My 55G so far

[Uncle Dirty]

Here is my tank so far. I'm waiting for more plants to arrive and I'm soaking more driftwood.

Fish in tank:
2-silver dollars
2-severums
2-festivum
3-giant danio
1-medium pleco
3-tiger barbs
1-red tail shark

Safe to assume I'm over stocked?
I will probably move 1 festivum and 1 severum. The silver dollars are growing like weeds so they may have to be moved. By "being moved" I mean taking to my LFS. I started out stocking the tank while reading up on every fish but have realized that I have always had great success in growing big fish.
I'm hoping that members don't jump on me too hard as I value their opinions.

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

Yes i agree the silver dollars are too big for a 55g. Everything els seems to be ok, but cant red tailed sharks be agressive sometimes??

 

[redsea]

Very nice driftwood! I like the fish in the third picture!

 

[Uncle Dirty]

The shark has been fine so far. I didn't think the silver dollars would grow so fast! Usually when I had some they were the strain that grew slow. Looks like I hit on some of the monsters.

 

[Uncle Dirty]

Very nice driftwood! I like the fish in the third picture!

They are festivum. 1 of my books said Flag cichlids.

 

[Uncle Dirty]

Other pics of same fish.

 

[Uncle Dirty]

I got lucky on the driftwood. A friend has a huge bucket of it and said help yourself!

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

Hahaha i like drift wood but if u dont soak it for a week it will break apart in ur tank and make the water yellow and its nasty

 

[Uncle Dirty]

I still have 2 pieces of driftwood soaking for 2 weeks and still won't sink. I have a drill bit that is 3 feet long so I think I will drill a hole the length of the wood to aid in waterlogging them.

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

There is something wrong with that wood then... Mine sank in an hour.. Also you should boil them

 

[Uncle Dirty]

They have been boiled. Left that part out.

 

[Uncle Dirty]

Does anybody think i'm overstocked in my 55g?

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

Without the silver dollars your ok

 

[NoFishingAllowed]

I think you are fine if you take back the silver dollars eventually.

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

Yup sounds gooooooooood

 

[absolutangel04]

Does anybody think i'm overstocked in my 55g?

I have a couple of comments. Is your pleco a common d, if so, does he have a different home to go to someday? Also, your shark will quite possibly develop aggressions issues, but maybe he will be ok since he is living with cichlids. Other owners have suggested to me that even though 55g is the commonly given minimum tank size, that 75g is actually much more appropriate for rtbs due to territorial issues and activity level. But, I do not own one, so I am just passing on the advice.
Aside from that, I do not think you are overstocked, but I am just going to add that IMO you should get 3 more giant danios so they will be happy in a full school. Same thing with the tiger barbs. They cab get nasty when not kept in proper sized schools.
The driftwood sounds like an awesome find. I hope your last 2 pieces cooperate with you!

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

Okay i think you should get a bristlenose pleco instead of a common. Also, like the other guy said get one large school instead of 2 small ones. Also i dont no anything abt red tailed sharks, but dont take a chance on the agression.

 

[Uncle Dirty]

My wife posted pics of the pleco under the title "Identify", here they are.

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

My wife posted pics of the pleco under the title "Identify", here they are.

Ohh no... That looks like a common pleco to me and those get huge very fast!! It would of been better if you had a pleco that doesnt get go big so you could have more room in ur tank. Thats not good, but still an awesome fish!

 

[absolutangel04]

Ohh no... That looks like a common pleco to me and those get huge very fast!! It would of been better if you had a pleco that doesnt get go big so you could have more room in ur tank. Thats not good, but still an awesome fish!

I agree. It looks like a common to me. Most of the plecos sold in petstores are common plecos.