Help stocking a 55 gallon.

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I was thinking of going native species but I've since scratched that idea. So I have a lovely 55 gallon and I want to use it for saltwater eventually. But for now I'm going to do tropical fish. I'm thinking of stocking it with small fish that I could move to a 20 or 30 gallon tank when I have all my saltwater equipment ready. I think glo light tetras are lovely. I'd like a school of them and I'm pretty sure they'd be fine in a 20-30 gallon too. What can I put with them? I don't want angels or tiger barbs. Also- I have live plants in the tank as well. I'm also looking at getting some zebra nerite and mystery snails, and probably a few shrimp too! Maybe my MTS's in my 5g tank will have babies...

More info- the tank has been set up since Sunday. I added some comets goldfish on Monday. They came from the feeder fish tank and I think that's why some are dying. I have 3 left and if they don't die before I go get new fish I am going to take them back to the pet store. A 55 gal is no place for a fish that can grow 18 inches. I seeded the new filter with media from my 5 gallon tank and have been getting readings of 0 ammo 0 nitrites and 20-40 trates for the last 2 days. I think it has enough bb to support 6-8 glo light tetras once I remove the goldfish. I'll be testing daily until I go to the pet store probably on Monday.

 

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Here's a photo.

 

[markiezzi]

Hi, Nice looking tank be careful with feeder fish they are not the healthiest fish and can infect your water with diseases. If you wish to switch to salt water it will be a lot of work since all the gravel and rocks will need to come out along with about 90% of the water so that you can add saltwater. You may end up having to cycle the tank again.

But, glo fish are very nice fish I was thinking of making a 10-20 gallon tank with them. They have small tetras and larger tetras glo fish. Almost any other kind of tetra will be compatible with them.

 

[Bearchumjs]

Hi, Nice looking tank be careful with feeder fish they are not the healthiest fish and can infect your water with diseases. If you wish to switch to salt water it will be a lot of work since all the gravel and rocks will need to come out along with about 90% of the water so that you can add saltwater. You may end up having to cycle the tank again.

But, glo fish are very nice fish I was thinking of making a 10-20 gallon tank with them. They have small tetras and larger tetras glo fish. Almost any other kind of tetra will be compatible with them.

I know it will be work taking out all the gravel and getting the tank prepared for salt. Im not afraid of work. It took me 6+ hourse cleaning the tank (used off craigslist) and all the rocks. Luckily I can use the rocks in my flower bed. I've got my saltwater tank all planned. I have to buy the equipment now. And I'm pretty positive I will have to cycle the tank for saltwater.

I'll have to look at the other types of tetras!

 

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Ok. The last goldfish died last night. I think they were used to the crappy water they were in and had like- reverse system shock. They got put in my tank and even though I acclimated them properly their little systems couldn't handle it. I should have drip acclimated them for a few hours.


So- I did a 100% water change. I've refilled the tank with nice clean water and I've got 3 heaters in and the bubbler on to bring the temp up before I turn on my pumps. I don't want to kill the bb in the filters.

I'm planning on getting 6-8 glo light tetras tomorrow. I know how to acclimate them properly, but I'm worried they are going to die! Should I drip acclimate? Are glo light tetras very sensitive? My mom said they were but I'm pretty sure that she did the "float the bag, dump them in" method. She said "buy 10. Your going to lose half of them." I've lost confidence and I'm afraid I'll kill the new fish. Also- is 75-78 degrees a good water temp? I have tropical fish flakes and the little pellets that float for a few seconds and then sink. Which is better to feed them? When should I first feed them? Should I have the light off for a little while until they settle in?

 

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It was new fish day at petco! I'm definitely getting something to put in my tank tomorrow. I took pictures of all the names of the fish I thought were pretty and now I get to read up about them. Woot!!

The fish guy is starting to recognize me. He asked how my plants were that I bought the other day. Lol! Oh- what fish is this, is she pregnant?

 

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I know someone knows what that fish is...


I'm so glad my car is in the shop getting repaired... Otherwise I'd be out buying fish right now. I did my water change, added API tap water conditioner, added API stress Zyme, and have the water heated. Is this a good temp (see picture) for tetras? I feel like it is. Now it just gets to run all night until I go out tomorrow and buy fish. Yay for bday presents!

 

[Coursair]

A. your tank may not be fully cycled if you were getting high Nitrate readings.
B. the good news is, Glowlight Tetras are much less bioload than Goldfish

I kept Glowlights and Neons at 76-78f. I used to have large schools of each.
Other peaceful smaller fish, Harlequin Rasboras, Lemon Tetras, Bleeding Heart Tetras (but that's getting larger size), Corydoras are great !!

 

[Coursair]

It was new fish day at petco! I'm definitely getting something to put in my tank tomorrow. I took pictures of all the names of the fish I thought were pretty and now I get to read up about them. Woot!!

The fish guy is starting to recognize me. He asked how my plants were that I bought the other day. Lol! Oh- what fish is this, is she pregnant?

