55 Gal. Stocking Suggestions Please

[RainboWBacoN420]

So, I must apologize for making this topic, I know there's like a billion on these stocking suggestion threads, but I am stumped on what other livestock I should add to my 55 gallon long (4l x 1w x 2h). I'm not sure if I should add another shoaling fish maybe?
I already have 1 Pearl gourami, 11 neon tetras, 4 albino corydoras and 3 nerite snails... And maybe some ghost shrimp, I haven't seen them recently.......
pH is 7.2-7.4
GH is 5°/ 90 ppm
KH is 3°/ 55-60 ppm
Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate are at 0 ppm.

I'm planning on getting at least two or three more albino corydoras in the near future and possibly more neon tetra as well.
My tank is heavily planted and kept at a temperature of 75°-77° Fahrenheit.
I was thinking along the lines of Congo tetra? Maybe just five or six of them? They get decently big, I'm not sure if five or six of them be too much with the livestock I already have in there??
Danios are out of the question, most danios I see on the market are spazzy and nippy, and I really want to avoid any nippers with my male Pearl gourami who has somewhat long and majestic fins.


Thanks in advance
~RainboW

 

[Byron]

The Congo Tetra is a good consideration.  Many years ago when my largest tank was a 4-foot 55g, I had a group of five (3 males, 2 females) and they were beautiful.  I had lots of other smaller fish and corys too; can't remember how many other fish, but it was certainly three times what you are suggesting.  I have a group of 8 Congo now in my 90g, five males and three females (there originally were 5/5).  This is an active swimming species when the mood strikes it, but very peaceful and I don't think your Pearl would mind them...though if memory serves me from your other thread (and sorry to hear of the female given up, but they are gourami and one never knows) this is a male, so he might exercise some dominance.
 
You intend increasing the neons (good idea) and corys (also good).  On the latter, in this sized tank I would recommend at least 12-15, up to 20-25 corys.  They can be different species.  With corys, there is no doubt but that they will always be better the more there are.  There are many species suited to your excellent water, so wild caught will not be an issue here.
 
Another nice peaceful shoaling tetra is the Red Phantom.  One used not to see this very much, but lately it seems to be around a bit more, here anyway.  I have my first grup of this species, and they are beauties.  A group of 12-15 would be lovely.  The red colour of this fish is quite stunning, and would be a nice combination with your Congo and Pearl and neons.  The two mauve-coloured tetra, Rosy and Roberti, are also ideal shoaling fish.  Here I would suggest either the Red Phantom or one of the others.
 
I like to have an "oddball" in larger tanks like this one, thinking of the Whiptail Catfish or the Red Lizard Whiptail; these are the Rineloricaria species (some sites are incorrectly using Hemiloricaria) that are small and very peaceful.  One, two or three would work here.
 
Byron.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I'd stick to the one species of cories and like Byron suggests, as many as you can get. You'll be stunned by the display, honestly.

More neons also will add to the display.

A second shoaler group would also work great.


If you are looking to add a splash of color... A trio or more of male guppies will add color and movement all over the place. I have a group with my pearl gourami, but they aren't as persnickety as yours seems to be. They were the last fish added to my tank, so they had to fit into what was already established.

 

[RainboWBacoN420]

The Congo Tetra is a good consideration.  Many years ago when my largest tank was a 4-foot 55g, I had a group of five (3 males, 2 females) and they were beautiful.  I had lots of other smaller fish and corys too; can't remember how many other fish, but it was certainly three times what you are suggesting.  I have a group of 8 Congo now in my 90g, five males and three females (there originally were 5/5).  This is an active swimming species when the mood strikes it, but very peaceful and I don't think your Pearl would mind them...though if memory serves me from your other thread (and sorry to hear of the female given up, but they are gourami and one never knows) this is a male, so he might exercise some dominance.

 
This is what I've been pondering on since they get about the same size or even bigger than male pearl gouramis if I remember correctly? If  I were to go with the congos, how many do you think I can get away with, without over working the bio-load? That's why I'm only considering five or six.
 
 

 
 
You intend increasing the neons (good idea) and corys (also good).  On the latter, in this sized tank I would recommend at least 12-15, up to 20-25 corys.  They can be different species.  With corys, there is no doubt but that they will always be better the more there are.  There are many species suited to your excellent water, so wild caught will not be an issue here.
 

 
 
I was reaching more for like eight or ten at most, but twenty-five corys?? I think that's pushing my limit, my filter is just a simple HOB Aqueon filter, the 55/75 to be exact. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see that many corys in my tank, the thing is, I'm worried about the bio-load being over worked and since there's a lot of plants, rocks, and driftwood, there's only so much free sand to sift around in, I'm not sure if that could be a problem for so many cories... I wouldn't think it would be. 
 
