Help me populate my new 50 gallon tank

[yvez9]

I already have a cycled 20 gallon so cycling the 50 gallon will be rather quick
I'll use the media from my 20 gallon in the 50 gallon and roll away!

anyway, as for stocking it, i'd like to have a nice planted tank.

I'd like to have a Red-tailed black shark

maybe many tiger barbs, like 15 or 20
or maybe other tetras that i could mix
i don't know much about tetras

I'd also need a pleco (not sure what kind) to clean up the algea for sure

would a RTBS and tetras work out?

 

[FrAnK3333]

lucky i want a 50 gallon i could buy it right now if i could but i have to wait till i get my car couple more weeks before i can even think about, id put a pair of rams in your 50

 

[yvez9]

I have a pair of rams in my 20 already

 

[Tempestuousfury]

Research beforehand, of course. We can say easy to keep or hard, but there are little things that might be lost.

However, if you want answers like the ones above, then tetras are "
easier", IMO. They need to be kept in groups, like barbs, but are less aggressive. Some are more shy than others, and some lose their colors over time.

Are you considering breeding in the future?

Plecos... you should be able to find something that won't get too big. However, I would not keep fish in the tank to clean up algae. They need a varied diet, and you have to supplement foods. Instead of a plec, I would suggest a few otocinclus. They are smaller and a bit more active.

 

[Talleyrand]

I have a 55 gallon community tank and I can say from experience that the red tail shark is a bad idea if you plan on stocking the tank with mild mannered fish. My shark got about 15-16 centimeters long and started terrorizing everything in the tank. It killed a cory cat and several livebearers before I purchased a second tank to house the rest. My wife named the shark Brutus because of his temperment. Eventually I got tired of his murderous ways and gave him back to the fish store.
The Tiger Barbs are a great idea, never had any problems. Love em.
I currently have three pleco's in my 55 gallon. I toss em a couple algae pellets every few days (there $1.99 US for about 30 of em) and they are fine. Pleco's arent an active fish, so they can get quite large in your tank without being stressed. Whenever they get too large you can usually get a decent pile of money for them from your LFS.
What kind of tetra's? There are so many kinds. I love Neon Tetra's but when combined with larger fish they just become midnight snacks.

 

[yvez9]

a school of ottos (6)
a school of tiger barbs (15)

does this sound good?
I'll also add something else

 

[thapsus]

My advice is that only take fish species you really want. It's almost a law that when you have fully stocked aquarium and you are quite happy with it, then you will find a species that you must have...

So don't do like me, buy fishes and then have to buy also a new aquarium for them. There is no harm that there is some extra space in tank... If your favourite fish is tigrebarb then take shoal of them and take your time thinkin of next species. Everything goes much smoothly like this, I promise. Other good thing in this is that your interest will stay longer because you can buy new fishes many times. If you fill the tank in one time the charm of new fishes will desappear and you eventually end up wanting something new, albeit you don't have any room left.

 

[sylvia]

Your idea is good but would you consider going for a RTBS, 20 tiger barbs as planned but replacing the otos with a bristlenose as my RTBS have always tried to kill my otos... Then put in whatever else you'd like of course.

 

[yvez9]

the RTBS is what I want the most

I also like tiger barbs
as for ottos or pleo are all the same to me, jobbers and not an attractive fish...

I have about a month to make up my mind so I'm not doing anything on impulse, except buying the 50 gallon tank

 

[bshockstubb]

Okay how about this:

1 X RTBS
9 X Reg. Tiger Barbs
3 X Albino TB
3 X Green TB
2 X Bristlenose(pair)

Or Maybe some larger snails or shrimp...if nothing eats them. Ive always found that invertabrtes keep a better job at cleaning up the bottom and require almost no matince.

 

[yvez9]

i'd rather stick to reg tiger barbs

as for the invertabrates, I'll see

I'm not 100% sure yet about the fish

I'd just like one big fish (6-9 inches) and a school of smaller fish

 

[Talleyrand]

My RTBS never bothered the Tiger Barbs.
He killed a Ram, a few livebearers, neons, and a catfish.

 

[yvez9]

WOuld a black ghost knife fish be too agressive for barbs?

 

[modernhamlet]

1 RTBS
2 Firemouth cichlids
12 tiger barbs
1 Bristlenose pleco

 

[Ben]

BGKs are too aggresive for them and might have them for lunch

MHs idea sounds good aswell