No 75 Gallon For Me, 55 Gallon Instead :(

[aparker2005]

Hey everyone..........my mom called today and told me I will more than likely be getting the 55 gallon tank instead of the 75 I've been asking about. So, I have a new stocking question.........will this be okay or overstocked?

5-6 Guppies
8-10 Dalmation Mollys
2-5 Platys
3 Angelfish
8 Cory Cats
3-4 Polka Dot Loaches

I currently have 2 guppies, 2 adult dalmation molly's that had about 20 fry, 2 platys, and 8 Cory cats. If I'm overstocked, what amount of each fish should I keep?

 

[Rex740]

With the 8-10 dalmation mollys? No way. They grow pretty big for a molly.

Also no angelfish. They grow pretty large and they are semi-aggresive.

 

[WILDER]

Fine to me but the angels and guppys won't get on as angel will nip there tails.
Its a 55 gallon its fine for mollies there not that big.

 

[aparker2005]

Yeah I thought about the guppies...............I don't have anywhere else to put them though. So I figured if the angels killed the guppies, I'd just replace them with a few swordtails

 

[iairj84]

I'd use the angels as the centerpiece fish in the tank and find some others to work around them. They're good looking fish and a 55 gallon is a good enough size for them.

 

[TammyLiz]

The only problem I see is that the mollies and loaches are not compatible because the loaches don't tolerate salt, while the mollies need it or they'll constantly come down sick. It'd be wise to choose one or the other but not both.

Also, the loaches might bother the cories.

If you have fish that are keeping you from getting what you want, maybe you should consider rehoming them. Is there an LFS near you that will take them?

 

[Don Trinko]

I agree on the guppies: Eventualy the Angels will consider them food. I would be inclined to have a seperate tank (could be smaller) for the live bearers because they tend to get ick easily and you can keep some salt in the water with them to help out.
I had black mollies yesrs ago and they always had ick. I have heard that since they are now raised in hard alkaline water they do not need salt in the water. I am reluctant to believe this. Don T.

 

[aparker2005]

Well I've never used salt in any of my tanks with mollies and they've always lived a long time? I guess I'll keep on doing whatever it is I'm doing to keep them alive and happy though. I was thinking if the angels ate the guppies, I'd just replace them with a few swordtails.

 

[Hobbit]

ummm... in my 20 gallon, i have 2 angels, 4 guppies, a ton of fry, 5 cories, and a crawdad. absolutly 0% agression whatsoever. the most aggression is when some guppy fry chase eachother. not one torn fin at all. i know it would change if the angels were to spawn, and i know they will need another tank when they grow. they're only about 2.5 inches high right now. but nothing bad happens at all. not even the crawdad threatens anything. (He's very friendly.) The worst i've seen is when my crawdad hit a corie with the side of his claw when the cory went and ate some of his stash of shrimp pellets. (when a crawdad hits with the side, its a warning.)

However i just thought that some of this may be becasue i got the angels when they were the size of a dime and they grew up with the gupps and cories

 

[aparker2005]

Well I went to my Petsmart today and found the tank I'm getting. It's a 55 gallon starter kit that includes tank, hood, heater, and filter for $159.99. The stand I'm getting is a wood one w/ cabinets for $149.99. Sounds like a good deal to me. I was wondering if you guys thought I should keep my 29 gallon tank's filter and put it on the 55 gallon when I get it to have 2 filters. Would a 60 gallon filter and a 30 gallon filter be good on a 55 gallon tank together?


Also, with the 4-5 Polka Dot loaches that I'm getting, should I just keep the 8 Corys that I have with them, or would it be okay to add a couple more Corys for the bottom of my new tank?

 

[Discus Breeder]

I was wondering if you guys thought I should keep my 29 gallon tank's filter and put it on the 55 gallon when I get it to have 2 filters. Would a 60 gallon filter and a 30 gallon filter be good on a 55 gallon tank together?

I would hook it up to your 55 gallon, you could never have too much filtration. The only thing is make sure is doesn't create too much turbulance in your tank where your fish will have a hard time swimming.