55+ Gallon Tropical Community

[mea_caroro]

I should be getting a 55 gallon tank (up to 100 gals) soon. My guppies are over populating (soon to be separated as soon as I get this tank) but I'm putting my most colorful males in this one. I want a tropical community, including Guppies and Neon Tetras, my common pleco, and more, but i dont know what all fish to get. What fish go nice with Guppies and Neon Tetras, but i can find easily at petco/petsmart. Would it be nice to add a Betta (or 5 females) in there too? I heard they swim so gracefully in large tanks but if not bettas, i would love to hear a bunch of different fish of varying sizes that would be nice. Please provide pictures if you can thanks!

 

[Tracyhf1]

I should be getting a 55 gallon tank (up to 100 gals) soon. My guppies are over populating (soon to be separated as soon as I get this tank) but I'm putting my most colorful males in this one. I want a tropical community, including Guppies and Neon Tetras, my common pleco, and more, but i dont know what all fish to get. What fish go nice with Guppies and Neon Tetras, but i can find easily at petco/petsmart. Would it be nice to add a Betta (or 5 females) in there too? I heard they swim so gracefully in large tanks but if not bettas, i would love to hear a bunch of different fish of varying sizes that would be nice. Please provide pictures if you can thanks!

Corys, kuli loach, african dwarf frogs, several other tetra like glowlights, head and tail lights, platy, dwarf gourami, harlequin rasbora, white clouds, hatchet fish (tight lid), ghost shrimp and snails. (and breathe... lol )

If you google these you can find lots of images. I would probably exceed bandwidth if I stuck them all on here.

 

[orange shark]

Get some sterbai corys for the bottom of your tank and maybe think of something in the region of a pearl gourami!

 

[fishwatcher]

Make the group of neons a good size (12+) and then add a group of black neons or harlequin rasboras (same # as the neons). Then add a group of cory cats and a group of gouramis (three-spot or pearls would look nice, and you could do a trio or even a trio of each, depending on your tank size).
Maybe add some hatchets or killifish to the top level and you'd have a great looking tank, IMO.

 

[Lhutch]

how about some tiger barbs mixed in with some equal color loaches i think they might be called clown loaches???

either that or theres a whole bunch of different things, i would go to petsmart and see what appeals to u

 

[poopsydrew]

You will need to upgrade again for the common pleco. Max size it stated at 24 inches, but it will probably get anywhere from 16-20 inches.

Drew

 

[mea_caroro]

Make the group of neons a good size (12+) and then add a group of black neons or harlequin rasboras (same # as the neons). Then add a group of cory cats and a group of gouramis (three-spot or pearls would look nice, and you could do a trio or even a trio of each, depending on your tank size).
Maybe add some hatchets or killifish to the top level and you'd have a great looking tank, IMO.

So I need to get a group of like 12 neons, take a break, get some blacks, take another break, and get more fish basicly? I could get the neons and blacks at the same time since theyre pretty cheep here (like $2 each) are all those fish really colorful? I'd love a colorful tank

 

[mea_caroro]

You will need to upgrade again for the common pleco. Max size it stated at 24 inches, but it will probably get anywhere from 16-20 inches.

Drew

Well, he doesnt seem to be growing much anyway. Im not sure if he really is a common, I've yet to find out. He's about 3.5 inches long now, and when I got him about half a year ago he was 2 inches. So, either he stopped growing and reached his limit, or is growing very slowly..

 

[fishwatcher]

So I need to get a group of like 12 neons, take a break, get some blacks, take another break, and get more fish basicly? I could get the neons and blacks at the same time since theyre pretty cheep here (like $2 each) are all those fish really colorful? I'd love a colorful tank
[/quote]


Yeah, add them about 6 at a time. The neons are very colorful, but seem to be delicate, so I'd add them last or go with cardinal tetras (same coloration, a little larger). The black neons have the same shape as the neons and the same 2 stripes on them, only the stripes are a neon yellow on top and black on bottom. The harlequins are a beautiful flatter-shaped fish, with a reddish cast and the black triangle on their back half.
The 3-spot gouramis can be blue, gold, purple, or cream with the 2 black spots on them. The pearls are beautiful as well, with the male having an orange throat.
If you decide to go with some cory cats, too, I'd get 4-5 albino and 4-5 panda, if you can find them. I've found these to be more outgoing than the others, and super cute, too.

