# New 55 Setup



## Schwartzy61 (Jan 25, 2010)

Ello ello fishforums! Im contemplating buying a 55 or 65 gallon aquarium and selling my 28 and 10 gallon aquarium just because its easier to maintain one aquarium and it has alot more potential. But i have no idea what types of fish to get...throw some ideas at me


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## sbetsy (Apr 6, 2010)

What interests you? Schools of community fish? Cichlids? Do you want fewer, larger fish or a variety of smaller fish? Are you going to have plants? What's the ph of tap water in your area?


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## Schwartzy61 (Jan 25, 2010)

sbetsy said:


> What interests you? Schools of community fish? Cichlids? Do you want fewer, larger fish or a variety of smaller fish? Are you going to have plants? What's the ph of tap water in your area?



Planted aquariums. Schools of community fish. variety of smaller with a couple of larger stand out fish. Yes plenty of plants and thinking of a CO2 system. Ph of tap is 6.8 and very hard but i have peat moss granules in my canister


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## Revolution1221 (Apr 20, 2010)

dwarf cichlids like apistogrammas, german blue rams, curviceps, key holes. dwarf gouramis like honey yellow gouramis, honey red, gouramis, honey blue gouramis. loaches like horsefaces, dojo loaches, gold dojos, peppered loaches, sidthimunkis, burmese borders, red tailed sand botias, hill streams. plecos like bristlenose, gold nuggets, vampires, queen arabesque, sultans, green phantoms. gobys like clowns, bumble bees, peacock gudgeons. some random ones like kilifish, galaxy rasboras, featherfin rainbows, neon blue dwarf rainbows, sparkling gouramis, harlequin rasboras(one of the best schooling fish) black phantom tetras, bleeding hearts, glolight tetras, different types of pencil fish. those are all some of my favorite fish most of which i own and it makes for a very interesting tank. find any you like do some research find out their requirements. in the end it comes down to what you like and personal preference.


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## Schwartzy61 (Jan 25, 2010)

Revolution1221 said:


> dwarf cichlids like apistogrammas, german blue rams, curviceps, key holes. dwarf gouramis like honey yellow gouramis, honey red, gouramis, honey blue gouramis. loaches like horsefaces, dojo loaches, gold dojos, peppered loaches, sidthimunkis, burmese borders, red tailed sand botias, hill streams. plecos like bristlenose, gold nuggets, vampires, queen arabesque, sultans, green phantoms. gobys like clowns, bumble bees, peacock gudgeons. some random ones like kilifish, galaxy rasboras, featherfin rainbows, neon blue dwarf rainbows, sparkling gouramis, harlequin rasboras(one of the best schooling fish) black phantom tetras, bleeding hearts, glolight tetras, different types of pencil fish. those are all some of my favorite fish most of which i own and it makes for a very interesting tank. find any you like do some research find out their requirements. in the end it comes down to what you like and personal preference.


wow man thanks for the long response!! haha. I was thinking about 5 congo tetras, and 10-12 harlequin rasboras


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

A 55 is deep, 21"? you'll need a strong light, depending on the plants you want. 2 T8 bulbs just for low-light plants and more for CO2 and higher light plants. 

Love congo and emperor tetras. They are really too big for tanks smaller than 55. Also love huge schools. Like 60 neons or cardinals would be neat.


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## Schwartzy61 (Jan 25, 2010)

emc7 said:


> A 55 is deep, 21"? you'll need a strong light, depending on the plants you want. 2 T8 bulbs just for low-light plants and more for CO2 and higher light plants.
> 
> Love congo and emperor tetras. They are really too big for tanks smaller than 55. Also love huge schools. Like 60 neons or cardinals would be neat.


Yea i was going to get a Glo t5 HO system. Im looking for 3wpg so ill need 225watts. Lol electric bill


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## Revolution1221 (Apr 20, 2010)

Schwartzy61 said:


> Yea i was going to get a Glo t5 HO system. Im looking for 3wpg so ill need 225watts. Lol electric bill


pssshhhh 225 watts lol thats nothing i run close to that on most of my reptile tanks.


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## Schwartzy61 (Jan 25, 2010)

Revolution1221 said:


> pssshhhh 225 watts lol thats nothing i run close to that on most of my reptile tanks.


do you have a backup generator under you garage? hahaha


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## Revolution1221 (Apr 20, 2010)

Schwartzy61 said:


> do you have a backup generator under you garage? hahaha


lol nope. on both my bearded dragons cages and vield chamelion tank i have 275 watts running on each i have 240 on my tree frog tank. another 100 on my snake cage and 120 on my pacmans. then whatever my 4 fishtanks run. pluss i have to keep 2 fans running in the room at all times because it gets so hot.


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## Schwartzy61 (Jan 25, 2010)

Revolution1221 said:


> lol nope. on both my bearded dragons cages and vield chamelion tank i have 275 watts running on each i have 240 on my tree frog tank. another 100 on my snake cage and 120 on my pacmans. then whatever my 4 fishtanks run. pluss i have to keep 2 fans running in the room at all times because it gets so hot.