That is a Platy. She may be pregnant, if not she will be. I avoid Livebearers as I hate to deal with all the fry and I don't want 20 tanks of all the same fish. If you like Platies, I'd start with a couple of males only. Don't add females till you read up on all the people trying to get rid of the babies. LFSs usually won't take them, or at least not as many as you end up with.

Platies are great fish. They come in a wide variety of colors. I do like them.

 

[Coursair]

So- I did a 100% water change. I've refilled the tank with nice clean water and I've got 3 heaters in and the bubbler on to bring the temp up before I turn on my pumps. I don't want to kill the bb in the filters.

I'm planning on getting 6-8 glo light tetras tomorrow. I know how to acclimate them properly, but I'm worried they are going to die! Should I drip acclimate? Are glo light tetras very sensitive? My mom said they were but I'm pretty sure that she did the "float the bag, dump them in" method. She said "buy 10. Your going to lose half of them." I've lost confidence and I'm afraid I'll kill the new fish. Also- is 75-78 degrees a good water temp? I have tropical fish flakes and the little pellets that float for a few seconds and then sink. Which is better to feed them? When should I first feed them? Should I have the light off for a little while until they settle in?

A. why 3 heaters ? 1 or 2 should be plenty if they are the right watts.
B. All fish can be a bit sensitive the first couple of weeks. They got shipped to the store and then changed to your tank.

And NO I don't plan to lose half my fish.

I do try to make sure my tank is dialed in and then really look at the fish in the store. If there is ICH on any fish in that tank, I won't buy from it that day. So don't just say I want x amount of those and walk away. Study the fish, look for clamped fins and spots. Once they are caught, BEFORE they are bagged, Look again. Make sure their stomachs aren't sucked in.

Google acclimating fish. There are even videos. There are different methods. I tend to float and add in water. I do drip super sensitive stuff, like Shrimp or Cardinal Tetras. But at work, we found floating and dumping in can work, esp. with a lot of fish, as the Ammonia levels go way up as soon as light hits them.

Take a brown paper bag or a sturdy dark reusable bag to get fish home. Dark is good. Or use a cooler if they will be in the car for a long time. Plastic bags let in too much light.

After you release them, a dark tank is nice. I leave the light off for an hour or so. I feed frozen bloodworms as a first meal. They will eat flake and small pellets also. Frozen or live food will just bring out their color fast. Keep testing your water, your cycle may still be going on.

 

[Bearchumjs]

A. your tank may not be fully cycled if you were getting high Nitrate readings.
B. the good news is, Glowlight Tetras are much less bioload than Goldfish

I kept Glowlights and Neons at 76-78f. I used to have large schools of each.
Other peaceful smaller fish, Harlequin Rasboras, Lemon Tetras, Bleeding Heart Tetras (but that's getting larger size), Corydoras are great !!

A- my tap water has high nitrates. That's why I use live plants. I just need more of them. I seeded the new filter with filter media this past sunday and put a big piece of driftwood from my cycled tank in it. I added 2 gold fish and then 3 more. I had readings of zero ammo and zero trites everyday until the last one died last night. I tested this morning and it was still zero. I know that if I add a bunch of fish at once I will get a big spike and that's not good. So I thought 8 tiny glo lights (the are maybe 3/4's inch at the store) would be a good amount to start with. I added stress Zyme today to try and help boost the biological filter before I add new fish tomorrow. I know there's mixed feelings about the "bottled bacteria" but I had it so I figured I may as well use it.

How many tetras of assorted breeds can I keep in a 55?

 

[Bearchumjs]

That is a Platy. She may be pregnant, if not she will be. I avoid Livebearers as I hate to deal with all the fry and I don't want 20 tanks of all the same fish. If you like Platies, I'd start with a couple of males only. Don't add females till you read up on all the people trying to get rid of the babies. LFSs usually won't take them, or at least not as many as you end up with.

Platies are great fish. They come in a wide variety of colors. I do like them.

I don't want one. She's so cute and fat! I bet she has babies soon. I just didn't know what kind of fish she was.

 

[Bearchumjs]

A. why 3 heaters ? 1 or 2 should be plenty if they are the right watts.
B. All fish can be a bit sensitive the first couple of weeks. They got shipped to the store and then changed to your tank.

And NO I don't plan to lose half my fish.

I do try to make sure my tank is dialed in and then really look at the fish in the store. If there is ICH on any fish in that tank, I won't buy from it that day. So don't just say I want x amount of those and walk away. Study the fish, look for clamped fins and spots. Once they are caught, BEFORE they are bagged, Look again. Make sure their stomachs aren't sucked in.

Google acclimating fish. There are even videos. There are different methods. I tend to float and add in water. I do drip super sensitive stuff, like Shrimp or Cardinal Tetras. But at work, we found floating and dumping in can work, esp. with a lot of fish, as the Ammonia levels go way up as soon as light hits them.

Take a brown paper bag or a sturdy dark reusable bag to get fish home. Dark is good. Or use a cooler if they will be in the car for a long time. Plastic bags let in too much light.

