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So, for Christmas I'll be getting $410 and I have decided on getting a 55g fish tank... So I began thinking about some fish I could put into the tank. I would like opinions, I know I have until about Early January to plan out this fish tank but I really would like opinions, suggestions, comments, even question(that I can answer of courselol) to help me out with the compatibility and choosing...So here is the list:

Angelfish
Peppered Cory
Zebra Danio
Cherry Barb
UpsideDown Catfish
Clown Loach
German Blue Ram
Kribensis
Cockatoo

I would like ANY and ALL suggestions!! I would also like to know about Peaceful Cichlids.

Thanks for reading and if you have any questions/comments/suggestions and/or opinions please post them!!

Thanks again!!!

10G- 6 Zebra Danios, 1 Upside Down Catfish
20G- 1 Goldfish
72G(maybe95)- Need Stock suggestions

hello and welcome to FP

So how does this stocking sound?-

1 M+F pair of angels
10 danios, tetras, etc
3 cherry barbs
3-6 smaller loaches (yo-yo's, polka dot, etc) or 10 cories
1 M+F pair of small, peaceful cichlids

I wouldn't recommend putting CL's in their, as they do get a bit too large for a 55g

i took the upsidedown catfish off the list as most species do get quite big and could limit how many fish you put into the tank.

I also took kribs off the list as they can become quite aggressive and territorial at times.

As for peaceful cichlids, you could have rams, bolivian rams, keyholes, or apistos.

Hi Fish....

If I had a 55gal...It would be filled to the brim with Angel...In an Aquarium that size, they would really flourish. Corys are also great. Barbs are fin nippers....& not for nothing but Upside Cat fish are just pretty damn COOL!...Cant help with the rest, but its a pretty good start. Just make sure you allow for growth.....

Have fun....because its so great to start up a new tank.....So many choices....

Good Luck!

I Love Angels

& Hey by the way....Welcome to the FP

Thank you both for replying I am glad to be on FP

zachf92-
I know that CL can get to 12" but I can tell you, the grow VERY SLOW. Usually(I have read this on many sites) the Clown Loach rarely gets to 12" and sometimes only about 5"... I had a juvinile CL in my 10g before(sadly died of ick caused by an ADF) and he was ok...I wasn't sure about the Kribensis. I can't sex Angels as they are(and everyone- or at least most people) should know sexing Angels is a hard task.

I really like the Angels and know they get aggressive with breeding(I would use my 10g- moving the 6 Zebras & 1 Upside Down Catfish into the 55g). I probably wouldn't get fin nippers although I have a lot on the fish that states it's peaceful & communal...(continued in another reply)

10G- 6 Zebra Danios, 1 Upside Down Catfish
20G- 1 Goldfish
72G(maybe95)- Need Stock suggestions

My definete list of fish includes:

• Angelfish

• Clown Loach

• Cockatoo

• German Blue Ram

and

• Zebra Danio

I would probably wind up getting another Upside Down Catfish as the one I have in my 10g is as skitish as h-e-l-l lol

He ate 2 of my fish before 1 Common Pleco(Bought from Petco-didn't know they got to be 20" and 1 Scissortail Rosabora

You think they could go in with the Zebras?

10G- 6 Zebra Danios, 1 Upside Down Catfish
20G- 1 Goldfish
72G(maybe95)- Need Stock suggestions

i am aware that CL's are very slow growers (i myself have 2), but just keep in mind that they may become stunted, and if this does happen, they will suffer a very slow and painful death, and will not live up to their full life expectancy.

If you want a pair of angels, just buy 6 of them, and when 2 of them form a pair, return the rest to the store.

when you say cockatoo, do you mean the cockatoo dwarf cichlid? if so, i wouldn't reccomend keeping them with another pair of dwarf cichlids (the rams), as there will definitly be some quarrels. But if you have your mind set on getting both, you can try it, and hopefully they will stake out seperate territories without too much fighting.

How big is the upsidedown catfish? Do you also know what species it is? If there is a possibility that the zebras will become lunch, i would get giant danios instead.

