Within the next few months, we are going to be setting up our 50g tank. I know I would really like a Blue Acara as a centrepiece fish, as well as a Red Tailed Shark (now that I will finally have the room for one!) What are some other fish that would go well with this combination in this size tank? I'm thinking maybe 2 sets of bright, eye-catching schooling fish, and another single, or pair, of bigger fish? (Gourami/Paradise Fish, another mild-tempered cichlid, etc.?) Aside from these two fish, I am very open to pretty much any combination. Aqadvisor tells me that Black Neons would not be able to co-exist with the red-tailed shark, but I've also heard many aggression issues with RTS can be prevented by adding it last, after all the other fish have been added. Is this true? Anyone have any experience mixing some of the smaller tetras like the Blacks with a RTS?
Stocking 50g - help?
- Thread starter SonofaGun
- Start date
EDIT: Well, the Acara is a definite, but I love the smaller, bright schooling fish and would like to do a school of lemons and of black neons, so the RTS is out for now, and the angel as well. Or can anyone tell me of two types of schooling fish that make a really striking contrast to each other, that *wouldn't* get eaten by an angel? (Tetras or otherwise) Or, if I decide to go with the tetras and forget about adding an angel, what are some other, mid-sized attractive fish that would be peaceful enough to live with the tetras and not snack on them?
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congo tetra, barbs are pretty BUT nippy, danios are hardy and come in loads or color variations too. I love harlequin rasboras, they are nice and coppery- you can see one of mine in my avatar. There are tons of tetras and schooling fish. As for some other fish I recommend are livebearers: Mollies and swordtails would be nice: They come in a huge range of colors. And you'd probably want a "clean-up crew" a nice big school of say, 8 corydoras (bronze, albino, skunk, panda, peppered, sterbai, hi-fin, duplicte, gossei, etc.) and maybe some ottos or a smaller pleco
(bristlenose, gypsy king tiger pleco)
(bristlenose, gypsy king tiger pleco)
If you're doing ANYTHING that is semi-aggressive to aggressive in that tank, DON'T do bettas (male or females). Male bettas are not fast swimmers and semi-aggressive and aggressive fish would tear him to pieces (this includes loaches). Female bettas will fight back with any semi-aggressive or aggressive fish, but because they stay fairly small (mine max out around 2.5" usually), they usually lose.
I'd go for a nice school of cardinal tetras, flame tetras (also called Von Rio tetras), or glass bloodfin tetras.
I'd go for a nice school of cardinal tetras, flame tetras (also called Von Rio tetras), or glass bloodfin tetras.
Decent-sized achooling fish that would look cool with the angel, contrast with each other and NOT get eaten by the angel would be congo tetras and some sort of colorful platy (like the blue rainbow http://www.tropicalfishintl.com/images/enlarge/Platy/RainbowPlaty.jpg or parrot, also called the dawn, http://www.tropicalfishintl.com/images/enlarge/Platy/BlueCoralPlaty.jpg ).