Stocking Edits. They Never End.

[NeonSagaris]

 

[garyspence84]

Well if you want colour, amd your ph is at 8, why not embrace it and go down the Malawi route? The high PH will be to your advantage and they are VERY colourful.

Im honestly not huge on too many cichlids.... Would any be compatible with my current stock? They certainly would be colorful...

Plus, I wouldnt have to change the substrate... which would save me money...

No, Malawi cichlids wouldn't be suitable with your current stock. But if you were to look into keeping severum, firemouth or maybe rainbow cichlids, they would be fine with your current stock list.

Your right in thinking cichlids are not the most comparable with most plants though. You would have to get some hardier plants like amazon swords and allow them to establish themselves.

I'm surprised your rams are ok in your tank to be honest. You said your PH is at 8? Rams are quite fussy with water parameters, they prefer PH of around 7 and lower. I would just keep an eye on them.

Ever looked at boseman rainbow fish? There beautiful fish and really colourful and would be fine in your current stock too.

 

[McCool]

After thinking it over a bit more, I think I'll skip the Cichlids and save then for another tank, another time.
Yeah, Actually I'm surprised to. They have thrived in my tank, eating well and colored up nicely. I have to wonder if my test kit is off....
I thought about rainbow fish, but the only ones that ever really grab my attention are the red, And I believe they get a little too big to have any decent sized groups in my tank.
I looked into the Red Tailed shark last night, thinking he wouldn't work, although I could be wrong. Perhaps if I bought him very last, once I have all my plants set up with lots of hidey holes?

 

[McCool]

So I just skimmed through Live Aquaria and found some fish that live up to my color standards.....
Dwarf Gourami
Flame Dwarf Gourami
Red Tailed Shark
American Flagfish
Peacock Gudgeon
Scarlet Gem Badis
Boesemani Rainbow

Don't anyone freak out on me! That's just a list of fish I found colorful, not ones I researched and planned on putting together. Shoaling fish aren't really anything I'm interested in, unless a fish I just love needs to be in groups, like the rainbows. I guess I wouldn't mind of shoal of rummynoses, if I had the room.

 

[NeonSagaris]

Just so you know, Endlers aren't shoalers, it's just nice to have quite a few.

That's a good list by the way. Those Boesemani Rainbows are gorgeous!

 

[McCool]

Just so you know, Endlers aren't shoalers, it's just nice to have quite a few.

That's a good list by the way. Those Boesemani Rainbows are gorgeous!

Whoops! Forgot to add the Endlers to the list! I think I'll get around 6 or 7 males, as long as nothing else I pick out eats them
I actually didn't use to like the rainbows. The more I looked at them, the more I started liking them!

 

[NeonSagaris]

Just so you know, Endlers aren't shoalers, it's just nice to have quite a few.

That's a good list by the way. Those Boesemani Rainbows are gorgeous!

Whoops! Forgot to add the Endlers to the list! I think I'll get around 6 or 7 males, as long as nothing else I pick out eats them

I actually didn't use to like the rainbows. The more I looked at them, the more I started liking them!

I'm not sure what on there would give the Endlers trouble, but it's definitely worth getting them!

 

[McCool]

So I just skimmed through Live Aquaria and found some fish that live up to my color standards.....
Dwarf Gourami
Flame Dwarf Gourami
Golden Gourami
Red Tailed Shark
American Flagfish
Peacock Gudgeon
Scarlet Gem Badis
Boesemani Rainbow
Maybe one Angelfish
Guppies/Endlers

Don't anyone freak out on me! That's just a list of fish I found colorful, not ones I researched and planned on putting together. Shoaling fish aren't really anything I'm interested in, unless a fish I just love needs to be in groups, like the rainbows. I guess I wouldn't mind of shoal of rummynoses, if I had the room.

 

[the_lock_man]

So I just skimmed through Live Aquaria and found some fish that live up to my color standards.....
Dwarf Gourami
Flame Dwarf Gourami
Red Tailed Shark
American Flagfish
Peacock Gudgeon
Scarlet Gem Badis
Boesemani Rainbow

Don't anyone freak out on me! That's just a list of fish I found colorful, not ones I researched and planned on putting together. Shoaling fish aren't really anything I'm interested in, unless a fish I just love needs to be in groups, like the rainbows. I guess I wouldn't mind of shoal of rummynoses, if I had the room.

