Pinkcadillac

Hi everyone, i have just recently gotten my hands on a 55 gallon tank. Now i have never had fish before (I have owned Red Eared Sliders for about a year now, so im very familair with cleaning tanks ), and had some very basic questions.

My first question is how big of a fish can a 55 gallon tank house comfortably? Ive read the one inch/gallon rule (which even seems a bit crowded to me) but nothing about how large a single fish can be.

Second i am definitley opting for a freshwater set up for my first aquarium, and have spent about a week researching different types of fish. Now i have chosen to go with a community tank (at the girlfriends request) so cichlids are currently out of the questions. I still would very much like to have colorful exotic looking fish but it seems many of the common breed (tetra, mollys) that i have seen are quite.... common looking? I have been very impressed by some of the gourami's (and other labrynth(?) fish) but was wondering if they would still be too agressive for a community tank? Are there any other options anyone would suggest that would do well in the conditions ive described?

My final questions in about water temp. I live in AZ and the water (at least in my Sliders aquarium) stays about 80 degrees F, maybe dropping a little at night. Will that be ok for the set up im looking for or will i need to look into some sort of temp regulator?

Ive already set up my filters and filled/declorinated my water. I still need to start my first cycle but after that ill be ready to invest in some aquatic friends .

Thanks in advance for any advice.

ian2mic

It sounds like you have everything going good. I can't reccommend any colorful community fish as I had that same problem so I chose to go with African Cichlids, I'll be starting a Mbuna tank as soon as I get rid of these things I rescued. Look up Mbuna cichlids and see if your girlfriend doesn't like these, I think they are beautiful and I'm a girl!

THe only suggestion I would have is to read a lot about cycling, it seems like the one thing people don't read up enough about and end up loosing fish because of it. There are some really good articles on this site.

Good luck!

pappyy3

There are literally hundred of types of fish that will do extremely well in a community aquarium. Many of these include cichlids as well (You just need to avoid the really aggressive ones).

For example - a planted tank with Discus and a large school of cardinal tetras looks absolutely AMAZING!

OR

If you would like the look of a marine tank, but keep freshwater fish, then a tank full of African cichlids will impress anyone - the colors are stunning! (Warning - these are definitely NOT community fish - most are very aggressive and their tankmates have to be chosen carefully).

It all depends on what sort of look you want to achieve.

The one inch/gallon rule should be used as a general starting point, but common - sense should always prevail. When using this rule, don't base it on the size of the fish at purchase time, - base it on the maximum size they will eventually grow.

Gouramis are great fish, but you're right. Certain individuals can get a little scrappy with each other as they grow - usually no real harm gets done. Just provide plenty of hiding places like plants etc; for fish to retreat to if their tankmates get a little rough.

Your water temp is fine for most tropical fish set ups, so your choices are almost unlimited.

P-Daddy

African Cichlids are definitely not the only way to have an exotic and colorful aquarium. I too try to avoid the common platy's and tetras. I would suggest you check out some of the rainbows like Boeseman, or certain species of killfish.

Personally I think that some of the absolute best and most colorful freshwater fish which are absolutely perfectly suited for a community tank are fancy guppies. Seriously, if you can look past the fact that they are guppies these guys have wild color schemes and breed rather wrecklessly.

German blue rams are a dwarf cichlid which are very peaceful and fit well in communities, a lot of people recommend against beginners keeping them, but honestly I have never had to adapt to their needs and if your water quality is stable theres no reason you can't keep them.

Seriously, the possibilities are endless, do not think for a second that Cichlids are the only way to have a colorful aquarium.

totallyfrozen

I have a 30 gal with gouramis. Not ALL gouramis are good community neighbors, but the Dwarf gouramis seem to do well. During mating, the males will become terrirorial. They are bubble nesters so I just simply DON'T keep any floating plants in the aquarium and it ends the territorial instincts. Several species of dwarf gouramis look very good, IMO. Gouramis like to be in pairs or small groups. Some of them get stressed if they are kept alone...so give 'em a partner.
I have Neon Blue Dwarfs
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2..._blue_male.jpg

Sunset Flame Dwarfs
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...uarium/sun.jpg

and Red Honey Dwarfs
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...eyRedDwarf.gif

They all get along well and look great. I tried a Pearl once but it was territorial and aggressive. However, Pearl Gouramis are NOT Dwarf. They get a little larger (around 4")
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...arlGourami.jpg

I think that as long as you stick with Dwarf Gouramis, you should be find. The other thing to consider is that a 55 gal is a large tank so you may be able to get by with some larger gouramis without issues. As far as how many and what size, you may just have to experiment. In any case, Dwarf Gouramis seem to be pretty good neighbors. Peaceful and pretty.

