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please help me stock my 55 gall,i allready have 6neon tetras and 1 crab and two bala sharks and two plecos

Take back the bala sharks... They need groups of 6 or more and a 120g aquarium at least. This is non-negotiable, they simple CAN NOT be kept in a 55g.

As for the plecos... If you mean common plecos they need to go back too. They get to be HUGE, and are more suited for 180g+.

If you would like small bottom feeders (cories/small loaches) the crab must go back as well... I personally don't like crabs because if you have absolutely any hole in the top of your aquarium they will find a way to get out.

Once you do that... I would add 6 more Neons, another school of 12 Tetra, 8 small Loaches of the same species (YoYo, Kuhlii or Zebra) and a pair of Bolivian Rams.

Hi there
A couple questions: Do you know about the nitrogen cycle? If so, is your tank fully cycled?
Do you know Bala Sharks get TOO BIG for a 55g tank?
A Bala Shark needs a 90 gallon or larger tank, one preferably 5 feet long or wider, to live its life in. They grow fairly fast and will outgrow that 55 probably in a year or two, and will not have enough room to swim.

Ok, so I would say, if you plan to buy a larger tank in the future, or trade in the balas once they get too large in a years time or so, heres what I suggest.

A Centerpeice fish: 1 or 2 members of a species of fish you particularly find to be fabulous. For me, I picked several centerpeice fish. This could be a small fish or a larger fish, depending on which you like. Some nice showy fish I like that would fit nicely in your tank are Pearl Gouramis, Angelfish, larger Rainbowfish, any medium size (6 inches or less) cichlid just about.

Some more schoolers: Fill out our school of neons to a group of 10 or more. Add another school (6-10)of another small schooling fish- White Cloud Mountain Minnows, Black Neons, Glowlights, Silver Tip tetras, Rummynose tetras, Danios, Harlequin Rasboras, Pencilfish, Gold Barbs, Cherry Barbs, etc. Or, keep your neon school the same, and add a medium size schooling fish: Buenos Aires Tetra, Congo Tetra, Bleeding Heart Tetra, Rainbowfish, Black Widow tetra, Glassfish (not painted), blind cavefish, etc. Say add around 6 of these.

You could add some corydoras catfish, or some smaller loaches. Your plecos if they are commons will get around 14 inches or larger, so keep this in mind. If they are a different type, you should tell us which.

Plant the tank. Choose some nice plants you like, which are easy to care for and quick growers, wisteria, hygrophilia, amazon sword, ambulia, java fern, vallisneria americana, etc.



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ok,the sharks,i cant return"lost the reciet".the plecos,ill return them.im still learning,what about a school of cichlids?would that be good?ive also heard of ghost knifes?..thanks ill keep reading

Then give them back. Bala sharks will stress and die without a proper school in a tank that small.

Ghost knifes get extremely large... There are no widely available commercial tanks that can properly hold them.

Cichlids really don't school... And the only ones you could get (that don't eat neons and need the same kind of water as them) are dwarf cichlids from the americas. Bolivian rams being some of the most common. You'll want 1 or 2 pairs max.

Besides the reading, it's a good idea to wander the lfs in your area and make a list of what's available that interests you. Kind of narrows things down a bit

To start with I'd definitely increase your school of neons. They're very small fish and with their fantastic coloring a larger school would look great in a 55g.

You could still have a plec in the tank, BNs do a great job with algae.

I'd also recommend a group of cories or loaches, the latter are a personal favorite of mine but either will work.



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There is water at the bottom of the ocean

I agree with the others. Bala sharks and plecos do get too large for a 55 gallon tank. Crabs have been known to eat other bottom feeders, so move it out of the tank if you want any other bottom-dwellers.

I think that you should get a bristlenose catfish (the previously mentioned "BN", a shoal of small loaches or cories, a big school of neon tetras, and a pair or two of dwarf cichlids. Really though, that is just my kind of tank. You probably like different stuff.

Check out some of the fish at a fish store or on this site's profiles, and see what you like. Then, report back here with your thoughts. We will be glad to help.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

just got back from the lfs and they said my water was bad,and i had to do a 20 percent water change,
nitraite was high
and the nitrite was high also.

.so i couldent add any fish today.does this sound right?

Yeah. Nitrite is really bad for fish, and high nitrate levels aren't good, either. Water changes help to bring the levels of these things down.

It sounds like you may be adding too many fish too fast. The reason I'm assuming this is because a new tank needs to 'cycle' before it is safe for most fish. It seems like your tank is in the middle of a cycle, and the water (specifically, the levels of ammonia, nitrite, and/or nitrate) is dangerous.
I recommend getting rid of at least the bala sharks and one pleco right away. Moving these fish will help prevent them from dying, and adding to the danger. Plus, they waste that they produce adds to the levels of ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate in the water.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

ok tomorrow ill get rid of the bala sharks and one pleco,do i need to continue the ick drops,cause the bala shark was the only one that had it so far.
after the cycle what is a good center piece fish.im so frustrated,im glad i started with fw instead of sw.

OK i got good ideals for u a SA tank (south american)
15 neons
10 cardinals
6 corys of ur choice
2 german rams
2 bovilan ra,s

I think that you should go for a large school of neons. I wouldn't recommend adding a second school to the tank. I have had problems adding two schools of similarly sized tetras. I think you could stock with
6 smaller rainbows(Turquoise, Neon, etc.)
9 swordtails
12 neons
This I think would be a setup with a variety of colours.