Top Level Fish Advice

[Chaydell]

Hello everyone. I am currently working on getting my 55g tank stocked up. I have an aqua-tech 30-60 and penguin 350b for filtration. The tank is planted with some anacharis and java fern along with a single crypt and Anubis. The substrate is gravel and I have made some caves to complement the driftwood and other decorations. I do 30-50% water changes every 5-7 days on average. Weekly water tests have ammonia and nitrites at 0ppm and nitrates at less than 20.

So I am trying to figure out what fish to add to my equation. I currently have:

7 neon tetras
7 tiger barbs
2 Bolivian rams
3 flying foxes
4 bronze cory cats

I am considering getting a small school of oto's for algae control on the glass. I have also considered increasing the school size of the tetras and barbs. I am trying to add color and movement to the top of the tank. I have considered kribs and apistos but it is my understanding they are more bottom dwellers and I feel like my bottom may already be crowded. Any advice is welcome.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Hello and welcome to the forum...
 
If I may offer a bit of advice about your current stocking first, and then address your other question.  Personally, I would not mix the tiger barbs with the rest of these fish, as they are far more aggressive than the others, even in proper numbers.  Similarly, flying foxes, while timid and peaceful while young grow to be more territorial, especially towards 'similar' looking fish.  Not sure how they get along with cories, but they do occupy the same space and that could lead to potential problems down the road.
 
If this were my tank, I'd try to return the tigers and flying foxes, and replace them with at least 4 more cories, and then a nice additional shoal of some colorful, peaceful tankmates.  If you are looking for a fish that looks similar to the tiger barbs, five banded barbs are very similar but rather shy by comparison to the tigers and quite docile.  If you are looking for a major splash of color to perhaps contrast with the neons, emperor tetras are a good choice, if you can find them. 
 
Some colorful/active fish options (assuming you remove the tigers):
Tetras:
bloodfin tetra
emperor tetra
flame tetra
rosy tetra
rummynose tetra
false rummynose tetra
 
Barbs:
cherry barbs
five banded barbs
 
Rasboras:
harlequin rasbora
hengeli's rasbora (small)
espei rasbora (smaller)
mosquito rasbora (very small)
Celestial Pearl Danio (formerly 'Galaxy rasbora', also very small)
 
 
Some pics from the fish index files here at TFF...
emperor tetras:

 
Flame tetras:

 
rosy tetra:

(I've recently gotten these for a great price - 50 cents each at Petsmart - and they are really a lot of fun to watch.)
 
rummynose tetra:

(or even false rummynose tetra)
 
 
Additional fish to consider (if you have a tight fitting lid) would be some dwarf hatchetfish.
Marbled hatchetfish:

 
 
 
I hope this helps... the fish I suggested aren't suitable in a tank with tiger barbs (just like the neon tetras you currently have) but would be wonderful additions to the neons and cories.

 

[Chaydell]

Thanks for your reply.  While I understand your concern with tiger barbs and flying foxes I am not sure I am going to heed it.  The fish have coexisted for 4 months with no problems.  Of course I know that just because they have gone 4 months doesn't mean they will go a lifetime.  I do have a back up tank to move the tetras to in the event chaos does erupt.  If push comes to shove though, I think I would keep the tiger barbs as I like watching them.  So if I need to create a new home for the tetras I will.  As far as the flying foxes go, they do not seem to bother the cories at all.  I did have some white clouds briefly that the flying foxes antagonized so I brought them back to my LFS.  I could do without them if I could get another fish that will consume algae like they do.  I do not have am algae problem but they certainly make maintaining the tank easier.  So let's say for the sake of this thread I were to get rid of the foxes and tetras, where could I go from there?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Another voracious algae eater is a Bristlenose Pleco.  Just one would be sufficient in the tank that size.  You could get otos as well, but generally speaking otos are far more difficult to get them to accept other food besides algae, and if they had to compete for food, they might end up struggling to find the food.  Or, you could go with just the otos. 
 
