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I just got a new 55 gallon 48"x13"x20" tank. So far I have live plants and mosquito fish in it that I have collected from the local rivers. It has been cycling for about a week with the fish and the plants.. I started it with half of the water being from my outdoor pond already having the neccasary bacteria. I am thinking of getting a few more fish this weekend. I wanted to know if you could give me advice on all of this.


After all of the the trips to the LFS I am thinkin of having:

3 Angel Fish
1 Clown loach
6 Marbled Hatchet fish
6 tetras or danios( haven't decided yet)
8 guppies
2 plecos
4-6 dwarf gouramies
5 panda cory cats

give me feedback on what you think or advice for a tank like this.



-Vincent

The guppies may get their long fins nipped by the gouramis or danios. Maybe instead of guppies go with some Harliquin Rasboras. Also you will need a bigger tank for the clown loach in the future, but they do grow slow so its a good choice for now. I would make the cory shoal a bit bigger, maybe around 8-10.

Yeah the raspboras sound like a good idea. I'm making this tank with my sister and she liked the guppies but I've convinced her to let go of the Idea. And I'll definantly get more cory cats. I just thought that it would be overstocked.

-Vincent

I would be cautious about having the gouramis and angels in the same tank. Many times they don't get along. If you have them together, I'd go with only a trio of each.

The clown loach will outgrow the 55g eventually. I think it will be fine for about a year though...they grow pretty slow. They are also shoaling (kinda like schooling but dont actually swim around together, just like the company of their own), so you'll need more than 1. I'd go with 3 or 4. For the panda cories, I'd get atleast 6, they seem to do alot better the more you have. Really, I'd skip the clown loaches and go with 8 cories and maybe 3 or 4 yoyo loaches (fun fish, stay around 4 inches).

I'd skip danios with the angels. They can be nippy. I bought one of my angels from a LFS that had danios in the same tank and all the angels had their fins frayed...not fun for the angels. I'd go with some rummynose tetras. They are very beautiful, school tightly, and are peaceful fish. You'd be very pleased with them I think.

I'd also be worried about the guppies. They may do ok, but personally I wouldn't risk it. I like the idea of Harlequin rasboras, just make sure you add them before the angels and that the angels are small. That will prevent any rasboras from being eaten, since they can be small when you buy them.

*Kristin*

thanx for your input girliegirl. I didn't know that danios nip. Instead I might get some type of tetra(maybe emperor's). And the clown loach might not be a good idea since I only have room for 1 and they like to school. Yoyo loaches were my plan B so I'll get those instead.

-Vincent

Sounds good, yo-yo loaches like to be in numbers so get 4-6 of them. I would'nt worry about the rasboras getting ate by the angels unless you buy some pretty small rasboras, like less then a quater inch. Emperors are nice, one of the bigger species of tetra, I would go with maybe 7-8 of them.

thanx for the input fish guy. we might get a couple extra yoyo's if the aquarium doesn't look to crowded.

-Vincent

Yoyos are very entertaining. Mine certainly are. I have 4 and they so funny. They have made a tunnel under my driftwood. They also do some synchronized swimming in the mornings.

*Kristin*

good to hear that yoyo's are entertaining because that was the reason we wanted a clown loach. So I guess it's definantly going to be yoyo's.

-Vincent

New list of fish will be:

3 Angel Fish
3-4 yoyo loaches
6 Marbled Hatchet fish
6 tetras (still not sure which)
8 harlequin raspboras
2 plecos
4-6 dwarf gouramies
8 panda cory cats





-Vincent

Sounds good to me. Just keep an eye on the gouramis and angels to make sure there aren't any problems.

*Kristin*

Go with 4 gouramis.

okay I'll go with 4 and I'll keep a good eye on them.

-Vincent

If i were you I wouldn't go for 3 angels, if on the off chance you get 2 of one sex and one of the other and a pair should happen to form then they will become extremely agressive to the "spare" fish.

Try getting about 6 juveniles and see if a pair forms then remove all except the pair.

Or you could just buy a pair and hope that they pair up (mine did, which was quite miraculous seeing as I get a zebra one and a marble one and though this was how you determined the sex )

actually, i think the combination of fish also has to do with the size of the tank.

i have in my 150g, 6 angels, 4 gourami and 7 zebra danios and i have had no problems with any of the fish.

yes, eventually the clown will outgrow the tank, but its going to take a few years. for the plecos, honestly, one is all you'll need, that will also outgrow the tank over a few years.

Fish tanks are an expensive addiction

By 'plecos', what kind do you mean? I know they produce a lot of waste, and i think two sailfins or something would be way too many.