After you release them, a dark tank is nice. I leave the light off for an hour or so. I feed frozen bloodworms as a first meal. They will eat flake and small pellets also. Frozen or live food will just bring out their color fast. Keep testing your water, your cycle may still be going on.

A- I was using them to bring up my water temp. Water is at the right temp and I only have one heater in there now. It's 300 W so it should do the job. I used the hose to fill the tank and I wanted to get the water warm before I turned on the filters so that way I wouldn't kill the bb I had in there.

B- thanks for telling me what to to look for in the fish. The glo lights looked real good today but I will look at them again tomorrow and make sure there is nothing weird going on in the tank. Im pretty sure those are the ones I'm going to get. For the most part my petco does a good job of making their tanks appear clean and usually have no dead fish in them. I remember the Walmart growing up... Dead fish all the time. We never got fish from there!

I've googled and watched YouTube about acclimating the fish the right way. I did it the right way with the Goldie's. I will make sure to take my time. It's hard when 3 kids and a husband want to see them swimming! LOL!

Great idea about the brown bag! I must see if I can find one!

I will be keeping a very close eye on my tank. I'm sure it isn't fully cycled yet but seeding the filters is supposed to make the cycle faster so that's why I did that. Besides- I like testing the water and constantly checking things. It gives me something fun to do!

Question- how soon after bringing them home should I feed them?

Question- How do you feed the frozen food? Just thaw it, rinse it and dump it in? Should I turn off the filters first? I've never fed anything but pellets and flakes. can betta's eat frozen bloodworms too?

 

[Coursair]

A- my tap water has high nitrates. That's why I use live plants. I just need more of them. I seeded the new filter with filter media this past sunday and put a big piece of driftwood from my cycled tank in it. I added 2 gold fish and then 3 more. I had readings of zero ammo and zero trites everyday until the last one died last night. I tested this morning and it was still zero. I know that if I add a bunch of fish at once I will get a big spike and that's not good. So I thought 8 tiny glo lights (the are maybe 3/4's inch at the store) would be a good amount to start with. I added stress Zyme today to try and help boost the biological filter before I add new fish tomorrow. I know there's mixed feelings about the "bottled bacteria" but I had it so I figured I may as well use it.

How many tetras of assorted breeds can I keep in a 55?

Ah ok. Makes sense. Yes I've used bottled bacteria also. Plants are great. Yes, tiny tetras should be a lot easier.

 

[Coursair]

A- I was using them to bring up my water temp. Water is at the right temp and I only have one heater in there now. It's 300 W so it should do the job. I used the hose to fill the tank and I wanted to get the water warm before I turned on the filters so that way I wouldn't kill the bb I had in there.

B- thanks for telling me what to to look for in the fish. The glo lights looked real good today but I will look at them again tomorrow and make sure there is nothing weird going on in the tank. Im pretty sure those are the ones I'm going to get. For the most part my petco does a good job of making their tanks appear clean and usually have no dead fish in them. I remember the Walmart growing up... Dead fish all the time. We never got fish from there!

I've googled and watched YouTube about acclimating the fish the right way. I did it the right way with the Goldie's. I will make sure to take my time. It's hard when 3 kids and a husband want to see them swimming! LOL!

Great idea about the brown bag! I must see if I can find one!

I will be keeping a very close eye on my tank. I'm sure it isn't fully cycled yet but seeding the filters is supposed to make the cycle faster so that's why I did that. Besides- I like testing the water and constantly checking things. It gives me something fun to do!

Question- how soon after bringing them home should I feed them?

Question- How do you feed the frozen food? Just thaw it, rinse it and dump it in? Should I turn off the filters first? I've never fed anything but pellets and flakes. can betta's eat frozen bloodworms too?

A. I see. Ok
B.
C. I worked at Petsmart ( a good one ) and we fed the first hour.

Frozen food, thaw it in warm dechlorinated water. Then I suck it up with a baster. That way I can spread the worms and target feed if needed.

Yes, Bettas Love worms !!

 

[Bearchumjs]

A. I see. Ok
B.
C. I worked at Petsmart ( a good one ) and we fed the first hour.

Frozen food, thaw it in warm dechlorinated water. Then I suck it up with a baster. That way I can spread the worms and target feed if needed.

Yes, Bettas Love worms !!

Thank you very much! I'm looking forward to getting my new fish tomorrow (and frozen food too!). I'll acclimate, put them in the tank, leave the lights off for an hour and then feed them a little food when I turn on the lights!

 

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My husband is convinced that my fish tank is deadly. I put king Neptune- the betta- in there. He's having a good time swimming. He's not getting pushed around by the filter current so that's good.

 

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I just want to go buy fish today...

King Neptune is swimming around all peachy keen and happy.

The water temp is about 76.

Maybe I'll just buy a new plant today...

...I'll go test the water again now...

 

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Levels are all 0. Nitrates 20-40. Just like I thought. King Neptune has been in there for for 6 hours...

I am so bored today. Cant you tell?

 

[Bearchumjs]

GUESS WHAT?!? I just bought 5 rummy nose tetras and they are beautiful!! I'm driving home from my LFS right now with them!! I'm so excited!!