FishProfiles.com Message Forums

I have a 55usg with:

2 Angels (Pterophyllum Scalare)
10 rummy nose tetras (Hemigrammus Rhodostomus)
6 clown loaches (Botia Macracantha)
2 smaller plecos


what elese should i add to the tank. I was thinking about upping the school of tetras or adding a differnt kind, mabey a black widow (Gymnocorymbus Ternetzi)or another cichlid like some key holes (Cleithracara Maronii)

but I am not sre so please give me some suggestions.

chris

At some point the Clown Loaches are going to need rehousing - six of them are going to need a LARGE aquarium in the fullness of time, so I'd start planning either to rehouse them youself or find someone with a huge tank to put them in. However, thanks to their relatively slow growth rates, you've time to plan this.

Personally, I'd up the Rummies to 16. Then, sit tight and wait for the Clown Loaches to go to a new home. Once they're rehoused, replace them with 10 Corydoras habrosus, 8 Otocinclus, and in a 55, you'll then have room for another decent sized shoal of Characins - 12 Cardinals would go nicely in that setup. Make sure that any Cardinals you put in are too big for the Angels to treat as lunch though, because where I live in the UK, they can be obtained in a range of sizes, right the way from tiny little things 1.5 cm long to 4 cm 'Jumbo' Cardinals as they're listed in the trade.

Alternatively, you could try Beckford's Pencil Fishes. Most of the textbooks claim that they're peaceful shoaling fishes, but in my experience they're capable of turning rowdy if you let them become the dominant fishes in there. With Angels in there, though, Beckford's Pencils should school tightly and hopefully won't go into 'psycho mode' as mine did!

Oh, these 'smaller plecos' - got a scientific name for these? Only it would be a good idea to make sure that your 'smaller plecos' aren't going to become juggernauts in the future!


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

the loaches will go to my 125 when they get bigger and the plecos will stay small. one is a bushy nose and the other looks similar to a zebra pleco, don't know the scientific names.


chris

I would definitely add another school of tetras. I wouldn't go with the black widows though, they have a tendency to be nippy and may tear your angels' fins to shreds. They also get big for tetras.

What about cardinals? Or if you want an active school, you could go with some Lemon tetras or Conchu Blue tetras. Either of those would be a great addition.

I'd hold off on adding another cichlid until the loaches move out. Most cichlids like rams, hang out near the bottom and I think the bottom may be a little full right now (or will be when the loaches grow).

*Kristin*

Black widow tetras are really only nippy towards each other IME. Even now when i have two left (well actually one; one of them just died on me today ), i have never seen them nip or become aggressive towards any other fish besides each other. So IMO, black widows would be fine in that setup, but if I were you, I would get the lemon tetras like GirlieGirl suggested as their yellow would contrast the rummies' red nicely. I have heard stories of blue tetras being antisocial and somewhat aggressive, so i would not recommend them, but i could be wrong.

I have heard stories of blue tetras being antisocial and somewhat aggressive, so i would not recommend them, but i could be wrong.

I have heard that they aren't really schooling. So a group of 4 would probably be better than 6-8.

Crazyred keeps these guys with some angels and they are fine. She told me they are peaceful, but really active! I'm going to get some for my 38g when I set it up.

Go for lemons!

*Kristin*

I have to disagree with the lemon tetras. Sometimes they can be really nippy. Usually not towards others but I see them bullying my fancy tail guppies regularly.

-Vincent

Fish nippyness depends how you control it. If you only have 2-4 nippy fish, they will bother tankmates through boredom. Bump the schools up and it becomes contained within their group.
Also, make sure they're well fed to and you'll have less problems within their group too.

I have in the same tank:
10 Hatchet
10 Beckford pencilfish
15 lemon tetra's
10 serpae tetra's
3 N.anomla
3 A.cacatudies

thats not my problem, they just mostly nip amongst eachother though.

I have 7 that school wiht 8 head and tail lights

-Vincent

i think i am leaning towards the lemon tetras with a nice black background. I think that would look really good. thanks for the suggestions and keep them comming.

chris