Stocking Advice

[mnlymandan]

i actually posted this in the beginner section yesterday but as i have had zero replies so far i thought i would try it here:
Hi all, i have a 55 gallon tank that is very well established with 2 gourami, 1 red tailed black shark, and a school of 6 rosey barbs.  i just removed a common pleco from my tank as he had outgrown it.  he went to a friends 129 gallon that had room.  with the reduction in bioload i am thinking about adding something else to the tank.  i don't really want another pleco.  i would like something colorful and preferably playful that will get along well with the other tank mates.  if i cant find anything that works with what i have that i like i will probably just increase the size of my rosey barb school but any suggestions are welcome. also fyi the tank is mildly planted and i have a few snails as well.
 

 

[BerryAttack]

red tail shark will most likely give you aggression problems later on, just a thought on that.
 
what i would do is have a show piece fish, something large but won't outgrow the tank. a pair of angels, or just the one? 
what kind of gourami do you have? if it isn't a dwarf then adding an angel for example they can attack it.
IMO i would rehome the shark right when it starts showing aggression, and it'll outgrow the tank anyways. so then i would bump the number of barbs to 10, then have 10 cloud tetras (top dwellers) or marble hatchet fish (group of 10) but if you don't have a lid then it won't be good. cories will give the bottom action and then for a center piece for you can go with a pair of angels, or just the one or a kind of ram, one or a pair.
then b/c you are live planted i would make it densely planted and throw in an assassin snail if there are the black cone snails, those will go after your plants. if they are white cone or flat cone then don't worry about the snail. but then again you can have an assassin snail.. allow it to breed, sell of the babies when big enough and have around 4-6 otos. make sure that they are very fat when buying them.. or they'll die really quick on you.

 

[looking-glass]

maybe increase the rosey barbs shoal and add some more medium size tetra's barbs - some angels for a centrepiece
 
 
id make sure youve got somewhere to re-home the shark in the future too as  he might cause you a few problems in the future  

 

[Ninjouzata]

I read your post but didn't respond as I'm not good at stocking numbers.
 
My concern is rosy barbs can get up to 6"..that's a lot of bioload already if keeping them in proper numbers.

 

[mnlymandan]

red tail shark will most likely give you aggression problems later on, just a thought on that.
 
what i would do is have a show piece fish, something large but won't outgrow the tank. a pair of angels, or just the one? 
what kind of gourami do you have? if it isn't a dwarf then adding an angel for example they can attack it.
IMO i would rehome the shark right when it starts showing aggression, and it'll outgrow the tank anyways. so then i would bump the number of barbs to 10, then have 10 cloud tetras (top dwellers) or marble hatchet fish (group of 10) but if you don't have a lid then it won't be good. cories will give the bottom action and then for a center piece for you can go with a pair of angels, or just the one or a kind of ram, one or a pair.
then b/c you are live planted i would make it densely planted and throw in an assassin snail if there are the black cone snails, those will go after your plants. if they are white cone or flat cone then don't worry about the snail. but then again you can have an assassin snail.. allow it to breed, sell of the babies when big enough and have around 4-6 otos. make sure that they are very fat when buying them.. or they'll die really quick on you.

so far i haven't had any issues with the red tailed shark.  he has kind of taken over the area under a large piece of drift wood in my tank but he doesnt go after other fish unless they invade his little shelter.  i have one opaline and one 3 spot gaurami.  they are not dwarfs and i considered them my "show piece".  as far as making it densely planted... that is a work in progress. i like the idea of the hatchet fish but from my understanding they are easily intimidated by other more agressive fish and im afraid the gourami would bully them as they occupy the same portion of the tank.  i have the same fear for the cories at the bottom of the tank with the red tailed shark.  i do like my shark.  he seams to be more playfull and less mean then others i have observed and as long as he is only territorial and not overly aggressive i would like to keep him.  i do have a tight lid so no worries about escaping fish.    also my snails are apple snails so no worries about the plants.

 

[mnlymandan]

I read your post but didn't respond as I'm not good at stocking numbers.
 
My concern is rosy barbs can get up to 6"..that's a lot of bioload already if keeping them in proper numbers.

thanks for responding today!  i have been using an online aquarium calculator to see stocking levels and according to that im @ 87% when everything is full grown.  (also i do have excellent filtration with two aquaclear 70s)  as for "proper numbers"  i have six now and i thought that would be enough.  they do school but if i should have more how many do you suggest?

 

[the_lock_man]

 
i actually posted this in the beginner section yesterday but as i have had zero replies so far i thought i would try it here:
 

 
Just so you are aware, I have removed the thread in the Beginner Question section, so we avoid any confusion between the two threads.
 
