What fish for my 55 gallon planted?

[Matt Nace]

Here is what I have so far.

5 ottos
6 SAE
1 rubber pleco(should stay under 5 inches

11 bronze cories(all growing old)

7 cherry barbs(had 2 for 4 years, the rest are over a year)
5 Checkered barbs(small)
5 more in a q-tank going in today

12 to 14 ammano shrimp
2 ghost shrimp

I was originally going to get some Angels, but that would cut down on the number of fish I could keep.

What else should I put in....maybe one more type but a bunch.

What I do not want are
neons/cardinals/glowlights/black neons/ rasboros/lemons/rosy barbs/ruby barbs/ danios/
no live bearers
not anything too big
no loaches(shrimp)
no catfish at this time

I do want either
something that swims in schools or around the tank(tiger barbs?)<--- love them(would they pick on my check barbs though?)

or something very pretty.

I will not buy expensive fish..like a 8 dollar rainbow(x5 or 6 fish) unless I really get convinced.

I don't care about overstocking.....I can handle it, I always have more inches per gallon than I should. My tank looks dead...hardly any fish.(half are on the ground or in the plants) I love "busy" tanks....where you don't know which fish to keep looking at. *twirlysmiley*



Thanks ..any suggestion will be thought about!!!!!

 

[Matt Nace]

Oh..on overstocking...I do care to a point..like I would not have a 200 tiger barbs or 15 angels, but it doesn't matter if in 2 years you may go over your fish/gallon guestimate.

Thanks again

 

[colesea]

Ummm...nothing.  Since you really ruled out all the small, non-aggressive, not plant damaging, stay small active swimmers already, looks like you're stuck with what you have.

If you want an active tank, you'd have to take out your plants. Paco will eat them, Bala Sharks will go right through them and uproot them besides growing too big, SA Cichlids are notorious for digging plants up and reorganizing them, you ruled out danios so no Giant Danios for you, Silver dollars will keep everying mowed, Tinfoil Barbs are another that would grow too big, and most plants can not handle the water chemisties needed for African Cichlids. Besides, all these fish will definately outgrow and overcrowd a 55gallon tank quite quickly. And they'll undoubtedly eat your shrimp.

Gourmis may get along, but they're slow movers. Perhaps an  African Butterfly, another slow moving surface predatory fish. Small tetras (black skirts, white skirts, bleeding hearts, serpae etc.) in schools of five or six would look pretty, but they don't dart around actively. Kribs, a West African cichlid that stays relatively small and doesn't mind neutral waters. They're not active, but they defend their territory. Firemouths are a SA cichlid that doesn't get to big either, and they're a territory defender also.

Tiger barbs, they shouldn't pick on the other barbs so long as the other barbs are quick enough to get out of the way. If you really want tiger barbs, you'll have to take your chances, but you truely did rule-out some lovely fish to begin with, so put in your tank whatever you want.
~~Colesea

 

[ChazECJr]

"MaleRubyBarb" doesn't want ruby barbs???

How bout white clouds?

 

[Matt Nace]

lol--- ;D

Ruby barbs are one of  my favorite fish. I gave up all my Rubys when I moved a few monthes back. They were eating a lot of my plants(except bacopa and swords). So they and my pretty rosys were taken to the LFS(They sure didn't mind)

don't give up on my cole...there has to be something....but as you..I am not sure.
White clouds..hmmm
I saw some long-finned ones for sale...they were pretty.
Do they like 80f temps though?

What about some other barbs like "T" barbs, cumings barbs, spanner,neon barbs(odessa),clown barbs,5 banded.
I dont know much about these barbs.

chinese/green barbs were very active when I had them. But I need something a tad bit more pretty.

I like tetras, but not sure which ones stay together. I guess a lot don't unless they feel threatened.

 

[colesea]

T-barbs (aka spanner barbs) get big, and to me, they're not that pretty, but they're harmless. There are also Arulus barbs that are kinda like Checkerboard barbs with red tails, another harmless barb. You could do some Silver-tip Tetras (they're more rasbora shaped then tetra shaped). I have the Silver-tip Tetras and Arulus barbs in the same tank, and they school together nicely and move about actively. You might not want rasboras, but Sissor-tailed Rasboras are an active mover, not like the Harliquins at all.  Neon barbs are the same as Rosey barbs, big day-go orange color and about the same size. Gold barbs are yellow and not that big, and stay together. Personally I love Green Tiger Barbs, but the last school of those I had killed each other off until their was only the one big bully left.

Personally, I wouldn't spend $4 on the long-finned white clouds. They're a pretty fish, but they just don't do it.
~~Colesea

 

[ChazECJr]

Check white clouds under "fresh water profiles" here.  Someone in Miami had them at over 80F and he said they seemed fine.

 

[colesea]

Hey, I just thought of Congo Tetras, they're purple and a nice schooler. Or Bueno Aries Tetras, they're another active schooler. These tetras get big too though, so just be careful.
~~Colesea

 

[Matt Nace]

Thanks

Congo was my first choice till I saw they were 10 to 14 dollars a piece.

I thought the Bueno aires tetras were real cool....but wasn't to sure.

Well I went today..and decided I really wanted tiger barbs.
I bought all they had of the original..which was 10.

My 55 gallon full planted tank will be complete then.(fish anyways)

I just hope they work out....or may try the B.A tetras.

Thanks again

 

[colesea]

$14 for a Congo? Wow that's stiff. The ones I have are only $9. But Buneos Aeries should go with Tigers if you want to do them both together. The BAs are bigger and faster than the Tigers, so you wouldn't have to worry about them getting nipped. The BAs shouldn't be more than $3.

Good luck
~~Colesea

 

[huck]

The BA tetras will probably eat your plants...

 

[Matt Nace]

*thumbsupsmiley*

Thanks for that tip huck.