 
As for a secondary shoaling fish to go with tigers... that's a trickier proposition.  Is this 55 a 4 foot long tank?
 
Rosy barbs should be okay, an ideal choice would be denison barbs, but they are quite pricy.
Boesemanni rainbowfish could work out as they are fast enough to be able to escape if the tigers get 'persnickety'. 
Bloodfins tetras could still work, as they are also quite fast swimmers... and zebra danios would be another option, although I would prefer that they have a 6 foot tank.

 

[Chaydell]

It is a 4 ft tank. So let's say I drop the tetras like we talked about and lose two foxes. Add 4-6 oto's and another 7 tiger barbs of the albino or green persuasion. Is 4 cory cats a big enough school? Could I add a pair of kribs or is my bottom too full? Or is there another "bigger" fish I can put in there that can hold it own?

 

[tunagirll]

I absoluely adore marble hatchetfish, they are gorgeous - they do sit right at the surface however so your tank needs to be high enough to be able to see them!

 

[joe17]

I have a 55 gallon with 9 serpae tetras and 14 tiger of different color variations and have never experienced a problem so far. The tetras will chase and nip back at the tiger barbs and hold their ground very well. Don't get the long finned version though as the tiger barbs will be more attracted to nip those longer fins.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

The reason is because serpae tetras are some of the most 'nippy' of all the small tetra species as well.

 

[Chaydell]

So any thoughts on if a pair of kribs of apistos could work with the tetras and foxes gone? I am looking for another duo or trio of larger fish that won't kill everything in the tank but won't allow themselves to be bullied either. Someone suggested I use black convicts but they would lay waste to my tank from what I have heard.

 

[Chaydell]

So the tetras are gone as well as two foxes. I've replaced them with 7 albino tiger barbs. Going to see how things go for a month or so before adding anything else.

 

[Chaydell]

Alright guys, I'm thinking my next purchase will be an algae eater that will help me with glass cleaning. I was thinking oto's but I'm worried they won't get on well with the barbs. Am also tossing around a bristle nose, clown or bulldog pleco. I am open to other fish as well. I am looking for something that shouldn't get bigger than 5 inches and will eat algae off the glass. I'd prefer to have a fish I can see when the tank is lit. I have also considered snails but don't really want to go that route. Once again any help is appreciated.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Clowns are very much reclusive. Many plecos are more nocturnal than diurnal, so they will be less active during the day. Otos would be the best choice, but are very small.

 

[Chaydell]

Would they get on with the tiger barbs?  I know that by choosing to keep the barbs I have limited my tank to inhabitants that they won't nip to shreds.  I like the thought of oto's but don't want to condemn them to a slow death.  I think I am going to move this thread to a blog about my tank.  Thank you all for your help, especially you eagle.  It was very nice of you to take so much time to help me out.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

It's always a pleasure to discuss tanks and stocking. All these fish are individuals, so sometimes what works in some cases won't work in others, and vice versa. All we can do is try to stick to the "best practice". Honestly, algae on glass doesn't have to be big issue. If you keep the lighting low, then algae issues are greatly minimized. Further, just using a magnetic scrapper can be very helpful, and you don't need to worry about conflicts. Ultimately, cleaning always falls to the fish keeper.

 

[Chaydell]

I know that to be true eagle but I sometimes have to leave for months at a time and can hardly ask my wife/mother of 3 to raise our kids on my absence and care for all of my hobbies while I am away.  I know that really it isn't much to ask but she does have her hands full when I am gone so I would like to keep some of my fish population for utility.  Of course I know each fish has there other wonders and no fish should be employed for the sole reason of doing my job.  I actually used to stay up past midnight to watch my common pleco come out and do his business by blacklight.  I got rid of him because he was already 6 inches and was on his way to outgrowing what was my at the time overstocked tank.  I do clean glass every other day when I am home but I will also need the help of my clean up crew to keep the tank going when I have to be away.  So now I have to determine what best fits my choices.  If oto's will work then that is what I favor, if not then a smaller pleco will have to do.