 

 
 
Another nice peaceful shoaling tetra is the Red Phantom.  One used not to see this very much, but lately it seems to be around a bit more, here anyway.  I have my first grup of this species, and they are beauties.  A group of 12-15 would be lovely.  The red colour of this fish is quite stunning, and would be a nice combination with your Congo and Pearl and neons.  The two mauve-coloured tetra, Rosy and Roberti, are also ideal shoaling fish.  Here I would suggest either the Red Phantom or one of the others.
 
 

I've looked up all of the tetra that you mentioned, all of them are really beautiful. My girlfriend was suggesting to me to go with lemon tetra. I don't know how well the bright yellow jewels when look in my tank, though. I really love their appearance! But my tank is mostly green and red plants, with Malaysian driftwood (really dark brown coloration) and grey, whitish and dark colored rocks. I'm not sure if lemon tetra would pop or blend in?
 
In all honesty, I was hoping to go for a different species of fish or family I should say? I love tetra, they're probably my favorite shoaling fish, but I do want to expand my experience with different fish. But I'll probably give into the tetra family since they always seem to steal the spotlight. 
 
 

 
 
I like to have an "oddball" in larger tanks like this one, thinking of the Whiptail Catfish or the Red Lizard Whiptail; these are the Rineloricaria species (some sites are incorrectly using Hemiloricaria) that are small and very peaceful.  One, two or three would work here.
 
Byron.

My lfs I work at carries those guys, very ugly, I apologize, plecos aren't in my favor to keep. Very unique species, just really ugly. 
 
 
Thank you for your suggestions, Bryon, very much appreciated. 

 

[RainboWBacoN420]

I'd stick to the one species of cories and like Byron suggests, as many as you can get. You'll be stunned by the display, honestly.

More neons also will add to the display.

A second shoaler group would also work great.


If you are looking to add a splash of color... A trio or more of male guppies will add color and movement all over the place. I have a group with my pearl gourami, but they aren't as persnickety as yours seems to be. They were the last fish added to my tank, so they had to fit into what was already established.

Yes, I am going to add on to the albinos. I'd rather keep a huge shoal of one corydoras, I have play sand as my substrate (regret the choice of sand) and my albinos kind of blend in with the sand just a little, so when you see them start to sift around, it makes an interesting sight of surprise. 
 
I've been looking into another shoaling fish for the tank, if not, it's whatever, but that's mainly what I'm looking for. 
 
I don't really like guppies, they're beautiful fish, but I'd rather not have guppies in there. I appreciate the suggestion, though. 

 

[PepperjacksMama]

How about Harleys? Good shoaler/schooler, and they tend towards the upper strata, whereas Neons tend lower in the tank.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Are your albinos aeneus? Or paleatus? Those are the most common albino species. If you know, you can buy the non albino variety, the fish won't mind.

Fair enough on the guppies... I had outgrown them once upon a time too. But seeing them through my wife's eyes made me fall in love with them anew.

 

[RainboWBacoN420]

Are your albinos aeneus? Or paleatus? Those are the most common albino species. If you know, you can buy the non albino variety, the fish won't mind.

Fair enough on the guppies... I had outgrown them once upon a time too. But seeing them through my wife's eyes made me fall in love with them anew.

They're the albino aeneus. Yeah, I've mixed different corys together before, but I'd rather keep the shoal all albino. 
 
 

How about Harleys? Good shoaler/schooler, and they tend towards the upper strata, whereas Neons tend lower in the tank.

I've thought about rasboras, I don't know if the gourami will like that, he's a little territorial at the surface, that's typically where you'll find him hanging about.

 

[Byron]

This is what I've been pondering on since they get about the same size or even bigger than male pearl gouramis if I remember correctly? If  I were to go with the congos, how many do you think I can get away with, without over working the bio-load? That's why I'm only considering five or six.
 

 
Five would be minimum, for the sake of the fish themselves, but they will be healthier with more; when I had five in my 55g, it was back in the early 1980's and since then I have gained a much better understanding of fish behaviours/health.  I like odd numbers (no scientific reason with most fish, just aesthetics) so I would say seven here, four males, three females.  The males interact a great deal, and enjoy running "relays" with two and sometimes three.  They will also spawn readily, though eggs get eaten fairly quickly.  I'll comment on the bio-load aspect below.
 

Yes, I am going to add on to the albinos. I'd rather keep a huge shoal of one corydoras, I have play sand as my substrate (regret the choice of sand) and my albinos kind of blend in with the sand just a little, so when you see them start to sift around, it makes an interesting sight of surprise.
 

 
Why regret play sand?  It is probably the most ideal cory substrate.  It is the most natural-looking substrate (sands in most Amazonian streams), and it causes no problems when the corys sift it through their delicate gills as they need to do.  Corys should blend in with the substrate; this is the explanation behind their colour pattern when viewed from above...all species are patterned to blend in to their habitat substrate.  So the fish themselves will be more "relaxed."
 
I have a thing about albino corys, simply that they are man-made and not a natural species.  Not implying any dye injection-type issue here, just my preference for natural species.  Albino corys would never occur in the wild, they would be unable to survive.
 

