Amanda

Ok, when my tank is cycled I plan on adding 3 angels. What else should I add to this tank? I want to get shrimp, but will they get eaten? I was told no dwarf gouramis or pearls?

MissMTS

I really like the combination of angels with tetras and cories. I had a tank set up with that before they got moved to my big tank and it was my favorite tank I would go with the following:

3 Angels= 18 inches
6 Tetras (type 1)= 12 inches
6 Tetras (type 2)= 12 inches
6 Panda cories= 12 inches
54 inches of fish total

I would pick from the following types of tetras (they are some of my favs):
Cardinal Tetras, Gold Tetras, Black Neon Tetras, Rummynose Tetras, Lemon Tetras, Diamond Tetras

The only type of tetra you cannot put with angels is neons because they don't get big enough and will be eaten by the angels.

Amanda

lol, poor neons. I have a very small pleco at the moment that will be going in the tank. What should I sub him in for? Maybe the cories?

MissMTS

Yeah I would take the cories out to make room for your pleco. What kind of pleco is he and how big will he get?

Amanda

oh jeez. This is the big debate. There's a whole other thread. Trying to figure out what kind & how big. But even for the common pleco, the fishlore profile on plecos said that a 55 gal. is minimum.

Amanda

Instead of two schools of tetras - could I have a school of male guppies? Or a school of platys?

Kets

I think you should get either one pair or two pairs of angelfish. With only three, in the event that two of them pair off, the third angel will get harrased.

Amanda

Hopefully I'll get lucky & they'll all be one sex.

MissMTS

I wouldn't do a school of guppies because the angels may nip their fins. You could try though. You could do platies, but they don't school in the same sense that tetras do. If you keep your pleco, just keep in mind that you will eventually have to get a bigger tank for him. A 55 gallon is the minimum size for him alone- not with other fish. Good luck with your tank

Blub

A full grown common pleco is 24", so to keep him I'd dump the tetras. Even so, a 55gal tank is about a metre long... That's not much swimming room because the full grown pleco will be more than half the length of the tank! That's not really an existence, is it?

I think a BN pleco would make a nice alternative to a common... He's much smaller and acctualy tends to be a better algae eater.

Amanda

Yeah, that's great and all - go get a bristlenose - except I already have the other one! And sorry, but I can't just bring that fish to a store and say "sorry I don't want you anymore" and leave it. I can't do that. And that's besides the fact that no one sells bristlenoses around here. Wait, why am I arguing about this pleco again?

MissMTS

Sorry Amanda. We were just trying to save you from having to make an even harder decision later on when your pleco outgrows the tank. I'm sure you will be a lot more attached to it after all that time, and you will either have to get a bigger tank or take him back to the store (which I'm sure would be really hard for you to do). As long as you are prepared to provide the tank size that your pleco needs to be happy in the future, then I'm all for it. Just please don't make the selfish decision that a lot of people make by keeping a fish because you are attached to it, but cannot provide what it needs. If I were you (if you have the means to right now) I would get a 75 gallon tank instead of the 55 and then you will have plenty of room for you pleco and all of the other fish. That way you don't need to worry about whether or not you'll be able to afford to upgrade in the future. We are not trying to argue with you....just trying to help

Amanda

It wasn't you I was angry at MissMTS. I know that I'm going to have to get a bigger tank - but I know that I have some time because plecos are slow growing fish. Getting a bigger tank for him will give me an excuse to get another tank in near future.

MissMTS

Thats for sure

Blub

That's cool. I'd stock the 55gal as if pleco was full grown until he has that bigger house to move into just to be safe. Nothing wrong with understocking for a while!

Plecos aren't slow growers. I got my BN about 5 months ago - and he's doubled in size. Similarly, a friends BN doubled in size in 6 months as well.

Amanda

I just read on a angelfish website that good tankmates for them are other aggressive fish. This included oscars & other cichlids. Can anyone tell me if this is true?? If it is, what could go in my 55 gal.? It would be the angels + whatever else & a clown pleco.

Shawnie

id never put oscars with angels...I have some silver dollars and some pictus catfish with mine...those are both great fish

Amanda

Will that be okay in a 55 gallon? Also my lfs sells crabs, I thought that they may be an interesting addition. Would they be ok?