Stocking idea for 40-55 gallon.

[Tuckerman821]

Hello, I’m planning to add a tank to my room (as if I really need a third tank) and wanted to try angelfish. I looked at a few tanks yesterday and want to do somewhere near a 40 gallon tank. I wanted 2 angelfish, 5-8 Congo tetras, 5 or so kuhli loaches, 5 or so emerald Cory cats, a BN pleco, and maybe a rabbit snail and/or some nerites. The tank will be planted, I’ve heard plecos eating the plants so I’ll work around that and try a few and see what mine eats and what it doesn’t.

I wanted to add some sort of live bearer (babies would give the other fish a nice snack) if this wouldn’t already be overstocked, what livebearer would be best match with these?

I also plan on using a canister filter that filters the tank 7 times an hour.

The limit to tank size would probably be 55 gallons, as I don’t want to go too big and spend too much money

Any advice is helpful, I have a month and a half or longer before I’ll start this process so there is a lot of room and time for me to get stocking and size sorted out.

Thanks in advance for any help

 

[ThatFishGirl6231]

you should do 55 gallon. bigger is always better. especially if you are going to have angels.

 

[Tuckerman821]

you should do 55 gallon. bigger is always better. especially if you are going to have angels.

Other than this do these stocking ideas work well? If I opted for the 55 would I be able to keep more of each species? Only keeping two angels.

 

[Byron]

Angelfish are not easy. First, this is a shoaling species so it expects to be in a group. While a group of five minimum can sometimes work, at least for a short time (more on this momentarily), it is better with more, but that means at least a 6-foot tank and preferably larger. A group of angelfish will quite quickly establish an hierarchy, and the more there are in the group, the less likely a too-dominant male will emerge, though there is no guarantee. A 4-foot long tank (presumably a 55g would be this long) might suit a group of five, but then we come to the inevitable.

A male/female pair is likely to form, and in this small a tank, either the pair or the other three angelfish would have to be removed or they will soon be weakened and die. In large tanks with larger groups, this will play out as it does in the habitat, where pairs may form and the other angelfish can keep their distance.

As for a "pair," this will only work (maybe) if the two select each other from a group of angelfish. A male will not pair with any female, and two males would soon be one male alive. Two females might work, but there are no guarantees.

As for the other mentioned species, Congo Tetra are not small fish, and a group of minimum 9-10 is best, with a mix of male/female. They like swimming "relays" as I term it, where two males will seem to have a race end to end in the tank. You need to provide space for this, at least a 4-foot tank here.

Third point, water parameters. What is the GH and pH of your source water? You have fish requiring somewhat different parameters and it is best to pin these down before suggesting species.

 

[Tuckerman821]

Angelfish are not easy. First, this is a shoaling species so it expects to be in a group. While a group of five minimum can sometimes work, at least for a short time (more on this momentarily), it is better with more, but that means at least a 6-foot tank and preferably larger. A group of angelfish will quite quickly establish an hierarchy, and the more there are in the group, the less likely a too-dominant male will emerge, though there is no guarantee. A 4-foot long tank (presumably a 55g would be this long) might suit a group of five, but then we come to the inevitable.

A male/female pair is likely to form, and in this small a tank, either the pair or the other three angelfish would have to be removed or they will soon be weakened and die. In large tanks with larger groups, this will play out as it does in the habitat, where pairs may form and the other angelfish can keep their distance.

As for a "pair," this will only work (maybe) if the two select each other from a group of angelfish. A male will not pair with any female, and two males would soon be one male alive. Two females might work, but there are no guarantees.

As for the other mentioned species, Congo Tetra are not small fish, and a group of minimum 9-10 is best, with a mix of male/female. They like swimming "relays" as I term it, where two males will seem to have a race end to end in the tank. You need to provide space for this, at least a 4-foot tank here.

Third point, water parameters. What is the GH and pH of your source water? You have fish requiring somewhat different parameters and it is best to pin these down before suggesting species.

The source water is slightly alkaline( 7.5 ) but I’ve been using peat moss with another tank and it’s been hounding steady at a neutral ph. It is also pretty soft water (around 4 dGH)

 

[Byron]

The source water is slightly alkaline( 7.5 ) but I’ve been using peat moss with another tank and it’s been hounding steady at a neutral ph. It is also pretty soft water (around 4 dGH)

OK, that means no livebearers or other fish (some rainbowfish, etc) that require much harder water. But the options with soft water fish--tetras, pencilfish, hatchetfish, rasboras, barbs, catfish, loaches--are almost endless.

 

[Tuckerman821]

OK, that means no livebearers or other fish (some rainbowfish, etc) that require much harder water. But the options with soft water fish--tetras, pencilfish, hatchetfish, rasboras, barbs, catfish, loaches--are almost endless.

