# Plan Changed- Now working with 55 Gallons



## Cook.MN (Mar 11, 2008)

So before I was planning a 38 Gallon setup but the plans have changed some, now I'm working with a 55 Gallon tank and need some stocking suggestions for that.

*Tank Layout:*
2 Large Pieces of driftwood
2 Rock Caves/Piles on opposite ends of the tank
Completely Planted

*What I am Certain On:*
1 Pair Apistogramma Agassizii Blue Tail
1 Pair Apistogramma Cacatuoides Triple Red

*Uncertain On:*
5-7 Panda Corys- I know I want Panda Corys, but unsure of the number
8-12 Tetra- Unsure of which exact tetra, but again unsure of the number
8-12 Tetra- Unsure of which exact tetra, but again unsure of the number

Thoughts?


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

6 is always a good round number with cories ... at least that's usually the number I use. :thumb:

If you are going to go two differant tetra schools, I'd go vastly differant colors and shapes ... ie 12 rummynose and 12 lemon tetras ... I wouldn't do two similiar shaped but differant colored like black and red phantoms though. Of course I tend to just use one school so my ideas might be odd sounding.

Oh if you can find extra females, apistos really do do better in trios instead of pairs, being harem polyogmists and all. :wink:


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## Cook.MN (Mar 11, 2008)

Yeah couldn't find any trios, everyone I found was selling in pairs.


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## naegling23 (Jan 4, 2008)

one other note for tetra's. Dont do black neons.

*** got 10 of them, they refuse to school unless I scare them by banging on the glass or something. *** heard lemons and rummynose are much better schoolers. In my opinion schooling behavior is really neat in a tank.


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## Cook.MN (Mar 11, 2008)

Yeah I love schooling fish, that's why I'm going to love this tank because I'm putting 3 groups of schoolers in there with some beautiful Apisto's.


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## Cook.MN (Mar 11, 2008)

Would a Blue Lobster/Crayfish work in this setup? Always wanted one but he'd be a fancy dinner for my Mbuna tank


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## DeadFishFloating (Oct 9, 2007)

*Cook.MN* many SA cichlids will sleep on the bottom at night and I think any crayfish would take this as an apportunity to have a snack.


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## Cook.MN (Mar 11, 2008)

Good to know, thanks mate :thumb:


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

Stay away from the crayfish! It will eat the slower moving fish during lights out.

I love rummy nose tetras. They are great little fish, and you can "use" them to tell your water quality. If their red noses start to fade at all, you know it's time for a water change.

I also have a group of scissortail raspboras in with my Bolivian rams, and really like those.

Kim


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## barndon187 (Mar 28, 2008)

for sure no lobster mine has a tank to himself now because i was told it could never catch a healthily fish but fish aren't fast in their sleep r.i.p. bolivian ram they shared tanks for eight hours while another tank was being prepared but the departed never saw daylight


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## illy-d (Nov 6, 2005)

If it was my tank (you asked for my opinion :thumb: ) I would do one big school of tetras - Cardinals are a favourite... And maybe add half a dozen Marbled Hatchetfish.

I always find a bigger school looks better - and with say 24 - 30 Cardinals in a 55 they don't even need to be schooling to look like they are!

The hatchetfish will stay at the top and thus give you 3 'levels' of action... Cory's & Apistos on the bottom; Cardinals at all levels - mainly middle; Hatchets at the top.

Just make sure you have a tight fitting lid as Hatchet's like to 'leap'.


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## Cook.MN (Mar 11, 2008)

See I never even thought of hatchets!

The schooling fish besides the Panda Corys are not set in stone so any ideas on schooling fish I'm all ears. And yeah I'd prefer 2 groups of larger schools then 3 groups of smaller schools.


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## Cook.MN (Mar 11, 2008)

Would you guys recommend any blue/gold rams to this tank?

So Far Stock Mix:

5 Peppered Corys
8 Bloodfin Tetra
10 Percilla(sp?) Tetra

I'm at the mercy of my LFS for tetra and they won't have any more of the tetra & cory I got for another week and a half, at which time I'll beef up their numbers.


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## Cook.MN (Mar 11, 2008)

I think there is something wrong with my Bloodfins...they can't grasp the concept of schooling! :lol:


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

Don't you just hate it when that happens?

It's probably because you don't have enough of them yet. Once you add more, they may catch on!

Kim


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

A lot of tetras won't swim together unless they are in decent numbers (12+) or there is a larger fish in the tank ... remember schooling is a defensive measure for fish to avoid being eaten.

That said I hate when tetras won't school!!! :x


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## Cook.MN (Mar 11, 2008)

I know SA's like their space, after beefing up my schools would I be able to comfortably house blue/gold rams in this 55?

It's a heavily planted tank, 2 large pieces of diftwood (20+ inches each) and some rock caves.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

Did you go with the two pairs of Apistos? If so, I don't think you'd have any problem housing gold rams with them. Very nice little fish, I had some for awhile.

Kim


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## Cook.MN (Mar 11, 2008)

Yup went with 2 pairs of apistos. I know I'm a few numbers short on my schools but the tank just looks empty 

And very cool, I'll look for some nice lil rams to finish it off then.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

I have a 55G set up with 3 adult Bolivians - used to be two pairs but I lost one of them, 6 albino cories, about 10 young Bolivians, 4 scissortail raspboras, 4 Buenos Aries tetras, and some rosy barbs, and it's an amazing tank to watch. It's hard not to add more fish, but I know that once my little rams grow out some, I'll have to remove several of them.

I didn't think anything would ever be as entertaining as my mbuna, but now I'm thinking of setting up a tank with discus and blue rams.

Kim


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## illy-d (Nov 6, 2005)

I may be prone to overstocking, but the way I feel is this:

If your stocking tetras - go nuts! They are such a small fish they have an almost insignificant impact on the bio-load... If I was stocking a 4' long 55g tank with some dwarf south american cichlids I would probably add anywhere from 24 to 55 Cardinal tetras (or similar tetra).

My method for doing this would be to first find a reputable shop or supplier and I would buy 24 cardinals right of the bat - this 2 dozen would be the first fish in the tank once it's cycled. I'd let it be for a few weeks and then add a few pairs of dwarf cichlid - or a couple of BN plecos and a small school of cories... (cories are actually so efficient at cleaning up left overs that some people actually count them as a -1 towards the bio-load)... My feeling is that the cories, despite their efficiency are actually going to be competeing for space and food with your dwarf cichlids - especially the cichlids that prefer the bottom (rams & apisto's). And space is more important to ALL cichlids than 'gallons'...

Back to the Cardinals... If the tank still looked 'empty' with 24 cardinals, or if they weren't schooling how I liked I'd probably add another 6... wait awhile and add more if required...

Just be warned that the more often or frequently you introduce fish you increase your chance at intoducing disease - quarantine properly and go slow.


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