Community tank ?'s

[Tyler2354]

What's up y'all. I've got my mom hooked on doing a tank. She wants a community tank with a couple angel fish in in and also live plants later on. It's a 55 gallon with a 3stage canister filter and t5 lighting. What other fish would go good with the angels and about how many fish total??
Thanks!!!!

 

[henningc]

There are a lot of options. Angles are typically an upper level fish. A pair of rams could go in on the bottom. corys, plecos, larger shrimp, laoches. For the middle, multiple types of tetras, Head and Tail, Glowlight, Black Neons, Penguins-Very Cool-. You could go with barbs like a shoal of 6-8 cherry barbs, rosy barbs, ruby barbs. Rasboras, anything big enough. More to level, swords, goodieds, skiffias.

 

[Dreamroper]

There are a lot of options. Angles are typically an upper level fish. A pair of rams could go in on the bottom. corys, plecos, larger shrimp, laoches. For the middle, multiple types of tetras, Head and Tail, Glowlight, Black Neons, Penguins-Very Cool-. You could go with barbs like a shoal of 6-8 cherry barbs, rosy barbs, ruby barbs. Rasboras, anything big enough. More to level, swords, goodieds, skiffias.

I have 2 angels that are about the size of a flattened Ping-Pong ball. I have many of the fish you've mentioned, but no barbs and no rams. I have zebra danios, mollies, and endlers too. I also just got a couple of male guppies. My community tank is very peaceful. Everyone gets along great.

 

[Tyler2354]

Any other fish recommendations? And what would be a good fish to put in there to start the cycle??

 

[SVTUSMC]

I like to use Danios to start the cycle.

 

[absolutangel04]

Here are a couple of links relevant to the cycling question.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f15/guide-to-starting-a-freshwater-aquarium-186089.html
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/fish-in-cycling-step-over-into-the-dark-side-176446.html
I am not positive if you are meaning that you just want fish to cycle with, or you are just asking which of your final stock is hardy enough to survive a cycle. If you are fish-in cycling correctly, most fish can handle it without any issue. If you are not up for a couple extra water changes, I suggest doing a fishless cycle.
So, angel compatibility in communities has mixed results. Angels are indeed predatory fish and the ancestors of our tank-raised P. scalare ate all kinds of tiny fish in South America. They have known to eat neons, guppies, zebra danios, and other small fish in tank situations. They mixed results come from the fact that not all angels will eat those fish. Many people have success with many different combos, and that same combo fails in a different tank. In general, these are the guidelines I suggest: only schooling fish that are 2 inches (your average tetra, just not neons) and nothing that nips fins.
I have had success with platies, cherry barbs, rummy-nose tetras, skirt tetras, mollies, swordtails, and others.
I have had guppies and neons eaten. Keep in mind, angels will sometimes get along with these fish until the angel is big enough to eat it. Angels are hit or miss with danios too.
Other suggestions for schoolers: gold barbs, cories, scissor-tail rasboras, black phantom tetras in addition to those others have mentioned.
More suggestions include dwarf cichlids like apistos, rams, or similar species. Dwarf gourami. Various loach species that are not overly nippy. Many cool pleco species.