New 55

[camaroman]

i just got a 55 gallon tank for christmas. I went to petsmart today and got all the plants and decorations that i wanted. I am now letting the tank cycle with one tiger barb in it. So here is my question.

This is what i was thinking of stalking it with after it is cycled.

2 Angels
15 Neon Tetras
10 Harlequin rasboras
10 glowlight tetras
2 Clown Loaches

They should all be compatable from what i've read.
How does this sound to you experts out there?

 

[bigdave2009]

i just got a 55 gallon tank for christmas. I went to petsmart today and got all the plants and decorations that i wanted. I am now letting the tank cycle with one tiger barb in it. So here is my question.

This is what i was thinking of stalking it with after it is cycled.

2 Angels
15 Neon Tetras
10 Harlequin rasboras
10 glowlight tetras
2 Clown Loaches

They should all be compatable from what i've read.
How does this sound to you experts out there?

I am no expert, but I know what people will tell you. The clown loaches will grow to large for your tank, so dont get them. If it was me and I wanted them, I would get them as long as I planned to eventually upgrade. It takes a very, very long time for the clown loaches to grow as big as they get, which i believe is 12inches or even larger (which is rare). They will also argue that the tiger barb will nip the fins on your angel fish, and also I will tell you that you really should have at least 4-6 tiger barbs, only 1 is a bad idea. All in all it is your tank, so you do as you please. I would suggest getting 6 tiger barbs, with what you said, and I would only get the clown loaches if you plan to upgrade. Another cool fish you could do would Blue Rams, or Corydoras ( I would go with these, they are realllllllllllllllly cool, and you are missing the ground action in your setup) but thats all up to you. The blue rams are my favorite fish as well....



Good Luck!

 

[mrbudgie]

sounds fine but once the angels get to a bigger size your smaller tetra's /raspora's will soon dissapear.

hope this helps

ian

 

[Biulu]

i just got a 55 gallon tank for christmas. I went to petsmart today and got all the plants and decorations that i wanted. I am now letting the tank cycle with one tiger barb in it. So here is my question.

Please read the pinned topics on fishless cycling! Only if your tank is heavily planted your tiger barb won't suffer. By the way, what do you plan on doing with him afterwards? He is not in your stocking list.......

 

[Mikaila31]

I agree with Biulu, read the fishless cycling threads on this forums. I really suggest you take the tiger barb back and do a fishless cycle.
The fish cycle may not be hard on the one fish in there, but once the tank does cycle the bioload is going to be really small. Once the tank is cycled with the tiger barb and you add more fish, even if it is only one, you are most likely going to experience a mini-cycle. This is because you are only suppose to increase you bioload by about 30% max IMO, when ever you add new fish. Then you have to wait two weeks before increasing it again. If you do the cycle with the tiger barb it will take you forever to fully stock the tank. From looking at your stocking list it would take IMO at least 9 weeks, just to stock it with the 10 Harlequin rasboras. Doing a fishless cycle will take 6-8 weeks and then you can add all the fish at once .

The only problems I see with your stocking is that the angels will most likely eat the neons and possibly the Harlequins once they grow up. The tank is too small for the clown loaches they will grow over a foot and need a tank of at least 75 gallons. They also should be kept in groups of 5 or more.

Other than that, you are on the right track. Good job on researching before hand .

Cheers ,
Mikaila31

 

[camaroman]

The tiger barb is the last one that i have. All of the others died and my sister made me take him out of her tank and put him in my 55. but he's going back to her tank really soon. I really do want angels, but i don't want to lose lots of tetra either.
What if i had a place where the tetras could hide and fit but the angles could not get in to get to them?
Would this work?
thanks for the help, you have kept me from making a big fishy mistake lol.

 

[Mikaila31]

The tiger barb is the last one that i have. All of the others died and my sister made me take him out of her tank and put him in my 55. but he's going back to her tank really soon. I really do want angels, but i don't want to lose lots of tetra either.
What if i had a place where the tetras could hide and fit but the angles could not get in to get to them?
Would this work?
thanks for the help, you have kept me from making a big fishy mistake lol.

Most likely not, if the angels try to eat the tetras. The tetras will hide, but will a predator around they will get really stressed and be susceptible to diseases. Neons are a angelfish's natural food in the wild. Ask yourself this, Would you leave your house if you knew there was a lose tiger nearby?

I suggest that you chose larger fish. They can still be tetras, but should be at least 2" long. A good option is rummy-nosed tetras, I suggest you search on line for other ones you like. I think a German Blue ram would get along with the angels, and corys would be a good choice for the bottom IMO .

Cheers,
Mikaila31

 

[rabbut]

The tiger barb is the last one that i have. All of the others died and my sister made me take him out of her tank and put him in my 55. but he's going back to her tank really soon. I really do want angels, but i don't want to lose lots of tetra either.
What if i had a place where the tetras could hide and fit but the angles could not get in to get to them?
Would this work?
thanks for the help, you have kept me from making a big fishy mistake lol.

Not realy. Tetras are an angels natural diet, and thus they are addapted to hunt them very efficiently....You can sometimes get away with it, if you establish the tetras before the angels, as the angels will then not view them as food. Once settled though, if you add to the numbers of tetras after adding the angel, you will almost always loose all the tetras, as the angels instincts take over once the smaller fish enter the tank, leading them to also eat the established tank mates. I would strongly advise against the mix, though I will admit that it is possible to do, if done with the appropriate care.

HTH
Rabbut