Dwarf Gourami and Flame Dwarf Gourami are the same fish, different colour morphs. Only the males are particularly colourful, you might get away with 2 males in a 55g, and then again.....
Red Tailed Black Shark tend to get very aggressive as they get older. I'm not an expert on them but I think even a 55G may be a bit on the small side for them. SOmeone else help me out here.
American Flagfish. Just plain don't know. Soz.
Peacock Gudgeon are a beautiful fish, looked wonderful in my 15g. Just upgraded to a 25g, and they're starting to look a little lost, kinda "Oooh, where's the peacocks?" I would think a pair, or even a quartet would be lost totally in a 55g.
Scarlet Badis are TINY, like less than an inch, so if the peacocks look lost, gawd knows how these would look. Again, only the males are colourful, and the males will squabble with each other when kept as a group. However, in a large tank, they would have space to make their own territories, so a group of males may work.
Endlers, again, tiny, you may well not ever notice them, but they are peaceful as anything.
Bosemans would suit your tank superbly, I believe they are a shoaling species, so would need at least 6, but a group of 8-10 would look stupendous.

 

[McCool]

Thank you for all the info!
Too bad on the peacocks, very pretty little fish. Definitely still interested in the Badis however. No matter the size, love they're color! I think I'm pretty set on the rainbows, maybe a group of 8 or so Any idea on how an Angel would be with the rainbows? I've also read a lot of people who have kept Angels and Gouramis together, and a lot who say not to.... Probably better safe than sorry there?

 

[the_lock_man]

Too bad on the peacocks, very pretty little fish.

For smaller aquariums they are just the perfect fish to go for. I love mine.

Definitely still interested in the Badis however. No matter the size, love they're color!

I'm seriously considering a pair for my 34l, see whether I can get them breeding. If you're going to keep a group in your 55g, then you need to make sure planted means planted, breaking the lines of sight is very important.

Have a read of this.

Any idea on how an Angel would be with the rainbows? I've also read a lot of people who have kept Angels and Gouramis together, and a lot who say not to.... Probably better safe than sorry there?

No idea whatsoever, sorry.

 

[freshwaterfishlover]

I was also thinking maybe 4 rainbows.

 

[McCool]

I was also thinking maybe 4 rainbows.

Eh, not really enough for a group Think I'll go for around 8

Okay....

1 Angelfish
2 Bolivian Rams
3 Red Swordtails
8 Bosemani Rainbows
4 Zebra Loaches
4 Scarlet Badis IF I can even find them!
1 BN Pleco

Sounds like a lot, so please feel free to give suggestions All fish I get will be introduced slowly, so no ammonia spikes or anything, and only once I get the tank very planted

 

[McCool]

Bumpity

I was also thinking maybe 4 rainbows.

Eh, not really enough for a group Think I'll go for around 8

Okay....

1 Angelfish
2 Bolivian Rams
3 Red Swordtails
8 Bosemani Rainbows
4 Zebra Loaches
4 Scarlet Badis IF I can even find them! Probably won't!
1 BN Pleco

Sounds like a lot, so please feel free to give suggestions All fish I get will be introduced slowly, so no ammonia spikes or anything, and only once I get the tank very planted

 

[jocie1976]

I have a red tailed black shark. He started out in a community tank and was kind of bossy. He never actually hurt anyone, just kind of bulldozed them and then swam away. When I got tired of him being bossy in that tank, I moved him into my monster tank with green terrors and a jack dempsey. He still holds his own with them. I have also caught him sucking in baby fish so anything small with him might not be the best idea.

I also had gouramies and angels together. That didn't work out so well for the gouramies. They were all dead within two months. And that was in a 120g with lots of hiding places, plants, wood and undergravel tube tunnels. It just didn't seem to matter. I am sure some people have managed the mix well, but it didn't happen in my tank.

I have plenty of breeding BN's and I love them. In my lightly planted tanks I do find some leaves that have been munched on (Amazon swords). In a heavily planted tank, you probably wouldn't even notice it.