If you just Google those names I've given you you'll pull up tons of pix of them.

Hope this helps!

 

[backley420]

how about some tiger barbs mixed in with some equal color loaches i think they might be called clown loaches???

either that or theres a whole bunch of different things, i would go to petsmart and see what appeals to u

to get barbs to leave other fish alone either buy 1 or buy 8+... anything in between will harrass other fish

 

[mea_caroro]

Yeah, add them about 6 at a time. The neons are very colorful, but seem to be delicate, so I'd add them last or go with cardinal tetras (same coloration, a little larger). The black neons have the same shape as the neons and the same 2 stripes on them, only the stripes are a neon yellow on top and black on bottom. The harlequins are a beautiful flatter-shaped fish, with a reddish cast and the black triangle on their back half.
The 3-spot gouramis can be blue, gold, purple, or cream with the 2 black spots on them. The pearls are beautiful as well, with the male having an orange throat.
If you decide to go with some cory cats, too, I'd get 4-5 albino and 4-5 panda, if you can find them. I've found these to be more outgoing than the others, and super cute, too.

If you just Google those names I've given you you'll pull up tons of pix of them.

Hope this helps!
[/quote]

alright i heard that gouramis are really aggressive, though, and cardinal tetras are fin-nippers though..

 

[fishwatcher]

I've had one pearl gourami that was very aggressive, but I've had many other gouramis (3-spot, honeys, dwarfs, croaking, sparkling) that were otherwise peaceful. Getting a trio (1m, 2fm) will help with that, although they all will have their own territory in the tank and may chase the other gouramis from it.
My cardinals never nipped fins, but I may have just had good luck with them. You could always try neons, just make sure your tank is mature (4-6 months with no problems that would have upset the cycle) for best chances.

 

[mea_caroro]

I've had one pearl gourami that was very aggressive, but I've had many other gouramis (3-spot, honeys, dwarfs, croaking, sparkling) that were otherwise peaceful. Getting a trio (1m, 2fm) will help with that, although they all will have their own territory in the tank and may chase the other gouramis from it.
My cardinals never nipped fins, but I may have just had good luck with them. You could always try neons, just make sure your tank is mature (4-6 months with no problems that would have upset the cycle) for best chances.

I think I'll stick with Neons. My mom thinks theyre prettier and the cardinals are fat, but w/e. I'll begin stocking my take with my guppies and then neons and black neons, add a few gouramis (depending on the size of the tank) and maybe later some cardinals. I found a house down my street that has had a 30 gal tank (i think) with a stand that has been sitting on their porch for over a month. At 5 o'clock I'll go over and ask them if they were willing to sell it for a low price. That will hold me off until I can get a larger one, so if the cardinals are really fin nippers, I'll put them in the 30 gal, and find some other fish to go in there. Otherwise, I'll use that 30 gal to have a group of female betta, yay! Do you know how many female bettas can get in a 30 gal? I was thinking 6. I heard thats a good number anyway since they can be bullies to the other females, but is it a little too crouded? Thats like 5 gallons to every female there... and can cardinal tetras go in the same tank with the bettas? I know neons can as long as theres lots of hiding places

 

[fishwatcher]

I think for the betta tank, if it's a 30 gal then you should be able to have more than 6. If you want another fish with them, though, then it may be best to keep it about 6. I've always heard you should never have less than 4, though, as they are more aggressive that way.
I think most any other community fish would be fine with them, so long as they don't nip too much.

 

[jourdy288]

Go to a pond somewhere and bring home a lot of leaves from the pond bottom. Be sure it is a naturally occuring pond. After that, dump the leaves, water, etc. in the aquarium. Add some more dechlorinated water, and slowly fill the aquarium halfway. Note all the creatures. Add fish, such as danios, goldfish, etc. Of course, if you strike tadpole, do not add a heater or predatory fish.