Upgrading From 25 To 55. Need Stocking Ideas. (update Now 77 Gal)

[znk]

Hello everyone.
I'm about to upgrade my 25 gal to a 55 gal (edit: getting a 77 now 48Lx16Wx24H)). (the second tank in this thread check it out so you know where I'm at right now. http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=207644 )

This tank is basicaly all rainbowfish and I would still like the focus to be on them.
I'll try to keep the PH in the low sevens.
I'll probably overstock a bit but the stocking wont happen over night so I can adjust as I go along. I'll put decent filtration and I'll keep up with the weekly water changes.
So the stocking list starts with
2x Red rainbow
2x Lake Kutubu rainbow
2x Parkinsoni
2x Melanotaenia Maccullochi
1x Neon rainbow
1x cory

Some things I've been thiking about adding.
Some Bosemanii Rainbow fish
Some more Neon rainbows
Yellow rainbows
Some Kuhli loach (Or something like that....I like the different shape)
some more cory's ?
or some type of small catfish ?
maybe 2 groups of small colourfull schooling fish.
I also considered maybe some SA dwarf cichlids if at all possible.
Some interesting loner fish?
Also thought of a peacock eel.
a bristlenose pleco.

Now...all these peices dont fit together so there is going to be some juggling involved.

Plants....but I dont realy want to go the high maintenance/cost way. I dont realy know how much I can have and what kind.


So if you have idea's, concerns etc....just shoot away because that's what I want. I want ideas.

Thanks.

 

[parker313]

I don't believe I would add any new species, except maybe a pair of rams or apistos. You should fill out the schools you have already started. Rainbowfish are all schooling fish and should be in groups of at least 4-6, same with cories.

I can only imagine how gorgeous a tank of shoals of rainbows would be!

 

[znk]

I don't believe I would add any new species, except maybe a pair of rams or apistos. You should fill out the schools you have already started. Rainbowfish are all schooling fish and should be in groups of at least 4-6, same with cories.

I can only imagine how gorgeous a tank of shoals of rainbows would be!

Yeah. That was my first thought. But at $7 a fish it gets costly. I'd have to get 11 just to get the current ones up to 4 of each. I'm getting conflicting reports about if different types of rainbows will school.

 

[parker313]

Some types of rainbows will school together - generally ones that are basically the same size or shape or color or similar in some way. If you can't afford to build up all of your schools, talk to your LFS about trading some of the ones you have back in to them. This will allow you to build up a few of the schools to a good size without having to break the bank. I would count 4 as the minimum number and ideally aim for 6.

 

[loachman]

Generally, it seems like rainbows will tend to school together. I only have 1 type, but the ones I've seen at the LFS tend to be schooled up. As said before, it's more likely if they're similar in shape/size/color. I do think they look best in large schools of one/two species.

Definitely go with more cories. The bottom is bare and they're also shoalers.

I would be sure any bottom dwellers are also relatively aggressive feeders. IME rainbowfish are very greedy and will scoop up any food that is sitting around.

 

[znk]

Plans might change. Looks like I found a pretty good deal for a 77 gallon 48Lx16wx24h. Well not realy change....but gaining 3 inches in both with and height.

 

[znk]

What abotu amano or cherry shrimps ? Would they survive with rainbow fish?

 

[znk]

I can get my hands on some Apistogramma cacatuoides ''triple red'' for 5$ a piece.

What should I know?

ps. That`s the father.