# New 55 gallon and Stocking Ideas



## Rowzy (Jan 13, 2012)

So I found a great deal for a 55 gallon (technically 52 gallons, 18x48x14" were the dimensions I was given) on craigslist, and I will be picking it up on Saturday. The tank comes with all the gravel and decorations, an undergravel filter, a heater, lights, and the stand. My dad is giving my one of his old aquaclear 110 filters, and I have to hope that it is still working (it is almost new but has been sitting in a box for probably 10 years). The tank also currently has 7 medium size tetras and a "very peaceful" 3 1/2 inch "banded" fish. He doesn't know what any of the names of the fish are specifically though.

Currently, I have 2 10 gallon tanks, with collectively 2 guppies, 6 neon tetras, 3 pygmy corys, 3 head and tail light tetras, a bunch of snails, and a male betta. I was hoping to narrow it down to only one 10 gallon tank (because I would be worried about putting the betta in the 55 gallon) and keep the other as a quarantine/sick tank.

So, I was thinking that I could keep the Betta and Pygmy Corys in the 10 gallon. Then in the 55 gallon I was thinking of increasing the number of head and tail light tetras to somewhere around 6-10 as well as increase the number of neons (not sure how many though?).

I've been thinking of setting it up as a community tank, with mostly medium sized fish (tetras and other schooling fish for example) and maybe a pair of centerpiece fish. Then the list of fish I like, but I'm not sure would work are:
Serpae Tetras
Black Skirt Tetra
Lemon Tetra
Panda Corys or other similar sized corys
Smaller pleco, like a clown or bristle nose
Then maybe a pair of blue rams as centerpiece fish

Pretty much I am open for suggestions, and I know that likely all the fish I like won't work together. I like variety but I want to make sure all the species will work together and with my water conditions. I had my tanks tested yesterday and one had 7.2 pH and 3 KH (which they said was normal for this area) and the other had 6.4 pH and 0 KH (which is abnormal, and didn't know why it was so low).


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## endlerguppy (May 7, 2012)

*i would*

i would either get 6-10 penguin tetras, 6-10 black neon tetras or 6-10 cardinal tetras and 6 platties (2 male,4 female).


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## Rowzy (Jan 13, 2012)

Just picked up the tank earlier. I haven't been able to set it up yet, I'm waiting for my roommate to be here to help move it. Anyways, I have no clue what the fish are. One is larger (4" maybe?) and is striped black and yellow. The others I were told were all tetras, but I'm not sure they all are.

Anyways, here's a picture. Right now they are in a bowl with a heater in it. Depending on how long it takes to get the tank cleaned and set up, I might put them in my 10 gallon tanks overnight, but I'm worried about the bigger fish with my neons and pygmy cories. Any idea what it is? I couldn't get a better picture, sorry.


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## Guest (Jun 24, 2012)

Not sure what type that fish is but it looks like a type of loach of some kind.


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## ZebraDanio12 (Jun 17, 2011)

What I see: white cloud (top lefthand) rainbowfish (bottom lefthand) 2 rosy barbs (middle fish) and 2 serpa tetras(right hand bottom).

Angel is right I think, but I have no clue what kind he is. They'll be fine with your other fish.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

leporinus faciatus...they grow to over 12 inches...they are tremendous jumpers....had one come out of a tank like a missile...landed about 10 feet across the room...
he is a tetra as well....he will tear up anything with longer fins.....or that is slower moving..


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## Rowzy (Jan 13, 2012)

Yikes. Looks like I will be looking for a new home for him! All the fish are in the tank now and seem to be doing well.
The filter my dad gave me ended up not having the motor in the box and I somehow didn't notice that when I checked it. Currently I have my aquaclear 20 running in the tank until I can run to the fish store tomorrow or something. One of the pieces for the cover is broken and looks like they tried to glue it back together, so I might look into getting something to replace that too.

Edited to add: The color of the fish in the picture is really bad. There's definitely 2 serpae tetras. The 2 greyish ones actually have orange/red fins. Looking at pictures online they look like Colombian Tetras maybe? There are 2 fish like the one in the upper left in the picture. They're orange with a black stripe through them. Then there's one that is almost solid red... I'll try to take a better picture once the water clears up a bit.


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## ZebraDanio12 (Jun 17, 2011)

I'm still sticking with my answer.

Woah loha. Thats cool but bad at the same time. You'd have to have a really secure lid, I'm sure.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

that ain't no loach...trust me....it is a characin....a tetra type species......
google it.....leporinus faciatus....and yes ; a very secure lid...kinda like bricks on the garbage can lid to keep the cats and dogs and raccoons out..lol

you can stick with your answer my young friend...but you'll be wrong.....
i like them but they almost belong in a really big species only tank or with plecos....


