Stocking Ideas For 50 Gal Tank

[frapadoodle]

As to the guppies, bleh!
Bump the neons up. 6 will be lost in a 50 gal.
Been waivering toward peppers myself.

 

[pirategrl]

I'm not a huge fan of guppies but my husband is...    I guess I should try and keep him happy too.  lol

 

[frapadoodle]

Make him get his own tank.
We started with a 10 gal. and two fancy goldfish. Using my fishkeeping knowledge from the 1970's.
Poor goldfish. It now has a betta, that she claims.
Was going to move my 55gal. and restock,
2 Bolivian rams
2 Angels
6-8 Marbled hatchets, still debating.
4-6 Ottos
6-8 cories, want Pandas, but they prefer cooler water than Angels. So was thinking Peppered, but my Bronze and Albino pair seem determined to restock it themselves. Have a three month old from a previous spawn, and a pair of two week olds, and a few day old eggs.

 

[pirategrl]

I would LOVE to have a small breed of angels but from everything I've read they would eat my neons  
 
How long did you have your cories before they started mating?  It would be fun to get babies from any of my fish but I think the eggs would get eaten before I ever saw any.

 

[attibones]

I would LOVE to have a small breed of angels but from everything I've read they would eat my neons

 
How long did you have your cories before they started mating?  It would be fun to get babies from any of my fish but I think the eggs would get eaten before I ever saw any.

Angels naturally eat tetras, so you'd be safe to stay away from all angelfish (or really many species of cichlids). Some rams are fairly docile, though.
 
Cories are notorious egg-eaters. If you want fish to mate, the best solution is to have a heavily planted tank so some of the fry can survive there. 

 

[frapadoodle]

Well the first batch took seven months, but were juvies when I got them. After a disaster, the replacements took a month. And yes cories can be bad about eating eggs. And if you are not going to harvest and raise the eggs seperately, you will need lots of plants and hiding places.
Many folks use moss for fry, mine hide out in java fern roots.
Getting them to breed is easy. Raising fry, not as easy.

 

[Atsy]

I like the look of cherry barbs too.  I wasn't sure if they were as nippy as tigers.  I haven't considered any bettas because we were originally thinking tiger barbs, and I didn't want them to eat the fins off the betta.  That might be a nice pretty fish to have....what is in your tank?  Cherries and then a few rams?  Is that it?

I have six albino Cory cats, a handful of ghost shrimp, eight cherry barbs, one Dalmatian molly, and four German Blue Rams in my tank. I thought I was only getting three rams to start, but the guy who is selling them has sent me a bonus fish. I may end up getting another pair of cherry barbs, but I like the activity level of the tank now.

 
Aren't molies brackish?  I thought they couldn't mix with pure freshwater fish.  Am I wrong?  I like the look of mollies but thought since they liked brackish water I was going to steer clear.

 

[attibones]

I like the look of cherry barbs too.  I wasn't sure if they were as nippy as tigers.  I haven't considered any bettas because we were originally thinking tiger barbs, and I didn't want them to eat the fins off the betta.  That might be a nice pretty fish to have....what is in your tank?  Cherries and then a few rams?  Is that it?

I have six albino Cory cats, a handful of ghost shrimp, eight cherry barbs, one Dalmatian molly, and four German Blue Rams in my tank. I thought I was only getting three rams to start, but the guy who is selling them has sent me a bonus fish. I may end up getting another pair of cherry barbs, but I like the activity level of the tank now.

 
Aren't molies brackish?  I thought they couldn't mix with pure freshwater fish.  Am I wrong?  I like the look of mollies but thought since they liked brackish water I was going to steer clear.

They do like brackish water. This one was the last from a group of mollies I had. They all didn't make it (got a bad batch from the LFS), so I was stuck with this one. She's healthy enough in there, and I think she likes the salt I add weekly. I wasn't planning on keeping her in the tank, but one of my bettas absolutely needed to move, so she was relocated to a new tank.

 

[Atsy]

Ok, so I'm starting to get sold on the idea of Cories....
What are the most fun/attracive etc?
 
Thanks!

 

[attibones]

Ok, so I'm starting to get sold on the idea of Cories....
What are the most fun/attracive etc?
 
Thanks!

This depends on your substrate color. Albinos are my favorites, and they look magnificent against the black sand. Peppered cories are pretty, but false julii cories are lovely as well. They are sort of leopard-y print. 
 
Most fish stores sell a variety of cories, but liveaquaria and aquabid sell a much larger selection. 

 

[TallTree01]

Here's a good list of cories and their pics.
They won't ship to you but it's a great selection for us Aussies
http/www.livefish.com.au/catalogsearch/result/index/?p=2&q=Corydoras

All will work in your tank if you upgrade to sand.

 

[Atsy]

Here's a good list of cories and their pics.
They won't ship to you but it's a great selection for us Aussies
http/www.livefish.com.au/catalogsearch/result/index/?p=2&q=Corydoras

All will work in your tank if you upgrade to sand.

Thanks for the link.  I have been checking them out online but was interested in what others preferred too - those that love the species already!
 
I already have sand!  Check!
 
Sunset honey gouramis - so pretty!  Think I could have more than 1?  Like 1 male and 2 females in a 50??? 

  Will they try and eat the shrimp? 
 

Ok, so I'm starting to get sold on the idea of Cories....
What are the most fun/attracive etc?
 
Thanks!

This depends on your substrate color. Albinos are my favorites, and they look magnificent against the black sand. Peppered cories are pretty, but false julii cories are lovely as well. They are sort of leopard-y print. 
 
Most fish stores sell a variety of cories, but liveaquaria and aquabid sell a much larger selection. 

Unfortunately the price tag on black sand = not happening.  We have white/ tank sand so albinos would kinda disappear.  The peppered and false julli are nice.  I also like the skunk. 
 
Thanks so much for the opinions!

 

[pirategrl]

The Sterbai cories are really cute!  Atsy where in Washington are you?  

 

[leighton_87]

Ok, so I'm starting to get sold on the idea of Cories....
What are the most fun/attracive etc?
 
Thanks!

False Julii cories are my favourites

 

[Atsy]

The Sterbai cories are really cute!  Atsy where in Washington are you?  

Olympia, U?  And where do you shop for your fish at  I just went to the Wet Spot Tropical Fish in Portland.  WOW!  What a store!  Bought a bunch of plants!  Whoo hoo!