I need help/advice

[abrilmarie]

Hi, I am not new to the hobby but didn't know where else to out this.

I am setting up my 55 gallon tank(no its not ready yet, yes I am waiting until it cycles etc.)
But I would like some advice on if the selection of fish/invertebrates I want will be to many or just right. I have never had a 55 gallon but just about everything else below that.
(I have had all these species before, just don't know if this is to much for a 55 gallon)
LIST OF SPECIES:
ONE, orange dwarf cray fish (about 1 1/2")
ONE, vampire shrimp ( about 6" size)
ONE MAYBE TWO, kuhli loach( about 4" size)
TWO-THREE, snails(Japanese trap door, nerite) ( about 1" and 3" size)
ONE, blood red eye sword tail (about 4" size)
THREE, platys (about 2 1/2" size)
ONE, blue powder dwarf gourami (about 3 1/2" size)
THREE, guppies ( about 2" size)
ONE, gold dantoid ( about 1-4" size)
ONE, german blue ram female (about 2 1/2"size)
ONE, cockatoo cichlid female (about 2 1/2" size)
ONE, blue lyretail (about 1 1/2" size)
Might be a little off with sizes was doing it by memory!
ANY ADVICE WILL HELP THANKS!

 

[NickAu]

That just wont work.

First up what are your water parameters by that I mean is your water soft or hard? Because I notice both soft and hard water fish in the list.

ONE MAYBE TWO, kuhli loach( about 4" size)

On some forums they say you need at least 6 Kuhlis, as someone who has kept Kuhlis I say you need at least 10, the more the merrier with these guys, and give them lots of cover places to hide if you want to see them, yes I know this sounds strange but with lots of places to hide they feel confident and become quite bold. With 2 Kuhlis all they will do is hide and stress.

 

[abrilmarie]

Yea I was thinking about getting atleast two just don't want the cray fish to get aggressive but maybe he wont specially if I do the hole tank planted and with sand lots of hiding spots!

 

[fluttermoth]

Please post details for your pH and hardness; as Nick says, we can't really advise the best species for you without knowing that.

Other potential issues I can spot are the crayfish and the datnoid. Crayfish shouldn't be kept with fish; they will learn to attack the fish when they're sleeping. The datnoid is going to get too large for your tank, and will also eat the smaller fish as soon as it get's big enough.

 

[DutchMuch]

The fish you listed, and this is just in a nutshell, require different parameters, hardness & softness of water, and different PH.
Also some of those (as nick said with the khuli loaches) require a good school of six plus, which is the minimum school size. Those guppys wouldn't make it, plus if they did you would have to many when they began to breed. And also, as said again, the crawfish would kill anything it could (imo) or anything near it.

 

[abrilmarie]

My tank is still in cycle everyone! I am just trying to see if this is to many species for a 55 gallon. I have soft water, ph level around 7.0. I have had kuhli loaches in the past and they don't need any other loaches but prefer and are less shy with more. that's why I want to start with 2 and maybe add if they are not happy. I have also had dwarf crayfish and they are very peaceful if you feed them right. Ive even had little shrimp in with them and they have never done anything with them or my fish. I am asking this question more on if this is to much if I did decide to get all these.

 

[DutchMuch]

having to many Species, is depending on the species. Do you mean to many fish?...
Many of us have already stated that we do not suggest the loaches for your environment. Weather you get them or not is up to you. Crayfish are aggressive depending on the fish, if you have a aggressive fish (which you listed) with a DC than your asking for trouble, also depends on the average swim layer of the fish. Bottom Middle or Top swimmer? Most in your list are mixed.
IMO yes its to much and most of your fish will not thrive in the conditions you listed as, previously said, these fish mostly require different parameters and come from different continents.

 

[abrilmarie]

Ok thanks everyone ive decided what I'm doing.

 

[Byron]

I feel I absolutely must comment in this thread. I have 25+ years experience, and have carried out very extensive research along the way, and I contribute to scientific sites.

The great benefit of a good forum--and TFF is one of the best--is that one can learn and avoid mistakes. Mistakes are cruel to fish, and many fish die solely because we think we can ignore the advice, or that we know better. And while experience is beneficial (if we learn from it), past experience is not always the best teacher. Fish are living creatures that have evolved in very species-specific ways. To ignore the norm for any species is almost certain to be problematical. The fact that something worked once does not mean it will work again; but more importantly, "worked" doesn't mean the fish were not suffering. As the blue citation in my signature block puts it, the fact that fish live through what we force them to accept is not at all the same thing as thriving with good health.

There is a great deal more to a thriving community aquarium (community meaning more than one species of fish). Water parameters (hardness, temperature and pH), water flow (from the filter), substrate material, decor (wood, rock), plants, numbers, behaviours...all these must be worked out before the fish mass to the biological systems is even considered, and this was the substance of your initial post. Others have tried to point out the problems. To combined some of the fish and invertebrates mentioned in post #1 in the same tank is outright cruelty to the creatures. There are moderately hard water fish that will not last in soft water, and they will suffer as they slowly weaken. Crayfish should never be combined with fish, period. There are shoaling fish mentioned that must have a group, from the start, to avoid hierarchial issues, not to mention that shoaling fish always settle in faster and better the more there are.

You asked the question to gain knowledge. Please consider it and realize that we are all very much concerned with our fish. An aquarium must provide what the fish need, not what we may want. It will not be successful otherwise--and again, success means the fish are in the best environment we can provide, not having to make do with anything less.

Byron.

 

[DutchMuch]

Something of such proportion couldn't have been said better in 3 paragraphs...

 

[abrilmarie]

I completely agree with you, but I was simply asking if it was to much for the 55 gallon, I took in every ones advice but I feel like everyone was telling me how wrong I was on what I was thinking. I am not saying anyone is wrong or their advice is not good, I just was feeling like I was getting attack by people when I was simply asking a question. I am fine that people were telling me what they felt is best for my aquarium I have only been in this for 4 years and am still learning and always will be. Its just hard to know what exactly is the BEST choice when I have had species be healthy and fine and others have had different experiences as well. I just want to say that I have had dwarf cray fish and kuhlis for a long time and before I ever got them I even talked to a fish expert and they told me they would be fine in a big aquarium together just make sure the cray fish have lots of hiding places and feed well. Ive never seen my cray fish hurt any of my species before but your right that doesn't mean it wont happen in the future just like some fish ive had worked good before but then I got aggressive ones and had to separate. I want the best interest for my fish species and I am not not taking in all your guys advice.

 

[DutchMuch]

My apologies if I was "attacking" didn't mean to.
I just personally (and its my way of talking) don't sugar coat things and just say them like it is. Simply.

 

[abrilmarie]

Your fine, thank you, I do need the advice that's why I asked. I just wanted to get my side out there as well. I want everyone to know that I'm not just starting out and throwing a bunch of "pretty" fish into a tank. Put your advice did make me think of everything even more then I have. I might do things that people might slap me on the wrist for still but I think it all depends on are preference and experiences with our past aquariums.

 

[DutchMuch]

That's what we are for here to help and answer any of your questions! What we say (once concluded) is correct, especially in this particular thread and sums up to what is best for the fish, to us that is all that matters. personal preference with a mixed species or variety of fish that possibly can be incapable of living while thriving with each other, we will point that out. weather you follow what you are "supposed" to do or can do to make the fish thrive, is up to you to take into action.