So many to choose from!! help

[Maya~4Ix12chen]

I have posted as a newbie a while back. I had at the time a ten gallon tank with a pictus catfish & a pacu. I didn't know at the time that the pacu would get 22 inches full grown or needless to say, I would'nt of gotten him. But when I found out how big he would grow, I decided to keep as long as I could. He has since out grown the ten gallon & was placed in a 22 gallon, now he is in a 55 gallon and that is as big as I can accomadate him. So he is in the process of getting a new home. The other night he busted a glass thermometer that was suction cupped to the inside of the tank

Now the thing is, I have my pictus catfish, he's agressive & I don't want to go out and buy more aggressive fish. I want a nice peacful large comminity with small & meduim sized fish. I want "lookers", pretty fish but there are sooooo many to choose from I need help ( the pictus will get a new home aswell, maybe I will even set my 22 gallon back up for him... )

I want fish that will not eat up my plants. I have some plants now that are barricaded from the pacu & I would like to have a nice planted aquairum in the future.

I am always forgetting the inch rule per gallon. Maybe if someone here could remind me of the rule that would help me to choose better )

Any info is greatly appreaciated

 

[glolite]

Hi
I can't remember the inch rule per gallon either. What size of fish do you want your community to be? Are we talking friendly guppy/neon size or perhaps dannios and barbs (the dannios love a bigger tank as they are fast swimmers and there's lots of different colour variations). If you want slightly bigger fish the rainbows are nice, don't know about aggression but someone else will I'm sure.

 

[modernhamlet]

So you have a 55g planted tank. Great start.

Is the pictus staying or leaving with the pacu?

If it's staying, you're best off sticking with durable medium sized fish that can handle his aggression. If you're really starting from scratch, well.... the list is nearly endless.

Stocking levels really depend a lot on the size, temperment, and metabolic rate of the species chosen, but a safe bet for your 55g is between 50 and 55 inches of fish, with none larger than maybe 6" or so. As you work out some of the fish you want, just ask around here. There are plenty of people knowledgable about stocking levels as well as which fish are compatible with one another.

Happy to help!

 

[sylvia]

Umm what is there to remember about the inch per gallon GUIDELINE (not rule! sorry... )? Just one inch of fish per gallon...
Anyway, this is flexible and can be mis-leading.
What will you do with the pictus first of all?
Do you know about cycling (check link in sig.)?
Are there any fish you particularly like?
Are you looking for easy fish to keep and maintain?
Do you want large, small or medium-sized fish and do you want to breed them at any point?
Also, would you like a biotope-type tank, a species tank, a cichlid set-up a community etc?
Also, do you want an active tank or a more calm one? That doesn't necessarily mean aggressive fish BTW, just more active.
Lastly (I think ), what substrate do you have in your tank and is your current strong/weak etc? And (ok so another question ) what sort of decorations, other than plants do you have and what are your water parameters (pH, hardness, temperature and of course ammonia/nitrIte should be 0 and you should be able to keep nitrAtes under 40 though obviously you don't have the fish yet so that doesn't count )?

 

[Maya~4Ix12chen]

Thanks for the replies.
This is what I would like,

I want a variety of community fish, Active & a little less active is fine.

Been looking at discus, Gouramis, but also wants smaller varties too like maybe some tetras. I want perhaps some tiger barbs, mollys, flag fish, types like that.

fish that don't get any bigger then 8 inches I would only want like 3 or 4 of.
but now , I would like some groups of smaller & medium fish as well

A nice mixed community of good loking & interesting fishes

I'm not new to breeding some live bearers & egg layers so, even thou breeding is not my intended purpose, If it happens I will be able to handle it.


My tank as of now has some plants , but is not fully planted yet!!

The ph levels and all that ... well.. I haven't tested recently but everything has been great

I want fish that won't eat up my plants

I plan on moving the pictus to another tank or find him a new home

I am only doing the research starters for now. I'm not running out to buy a bunch of fish as soon as my pacu leaves.

Thanks for any advice any of you may have. This is alot to think about and reading up on my part so if anyone has any advice on the ones I named... it would help much!!

 

[Cathydiane]

Maya,

Hi! Im new around here. Read, read and read some more. I read for a couple weeks before I even posted. There is SO much information just on these forums. I had never heard of cycling and would have killed my new fish if I hadn't of found this place.

I'm hoping to start my tank up after the first of the year. My selections so far are at least six zebra danios (we'll see just how busy they are then maybe build on that) Then I'll add six cory catfish. I also want apple snails (they come in gorgeous colors) and harlequin rasboras. As far as I know, none of these will make lunch out of the others My goal also was for everyone to GET ALONG! No fighting. Heck, I have no heart to watch one of my little fishies eat or maim another!

It's thrilling to learn all there is to learn and you have landed in the right spot! Good luck with your new tank.