New Aquarium Stocking Help

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afasoccerguy

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Nov 23, 2011
Messages
14
Location
PA
Hello,

I have always had small 5-20 gal freshwater tanks, but i just recently was given a 55 gal tank. I just finished filling decorating and heating the tank. I have a 10 gal tank with the following livestock: 1 rainbow shark, 3 yellow phantom teras, 1 tiger barb, 2 mickey mouse platys, and 2 sunset plays. I am going to move them to the new tank in two days when everything has had a chance to settle. My question is as follows:

I want to fill my tank with schooling fish as well as maybe a few bigger " show fish" I was wondering what the best kind of fish to put in my tank would be?
I have seen drangon fish, and some small angelfish at a local petstore an was thinking about getting them, but i want my current livestock to continue to live happy in the new tank. Any help is AWESOME!

Thanks!
 
Angels would be nice. What do you mean by dragon fish? If you mean an arowana, no way. They need at least 250g. If you mean the "prehistoric dragon fish", then it would probably work. I just don't think of them as show fish.
 
I saw the prehistoric dragon fish and thought it was neat looking and would make a cool addition to my tank. I am just worried that my substrate would be a problem. I have seashells and glass beads over blue gravel and i dont know if that would be too rough for a bottom living fish.
 
So you mean dragon goby????

DO NOT do angelfish, especially if you are not going to bump your tiger barb school. Tiger barbs are already a threat in a school, alone they are even more dangerous because they are more aggressive. They are known fin nippers and will tear your angels fins to shreds. Unless you're rehoming the tiger barb, no angels.
 
It would probably scratch him. Might not though. If they burrow then it would, if not, then it wouldn't.
Also, may I ask what pet store you were at? I'm in PA too. Just wondering.

konvictKeeper, sorry for not getting back to you sooner, they have them at my local walmart.
 
Ok, alittle update. After I added all my old fish to the new tank, the fish tanked. All but one fish died. I restocked my tank and this is what i have at the moment: 1 Bala Shark, 1 Glowlight Tetra (only surviving fish from original tank), 1 plecoptera, 1 Cory, 3 red Damsels, 7 Multi-Colored Palties, 1 Striped raphael.

I have a question, I added my raphael and I saw him that day and at night the next day, and I haven't seen him since. Last night I looked for him under and inside all the things that I figured he was hide under and I couldn't find him. Do they burrow under the gravel? I was reading on another forum this morning that someone added one over 2 years ago, and he sees his raphael once every few months. Is that normal? My local pet store said that the raphael would be a great bottom feeder, but I get worried when I don't see a fish for a while because I worry they are dead.

ADVISE PLEASE!
 
when you moved your fish to the new tank was the tank cycled? did you move your filter and everything over. I am thinking all your fished died because your tank was not ready for them. did you test your water?
 
when you moved your fish to the new tank was the tank cycled? did you move your filter and everything over. I am thinking all your fished died because your tank was not ready for them. did you test your water?

I moved some of the water of from my old tank. I increased the tank size so the filter didnt move but I ran the filter for a few days and I moved things from the old tank that had algae and stuff and waited to see growth before I moved them over.
 
I've never heard of a freshwater damsels, I'm interested in what it looks like. Also, what are your water parameters, I'd say if all your fish died then your tank is not cycled, and you'll want to look into fish-in cycling.
 
I moved some of the water of from my old tank. I increased the tank size so the filter didnt move but I ran the filter for a few days and I moved things from the old tank that had algae and stuff and waited to see growth before I moved them over.

This is not how you cycle a tank. Sadly, your fish died from being placed in a toxic environment.

Please read this: I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?!

You also need to get yourself a solid test kit, like the API master kit (about $23 online).

Are you doing any research at all on the species you're buying PRIOR to purchase? Your school sizes are way off.
 
this is what i have at the moment: 1 Bala Shark, 1 Glowlight Tetra (only surviving fish from original tank), 1 plecoptera, 1 Cory, 3 red Damsels, 7 Multi-Colored Palties, 1 Striped raphael.

Bala shark will require 125 gallons at maturity and should be kept in groups of 5 or more

Corys need schools, too, at least 3 but more than 5 is better

The striped rafael will grow to 8-9 inches and I don't think a 55 gallon is suitable for it
 
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