Christ


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I've known people to break down saltwater tanks because of the electric bill bump. You end up spending the extra amount again to cool the room. But is it really that bad? New computers come with 600W and up power supplies. Compared to a big TV, DVR, cable box, "surround sound" amplifier with speakers, and DVD player or a computer with monitor, & printer, etc. and one tank isn't that bad. You just need to know your priorities.


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## Revolution1221 (Apr 20, 2010)

lol the guy i work with who at one point had 72 tanks set up 12 of which were fish tanks said his electric bill went up over $600 now thats nuts but he owned his own pet store at the time and was making lots of money.


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## sbetsy (Apr 6, 2010)

I noticed that you are considering rasboras. I love them!!! I initially wasn't that interested when we first brought them home but with good care and feeding their colors really come out. Mine are hardly white at all - most of the fish is a super bright coral color that contrasts nicely with the navy. We lost some of our original school long ago in an ich outbreak (before we learned to quarantine) and are waiting for our store to get some decent stock so that we can replenish the school. I'm really excited about them and recommend them highly.


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## Schwartzy61 (Jan 25, 2010)

sbetsy said:


> I noticed that you are considering rasboras. I love them!!! I initially wasn't that interested when we first brought them home but with good care and feeding their colors really come out. Mine are hardly white at all - most of the fish is a super bright coral color that contrasts nicely with the navy. We lost some of our original school long ago in an ich outbreak (before we learned to quarantine) and are waiting for our store to get some decent stock so that we can replenish the school. I'm really excited about them and recommend them highly.


rasboras are an amazing species...i have some scissor tails in my other tank and all they do is stay in one spot of the aquarium and just school. Peacefull and amazing. Very very calm fish, not active like a danio.


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## DTetras2 (Jan 20, 2010)

I'm doing the exact same thing, except no plants that need a co2 injection. In a 55, I'm doing 6 diamond tetras, 4 black phantom tetras, 4 serpae tetras, 5 female bettas, 4 cory catfish, 1 bn pleco, 6 lemon tetras, and 10 either cardinal or neon tetras Tell me if it's overcrowded and I think you should do 6 lemon tetras, 6 black phantom tetras, 1 bn pleco, and sense your ph is kind of low, maybe you could do 1 or 2 discus or 1 angel since you want a bigish fish that will stand out


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## Schwartzy61 (Jan 25, 2010)

DTetras2 said:


> I'm doing the exact same thing, except no plants that need a co2 injection. In a 55, I'm doing 6 diamond tetras, 4 black phantom tetras, 4 serpae tetras, 5 female bettas, 4 cory catfish, 1 bn pleco, 6 lemon tetras, and 10 either cardinal or neon tetras Tell me if it's overcrowded and I think you should do 6 lemon tetras, 6 black phantom tetras, 1 bn pleco, and sense your ph is kind of low, maybe you could do 1 or 2 discus or 1 angel since you want a bigish fish that will stand out


I dont think its overcrowded. Im porb going to be doing a 75 now because its going to be "welcoming" piece for when people walk in. Im either going to have discus or congos as the stand out fish. Either 3 discus or 7 congos. Then like 20 Harlequins....i dont know if i will have a bottom feeder. Probally just some cherry shrimp if i can get my hands on them.


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## Revolution1221 (Apr 20, 2010)

Schwartzy61 said:


> I dont think its overcrowded. Im porb going to be doing a 75 now because its going to be "welcoming" piece for when people walk in. Im either going to have discus or congos as the stand out fish. Either 3 discus or 7 congos. Then like 20 Harlequins....i dont know if i will have a bottom feeder. Probally just some cherry shrimp if i can get my hands on them.


cherry shirmp will become a mid afternoon snack for any semi large fish trusts me i put a couple in my tank to see what would happen. my dwarf cichlids and loaches gobbled them up.


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## Schwartzy61 (Jan 25, 2010)

Revolution1221 said:


> cherry shirmp will become a mid afternoon snack for any semi large fish trusts me i put a couple in my tank to see what would happen. my dwarf cichlids and loaches gobbled them up.


Congos or discus would eat them???


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## Revolution1221 (Apr 20, 2010)

Schwartzy61 said:


> Congos or discus would eat them???


idk how big congos get but yeah an adult discus could fit one in its mouth for sure!


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## Tallonebball (Apr 6, 2009)

Discus would enjoy them quite thoroughly lol
A full grown congo wouldn't mind a little bite either.


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## sbetsy (Apr 6, 2010)

Schwartzy61 said:


> rasboras are an amazing species...i have some scissor tails in my other tank and all they do is stay in one spot of the aquarium and just school. Peacefull and amazing. Very very calm fish, not active like a danio.


Glad to know that others like the rasboras too. They really are cool.


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## Revolution1221 (Apr 20, 2010)

some fish that eat shrimp dont even care if they fit in their mouth they will tear them apart to make them fit lol


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## DTetras2 (Jan 20, 2010)

I think I'll also put in some ghost shrimp, anyone ever breed ghost shrimp because I'd like to breed them and feed some to my figure 8 puffers


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## Schwartzy61 (Jan 25, 2010)

I heard its difficult to breed ghost shrimp.


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## Tallonebball (Apr 6, 2009)

Revolution1221 said:


> some fish that eat shrimp dont even care if they fit in their mouth they will tear them apart to make them fit lol


Aka the congo tetra lol


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