55 Gallon Stocking Options

[bristlenoseitplecoman]

I am going to be stocking my 55 gallon aquarium soon and I want some opinions on which stocking I should do. I will definitely have one BN pleco because i already have him in my smaller aquarium. I will definitely have 6 emerald catfish too. I need to decide my amounts of black neon tetras and upside down catfish. Please vote above or reply.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

I'd aim for 15-20 Black Neons and 10 Synodontis nigriventris in a tank that big, the tetras will provide a day shift school and the catfish are less secretive in larger numbers than the minimum of six. I would also think about upping the numbers of Brochis splendens too, something like another four (I had 11 earlier this year in the same tank as 10 Sterbai Corydoras, looked amazing when they moved across the tank floor like a giant flock).

 

[bristlenoseitplecoman]

but wouldn't I be overstocking my tank.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

55 gallons can take a lot of fish... How big is the footprint?

How many fish are you talking about here?


Personally, I'm not a fan of upside down catfish, but love cories (technically brochis, in this case). So I would up the emeralds in place of the upside downs.

Then go for the 15-20 black neons. You should be fine in terms of stocking with just those and the BN. Do you have any other fish in there?

 

[bristlenoseitplecoman]

what is the footprint? I love brochis too. I only currently have one black neon tetra 2 of the emeralds and the BN pleco. My tanks dimensions are 48"L x13"D x20"H. I am talking about upside downs, emerald catfish, Black neon tetras, and 1 BN pleco. So far I am thinking about 15 tetras 5 Upside downs, and 7-8 emeralds.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Footprint is the base area... 48"x13".


That is probably big enough to bump the emeralds up a bit - more is better IMHO. You would still have room for the tetras (20) and upside downs. That wouldn't be overstocked so much as fully stocked. The tetras would be the only fish in the mid-water most of the time, and they are small.

 

[bristlenoseitplecoman]

so should I have 9-10 corys, 20 tetras, and 6 upside downs. I also have a small sickness in my little tank on my cories. could you try to identify it. from a front angle view I can see a coating on my corys. is this their slime coat, velvet or something else.