I was reaching more for like eight or ten at most, but twenty-five corys?? I think that's pushing my limit, my filter is just a simple HOB Aqueon filter, the 55/75 to be exact. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see that many corys in my tank, the thing is, I'm worried about the bio-load being over worked and since there's a lot of plants, rocks, and driftwood, there's only so much free sand to sift around in, I'm not sure if that could be a problem for so many cories... I wouldn't think it would be.
 

 
This tank would easily handle the numbers (25 corys, with all the other fish).  Filtration is misunderstood by many, and the fish's well-being is largely a matter of other things that should take precedence.  Provided one doesn't go overboard.
 
Providing a species with as natural an environment as possible will lead to less stress and better health, and the fish then have much less of an impact on the bio-load.  Fish under stress use more oxygen, create more ammonia, release more pheromones, etc, and this impacts the system and other fish.  Filters cannot handle or rectify this.  I have a 29g aquarium, the standard 30-inch length, with a simple dual sponge filter.  There are 63 fish in this tank, and it is probably one of my healthiest tanks in terms of the fish.  The reason is that everything the fish "expect" is provided, and they are fish that live in large groups.  I could move some of these fish into a larger tank, with fewer of the species and a different aquascape, and they would be severely stressed and in poor health.
 
"Environment" when it comes to fish involves the water parameters (GH and temperature primarily, also pH), aquascaping (the substrate, decor, plants), water movement/current, lighting, numbers of the individual species, and the other species included in the aquarium as these will or can impact on one another significantly.  When any of these factors are wrong, the impact on the fish is considerable.  Adding more filters will have no benefit.
 
Byron.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I have a thing about albino corys, simply that they are man-made and not a natural species.  Not implying any dye injection-type issue here, just my preference for natural species.  Albino corys would never occur in the wild, they would be unable to survive.

 
Just to point out that this is a bit misleading... albinos do occur in the wild, they are just far less likely to survive to reproduce, which was your intended meaning, I just want to make sure that no one gets the wrong idea.  
 
 
EDIT:  My mistake.  'Albino' corydoras, by name, are selectively bred and not true albinos in the sense as the word implies.  As such, it is unlikely that they would occur naturally in the wild, without the intervention of man.  Thank you Byron.

 

[RainboWBacoN420]

 

 

 

 
Why regret play sand?  It is probably the most ideal cory substrate.  It is the most natural-looking substrate (sands in most Amazonian streams), and it causes no problems when the corys sift it through their delicate gills as they need to do.  Corys should blend in with the substrate; this is the explanation behind their colour pattern when viewed from above...all species are patterned to blend in to their habitat substrate.  So the fish themselves will be more "relaxed."
 

Yes, true, I mainly regret it because of the look of it, But I was going for a natural as possible appearance as possible. The corys seem to really like it, I wish it was a little more fine, but I'm way past the point of no return. I would think play sand would be more suitable and ideal for corys, but it is really bright white, and during the day it could be a sore on the eyes... and the fishes eyes as well. 
 

 

 

 
Providing a species with as natural an environment as possible will lead to less stress and better health

That makes me feel better about my tank. Currently, it's just a jungle of plants with a few pieces of driftwood. I was going for a bottom of a lake look, with towering plants plants and thick foliage, I mainly had the fishes comfort in mind when designing this tank, more than I had in mind to make it look nice. Not really scaped artistically, but everything is some what organized and not too randomized to look like I just threw the plants in anywhere they'd fit. I'll be posting pictures of the tank when I feel that it's truly "complete". 
 
Oh, and yesterday, I worked at the fish shop, and just as I came in we had a shipment of some beautiful Lemon Tetra, as we were discussing before. I also got to take a look at the Rosy Tetra, but I think (not officially sure as of yet) I'll be adding a school of about 12-14 lemons to the tank. 
 
Still taking suggestions...

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Still taking suggestions...

 
HY 511 Tetra
aka - Candy cane tetra, or peppermint tetra
 

 

[RainboWBacoN420]

Excellent suggestion Eagles, I'll add those guys to my suggestion list.

 

[Byron]

Yes, true, I mainly regret it because of the look of it, But I was going for a natural as possible appearance as possible. The corys seem to really like it, I wish it was a little more fine, but I'm way past the point of no return. I would think play sand would be more suitable and ideal for corys, but it is really bright white, and during the day it could be a sore on the eyes... and the fishes eyes as well.
 

 
I would not use white sand, you are quite correct that this does stress fish.  It is completely un-natural.  Odd that play sand comes in white...my local Quikrete brand is a mix of grey/tan/black/white and very natural.

 

[RainboWBacoN420]

Sorry, my bad, I meant pool sand.

My play sand is like what you said, black, white, grey and brown.

Usually, I hear that black substrate is recommended? But if the case is albino corydoras, I think play sand is most ideal since they can blend in pretty well with it and it's not too white to where lighting will brighten it up so much.