CMG

ooooooo yeah Discus would look just amazing but they require special water perameters and they are quite expensive!!

But here is a short list of neat/pretty community fish:

Marble Hatchet Fish
Khulie Loaches
German Rams (new american cichlid, go to dr. foster smiths website, they have a beutiful picture of them, they have sooo much color.)
Red tail sharks are neat looking
Maybe a peacock eel? or another eel?

I have all of those except an eel, so if you have any questions let me know. If I had the money I would set up a discus tank though. They are so pretty.

__________________
40 gallon FW Tank with a UGF & HOB Bio Wheel. A few rocks and fake plants.
Fish: 1 Pleco, 2 German Blue Rams (my fav. so far) , 4 Flying Fox, 4 Marble Hatchet, 2 Koolie Loaches,4 Congo Tetra, 1 Red eye Tetra
Just bought a 55g with built in wet/dry to start a SW tank FOWLR

lanasj

I am also new to Freshwater Aquarium keeping. Mine is a 50 g tank, bio filter, no heater, stock hood & light, black rock substrate.

I am 26 days into the fishless cycling method and my ammonia is just now starting to rise. I am using fish flake food and chopped up raw Mackeral that I caught a couple of weeks ago and threw into the freezer to preserve it.
The cycling continues...

In the meantime alot of thought has gone into the choice of fish we intend on stocking in the tank. There are children (16 & 9) in my home and the fish that we will keep have been chosen for entertainment value, activity level and durability.

Once my tank has 'cycled'

The first addition will be 5 or 7 Pearl Danios. They are good community fish, under 2", hardy, active and colourful. Opal colour to a pinkish/red colour.

After the tank cycle adjusts to its new additions (3-4 weeks) and in my case the next payday the process continues.

The second addition of 13 or 15 White Cloud Mtn. Minnow, tetra-like in looks, under 2", hardy, active and good for freshwater tanks. They are a schooling fish and are quite a show in larger numbers.

Again, after the tank cycled and adjusted to its new additions (3-4 weeks) and in my case the next payday.

Third will be 5 Halequin Rasboras (a black triangle on its sides and a schooling fish under 3") repeating the cycle adjustment process and

Lastly 7 Tiger (signature stripes/redish) Under 3" or Cherry Barbs (red hue males redder) under 2".

-I have found information throughout the net and here on this site that tells me to intoduce the fish gradually so as to avoid over loading the tanks eco system and hurting the fish.
-Barbs being the most territorial, has suggested that they should be added last in the dark and last into my Community Tank.

We would also like to get a Weather Loach (2 ) as they are not supposed to be alone, but I am concerned about their size and do not want anything too big. Snails, thought of as pests because of their invasiveness, leave me with reservations. Can anyone tell me the assets to snails and the best way to maintain them and their numbers?

I do not have an isolation or hospital tank and worry that without the investment in these items, I would maybe be better off delaying a bottom algae eater for some other time. I fear hurting it and the learning curve on fish, disease, bio filters, cycling & medications seems way more than I can handle already. Hopefully no one will get hurt in the process. How would I set up a cost effective isolation tank for a fresh water set up?

I plan on posting the adventure as it goes and will begin the first intoduction with the start of school in the Fall. Please feel free to offer up suggestions for a Freshwater Community Tank. Thanks for the great site. It is most helpful.

Pinkcadillac

Thanks for posting you future fish wish list (say that 5 times fast). I looked at pics and bios of those particular fish and it has sparked some ideas for my own tank once i get it cycled. My only concern (and i am by no means an expert) is that you list 30+ fish on the low side. I would guess that might be too many for a 50 gallon tank. Granted that is just a guess and im really not sure of the rules but it may be something to look into. Thanks again for the ideas

RoxiesMom

My community 70 gal has 1 male & 2 female blue-spot gourami's, 8 otto's, 6 cory's, 10 neon tetra's, 4 skirted tetra's, 2 blue mystery snails (eggs can be easily removed as they are laid above the water line & clearly visible), 1 sargeant major loach, and 8 amano shrimp. It's colorful, heavily planted and everyone gets along pretty well. The male gourami does get a little territorial but like "totally frozen" I don't keep any floating plants and that takes care of that!