Help Me Stock A 55 Gallon

[pirategrl]

I am in the process of cycling a 55 gallon tank.  We had our stock moved in to it from a 10 gallon.  That is 6 neon tetras, 2 cory cats, 1 oto, 2 African dwarf frogs, 4 ghost shrimp.  I added 4 bleeding heart tetras in yesterday.  Once the water evens out again I would like to add some more community fish that stay right around 2 inches full grown.  We keep the tank at 77 degrees and the PH is right around 6.8  What would you recommend?  My husband and I really like the dalmatian mollies but I'm a little concerned about their size.  

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I'd suggest that first, you increase the number of corys to 6 of the same species.  Same goes for the oto and bleeding hearts.
 
 
Then, I'd rehome the ADFs to the 10 gallon.
 
 
After all that... the next step is wide open.  Mollies are great fish in my experience, but really do best in harder water (and higher pH).  There's plenty of other options though... honey gourami, rasboras, phantom tetra, lots of others...

 

[pirategrl]

I am planning to get a couple more bleeding hearts.  The lady at the fish store said to only get 4 to start because my tank is still in the new stages and we didn't want the ammonia to spike.  Do you think I should just go ahead and get 2 more now?
 
I was also told that the oto and cory cats were ok without tank mates of the same species, I think I should wait to get more of them until the tank is a little better established.  Right?  

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I am planning to get a couple more bleeding hearts.  The lady at the fish store said to only get 4 to start because my tank is still in the new stages and we didn't want the ammonia to spike.  Do you think I should just go ahead and get 2 more now?
 
I was also told that the oto and cory cats were ok without tank mates of the same species, I think I should wait to get more of them until the tank is a little better established.  Right?  

 
 
Yes, the biofilter is essential for the fish's health.  So, spreading out new additions is best.  
 
In the future I wouldn't listen to anything about fish that you are being told by the individual who said the bolded section above.   Corydoras are among the most social of all fish available in the hobby.  These fish stay in groups of several HUNDRED individuals or more in the wild.  The more you get of them, the better their behavior!  Otos I'm not as familiar with, but I do know that they too are a shoaling species and require to be in at the barest minimum of 3, but much better 6.
 

There are some fish that are fine in small numbers or even alone, and then there are species that really NEED to be in groups to be "ok".  From my own experience, I can tell you that corydoras species will display very different behavior in small groups versus large groups... Larger groups are best.

 

[pirategrl]

Ok I went to every pet store in my town and no one had any otos.  I was able to get the last 3 cory cats (which makes 5)  and only one store had bleeding hearts but they were missing their back tails and their "hearts"  were faded out red rather than the vibrant red/pink that healthy ones are.  I didn't want to risk it by taking them so I will wait until I can get down to the specialty fish store that I bought my current stock at.  The ones I have have been nipping at each other which I'm assuming is a behavior from not having a full school?  I'm planning to head down to the fish store first thing tomorrow.
 
I'm so mad at myself for trusting the pet store.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Not to worry, most LFS give bad advice.  Its not that they mean to (most of the time) its that they really don't know the answer.  
 
 
Keep an eye on your stats.  Are the cories the same species?  If they are, that's great.  If not, its better they be with other cories, but its not the same as being with their exact species.
 
 
I didn't mean to send you out to get all these different fish immediately!  Just trying to give you a bit of a different perspective on these fish.

 

[pirategrl]

yes, they are the same species.  I'm not 100% what they are but I got them from the same store as my first batch and they had the same number at ring up.  I'm going to wait until they get their next shipment in and get the last one to make 6 from them to make sure they are the same.  I'm hoping the store I go to tomorrow will have some otos.  I'm checking the ammonia every day and doing a 25% water change every day until the tank cycles.  So far everyone seems happy. 

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Glad to hear that.  Can you post a pic of the corys, we might be able to get an ID for you.

 

[pirategrl]

Here is a pic of a few of them.  2 of the 5 are darker than the other 3... 


Here is a closer picture

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I believe those are peppered cories (Corydoras paleatus).

 

[pirategrl]

Thanks!  

 

[pirategrl]

Ok so I think I decided to finish up my schools first and then eventually add 2 golden rams and 6 cherry barbs.  Does that sound like a good community?  
 
Here is the list:
6 neon tetras
6 bleeding hearts
6 peppered cory cats
6 otos
4 ghost shrimp
2 Golden rams
6 cherry barbs
2 ADFs - I'm working on rehoming them but for the meantime I am hand feeding them.

 

[frapadoodle]

For most schooling fish such as neons 6 is the bare minimum. In a 55 gal. They will get lost pretty easily.
Barbs can become nippers if numbers are too low.
I wouldn't add anything until the filter is fully cycled.
Also with the bleeding hearts, it could have been illness or just stresd that has them looking bland at the lfs.
Is your tank well planted?
And for corys, the more the merrier.

 

[pirategrl]

I have 2 live plants.  One is thriving and is huge and the other one is gaining new growth but much slower and is still very small.  I know the small one is a fern but I'm not sure what the bigger one is.  The rest of the plants in the aquarium are fake.  I put a bunch of the fake ones together to make a thicker area and that seems to be the favorite spot among the smaller fish in the tank.  Maybe I will add to the neons and the bleeding hearts and skip the cherry barbs.  
 
Of course I am waiting until the tank cycles.  I'm trying to avoid any casualties.  So far so good.  I'm doing a 25% water change daily with treated tap water and adding cycle to help jump start the bacteria.  I also put the filter from my 10 gallon on the tank.  It must be helping because the ammonia level is staying really low but it's not at 0 yet.  

 

[frapadoodle]

Good deal. If the filter from the 10 gal. was cycled you have a good headstart.
Can't give an opinion on cycle, never used it myself.
As for clusters of plants, even fake ones are a good thing, helps the fish feel more secure.
Got a 55 gal. myself, when I have time to finish the cabinet, it will be set up as a loose S.A. biotype.
A pair of Angels, a pair of Bolivian rams, perhaps a school of marbled hatchets, and of coarse corys!