50 Gallon Tall Community Tank Stocking Suggestions

[xripcurrent]

The dimensions of my aquarium is in inches 31L x 12W x 30H. My filtration will be handled by a canister filter in this case a Magnum 350 Canister Pro System w/ 2 attached Bio-Wheels. I purposely over filtered this aquarium for many reasons that being said I have several questions
 
Do the fish tank dimensions hurt my ability to keep a healthy ecosystem within my aquarium or hinder it? Please explain your take on this so we can futher the dialogue. 
 
This is a beautiful aquarium what species can I house in this freshwater system to showcase the beauty of the fish? I want a peaceful community aquarium, I would like to go with larger tetras so I can actually see them from afar.
 
Right now I am thinking and considering:
 
2 Bushynose Plecos (They typically don't get too large and are fairly hardy.) <---- Any other Dwarf Pleco Suggestions are welcome and no thank you on Zebra Plecos they are too $$$$$ for me.

6 Corydoras (Sterbai or Panda or Julii) Whichever are available at my LFS
6 Longfin Congo Tetras <---- Gorgeous Species
2 Pearl Gourami
6 Red Serpae Tetra or 10 Neon Tetras
1 Swordtail
1 Molly
 
Anyways this is a start please reply with your thoughts.
 
 

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Swordtails, Mollies and Congo Tetras get too big and too active to be in a tank less than 120cm long IMO.
 
I'm unsure if an adult  12cm Pearl Gourami is sedate moving enough to live in a ~78cm long tank for life.
 
Your choice of corydoras needs to have a bit more logic to it than simply what is at your LFS, their temperature requirements should match that of the rest of the fish eg. sterbai need "high-end tropical" >24C; true julii need mainstream tropical ~24C; trilineatus (often missold as julii) and paleatus are temperate and should typically be in a heaterless tank that changes temp through the seasons from ~16 to ~24C.
 
How hard is your water?

 

[xripcurrent]

Very hard water here in California by the time the water gets to us it has lots of salts in it too. Wake up and you go to your car and it has salt spots from the sprinklers. So what would you put in a 50G Tall aquarium? Sure would be a waste for such a large tank to have tiny fish in it?

 

[techen]

The tank is in no way big, Although it does look big in person. Overall it's still a small tank.
 
I think the two Bristlenose? plecos are fine so long as one is male and one is female.
 
The corys works too but you could increase the number slightly. 
 
Congo tetras are fine and so are the Pearls. I had 3 pearls and 12 congos in my 55gal tank and since yours is slightly smaller I'd be okay with the numbers you have.
 
6 Red Serpae Tetra or 10 Neon Tetras
1 Swordtail
1 Molly
 
I would say no too, As smaller tetras with bigger tetras is really a nono.

 

[xripcurrent]

Sounds good can I get away any platies to add some orange to the tank?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Platies enjoy hard water, so that's a great option.  I normally recommend single genders (preferrably males) unless you have somewhere to put all the fry.
 
 
The key with a tank like that is really to fill all layers of the tank - top, middle and bottom with fish.  The cories are primarily bottom dwellers, the tetras are by and large midwater.  The platies will go pretty much everywhere.

 

[xripcurrent]

Great point I was considering hatchets for the top layer but voted against it because of the congos

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

50 US gallons (~183l) is not a bad volume of water, but putting that volume in a cube shape does limit the type of fish that can live in it for life.
 
31" (~78cm) of tank length will limit your responsible choices, in comparison to my 140l 120x30x37cm, which could house a group of 6-10 Congo Tetras for life (and nothing else, that would be fully stocked).
 
The smaller rainbowfish (Blue Eyes, Dwarf Neon, Celebes) could work in a tank your size, Forktail Blue Eyes stay in the upper water, Dwarf Neons and Celebes are midwater so a group of one or the other could complement them well. They might only be 5-7cm as adults, but they each have lovely vibrant colours, plus they are not fish that need a long tank to zoom around in.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I agree fully with this! ^^^^^
 
 
Which is why you really want to think in "layers" rather than just volume...  The surface area and length X width calculation is actually more important than volume.
 
 
Smaller species or less speedy species are the way to go.
 
Congos really are too big and active for this tank.  A 'traditional' 50 gallon would be excellent for them, but in saving space in your house (Smaller tank footprint) you lose the space in the tank (smaller tank footprint).  There are plenty of other very attractive tetras or shoaling fish that you could stock with though... Goat mentioned a few...  Livebearers are all awesome looking hard water fish if you are looking for 'vibrant' colors that you can see from a distance.  Going all males will limit your fry production.  And be careful choosing a hard water tolerant corydoras species. 

 

[fluttermoth]

I agree with NOTG; Congos are a bit active for a 30" tank.
 
The smaller rainbows would work better; they do better in harder water than most tetras as well.
 
Livebearers also prefer harder water, and tend to stay up top.

 

[xripcurrent]

I like what you guys are saying so I see three layers unless I am missing something bottom, middle and upper layers yes?
 
Corys and 1 Dwarf Pleco = Bottom Layer
Celebes and or Threadfin Rainbows = Middle Layer
Forktail Blue Eyes = Top Layer
Livebearer = Floaters they go everywhere
 
Sound right? If so how many of each of the above do I go with?


Are threadfin middle layer?

 

[snazy]

Forktail Blue Eyes = Top Layer
 
They'll be middle/top layer, not just top. They don't school tightly or anything and are very playful.   They'd love harder water and temps between 24-26. Lovely fish but need a school and if you don't have many decorations, plants, etc, then more females than males. I have 9 of them.
 
Also, for these temperatures sterbai are best.
My bristlenose pleco is too jumpy for corys.
Livebearer-guppies will stay top, but platies are totally everywhere and will eat cory and pleco pellets once finished their own food. I presume swordtails and mollies would be as bad, if not worse.

 

[xripcurrent]

So Goat was wrong when he said Foxtail are top layer yes?

 

[fluttermoth]

Well...all fish will move around the tank; none stay specifically in one area all the time. Corydoras will swim up at the top sometimes, and hatchets will be low down some times.
 
It's more a tendency than a specific, and can depend also on lighting, decor, tankmates etc.
 
Forktail rainbows are sort of middle to top, rather than right at the surface.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Can you please point out "top" in this quote? I cannot see it.

 Forktail Blue Eyes stay in the upper water