Fish Selection

[ILuvSandwiches]

I am planning out a 55+ gallon tank. I am having trouble with what fish to get. It is my first attempt at a tank this size. I would prefer to gat as many fish as possible, fish that won't eat each other, and a variety would be appreciated. Any and all advice is welcome! Thank you!

 

[FWFishTanks]

I would go to your lfs to see what you like. Then post what you like on this thread, and we will tell you if it works.

 

[ILuvSandwiches]

Ok. I was considering Angel fish, mollys, and plecos. My main concern is them eating each other and the water temperature.

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Plecs are generally considered herbivorous. (Actually omnivores)

They'll eat bloodworms but not fish. (I had an 18" plec with 1" tetra, no issues)
Actually a pair of large plecs with assorted small fish were no problems. Gentle giants.

Big shoal of tetra and a Bristlenose. You'll be fine.
(I recommend hemigrammus erythrozonus, glowlight tetra)

Add an aquarium heater and set temp. Heat issues sorted.

Mollies prefer saline water. Quite different from plecs.


What tanks have you attempted?
What species have you kept?
How long have you had a wet arm?

 

[surfnturf]

If I started over I would do either discus or cichlids.

 

[ILuvSandwiches]

I have definitely ruled out cichlids. They get too big and territorial for my taste (although they are gorgeous). I have had a one gallon and 5 gallon tank in the past. The one gallon had a beta fish that lived about 6 years, and the 5 gallon I had 5 tetras (all female) in. My mother, however, grew up with a 135 gallon tank that had a cichild and large variety of fish.

 

[trennamw]

Mollies, contrary to common advertising, aren't a very good beginner fish.

I frequently recommend the book The Simple Guide to freshwater Aquariums by Boruchowitz for stocking schemes. It's cheap used, or in kindle or iBook editions.

It has a stocking scheme that is specifically "lots of small fish", and two that include angel fish. There are several dozen stocking schemes that are all good beginner fish, put together by an expert to look good and behave well and share common needs.

I think it recommends angel fish, swordtails, and cories. The expectation is the swordtails will breed and the angel fish will eat the fry.

For tiny fish it recommends 6 or more each of really interesting species like dwarf chain loaches, Pygmy cories, dwarf pencilfish, and pristella tetras, and a few sparkling gourami.

Research extensively. Everyone has varied experience and opinions, and many of those labeled as beginner fish in the store, the experienced people list as poor beginner fish.


Sent from my iPhone with three hands tied behind my back.

 

[bettaowner]

Blind cave tetras look really cool.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[treemanone2003]

If I started over I would do either discus or cichlids.

Discus ARE Cichlids.

 

[FWFishTanks]

Blind cave tetras look really cool.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

Blind cave hermits, plus albino cories, white skirt tetras, and an albino bristlenose!

 

[surfnturf]

Try aqadvisor.com. You can enter your tank and filtration and fish and it will give you an estimate of how the bio load will be. It's based on fully grown fish, you can enter juvenile sizes if you want. I've stretched the envelope on temp with no issues... And ph. Just as long as you acclimate them well and you tank is stable. That's just me though. Some would consider my methods in humane.

 

[Coursair]

Angelfish ARE Cichlids as well.

If it was my tank ?
Lots of easy plants. Nice driftwood.
2 Angels
30 Cardinal Tetras
8 Sterbai Cories
6 Zebra Otos ( or reg Otos)


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