# How many for a 55 gal?



## gr8Fan (Oct 29, 2009)

I have a 55 gal tank that I'm going to be setting up, its going to be a show tank.

So the question is:

How many fish can I stock?

Six inches I think its the max(size) for the tank.

Any suggesttions......


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

what type of setup? what filter? etc. etc.


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## gr8Fan (Oct 29, 2009)

Its going to be all-male(mix africans)

I'm looking for the filter(maybe c-360, 2217 or 2026) as we speak.


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

i am getting a rena xp3 in the mail today for my 55, got it for $109

with mixed males haps/peacocks, i currently have 6 with 3 being delivered tomorrow, it's sort of an assess as you go situation, i have 6 and i can see that i have plenty of space for more, and after the next 3 come in i'll wait and see what happens


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## gr8Fan (Oct 29, 2009)

I don't want to stock too many that they can't swim but slightly overstock to keep the aggression on the low side.


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

here is my stock list as of tomorrow

all males
Aulonocara baenschi 
Aulonocara maylandi 
Aulonocara stuartgranti (Chiloelo)
Aulonocara stuartgranti (Ngara)
Aulonocara (Rubescens)
"OB Peacock Hybrid"
Labidochromis caeruleus
Copadichromis trewavasae
Placidochromis electra


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## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

you need to narrow it down a bit. all male african mix still comprises alot of species. do you want lake malawi, haps and peacocks, just peacocks, mbuna...


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

i guess i wasn't really thinking about that, but with all males, haps and peacocks are the easiest and most serene imo

let me clarify that i wouldn't normally put an ob peacock in a 55 i was told once it was too small a tank, and i tend to take that advice seriously, but in my case the fish was bought so i can add my rudy red without being tortured, and the options were slim, so i bought a smaller ob, and if i can't up my tank soon i will be returning him now that i have more fish coming


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## iCichlid (Sep 21, 2009)

i have a 55 gallon... i'm well stocked...

2 Yellow Tail Acei's
3 Yellow Labs
4 Red Zebras 
2 Socolofi
3 P. elongatus
2 German Red Peacocks
2 Strawberry Peacocks
1 Grants Peacock
2 Bristle Nose Pleco's
4 (however might only be 3; that's all i see at once) Syno Lucipinnis
Maybe a few fry hiding, i see then when i clean. Acei and a P. Elongatus are holding...

Filters, I'm running and xP4 and an FX5. I change about 15-20 gallons of water a week. Photos and video's in signature...


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

just added my xp3 and loving it already, seems to have great flow, screw those bio stars though, bought some cheap ceramic rings to throw in with the stars that came with it, but they are way too expensive to try to fill a basket with them, and the rest of my fish will be in by 10:30 AM


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## iCichlid (Sep 21, 2009)

i like my xP4. I got a good price on the bio-stars on Fosters/Smith so I added some more of those. I also use the Super Fine Pad at the top. It's the Green with a white layer on top and it does a super job with the polishing.

Only problem i've had, and maybe it's just me, but my tubes turned brown and look dirty. All the other filters I've owned had black hoses so i never knew the difference


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

i wouldn't doubt that they all get a brown build up, tell ya what though, those tubes where a pain to get on and i could not get them very high onto the plastic, but they were firmly on (fingers crossed)

the bottom basket was all foam the middle i put floss carbon then floss, and the top one is all rings and stars


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## iCichlid (Sep 21, 2009)

mine came with some hose clamps. I wet the hose and pipe before sliding it on; made it much easier!


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## pgreptom (Dec 5, 2009)

I have two 55 gallon tanks..

Each tank:

Tank1
===========
Snow white socofoli - 1 
Electric Blue - 4 
Cobalt Blue Zebra - lightblue - 2 
Purple Gold Cichlid - 2 (not sure of the exact species yet, waiting for the little boogers to get bigger)
Convict Cichlid - 1
Red tailed shark - 1
Pleco - 1
---> Has 2 cascade 600 filters. --> 350gph
This tank is cycled, I change the water once every Thursday - I take out about 10 gallons.

Tank 2
===========
Columbian sharks - 2
Auratus - 2
Red Zebra Cichlid - 1
Red Zebra Cichlid (Blotched black) - 1
Red tailed shark - 1
---> Has 1 cascade 400 filter and an Aquatech 60g filter - > 350gph
This tank just finished cycling, but out of paranoia I still change water once a day - 10 gallons.


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

i wish i though about wetting it


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## gr8Fan (Oct 29, 2009)

I notice that alot people have two filters in their tanks. I know the tank needs to be over filter but a 55 gal tank with 12-16 fish with a canister rated at 360 gph is not enough?

If I'm going with 12-16 fish, do I need more than 360 gph?

Not that I'm to change the main topic... :lol:


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

mine was rated lower and it was fine, it all depends on the feeding, and water movement, you can play with powerheads in the tank to try to push waste towards the intake, and also just vacuum the tank well, not as cut and dry as saying you must have this much water moving through your filter

fish **** a lot, and they can go days without eating, you can get away with feeding once every other day sometimes and avoid having too much waste in the tank


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## RBeneveds (Dec 17, 2008)

Chris "iCichlid" Thanks for posting the video on your sig. Great tank!!


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## gr8Fan (Oct 29, 2009)

Anybody else...

Would it work fine, having 12-16 fish using a 360 ghp canister?
I just would like to stock maybe 5-7 fish(6 inch) on that size and the rest would be smaller(4-5inch) is it ok?


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## Bweb (Mar 31, 2009)

Start with what you have and you can always add more later you will be fine just don't over feed and do your Weekly water changes. The main reason I like to have two filters on my tanks is I can alternate the cleaning of them.

Plus once your MTS kicks in full blast you'll have an extra filter kicking around :wink:


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## gr8Fan (Oct 29, 2009)

I agree bweb :thumb:

I'll be posting pics about the whole thing. Maybe is fair to say 5 gal per fish.


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