Stocking

[ls10454]

Hello! I am new here but not new to fishkeeping and I was wondering if this would be too much in a 55 gallon tank. It has a marineland emperor 400 and a marineland penguin 350 for filters and two heaters. Also it will be heavily planted.
I was thinking somewhere along the lines of-
2 bolivian rams
7-10 julii corys
6 peacock gudgeons or maybe just a pair? (I havent heard much about these being in community tanks)
7 rummynose tetra
7 emperor tetra

Would this be overstocking? Any suggestions, concerns?

 

[Rocky998]

Hello! I am new here but not new to fishkeeping and I was wondering if this would be too much in a 55 gallon tank. It has a marineland emperor 400 and a marineland penguin 350 for filters and two heaters. Also it will be heavily planted.
I was thinking somewhere along the lines of-
2 bolivian rams
7-10 julii corys
6 peacock gudgeons or maybe just a pair? (I havent heard much about these being in community tanks)
7 rummynose tetra
7 emperor tetra

Would this be overstocking? Any suggestions, concerns?

Peacock gudgeons!!! Yesssss. Definitely do 6-8. They can be in pairs but its best to keep them in groups.

Your tank doesnt seem like it would be over stocked but I would make sure all your fish choices have the same parmaeters as far as hardness, temperature, and PH.

 

[Byron]

Welcome to TFF.

We always ask for source water parameters before considering fish; I can make a guess that if you are west of the Cascades you have very soft water, probably slightly acidic (unless the water authority is adding something to increase pH, common with very soft water). But confirmation would be good so we don't mislead. GH and pH are the crucial params hewre.

I would definitely increase the numbers of the shoaling fish (tetras and cories), since you have the space and this will definitely help the fish. Rummynose especially need a much larger group, I would say 15 absolute minimum and 20-25 ideal. The Emperor Tetra you might want to hold on, until you have the rest of the species decided, as this species can sometimes get quite feisty, I had to give mine away a few years ago after they decided to terrorize all the other characins in a 5-foot tank.

Cories, definitely aim for around 20-30 in this tank, the same species or mixed, up to you, but if mixed try for several (5-6) of each species. Do you have the actual "julii" cory, or C. trinlineatus? The latter is almost always the actual species for "julii;" only today I was looking at a tank of "julii" cories in one of the better local fish stores and no question but they were actually C. trilineatus, not C. julii. Doesn't really matter, both are handsome little cories with identical requirements. They do need a sand substrate.

On the Bolivian Ram--I've no idea of your experience/knowledge, so if this is old news, just move over it. This fish must select its mate and bond, or two are3 likely to not get along, and one being dead before long is usually the outcome. A male can be kept alone in a community tank and is an excellent cichlid. Or a pair if they have bonded from within a group (such as in the store tank).

 

[ls10454]

Peacock gudgeons!!! Yesssss. Definitely do 6-8. They can be in pairs but its best to keep them in groups.

Your tank doesnt seem like it would be over stocked but I would make sure all your fish choices have the same parmaeters as far as hardness, temperature, and PH.

Thank you!

 

[ls10454]

Welcome to TFF.

We always ask for source water parameters before considering fish; I can make a guess that if you are west of the Cascades you have very soft water, probably slightly acidic (unless the water authority is adding something to increase pH, common with very soft water). But confirmation would be good so we don't mislead. GH and pH are the crucial params hewre.

I would definitely increase the numbers of the shoaling fish (tetras and cories), since you have the space and this will definitely help the fish. Rummynose especially need a much larger group, I would say 15 absolute minimum and 20-25 ideal. The Emperor Tetra you might want to hold on, until you have the rest of the species decided, as this species can sometimes get quite feisty, I had to give mine away a few years ago after they decided to terrorize all the other characins in a 5-foot tank.

Cories, definitely aim for around 20-30 in this tank, the same species or mixed, up to you, but if mixed try for several (5-6) of each species. Do you have the actual "julii" cory, or C. trinlineatus? The latter is almost always the actual species for "julii;" only today I was looking at a tank of "julii" cories in one of the better local fish stores and no question but they were actually C. trilineatus, not C. julii. Doesn't really matter, both are handsome little cories with identical requirements. They do need a sand substrate.

On the Bolivian Ram--I've no idea of your experience/knowledge, so if this is old news, just move over it. This fish must select its mate and bond, or two are3 likely to not get along, and one being dead before long is usually the outcome. A male can be kept alone in a community tank and is an excellent cichlid. Or a pair if they have bonded from within a group (such as in the store tank).

Thank you for the insight! I am east of the cascades in spokane but we still do have kinda weird water. The reading on the ph today was about 7.5 so at least for now it is a good number.

 

[Rocky998]

Thank you for the insight! I am east of the cascades in spokane but we still do have kinda weird water. The reading on the ph today was about 7.5 so at least for now it is a good number.

"For now"? Does that mean your tap PH fluctuates?

 

[ls10454]

"For now"? Does that mean your tap PH fluctuates?

I don't think so! I meant that there is wood in the tank so it could go down. I just started this tank though and nothing will be going into it until everything is stable!

 

[Rocky998]

I don't think so! I meant that there is wood in the tank so it could go down. I just started this tank though and nothing will be going into it until everything is stable!

Ohhh ok. I hot a bit worried there lol

 

[Byron]

I don't think so! I meant that there is wood in the tank so it could go down. I just started this tank though and nothing will be going into it until everything is stable!

It is the GH (general hardness) that is of most importance to fish. The pH is important but less so. The KH tends to be close to the GH and the pH is influenced by both GH and KH. Check the website of your water authority, it may give these numbers.

The pH will be inclined to lower as the breakdown of organic matter in an aquarium creates CO2 which produces carbonic acid. But the extent to which this may occur depends upon the GH and KH. So the pH lowering due to wood, dried leaves, peat, or whatever, is not a given until we know the GH and KH.

 

[ls10454]

It is the GH (general hardness) that is of most importance to fish. The pH is important but less so. The KH tends to be close to the GH and the pH is influenced by both GH and KH. Check the website of your water authority, it may give these numbers.

The pH will be inclined to lower as the breakdown of organic matter in an aquarium creates CO2 which produces carbonic acid. But the extent to which this may occur depends upon the GH and KH. So the pH lowering due to wood, dried leaves, peat, or whatever, is not a given until we know the GH and KH.

I just looked it up and the nearby city says that it is around 218 ppm so 12- 18 dgh. I dont know much about this so is this good/bad and what do I need to do?

 

[Byron]

I just looked it up and the nearby city says that it is around 218 ppm so 12- 18 dgh. I dont know much about this so is this good/bad and what do I need to do?

If that is accurate, GH of 218 ppm (= 12 dH) is moderately hard. It is always easier and safer to select fish that will do well in your water; the adjustment of GH/KH/pH is not straightforward, depending which way you go (thinking softer here). Livebearers are fine, some rainbowfishes are fine, rift lake cichlids are fine. Then there are "middle" fish that are primarily soft water but can manage well in moderately hard. Many of the tetras, danios, barbs, some rasboras would have no issues.