Setting up new 55 gallon. Would like advice/opinions

[Jenbing0914]

Hello, this is my 1st post. Let me say I am not a total newbie but it has been 20+ years since I have had anything bigger than a 10 gallon. Have had a 150 gallon in the past for a few years. I will be getting the rest of the new filter and new substrate (play sand most likely, but open to suggestion) in the next week or so to begin cycling a "new to me" 55 gallon aquarium (totally free with stand and 2 heaters). I have the lid and lights but they will be replaced soon, as they are 20 years old. I am thinking of stocking the tank with 12 (15 if space allows) Cochu Blue Tetras, 6-9 Green Fire Tetras, 3 Bolivian Rams, or 3 Powder Blue Dwarf Gouramis (not sure which I like better, or if I could even keep them together) probably 6 Albino and/or Emerald Cory Cats, a few snails, and a Clown Pleco. I will be doing a sponge filter on each back corner (rated for 30-80 gallons each) and a small HOB filter modified to use a sponge instead of charcoal filter cartridge, in the top center. I want to over filtrate and gently circulate all the water properly. I only plan on doing very basic beginner plants (anubias nano petite attached to driftwood, some frogbit, and hornwart, maybe duckweed, I have never done live plants before) and some artificial plants to achieve a purple/green color theme. Does this sound like a good stock for it? I will probably start with the Corys and snails to get the cycle going. Then add the Blue, and Green Fire Tetras as things progress and go from there with the Pleco and Rams/Gourami. Does anyone have experience keeping the Bolivan Rams and Blue Dwarf Gourami in the same tank? I have kept tons of tetras over the years (currently have 6 Black Skirt Tetras in a different tank that is still cycling, and a fully cycled tank with 1 male Betta and 2 cory cats 1 albino/1 emergency all doing great) but I am new to the Rams and Gourami. Any tips would be great. Thank you so much and I am totally open to suggestions, nothing is set in stone except the Blue Tetras.

 

[Gypsum]

I've only been fishkeeping for a year, and there are people on this forum who know way more than me and have decades of experience, and I'm sure they will respond with their thoughts.

That said.... In my experience, corys are sensitive to water parameters and should only be put in a mature tank. They should not be part of a fish-in cycle in a new tank. I've made that mistake and had fish attrition. Don't do it.

Secondly, Bolivian rams can be kind of a pain. I have one. It seems that the only reliable to way to keep more than one is to get a mixed sex group, let them pair off, keep the pair, and rehome the others. Or have a huge tank where more than one pair can peacefully coexist. Probaby not 55g if you want other things in there. I started with two rams, and one bullied and attacked the other until it stopped eating and hid in a corner, and I ended up rehoming the poor victimized fish. The other one now lives in a 29g tank with cherry barbs and a clown pleco. Him and the barbs can hassle one another and not annoy anyone else (I moved the ram out of a 55g because I installed a powerhead for a rubberlip pleco, and the ram was not impressed by the current; he was otherwise fine living with tetras and assorted catfish). I've read that rams are not great tankmates with other cichlids and similar-shaped fish, i.e. gouramis. It will probably go after the gouramis or vice versa.

Thirdly, if you want a clown plec, get a clown plec. They're quite cute, when you see them, and that will be rare. But if you want an interactive, algae-eating pleco, get a bristlenose. Clown plecos are shy, nocturnal, and if they can hide under a log and eat wood and never show their faces, they will.

You'll have a lot of filters running, which will equal substantial faff. There's lots of science around filtration and oxygenation, most of which I find baffling, so I'll just say what I have in my 55g. The experts will offer better insights on this. Anyway, I'm running a Fluval 307, a Fluval U4, and creating a wee current with a Koralia Hydor powerhead. Is that the best, most efficient filtration? Who knows, but my fish seem alright and my water parameters are stable.

Lastly, the rams and corys are all soft water fish. I don't know about the other species you listed, but check the water where you live, and for an easy life, buy species that suit that water. And that includes the bloody snails!

 

[Jenbing0914]

I've only been fishkeeping for a year, and there are people on this forum who know way more than me and have decades of experience, and I'm sure they will respond with their thoughts.

That said.... In my experience, corys are sensitive to water parameters and should only be put in a mature tank. They should not be part of a fish-in cycle in a new tank. I've made that mistake and had fish attrition. Don't do it.

Secondly, Bolivian rams can be kind of a pain. I have one. It seems that the only reliable to way to keep more than one is to get a mixed sex group, let them pair off, keep the pair, and rehome the others. Or have a huge tank where more than one pair can peacefully coexist. Probaby not 55g if you want other things in there. I started with two rams, and one bullied and attacked the other until it stopped eating and hid in a corner, and I ended up rehoming the poor victimized fish. The other one now lives in a 29g tank with cherry barbs and a clown pleco. Him and the barbs can hassle one another and not annoy anyone else (I moved the ram out of a 55g because I installed a powerhead for a rubberlip pleco, and the ram was not impressed by the current; he was otherwise fine living with tetras and assorted catfish). I've read that rams are not great tankmates with other cichlids and similar-shaped fish, i.e. gouramis. It will probably go after the gouramis or vice versa.

Thirdly, if you want a clown plec, get a clown plec. They're quite cute, when you see them, and that will be rare. But if you want an interactive, algae-eating pleco, get a bristlenose. Clown plecos are shy, nocturnal, and if they can hide under a log and eat wood and never show their faces, they will.