Many CL do not get larger because they are stunted from being in too small of a tank. Stunting in my opinion is very cruel and will shorten the lifespan of the fish. Generally the stress from stunting causes the fish to get sick with an infection(ich would be one example) and it dies from that making the owner believe the fish would have lived fine if it just hadn't gotten caught that illness. Reality is usually that it was dying anyway and in a weakened state which allowed the illness to claim it's life. Loaches are also a fish that prefers groups and preferably the number to keep together of such a fish is 6+ but usually 3 is recommended as the absolute minimum when keeping loaches. Don't get them unless sometime in the future you plan to get a tank over 100gallons. There are tons of other similar shaped and much smaller loaches. Yoyos are my favorite.

Angels can be agressive when breeding and may kill other cichlids during that time. 2 males may also fight when they reach adult size. Often it's best to only keep 1 angel unless you design the tank specifically as a breeding setup. I'm not sure what you mean by using the 10 and moving the other fish to the 55 but angels will not fit in a 10. Some won't even physically fit in a 20g when fully grown without their fins hitting the bottom and sticking out of the top. My angel took up most of a 29g and was starting to look a bit ridiculous in such a small tank.

In a 55g the danios will probably be fine but in any smaller tank I would not suggest them with fish like rams. Danios are extremely hyper and can stress out slower moving fish. Mine always scattered all the other fish across the 55g. I've had some rams die from just stress even when the water was fine and there were no signs of illness present so I would caution putting them with too many hyper fish like danios. Do keep at least 6 danios if you get them though since they are a schooling fish. Otherwise the blue rams are fine and cherry barbs would be fine. I've never heard of them being fin nippers or anything but peaceful. They also do not prefer large groups unlike many other barbs.

I second what sham said. Very well said!

I'll just add that I have cherry barbs and they are not fin nippers. Yes other barbs are nippy, but like sham said, Cherries are not.

I haven't kept danios with angels before, but danios can be nippy, so I'd hesitate to keep them together. Maybe someone else has experience with these two together though.

Do you not like tetras? There are tons of tetras that are non-nippy, not hyperactive, and would provide alot of color to the tank.

I also think your Upside Down cat should move to the bigger tank. These guys are supposed to get around 4 inches...and can grow bigger. It will be stunted in a 10g. Add it to your stocking list and add 3 more to the numbers.

Definitely rethink the clowns. My LFS has a 7 inch clown loach in a 90g tank and it looks huge. I couldn't imagine one of these guys in a 55g....there just isn't enough room. A 125g would be perfect for a shoal of clowns. Yoyo, zebra, dwarf chain, or Polka Dot loaches would be a better choice as none of these get over 4 inches.

*Kristin*

To zachf92:

Cockatoo:
http://www.myfishtank.net/reviews/showproduct.php/product/119/sort/7/cat/5/page/1

Upside Down Catfish:
http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/catfish1/p/upsidedowncat.htm


I am listing the Zebras as I have 6 in my 10g right now and I would like to move them to the 55g when it comes so that the 10g can become my breeder tank...Could Giant & Zebras school together maybe?

My Catfish is about 2"-2.5" long... I saw black ones before but he didn't look like that wehn I bought him

I was unaware of the Cockatoos... My friend has a few in her 55g community tank and says they're really peaceful except when breeding.

To sham:

When I said using the 10g I meant that I would like to move the current fish I have in it to the 55g when I get it and then after that I would like to use the 10g as a breeding tank.

I was unaware that Angels get so big...


To Girliegirl1895:

I think I probably will add the Cherries becasue they have a wonderful rep for being peaceful and they sometimes "clean" decorations for people

Yes, I realize the Zebras are nippy(they sometimes nip each other but I think they're playing) and since I found out that the Zebras might be too active for the GBR I might just get another 29g and use that as a breeder or hospital... I'm not 100% positive on that yet.

I like tetras actually. I'm just afraid the Angel might snack on them(I know angels would probably eat Zebras too). Could possibly suggest some breeds of the tetras? I know about Mixed Fruit Tetras only they say that they're dyed...

I think that's why my Upside Down Catfish isn't growing too big. She's in a 10g tank I read on various sites they needed at least 10g so I thought it'd be cool to have one and I bought her and now she's still kind of small after like 6 or 7 months.....

I guess I won't get the CL. I don't have an LFS tho(Concord, really isn't that big) and I shop at Petco for my fish and if I want fish they have in their "book" but don't always order I would have to "special order" the fish(like loaches)...


TO EVERYONE:
I wasn't aware that CL have their growth stunted by being in too small of a tank and I'm even lucky mom's letting me get the 55g let alone a 100 or 125g.