 

 

I read your post but didn't respond as I'm not good at stocking numbers.
 
My concern is rosy barbs can get up to 6"..that's a lot of bioload already if keeping them in proper numbers.

thanks for responding today!  i have been using an online aquarium calculator to see stocking levels and according to that im @ 87% when everything is full grown.  (also i do have excellent filtration with two aquaclear 70s)  as for "proper numbers"  i have six now and i thought that would be enough.  they do school but if i should have more how many do you suggest?
 

 
Please take everything that website says with a very large pinch of salt. Stocking is way too complicated for a database-driven website to get right, and forum policy is not to promote it because it is so unreliable. You'll get better advice from the people of the forum.

 

[Chad]

I'm not a fan of the red tail black shark. My experience keeping them has not been pleasant. I find them too aggressive for my taste. In my case my gourami (powder blue) didn't like being in the same tank (55 gallon) with it. He made them nervous and he eventually started going after them and other fish. After having the same experience with two different fish I've not kept them since. 

 

[mnlymandan]

 

 
i actually posted this in the beginner section yesterday but as i have had zero replies so far i thought i would try it here:
 

 
Just so you are aware, I have removed the thread in the Beginner Question section, so we avoid any confusion between the two threads.
 
 

 


I read your post but didn't respond as I'm not good at stocking numbers.
 
My concern is rosy barbs can get up to 6"..that's a lot of bioload already if keeping them in proper numbers.

thanks for responding today!  i have been using an online aquarium calculator to see stocking levels and according to that im @ 87% when everything is full grown.  (also i do have excellent filtration with two aquaclear 70s)  as for "proper numbers"  i have six now and i thought that would be enough.  they do school but if i should have more how many do you suggest?
 

 
Please take everything that website says with a very large pinch of salt. Stocking is way too complicated for a database-driven website to get right, and forum policy is not to promote it because it is so unreliable. You'll get better advice from the people of the forum.
 


thank you for consolidating.  also thanks for the bit about the calculator.  i wasn't trying to imply that it was an infallible device i was just using it a a general guideline.  I always value the advice of people on this board as iv used it allot.  i haven't posted that much but I've browsed this forum for advice for a while now.

I read your post but didn't respond as I'm not good at stocking numbers.
 
My concern is rosy barbs can get up to 6"..that's a lot of bioload already if keeping them in proper numbers.

Also i read that rosy barbs usually don't get over 4" in an aquarium but that they can occasionally get to 6".  have you had experience with the 6" size happening more often then not?

 

[Ninjouzata]

I have not kept them myself so can't tell you, but have read some sites saying 3", others saying 6". I always try to plan for the max size of the fish.

 

[mnlymandan]

if my red tail does get aggressive and i remove him do you think i would have better luck with a rainbow shark? or would i just have the same problems all over again?

 

[Ninjouzata]

Hm, maybe but you could still run into issues.
 
HERE is some info on the red tail, and HERE is some info on the rainbow. It notes that rainbow may work better in a community but you should still be careful.

 

[mnlymandan]

so, as much as i wanted all of you to be wrong, last night my red fin just snapped.  he beat up on my barbs for about an hour and i took him out and donated him.   so it looks like im in the market for a bottom feeder.  i dont want loaches because i like my snails so i think im going to get some corrys if anyone has any other suggestions or if you have a recommendation of specific kind of corry please feel free.  prob going to wait a couple of weeks before i get them anyway.

 

[Ninjouzata]

Aw I'm sorry to hear that
 
What sort of substrate do you have? Sorry if it's been mentioned already.
 
Cories and loaches prefer sand usually is why I'm asking. Khuli loaches might be good, mine havn't eaten snails that I know of.
Then again I've heard of others saying they do..so you're right, probably want to stick to cories.
 
I have albino and sterbai cories, they're both adorable and silly.

 

[mnlymandan]

Aw I'm sorry to hear that

 
What sort of substrate do you have? Sorry if it's been mentioned already.
 
Cories and loaches prefer sand usually is why I'm asking. Khuli loaches might be good, mine havn't eaten snails that I know of.
Then again I've heard of others saying they do..so you're right, probably want to stick to cories.
 
I have albino and sterbai cories, they're both adorable and silly.

i have "eco complete" substrait.  is somewhere between fine gravel and dirt, but more on the fine gravel side.  you can check it out here http/www.petco.com/product/111998/Eco-Complete-Planted-Black-Aquarium-Substrate.aspx how do you think they would do with that?