Stocking Ideas?

[McCool]

Okay, So I'm just playing with this, And have none of these fish yet. Just wondering what yall think about it. My tank is 55 gallons, heavily filtered, and has rock and lots of plants.
I have another tank set up and ready to go in case they don't get along with the puffs

6 giant Danios
6 Silver Hatchets
1 Bristlenose Plec
1 African Knife
4 SAP

I have set up caves under the rocks for the knife, but if I see him get picked on at all he is going to the pet store.. I'm really just wanting to get him out of the ladies tank he is in now, because her tank is filthy.

Any thoughts? The puffers will go in last, and probably not for a few Weeks after I get all the other fish in. I have a grate over the tank for any jumpers, and snails breeding away in another tank. I have read that Danios and hatchets are good with SAPs, and assume the Pleco should be pretty safe. The knife is a bit iffy, But I'm going to give it a try and watch with a net in my hand!

Thoughts?

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

I get the impression that the SAPs are your must have fish from that list, yes?

What are the dimensions of this 55g?

If it is 4-foot long and you are set on SAPs (great fish, I just stress at the thought of clove oil sedation for regular beak trimming), then Giant Danios just about fit the bill (I'd prefer them in a 5-foot myself) and their turn of speed is vital for being SAP tankmates. Definitely ditch the African Knife, the BN and the Silver Hatchets (are you referring to the ~7cm Thoracocharax stellatus? Besides the SAPs, I'd also be worried about the boisterous feeding of the danios at the water surface, which would spook them badly).

Look for riverine fish that enjoy a strong current and have true fork-shaped tails, for instance Bleeding Heart Tetras and Glyptothorax spp. catfish. While SAPs are more community friendly, there is always a risk of aggression.

SAPs are very social puffers and a 55g could easily house six.

Set the tank up with one long side exposed to a strong current (440-900 gallons per hour), with the back and sides very heavily furnished (bogwood, fake plants, ornament, real plants) using all the tank depth in parts, to create an exploritary maze for the puffers. This will help stimulate them and reduce the odds of "pacing", where they buzz up and down the glass in one area, a sign of boredom. "Minnnt" (if I have put enough "n"s!) has a great example of this setup in the photos section, from a project he started a few months ago.

 

[McCool]

Alright, No hatchets! I'm going to take the knife, but I'll probably find him a new home before I get the puffers. Will the pleco get picked on? I figured he would be relatively safe. I'm getting a power head soon, and there is plenty of water movement! Lots of plants and rock for hiding!