Which of these 3 should I? Vote now (poll)

[FishBR]

Hi everyone,

I have a new 55g (208 liters) tank cycling and can't decide what will be the main attraction. I am planning a school of 6-8 colorful fish, with an emphasis on red. I can't decide between the 3 listed in the poll. Please vote and let me know if you have experience with them or preferences. Posting picutures would be awesome! Thanks in advance.

Mauro

 

[mbsqw1d]

Hi everyone,

I have a new 55g (208 liters) tank cycling and can't decide what will be the main attraction. I am planning a school of 6-8 colorful fish, with an emphasis on red. I can't decide between the 3 listed in the poll. Please vote and let me know if you have experience with them or preferences. Posting picutures would be awesome! Thanks in advance.

Mauro

Is it, or planned to be, a heavily planted setup?
Whats the length of the tank? Torpedo barbs grow quite big, are very active, as too are the odessa, and enjoy plenty of swimming room, mainly length.

 

[FishBR]

Is it, or planned to be, a heavily planted setup?
Whats the length of the tank? Torpedo barbs grow quite big, are very active, as too are the odessa, and enjoy plenty of swimming room, mainly length.

The tank is 48 inches (1.2 meter) long. It will have a Manzanita branch and low-maitanance plants (it will not be heavily planted, no ferts, no CO2).

 

[mbsqw1d]

The Odessa can be incredibly skittish and appreciate a good amount of foliage to hide in should they need to. Also, to bring out their colour, a darker substrate and some overhead cover (floating plants). Have you considered what dither fish you might get? Some danios perhaps?

 

[FishBR]

The Odessa can be incredibly skittish and appreciate a good amount of foliage to hide in should they need to. Also, to bring out their colour, a darker substrate and some overhead cover (floating plants). Have you considered what dither fish you might get? Done danios perhaps?

It will not be heavily planted and substrate is a light brown pool filter sand. I can fave floating plans, but should I assume that Odessa Barbs will not color up in such set up?

As for tankmates, I am considering Harlequin Rasboras, Panda Garras, Forktail Blue-Eyes, and/or Peacock Gudgeon. Water in New Orleans is very hard and alkaline.

 

[CassCats]

55g is too small for a shoal of Denison barbs, they get really large.

I vote odessa barbs

 

[mbsqw1d]

I am not sure what you mean by "Done danios".

Sorry, typo ~ 'some'

It will not be heavily planted and substrate is a light brown pool filter sand. I can fave floating plans, but should I assume that Odessa Barbs will not color up in such set up?

So long as the lighting isn't too intense, and i think the dither fish will help.
Certainly out of the options, I'll vote Odessa

 

[jkkgron2]

It will not be heavily planted and substrate is a light brown pool filter sand. I can fave floating plans, but should I assume that Odessa Barbs will not color up in such set up?

As for tankmates, I am considering Harlequin Rasboras, Panda Garras, Forktail Blue-Eyes, and/or Peacock Gudgeon. Water in New Orleans is very hard and alkaline.

With either of the barbs I wouldn’t do peacock gudgeons. Very skittish fish. I know some have had success keeping them with rainbows, but barbs would be very stressful for them.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Do you happen to know if your water hardness would suit your choices?

Perhaps posting your tank water parameters as well as water hardness readings would be of a help for us to suggest stocking options if your water does not suit your choices.

I nearly got some Odessa barbs in the past for my main tank (not sure why I did not in the end )

Beautiful specie and more suited to your tank out of the 3 choices you have.

But do continue your research and homework as to what would suit your tank best and what you would like.

There is certainly quite afew fish species to choose from and even the best planned tank stocking are always subject to change!

 

[Wills]

I would go for the Odessa Barbs, the Torpedos do better in biger tanks and the Iranian Reds can get really large (though they are slow growing) I've seen some absolute monsters in the past.

The Odessas will thrive in this tank size while the others would be a bit limited. Tank mate list sounds good, not kept a couple of species before so worth listening to adivce of those that have.

Wills

 

[FishBR]

Thank you, all. I will reply later. I am evacuating to Mississipi due to hurricanes Marco and Laura. Fortunately, I did not set up the tank. I will most likely loose energy fora few days. See you later.

 

[mbsqw1d]

Thank you, all. I will reply later. I am evacuating to Mississipi due to hurricanes Marco and Laura. Fortunately, I did not set up the tank. I will most likely loose energy fora few days. See you later.

All the best dude

 

[CassCats]

Take care and be safe!

 

[FishBR]

All the best dude

Take care and be safe!

Thank you. Since Marco dissipated before landfall and Laura went west, I came back to New Orleans. I now hope folks in the Texas/Louisiana border will be safe.

Do you happen to know if your water hardness would suit your choices?

Perhaps posting your tank water parameters as well as water hardness readings would be of a help for us to suggest stocking options if your water does not suit your choices.

Here are my water parameters:

PH 8.4
GH 14 (251 ppm)
KH 7 (125 ppm)

Thank you all for the feedback. Due to the overwhelming support for Oddessa Barbs, I will try to get them. However, I opened a separate thread asking advice about the possibility of keeping just a pair of Red Rainbows. Provide some feedback there if you have experience with or knowledge about them.