You'll have a lot of filters running, which will equal substantial faff. There's lots of science around filtration and oxygenation, most of which I find baffling, so I'll just say what I have in my 55g. The experts will offer better insights on this. Anyway, I'm running a Fluval 307, a Fluval U4, and creating a wee current with a Koralia Hydor powerhead. Is that the best, most efficient filtration? Who knows, but my fish seem alright and my water parameters are stable.

Lastly, the rams and corys are all soft water fish. I don't know about the other species you listed, but check the water where you live, and for an easy life, buy species that suit that water. And that includes the bloody snails!

Thank you very much for your insight. I was not at all sure about the ram. My 1st 2 Cory's went in my betta tank before it was fully cycled so it sounds like I got lucky. I will have to check my cities water readings, something I have never done before lol. I know my tap water reads .25 ammonia straight out of the tap, so my bettas cycled tank always reads between .125 and .25 on the ammonia. The ph out of the tap is 7.2, and that stays pretty stead in my current tanks. I will for sure want to do a bristle nose pleco, as I would at least like to see it lol. I may very well ditch the snail idea, since the nerite ones I had before produced so much waste.

 

[Retired Viking]

A 55 gallon tank IMHO is the best size tank to have. Has plenty of room without taking over a room in your house. Most tetras are soft water fish. I live in a hard water area and use RO water to soften my 55 gallon tetra tanks water. This is a picture of my tetra tank. The floating plant is anacharis which is another easy plant to have. Looking at the hard water map most of your state is hard water.

 

[Retired Viking]

I also agree with @Gypsum abort the various fish issues you may have with the mix of fish your are looking at

 

[Jenbing0914]

I also agree with @Gypsum abort the various fish issues you may have with the mix of fish your are looking at

I am really starting to think about just doing a larger school of the blue tetra and the green fire tetras. I really just want a nice looking tank with a few types of happy fish. I will have some filter media from my other tank I can use to do a little jump start on the cycling and let that finish before I add anything. I will probably do some trumpet snails to help keep the sand aerated instead of the mystery snails I was thinking about. Thanks for your help, your tetra tank looks great!!

 

[Jenbing0914]

I have kept tetras for years with the water in my area with no issues at all that's one reason I wanted to stick with them. I could get some ro water though if it makes it better for them.

 

[Retired Viking]

Thank you, it currently has a shoal of neon, ember and glow light tetras and 2 red eyed tetra that were left over fry from when I had a shoal of red eyed tetra I gave away. They had 14 fry over a 3 month period that made it to adulthood. You may want to consider using Tetra SafeStart Plus to help jump start your tank.

 

[Gypsum]

My bristlenose is out all the time and isn't spooky. You sometimes have to nudge her out of the way when attaching a courgette to her magnet.

.25 ammonia out of the tap seems like a lot. I had issues with otocinclus and pygmy corys in a cycling tank (really poor choice of species for that) where the ammonia was so low that it was not really showing up on an API liquid test, but I'm sure it was there. OH is a chemist, and he said that those tests are not 100% accurate and could easily miss low levels. Apparently more accurate tests involve lab equipment and expensive/dangerous chemicals your average punter wouldn't keep in the house. I digress... with those readings out of your tap water, I would be using as much RO water as needed to lower that to 0. I don't know how sensitive those species of tetras are, but it will be hard on the corys.

 

[KevinZ]

I dont think using any small tetra species for cycling is the best option IME, i tried to cycle with a school of neon and all of them got some sort of bacterial that's uncureable. And after that i have never tried cycle with fish ever again. ,

If you adding a lot of Amazon Frogbit i'd say you only need to wait 1-2 weeks. Frogbits is really great at doing job to control Parameter. And if you adding a lot of plant (Heavy Planted Tank) you dont really need to cycle for BB. Your Ammonia will be suck up by your Plant first before any Bacteria can get it.

 

[Gypsum]

If you really want to do a fish-in cycle, I would recommend cherry barbs. They seem pretty indestructible.

 

[Jenbing0914]

I think I am just gonna set up the sand and filters first, then I do have a sponge filter from my cycled tank to jump start it. I will do a fish less cycle and let that establish before I add anything. Definitely looking at the ro water that is available to soften mine a bit. I really want the blue tetras so that is what I want to base it off of and chose some other stuff that has closer parameters as those. Thank you all so much for your help.

 

[Retired Viking]

I dont think using any small tetra species for cycling is the best option IME, i tried to cycle with a school of neon and all of them got some sort of bacterial that's uncureable. And after that i have never tried cycle with fish ever again. ,

If you adding a lot of Amazon Frogbit i'd say you only need to wait 1-2 weeks. Frogbits is really great at doing job to control Parameter. And if you adding a lot of plant (Heavy Planted Tank) you dont really need to cycle for BB. Your Ammonia will be suck up by your Plant first before any Bacteria can get it.

I agree with @KevinZ about using different fish than small tetras maybe glow light tetras or cherry barbs like @Gypsum suggested. I used neon, ember and red eyd tetra when I first set up my tank and lost several neon and ember tetra until my tank stabilized which can take 6 months. I now have neon and ember tetra shoals and things are going well but they are sensitive to water changes.