55 gallon stocking ideas with Black Skirt Tetras

[rookiefishguy]

Hi all,

I've gone back and forth with my stocking ideas and people on the forums have been super helpful so far but I find myself lost again. I currently have a 55 gallon that is lightly planted (hoping to continually add plants over time) with some driftwood as well. Currently there are 7 black skirt tetras and 2 white skirt tetras in there that I moved in from a tank I took down. I'm looking for stocking recommendations for the tank.

Some things I'm looking for:
-No live bearers unless I can get away with all males
-No fish that require live food as I'm already in over my head with scarlet badis I have in a different tank
-something that wont tear apart live plants

Ideally, I would like some sort of other school in there 6-10 fish, 1-2 centerpiece fish and then some sort of clean up crew (something like cories). All ideas are welcome!

 

[Circus]

If your hardness levels are good for them (you can check your water provider's website) then you can try a gourami or corycats. That was my original plan before I fell in love with my loaches and barbs.

In my 55 I have harlequin rasbora, yoyo loaches, Bolivian rams, 2 bristlenose plecos, Black ruby barbs, and some orange chromides.

 

[Colin_T]

What are the tank dimensions (length x width x height)?

What is the GH (general hardness), KH (carbonate hardness) and pH of your water supply?
This information can usually be obtained from your water supply company's website or by telephoning them. If they can't help you, take a glass full of tap water to the local pet shop and get them to test it for you. Write the results down (in numbers) when they do the tests. And ask them what the results are in (eg: ppm, dGH, or something else).

Depending on what the GH of your water is, will determine what fish you should keep.
Tetras, barbs, gouramis, rasbora, Corydoras and small species of suckermouth catfish all occur in soft water (GH below 150ppm).

Livebearers (guppies, platies, swordtails, mollies), rainbowfish and goldfish occur in medium hard water with a GH around 200-250ppm.

If you have very hard water (GH above 300ppm) then look at African Rift Lake cichlids or use distilled or reverse osmosis water to reduce the GH and keep fishes from softer water.

---------------------
Avoid slow moving fish or fish with long fins because black skirt/ widow tetras are renown fin nippers.

 

[rookiefishguy]

If your hardness levels are good for them (you can check your water provider's website) then you can try a gourami or corycats. That was my original plan before I fell in love with my loaches and barbs.

In my 55 I have harlequin rasbora, yoyo loaches, Bolivian rams, 2 bristlenose plecos, Black ruby barbs, and some orange chromides.

How do you like the bolivian rams and the black ruby barbs? I like those as well and they seem like they can handle their own if the black skirts decide to get a little nippy

What are the tank dimensions (length x width x height)?

What is the GH (general hardness), KH (carbonate hardness) and pH of your water supply?
This information can usually be obtained from your water supply company's website or by telephoning them. If they can't help you, take a glass full of tap water to the local pet shop and get them to test it for you. Write the results down (in numbers) when they do the tests. And ask them what the results are in (eg: ppm, dGH, or something else).

Depending on what the GH of your water is, will determine what fish you should keep.
Tetras, barbs, gouramis, rasbora, Corydoras and small species of suckermouth catfish all occur in soft water (GH below 150ppm).

Livebearers (guppies, platies, swordtails, mollies), rainbowfish and goldfish occur in medium hard water with a GH around 200-250ppm.

If you have very hard water (GH above 300ppm) then look at African Rift Lake cichlids or use distilled or reverse osmosis water to reduce the GH and keep fishes from softer water.

---------------------
Avoid slow moving fish or fish with long fins because black skirt/ widow tetras are renown fin nippers.

In terms of dimensions the tank is 48in long by 12in deep and 21 in tall. Water in my area is on the "moderately soft" side.

 

[clambert122]

I had a pack of murderous Black Skirts. I put a school of 10 in my tank and they started killing everything. I had several dead fish within hours.

 

[rookiefishguy]

everyone I talk to has had nightmares with black skirts, meanwhile mine are all pushovers (except with each other). They were in a 30g with a bunch of danios and cories and never nipped any of them

 

[mbsqw1d]

Kribs?

 

[Circus]

How do you like the bolivian rams and the black ruby barbs? I like those as well and they seem like they can handle their own if the black skirts decide to get a little nippy

I absolutely love the barbs. They follow me across the tank, and my males are starting to color up pretty nicely. I have 12 in my 55, and they show zero aggression towards the other fish. The rams get along great with the Black Rubies.

 

[rookiefishguy]

Kribs?

I've actually never heard of kribs before (excuse me for being a noob). They seem pretty cool but any issues with them pulling out plants etc? can one be housed alone as I'm not really trying to have any fish breeding in there

I absolutely love the barbs. They follow me across the tank, and my males are starting to color up pretty nicely. I have 12 in my 55, and they show zero aggression towards the other fish. The rams get along great with the Black Rubies.

I'm really leaning toward these barbs now that you've mentioned them. Seems like they'll handle their own if the black skirts try anything but arent aggressive at all. Now to decide one centerpiece fish!

 

[Circus]

I'm really leaning toward these barbs now that you've mentioned them. Seems like they'll handle their own if the black skirts try anything but arent aggressive at all. Now to decide one centerpiece fish!

The larger group, the less aggression barbs will show. The females are plainer, but the males can be pretty stunning once in your aquarium a couple of months. Gourami or rams would work well, or a single Krib might work. I haven't kept them before.

 

[rookiefishguy]

Yeah so far my stocking idea is this based on the information provided:
9 Black Skirts
10 Black Ruby Barbs
8-10 Albino Cories
1 Bolivian Ram OR 1 Gourami of some sort.

I like the Krib as well but i'm worried about the plant pulling

 

[mbsqw1d]

I've actually never heard of kribs before (excuse me for being a noob). They seem pretty cool but any issues with them pulling out plants etc? can one be housed alone as I'm not really trying to have any fish breeding in there



I'm really leaning toward these barbs now that you've mentioned them. Seems like they'll handle their own if the black skirts try anything but arent aggressive at all. Now to decide one centerpiece fish!

I recently acquired 4 females (fish rescue from a tank being shut down lol). Its a shame theyre all female as itd be cool to breed them (its meant to be quite easy). Anyway. They dont pull plants out, no. The only disturbance I've noticed is a bit of digging around thr cave I placed on for them.

They're very inquisitive fish and I think you would enjoy one. Heres a vid of them in my planted tank (i was trying to sex them as two of the four look a little different, but they are all female ?)
Skip to around 40 seconds..

Another fish I have considered previously is the apisto agassizii .. or there are other apisto's worth looking at too

 

[rookiefishguy]

wow those are awesome! that's such a nice tank! all these cool options are making it very difficult to choose lol