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i just set up a planted 55usg with:
5 angels
6 corry's
2 kribs(males)
1 busshy nose pleco
1 emperor pleco

i am looking for a colorful schooling fish to add to the tank but not sure witch ones school the best. i really like the look of cardinals but it's been awhile sice i have kept them and am not sure how close they stick together. right now i have 6 zebra danio's, while i like them alot they just don't have enough color for the tank so they are comming out (unless i have enough room left), so please give me some advice.


chris

Hi,

I think you'll need to be careful when adding schooling fish to that particular tank because of the angels. I assume they're small now, but once they grow large enough they'll become quite proficient at hunting down smaller fish such as neons and cardinals. Harlequin rasboras may be a good fit for your tank, as they grow a little bigger than those smaller tetras. If you don't like them you could go with a smaller school of "larger" schooling fish like gold barbs or congo tetras, maybe 5-6 of one particular species.

The thing with schooling fish is, schooling is a defensive behavior, and they only do it when they feel threatened or unsure - like when you add them to a new tank. Once they feel comfortable in their new surroundings they tend to just hover in a loose group - cardinals and neons do this especially. Harley rasboras are generally a little tighter. but still it depends. It may be different in your tank, since they may never feel comfortable with those angels around, but you won't be able to tell until you try it.

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Back in the saddle!

Generally speaking I would disagree with NowherMan on the compatiblity of Angels and cardinals/neons. I kept 2 angels with a school of cardinals in a 46 and they never even threatened them. If the angels are small and you put the cardinals in with them their shouldn't be a problem even when the angels get big, but you have 5 angels with all those other fish in a 55. IMO when they get big you will have problems with the smaller fish.

BTW - Kribs are really nasty fish and will probably end up stressing alot of your fish.

Last edited by tetratech at 19-Oct-2005 08:46

My Scapes

I should add that I've never kept angels with neons/cardinals so I don't have personal experience on the subject. However, there is a sense in the collective experiences of others that when angels grow large - which they will - they tend to become more predatory towards small fish that will fit in their mouths, such as neons/ cardinals. If your angels are small and the small schoolers you add are relatively large (i.e. no longer babies) then I'm sure there'll be no compatibility issues, at least for a while. It's just that somewhere down the road those five full-grown angels may start picking off little fish like neons. That's all I'm trying to say

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Back in the saddle!

I'd personally go with harlequins because they have nice color, are peaceful, are I think they're one of the better schooling fish.

If you have a M/F pair of kribs and they breed you will end up with problems in that tank

~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is water at the bottom of the ocean

The rest of your stocking is good,
but I also question why you would add African Cichlids
to what is seemingly a South American Biotope you have going there.
I agree that Kribs are very nasty fish.
I would never keep them with those peaceful south american fish you have in there.

For a schooling fish, I would highly recommend Rummynose Tetras. They are great, colorful, pretty, school fantastically, and are too big for angels to eat!


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Yep both the harleys and the rummynoses are very good schoolers. If you want to keep it all south american than I would see if you could trade the kribs or get another tank and add the rummys.


My Scapes

ahh, the kribs are not a pair they are 2 males. i have bread kribs in the past and am aware of their nasty behavior but i have not noticed any aggression from them in the past and with there new home i hardly even see them, i made plenty of hiding places for them, and they are full grown.

as for the angels when they get bigger i will probably get rid of the 3 black ones and just keep the 2 normal ones.

i will probably go with cardinals just because they are so colorful but now the question is, how many should i get, that i have no clue about.

chris

I would go with some Rummynose Tetra, as a schooling fish.


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I have a nice school of seven harleys. I too, like the coloring and prefer them over many other species. They are also a nice hardy fish, but once in a while one of them may nip the fin of a larger, slower moving fish with large finnage. Also, I know my 29 gallon is mush smaller than a 55 but they don't chool as much as I'd like. They do hang around a lot but there is usually a few on the other end... oh well.

BTW, I hope you cycled the tank first, angels don't do well in a cycling tank.

Last edited by divertran at 20-Oct-2005 11:28

this tank was running with my oscar so it kept all the gravel and both filters from the tank they were originally in.

chris

Chris,
in your tank, with the light stocking you
have right now, I think you could do well
to add a solid dozen of whatever schooling fish
you choose.
Maybe even 15.
Cardinals are gorgeous in large groups!


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