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## Rowzy (Jan 13, 2012)

I looked online, and it doesn't look like a loach, it looks like what loha said. I guess I'll be listing it on craigslist, I highly doubt the lfs will take it...


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## Rowzy (Jan 13, 2012)

Pictures! Sorry, my camera doesn't take good fish pictures...

The grey fish with red fins:









One of the orange fish with a black stripe, also a serpae tetra and part of the orange/red fish:









Slightly better picture of the orange/red fish... At least you can see the whole body:


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

top fish looks like a buenos aries tetra...not sure about the orange with black strip..look like a hybrid gold barb...bottom pic looks like a rosey barb.


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## Rowzy (Jan 13, 2012)

Thanks. Any stocking suggestions? I will probably keep all the fish except for the leporinus fasciatus (and maybe the Buenos Aires Tetras, not sure yet). Then I will increase the numbers of the tetras that I have so I will have something like:

6 - 10 Serpae Tetras
6 Head and Tail Light Tetras
10 Neons
2 Guppies
the 3 barbs, or whatever they are
and maybe the 2 Buenos Aires Tetras

What other fish can I add? What are some plecos that stay small enough for this tank (I know Clown and Bristlenose plecos stay smaller, are there any others)? I'm also looking for a "centerpiece" fish that will work with what I have and not be too difficult to care for. Any ideas?


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## elitesrock (May 4, 2011)

What about some corys of some variety? I like emerald cories, they might look nice in your set up.


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## Rowzy (Jan 13, 2012)

Yea, I was thinking of some type of corys maybe. The person I am giving the leporinus fasciatus to offered me a couple of red dwarf gouramis in trade.


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## elitesrock (May 4, 2011)

Those are beautiful fish if anything, those should be the center piece fish.


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## ZebraDanio12 (Jun 17, 2011)

A nice "center peice" could be a pair of dwarf cichlids. Or you could do angels.


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## Rowzy (Jan 13, 2012)

So the tank is doing good so far. I ended up getting one red dwarf gourami from the trade, nice fish but not the centerpiece fish I am looking for. I am thinking of eventually getting blue rams but I've heard they're hard to care for. This this true?

Also, the tank came with an air pump (Whisper 600 I believe, there were also 5 power heads that came with the tank but I don't know what they are used for except for the undergravel filter) so I went and picked up tubing and air stones today but the air pump is super noisy. If I'm in my room I would probably need to unplug it but it might siphon water out of the tank if I do that, right? Is there any way to make it quieter? I have it sitting on a towel inside the stand. I read that putting it above the tank will make it quieter but my tank is the tallest thing in my room so that isn't an option.

Edited to add: Is it possible that the air pump is just old, and has gotten louder with age? It is stamped December 16 1996 on the bottom haha.


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## ZebraDanio12 (Jun 17, 2011)

Rowzy said:


> So the tank is doing good so far. I ended up getting one red dwarf gourami from the trade, nice fish but not the centerpiece fish I am looking for. I am thinking of eventually getting blue rams but I've heard they're hard to care for. This this true?
> 
> Also, the tank came with an air pump (Whisper 600 I believe, there were also 5 power heads that came with the tank but I don't know what they are used for except for the undergravel filter) so I went and picked up tubing and air stones today but the air pump is super noisy. If I'm in my room I would probably need to unplug it but it might siphon water out of the tank if I do that, right? Is there any way to make it quieter? I have it sitting on a towel inside the stand. I read that putting it above the tank will make it quieter but my tank is the tallest thing in my room so that isn't an option.
> 
> Edited to add: Is it possible that the air pump is just old, and has gotten louder with age? It is stamped December 16 1996 on the bottom haha.



Rams are not hard to care for. Yes, they are more sensitive to water parameters, but very easy. They prefer a low ph. I have two I just got about a month or so ago. They are great. I got a male and female, and they paired off and layed eggs this week. 

Whats your water para meters?


The pump I'm guessing is the same noisy one I have. I've had it sense my first tank (came with it) when I was...really little, and it makes so much noise. I'm guessing its just an old design?


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## Rowzy (Jan 13, 2012)

I have neutral pH, it tests around 7 - 7.2 depending on who reads it, and KH is around 3. I'm guessing that the pH will be too high for rams?


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## Rowzy (Jan 13, 2012)

I keep flip-flopping on what fish I want to have in my tank. Ugh. I love African Cichlids but I know that isn't really practical so I decided to do the community tank. But I can't make up my mind on what fish I want in my tank. A couple different species of tetras maybe... or? 

Really I'm just looking for suggestions or ideas.


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