So instead of congo tetras and a livebearer. Maybe a school of cardinal tetras and a school of harlequin rasboras or something?

 

[Byron]

So instead of congo tetras and a livebearer. Maybe a school of cardinal tetras and a school of harlequin rasboras or something?

It would help to decide on the tank size...Congos would be fine if this turns out to be a 55g in the standard 4-foot length. But in a 3-foot tank like a standard 40g, they need more space. Beyond this, there are so many species of tetra and rasbora that would work in a 40g, or a 55g, or almost anything (in a tank larger than a standard 20g).

 

[Tuckerman821]

It would help to decide on the tank size...Congos would be fine if this turns out to be a 55g in the standard 4-foot length. But in a 3-foot tank like a standard 40g, they need more space. Beyond this, there are so many species of tetra and rasbora that would work in a 40g, or a 55g, or almost anything (in a tank larger than a standard 20g).

Well, I held off on cardinals/ neons because I wanted a live bearer. No big deal if I can’t get a livebearer, but cardinals won’t be too small and get eaten will they?

and I do really like the Congo’s so if I go with the 4ft 55 gal a group of 10 Congo’s and a bunch of cardinals will work with angels?

 

[Byron]

Well, I held off on cardinals/ neons because I wanted a live bearer. No big deal if I can’t get a livebearer, but cardinals won’t be too small and get eaten will they?

and I do really like the Congo’s so if I go with the 4ft 55 gal a group of 10 Congo’s and a bunch of cardinals will work with angels?

I do not recommend angelfish, as I previously explained.

Congo Tetras will not eat smaller fish.

 

[Tuckerman821]

I do not recommend angelfish, as I previously explained.

Congo Tetras will not eat smaller fish.

So just a community tank with a few different species of schooling fish?

 

[Byron]

So just a community tank with a few different species of schooling fish?

If you want larger fish, the Congo Tetra will provide that, mid-water. Or you could have one of the small/medium gourami...some are more aggressive than others, but it is an option (not with Congos though, either one or the other).

There are larger shoaling tetras, like the Bleeding Heart. And many others slightly smaller, just avoid any fin nippers esp with the Congos (or gourami). There are dozens. Then there are the cyprinids, rasboras and barbs, and some of the barbs are quite suitable...the Black Ruby Barb is one, I had a group of these in with my Congos in a 90g for several years.

 

[Tuckerman821]

If you want larger fish, the Congo Tetra will provide that, mid-water. Or you could have one of the small/medium gourami...some are more aggressive than others, but it is an option (not with Congos though, either one or the other).

There are larger shoaling tetras, like the Bleeding Heart. And many others slightly smaller, just avoid any fin nippers esp with the Congos (or gourami). There are dozens. Then there are the cyprinids, rasboras and barbs, and some of the barbs are quite suitable...the Black Ruby Barb is one, I had a group of these in with my Congos in a 90g for several years.

Alright, I think I’ll go with the Congo’s and make a nice community tank. I like the idea of that and having a bunch of movement and activity

 

[anewbie]

I would suggest instead of angels you go with a colourful dwarf cichild. There are some interesting apistogramma such as hongsloi and borelli which do not require special care and are more manageable than angels. I have 8 angels in my 120 (had 12 but had to remove 4 to get the dynamics to work) and they still require a lot of petting to get them to sort of behave some of the time. Apisto would be quite happy in a 40B and that would still leave room for a nice schooling fish like kubotai rasbora (though a purist would argue an asian fish has no business being mixed with sa fish). Conversely you could go with a pair of Pelvicachromis subocellatus or Pelvicachromis taeniatus. Anyway there are 100's of easily accessible dwarf cichlid (the last two fishes mentioned are actually from africa and should not be mixed with sa dwarf cichlid). The only catch when deciding on a dwarf cichlid is some require special treatment for a long successful life while others are pretty durable and adaptable.

 

[Tuckerman821]

I would suggest instead of angels you go with a colourful dwarf cichild. There are some interesting apistogramma such as hongsloi and borelli which do not require special care and are more manageable than angels. I have 8 angels in my 120 (had 12 but had to remove 4 to get the dynamics to work) and they still require a lot of petting to get them to sort of behave some of the time. Apisto would be quite happy in a 40B and that would still leave room for a nice schooling fish like kubotai rasbora (though a purist would argue an asian fish has no business being mixed with sa fish). Conversely you could go with a pair of Pelvicachromis subocellatus or Pelvicachromis taeniatus. Anyway there are 100's of easily accessible dwarf cichlid (the last two fishes mentioned are actually from africa and should not be mixed with sa dwarf cichlid). The only catch when deciding on a dwarf cichlid is some require special treatment for a long successful life while others are pretty durable and adaptable.

Would German blue rams be a good fit?