Recently vacated 55gal: Help me with a community set-up.

[SpaceButler]

I recently moved my oscar to a friend's much larger tank, and now I have a 55 gallon ready for something new. Having only had the oscar, I'm looking forward to some variety (as well as finally being able to decorate without fear of everything being ripped out).

I would love a community, and it's been a while since I've been steeped in the ins and outs of starting this kind of tank. I was looking for some suggestions.

I had thought that 2 angels would be a nice centerpiece sort of thing, and maybe that could be the starting point. Suggestions with and without considering that though are welcome, I'm not married to that yet. I would love a small school and of course different swimming locales among the fish. Would 6 tiger barbs and 2 angels be a good starting place? A good finishing place? or a bad idea already?

Thanks in advance.

 

[theotheragentm]

Harlequin Rasboras are nice schooling fish. A lot of people like Neon Tetras, but they are snacks for large Angels. I'm not sure how the Rasboras would fair with Angels in the tank though. Tiger Barbs are semi aggressive and may be a problem with a true community.

 

[src]

Cherry barbs are great community fish, as are most tetras (of course). I really like Pristella and Rosey tetras. My wife likes Congos and Columbians.

Skip the tigers, especially if you are putting angels in. 6 would be a hard minimum to try to control their nipping, and if any die you need to replace them FAST. Been there, tired of the fight.

 

[QTOFFER]

You would need at least 10 tiger barbs (preferably more) in order to avoid serious nipping behavior. Even still, I think that they would find the long fins of angels too tempting a target.

If you decide to get angels, I would suggest getting 6 adolescents (body less fins about the size of a quarter). Why? Because it is very difficult to add an angel to a tank already housing an angelfish. There will inevitably be unexplained losses, and within a year, you would probably be down to 3-4 adult angelfish - the maximum number I would keep in a 55 gal. Two of them may pair off, requiring you to sell, give away, or relocate the other(s). A breeding pair of angelfish in a 55 gal makes a stunning display.

I got lucky with my angels. Of the five nickel-sized babies I originally started with, three survived. They must all be the same sex because nobody has paired off and aggression between them is minimal. After two years, they are about 2.5 inches in diameter minus fins.

If you decide against angels, rams would make another beautiful and peaceful centerpiece fish.

Tankmates for either of these two options include any tetra (except neons or cardinals if you have angelfish), dwarf plecos, corydoras, hatchetfish, SOME barbs (the less nippy ones), and rasboras. I'd pick three schooling species and add six fish of each. That would make for lots of synchronized activity to contrast the more sedate angelfish or rams. Then throw in a dwarf pleco or three corys to patrol the bottom for leftovers.

The angelfish are the undisputed masters of my tank, spending time at the surface, mid tank, and bottom levels. Hatchetfish rarely leave the surface while plecos and corydoras rarely leave the bottom. My tetras mostly inhabit the mid tank level, but will search anywhere if they think there's food. They also brazenly snatch food right out of the angelfish mouths - perhaps the angels aren't quite the tankmasters that I think they are..

 

[SpaceButler]

Wow. Great advice from all.

Rams are something else I was looking into. Is that a type of fish that does better with 5-6, is a pair preferred, or should they be alone?

 

[fish 'n' fries]

Of course you could combine the two. Angels and rams often work well together. (They're both south american cichlids and like soft water). Rams will pair off like other cichlids...but I would think with a 55 gallon you could probably have more than one pair.

Many different tetras could also be options with angels and rams. As everyone has already said, you'll want to avoid fin nippers if you get angels. Cherry barbs would be an option as they are bright colored but don't nip.

Cichlid-forum.com has cookie cutter suggestions for different tank sizes that you may want to look at for other angel suggestions. (They're in their library under quick reference).

 

[An t-iasg]

Good luck with your community tank, Space Butler. I have been keeping bettas for so long that I think it's time for me to venture out to a community tank too. I'll be reading this thread for ideas too!

Does this mean that we will no longer get Grumbo updates?

 

[newfound77951]

I'll throw in another fish suggestion that I always seem to make for community tanks: rainbowfish. The neon or Praecox rainbows are beautiful, nonaggresive schooling fish that get along with nearly everything. Some of the bigger rainbows, such as turqoises or Boesemanis are great centerpiece fish too. An adult male rainbow can almost rival a saltwater fish for color. Mine have coexisted with everything from guppies to tiger barbs to angels with no problems at all.

 

[SpaceButler]

Grumbo is gone, but in a bigger tank; so the updates are probably done.