Tahnk you and I'm still looking for more suggestions!!

10G- 6 Zebra Danios, 1 Upside Down Catfish
20G- 1 Goldfish
72G(maybe95)- Need Stock suggestions

My Catfish is about 2"-2.5" long...

Wait, so your 2" upsidedown cat ate a scissortail and a pleco? is it possible that they were already dead/dying? Upsidedown cats, along with most other catfish, are scavengers and will eat dead fish with every chance they get.

I like tetras actually. I'm just afraid the Angel might snack on them(I know angels would probably eat Zebras too). Could possibly suggest some breeds of the tetras? I know about Mixed Fruit Tetras only they say that they're dyed...

Angels have relatively small mouths, so i wouldn't be worried about them eating any tetras over 1 inch, even when full grown. So most tetras will be fine with angels. And yes, the mixed fruit tetras are in fact dyed black widow tetras, and often succumb to diseases soon after purchase. I used to have a couple of them (before i knew any better ), and they all developed tumors and eventually died.

I guess I won't get the CL. I don't have an LFS tho(Concord, really isn't that big) and I shop at Petco for my fish and if I want fish they have in their "book" but don't always order I would have to "special order" the fish(like loaches)...

I have seen yo yo's at petco before, but if you are unable to get them at your petco, check http://yellowpages.com/ and see if there are any pet stores near your town.

Hey Fish....

Some Angels can grow as large as 5-6inches in size but that does not include the fins.
If you have Veil tails they can be as large as 10inches. In a large tank they would be amazing.


I love my Angels!

Wait, so your 2" upsidedown cat ate a scissortail and a pleco? is it possible that they were already dead/dying? Upsidedown cats, along with most other catfish, are scavengers and will eat dead fish with every chance they get.

Yes it is... You wouldn't think of it. My Scissortail used to rest in the plant leaves and the Upside Down would attack every so often. He then probably died and the UDC finished him up. Then after he ate the pleco(he was picking on him and nipping his skin...I found the Plec's bones while cleaning my tank), he got really shy and refused to come back out.

10G- 6 Zebra Danios, 1 Upside Down Catfish
20G- 1 Goldfish
72G(maybe95)- Need Stock suggestions

You asked at the start about peaceful Cichlids ... well I'm going to recommend two for you to hunt down that will live fine in a 55 gallon.

Laetacara curviceps, the Flag Cichlid. Nice South American from the same waters as Angel Fishes. Reaches 3 inches max, and when this species breeds, the parents usually put on an exemplary display of egg and fry care. Worth tracking down.

Anomalochromis thomasi. A favourite of mine from my teenage years. Again, around 3 inches, about as close as you can get to being a 'pacifist' Cichlid like the previous species, and again, a good breeder. African, this time, but NOT from the Rift Lakes - it's a WEST AFRICAN Cichlid that lives in rivers and streams that are much closer to the Amazon in water chemistry terms, so again likely to be compatible with your other stock.

Get either of the above, and abandon the Rams or cockatoos. You won't regret doing so, because they'll be a LOT less fractious and bad tempered!


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

My black neons went great with angels. Slightly bigger than neons or cardinals. Cardinals usually work although if you get little ones and a large angel they may still be snacks. Neons are mostly the only tetra you really have to worry about. Even then most have said if you get the angel small and have it grow up with neons they don't see them as food. Most tetras are equal to or larger in size than your danios so if an angel won't eat those they won't eat most tetra species. I didn't find danios to be that nippy though. They were annoying and stressed all the other fish by divebombing them but they never actually nipped at them.

I don't like Black Neons as they're deyd. I may consider a species of Tetras but I'm not positive on them....

10G- 6 Zebra Danios, 1 Upside Down Catfish
20G- 1 Goldfish
72G(maybe95)- Need Stock suggestions

black neons aren't dyed...

Black neons are not dyed. The species is Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi and that is their normal color. They are not the dyed form of any other species. Usually dyed tetras are the albino form of the skirt tetra(Gymnocorymbus ternetzi) or they dye glassfish and sell them as tetras.

Okay, I guess they're not. Sorry, can't tell the difference on something I don't know about. I read it on some website but can't remember(I've been to so many on fish I forget all of them). Jeez, I even forgot this one before.


10G- 6 Zebra Danios, 1 Upside Down Catfish
20G- 1 Goldfish
72G(maybe95)- Need Stock suggestions