kacie

Please help me figure this out! This 55g seems so big help me find the right fish for it! It is a 4ft 55g tank. My ph is 7.4 and I have a 20g high with 4 zebra danios, 2 Kuhli Loaches, and 2 Bolivian Rams so I could move these fish into the new tank too.

Here are the fish I am researching and want so help me with the combos and numbers please. It is hopefully going to be a planted tank with lots of driftwood.

German Blue Rams
Bolivian Rams
Rainbow Cichlids
Cockatoo cichlids
Acaras
Keyholes
Firemouths
Eartheaters
Angels

I don't really want anything bigger than 6" and I want to get Cardinals as dither fish. Please share your experiences, Thanks.

-pinky-

Help with stocking

American Chichlids are best kept in groups of their own kind. In fact, the American chichlids will prefer it this way, but if you wish they can be kept with some other fish. Below are the profiles of some fish you researched, to help you figure out whether your tank is suitable for them...

Are Cardinals suitable for your tank?

Cardinals should not be put into a new tank, the tank should have more hardy fish put in first, and then cardinals introduced later. Keep them in shoals as large as possible as cardinals will be very shy, if kept by themselves or simply in pairs.

Temp: 23-27C
Min tank Size: 60cm (25in)
Size: 5cm (2in)


Angelfish

Angels are hard breeders, and must be kept in groups of atleast 3 or 4. They may not do well with cardinals, because angelfish, have been known to eat small fish! Young angelfish, are also quite territorial, especially to other fish.

Temp: 24-28 C
Min tank size: 90cm (36in)
Size: 15cm (6in)

Cockatoo Cichlids

Avoid keeping chichlids with other chichlids of a different species. Keep atleast a pair, but a few females to every male is a good ratio if you wish to keep more. They come in a variety of colours, and females are more adventurous than males.

Temp: 22-26C
Min tank size: 60cm (24in)
Size: 5cm (2in)

Keyhole Chichlid

These are a very peaceful fish, and are easy breeders. Whilst breeding they may dig up gravel and unearth plants in doing so. They are best kept in pairs, and males are more brighter in colour than males

Temp: 22-25C
Min tank size: 60cm (24in)
Size: Up to 10cm (4in)

Rams

Rams, like to have lots of places to hide away in, such as rock caves, roots, and vegetation. They are also available in golden and long-finned varieties. Because of constant breeding, alot of rams are becoming weaker, therefore you must choose carefully, when buying rams from your local store. These fish are peaceful, but territorial over small areas. Keep them, in atleast a pair.

Temp: 24-28C
Min tank size: 60cm (24in)
Size: 6cm (2.4in)

-pinky-

Do you need anymore information?

capekate

Hi Kacie
I have a 55g SA tank myself. You can see my siggie for the fish listed. Along with that list I have kept german blue rams, cockatoo and firemouths.
Your list looks great! The Acara do get to be around 8ins. The eartheater can reach 10 inchs, so these sizes should be considered in your list.The firemouth does best as the only one of its species in a tank. The Cockatoo, believe it or not can get pretty testy with others of its own kind as well as GBR and Bolivian ram males together in a tank.
With that said, I believe they can get along well enough with enough plants, caves and hiding spots where they can claim their own territories.
Without the firemouth, the Acara and EarthEater in the tank, you can have a nice list of fish for your tank
Having had most of these fish in my tank, I know that it makes a wonderful tank espicially with the cardinal tetras.

kacie

Hi All and Kate and Shorty,
Sorry I was offline running my kids to their activities. Thanks for the careful responses I feel like I am drowning in information. I Love GBR's but am scared of them not doing well in my ph and with my inexperience. I kinda want more fish in the tank than just a trio of larger cichlids. I was thinking of 3 kinda safe-ish stocking plans.(I was thinking of "matureing" my tank with the Z.Danios from my 20g. Any info on how I should add the fish is also welcome.)

Option one
10 Cardinals
4 Angels
6 German Blue Rams or Bolivians
1 BN Pleco or Gold Nugget or ottos?

