish, but all my tetras are A-OK.

 

[absolutangel04]

I have not kept leoprinus before, but the people I know who have kept them say the same thing that Cynic said, bad community fish due to their predatory nature FWIW.
Hatchets would be awesome for that tank IMO. They are active and stay near the top. There are also danio species that are really fun too like the pearl danio, purple passion danio, orange finned danio, and leopard danio. They stay near the top and are very active as well.

 

[hellaasian]

Maybe some khuli loaches theyre pretty cool

 

[Lt.]

How about no sailfin pleco, but a couple clown pleco, two or three ofem.

 

[Ljk09]

Maybe some khuli loaches theyre pretty cool

+1 for Kuhli Loaches I have 5 in my 55. I usually only see 2 of them. They hide A LOT. Mostly nocturnal.

 

[Rivercats]

How about no sailfin pleco, but a couple clown pleco, two or three ofem.

Can't remember what size they get to but if they stay small you could do 1.