empty tank syndrome! need stocking advice

[fosteder]

So my goal for this tank is to have a nice planted community tank, with a few beautiful "centerpiece" fish. I don't want to constantly be worrying about "A fish" picking on "B fish". I have plenty of aquarium experience, but this is my first aquarium that is larger than a 20 gallon. So up to now, I have been pretty limited in size and selection (my lfs's pretty much suck). So now that I have a 55 gallon, I can have some of the larger prettier fish. But I have a lack of knowledge as far as larger fish behavior, and what fish interacts well with what fish.

Here is what I have now:

55 gal long, well planted.

Ph-6.8
Kh-7
Temp around 80 F

6 Harlequin rasboras (I'm thinking of upping this to 10-12, I love these little guys!!)
2 Julii catfish

I have been thinking about keeping angels or discus for a while, but the $50+ dollar price tag on discus make that option unrealistic for right now, so I was focusing on Angels. From what I have read, they need to be kept in groups of 5 or more. This is fine, but I am worried about their behavior if/when they spawn. How aggressive are they to tank mates?

I am open to other fish options as well (gourami's etc). I just really want something that is going to look really nice and not beat on its tankmates. I guess I wouldn't mind an assorment of fish either…..

So does anyone have any suggestions or advice?

 

[Tom Barr]

Re: empty tank syndrome! need stocking advice

Add 40-50 Rasboras, add 5 more cories.
Add 30-40 Amano shrimp.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[rrguymon]

Re: empty tank syndrome! need stocking advice

I have not done shrimp ever. How much can the move around the plants. Can they swim or climb up near the top and maybe exit the tank?

 

[jonathan11]

Re: empty tank syndrome! need stocking advice

Have angels,fairly large. They do fight between themselves, and although I'm impressed with their grace, they're constantly going at it. If I had to do it over, I wouldn't. My $.02.

 

[Tom Barr]

Re: empty tank syndrome! need stocking advice

Angels and Discus love to eat shrimp FYI.

So you can have one or the other.

I think smaller fish and larger schools look much better and allow the tank to appear larger since the fish are smaller.

We often see tanks with lots of different species in other fish only tanks, do something different.

I think you'll be happier.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[rrguymon]

Re: empty tank syndrome! need stocking advice

I like larger schools of smaller fish too. I think most people tend to crowd angle fish. I think they need more room than people give them.

I like cardnals, neons or white clouds. I keep a couple dwarf gromies too.

 

[fosteder]

Re: empty tank syndrome! need stocking advice

I won't do neons. I had a nice tank of assorted tetras with one neon I inherited so I decided to buy him some friends...they must have had NTD cause they killed every tetra within a few days. Cardinals were the same. Not that I don't like them.

I just don't trust what my LFS's carry, you can go in two days in a row to these shops and see just how many have died in that short amount of time. It's a shame that they keep these fish farms in business. THe fish that come out of them have no chance. And then the shops try to console you by letting you exchange the dead ones for new ones! I tried to get them to let me exchange for food or equipment, but NO, it had to be livestock. As if I wanted any of theirs at that point. I ended up and got the rasboras that oddly enough had a 100% survival rate.....enough ranting. :gw

I am currently driving an hour to 1.5 hours to get to any decent shops.

I bet 30-40 rasboras would be something to see. I had been worried that 5-6 fish the size of Angels would be too much in that tank. I'll probably go halfway with Tom's advice and get 5 more cories, a lot more rasboras, and maybe a pearl gourami or two. I'll add the rasboras and cories first and see how I like it.....

 

[Tom Barr]

Re: empty tank syndrome! need stocking advice

Sounds good.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[Cornhusker]

Re: empty tank syndrome! need stocking advice

schooling fish are best,my favorite is cardinal tets,but there are many other species that are as well. angel and discus belong in a species tank. also if a person could affored would be the red pencil fish that tom barr keeps in his tank. regards,cornhusker

 

[rrguymon]

Re: empty tank syndrome! need stocking advice

I won't do neons. I had a nice tank of assorted tetras with one neon I inherited so I decided to buy him some friends...they must have had NTD cause they killed every tetra within a few days. Cardinals were the same. Not that I don't like them.

I have always had good luck with neons. I get them at pets mart haha nothing specail there. Now Otts thats another story they die at the sight of my tank. I really have 2 otts they look fat and happy but I lost 6 to get 2.

Rummy nose tetras look real nice too. I am going to buy a dozen or so of those or a dozen cardnals soon. I have not deciede yet.

 

[nursie]

Re: empty tank syndrome! need stocking advice

I have a couple of Bosemani Rainbows in my 55, with gouramis, rasboras and a few loaches. I added on suggestion from some folks on the 'net, and I wish I'd known about them first and had more. They are colorful and active.

 

[Greg Watson]

Re: empty tank syndrome! need stocking advice

Have angels,fairly large. They do fight between themselves, and although I'm impressed with their grace, they're constantly going at it. If I had to do it over, I wouldn't. My $.02.

Jonathan is dead on right on this one ... they are Cichlids after all ... but in the context of other tank mates, they are really peaceful ... however, if you try to keep angels in a tank with other fast swimmers, they will not be as active as they are all by themselves ... if I were to do an Angle tank, it would probably be a Species Only tank with a heavy clean up crew ...

Greg