Option 2
8 Cardinals
2 Angels
2 Keyholes
3 1m/2f Cockatoo cichlids
1 BN Pleco

Option 3
8 Cardinals
2 Angels
3 1m/2f Cockatoo Cichlids
2 Bolivian Rams
1 Gold Nugget Pleco

Are these crazy? Could anyone think of a option that could substitute a different Cichlid for the Angels or Keyholes? Or suggest a different Tetra? I'm not really excited about the Angels but don't know what could fill that part of the tank...

capekate

Hi Kacie
If your not crazy about having Angelfish may I suggest Parrot fish? I just recently brought home two of them and fell in love with their personalities.
They are peaceful, get along with all my fish and get to a nice size as center piece fish. They are funny looking guys, but add to the different shaped fish I have in the tank.
Or you can always keep just one angelfish in the tank and you wont have to worry about any aggression when adding more than one.
I have cardinal tetra's and they are great in a school. Your idea on ten of them would be fantastic. Bolivian rams seem to be more hardy than German Blue rams and you may want to consider them as well.
Keyholes are very peaceful fish too. The gold nugget pleco's are really nice looking.
an option to stocking can be:
I angelfish
2 Parrot fish
10 cardinal tetras
4 bolivian rams, (1 male and 3 females)
Gold Nugget Pleco
It still leaves you room in your tank for any other option you may have.

kacie

I hadn't even thought about Parrot fish. Hmm must google them. Thanks Kate.

mathas

I noticed you have a gold nugget pleco listed as possible options instead of a bristlenose or ottos... just so you're aware, if you're looking at the gold nugget as an algae-eater, you're likely to be disappointed. They're lovely, but they don't consume algae anywhere near on par with a bristlenose or school of ottos.

If all you're looking for out of the gold nugget is an attractive fish, nevermind!

capekate

your welcome. I have to say they have the cutest faces on them with a little pucker mouth and big eyes. they love to play all day in and out of two pots that I have in the tank for caves. They hang out with each other and never fight. I really will suggest them to anyone.
My guys are still juvies at about 3 inches in body size. They are black and orange with great patterns. I think as they mature they will end up being the blood red parrot.
anyway... I can go on and on about these little guys. I get such a kick out of watching them and they add so much activity to the tank.

kacie

Thanks Mathas,
I'm not super crazy about plecos so my research on them is scanty. The Gold nugget is cute but I am looking for a good algae eater and the BN pleco seems funky to me. Maybe ottos but are they too small and will get eaten? I can get my hands on a wide variety of plecos so are there any others that eat algae and are prettier?

capekate

I dont know if the striped raphael catfish can be considered an algae eater, but since Ive had mine I have not had any algae in my tank.He also loves to clean my driftwood which used to be pretty ugly looking with all the algae all over it, but not anymore. IMO they are much better looking than a pleco but they are nocturnal so I hardly ever see him, but he sure is doing a great clean up job!
.I had at one time two BN pleco's that never ate the algae even tho most folks tell me they do.So you can never really be sure lol...

kacie

I've spent the last hour researching catfish. Time flies. Anyone got experience with yellow acaras or red port acaras or rainbow cichlids?

GouramiGirl1221

Just a note on your concern about the German rams and your pH...

My 55 gallon tank also has a pH of 7.4. It's a planted tropical community tank, but I have a male Bolivian ram and a female German gold ram in there, and they're both very well. If you're looking at getting your ram from an LFS (as opposed to ordering them online) it's likely that the pH at the LFS will be similar to yours, so the rams will already be acclimated to it and it won't be a shock to their system. I'm sorry, I'm no expert on cichlids, but I just thought I'd share my experience to put you a little more at ease. Good luck with your tank, sounds like it's going to be beautiful!

kacie

Thank you Katie, I just visited a new lfs today and they have 2 beautiful german rams. he has had them for a month at his adjusted ph 7. I just love them and will be getting his two if he has them when I'm cycled! BTW one of them is very pink, has it been altered?

GouramiGirl1221

If it's pink around the belly that means that its a female...that's perfectly normal. If it's pink anywhere but the belly I'm not sure.

kacie

They just seemed to glow with health, one was mostly pink and the other mostly yellow.

My boxes were delivered today, lights, filter etc. I can't wait to get these kids to bed and start setting everything up.