Suggestions For A Schooling Fish For A 55 Gallon

[Stephen_B]

I have a mostly empty 55 gallon (48 inch wide) aquarium that currently has 7 emperor tetras. I should have done my research beforehand; I would have found out that this is not really a schooling species. There are two males, and each one has claimed an end.

While these are nice fish, I really wanted a gorgeous schooling fish that I could keep with a single pair of angelfish. The tank is lightly planted.

Can anyone suggest a good looking schooling fish that isn't too small? Thanks.

Stephen

 

[n3ont3tra]

Denison Barbs, aka Roseline Barbs aka Roseline Sharks aka Torpedo Barbs aka Puntius denisonii
They get about 6 inches long and are very active fish. About 5 would be fine for a 55g.

 

[kelp]

I just wanted to tell you what not to get for schooling, rosy barbs. I bought six thinking that they would school, but they are very spread out all over the tank, and like to hang out near the bottom, too.

 

[Majjie]

My Blue Emperor tetras shoal some of the time - not all the time, though - and they're smaller than Emperors (and a different species altogether).

I'd heard that rummy nose tetras hang about together most of the time - and they're a bit bigger.

 

[Fluffy Bala Sharks]

Neon Tetras for the win! =D

Also, I'm not sure if all Guppies do this, but I have seven and they stick together like glue. =3

 

[Lateral Line]

I just posted this in reply to your question in another thread...

Schooling is a defensive strategy. Fish school up when they feel threatened. In a typical tank, there is no benefit in schooling, so the fish tend not to. If you have your tetras in a 24" crowded tank, they may hang out together from time to time, but are just as likely to do their own thing. Put the same fish into a 72" with a lot of wide open spaces, and they'll stick together like glue.

 

[Stephen_B]

Thanks for the continuing suggestions. Puntius denisonii is a great looking fish, but a bit bigger than I was planning. Neon tetras look too similar to emperors.

Two that I am considering at the moment are the firehead tetra (Hemigrammus bleheri) and a bleeding heart tetra (15 in a 55 gallon would probably be a great site).

I am concerned that a firehead would not like bright lights (but doesn't Amano use these all the time? Maybe that needs to be rethought). Any comments?

Thanks!

Stephen

 

[The Amazonian]

I would suggest Buenos Aries Tetra, or Congo Tetra...Maube 3 Silver Dollars as well..

 

[Lateral Line]

I wouldn't put Silver Dollars in a tank with plants, not if you want to keep the plants anyway.

 

[MHunt]

I agree with lateral, my neons don't really school apart from feeding time, or if they feel threatened, the same with my cherry barbs, if they're comfortable they'll do their own thing, but they do school from time to time, (even though there's three of them)

Once you get more fish in the tank you might notice them begin to group together more. Neons or cardinals are always a favourite schooling fish. But might seem a bit lost in a larger tank unless you get a large group, perhaps 10 or more. You could always go for a large group of tiger barbs. While they don't school as such, a large number of them would probably stick together rather than pestering the other tank mates.

 

[Stephen_B]

And the winner is: the bleeding heart tetra. Thanks to all for their advice. I can already see that the bleeding hearts school much more readily than the emperors. Very relaxing to watch. I'm looking forward to seeing how they look after a few days of good food in a healthy planted tank.

I ended up getting 21 of them in a 55 gallon, where they are with a half dozen emperors. At the moment I have no plans to stock the tank with any more fish than that.

Stephen

 

[Iron Man]

I like the look of the bleeding hearts. Good luck with them.

 

[RedShark]

If i were you i would have gotten 35 Brilliant Rasbora

 

[Stephen_B]

If i were you i would have gotten 35 Brilliant Rasbora

Now you tell me.

I really like the shoaling that the bleeding hearts show. They are a group of 21 fish, but they only occupy a small percentage of the tank volume because they stay so close together. It's fun to see them attack frozen bloodworms; they are like mini-piranhas. Sometime the smaller emperors will join with their shoal.

Stephen

 

[MHunt]

It's fun to see them attack frozen bloodworms; they are like mini-piranhas.

Well they are roughly the same species! I think that of my neons, the fat ones especially!