Big Personality Fish for 55 Gallon

[Matthew The Fish King]

I’m looking for a fish with a huge personality that can live in a 55 gallon tank for its whole life. Any suggestions?

 

[Leilio]

Oscar? just throwing the idea out there. I know nothing about their care, but people seem to think Oscars have a lot of personalities.

 

[aidanfish2002]

I’m looking for a fish with a huge personality that can live in a 55 gallon tank for its whole life. Any suggestions?

Clown loaches can live in a 55 gallon for a long time. But I wouldn't keep only one alone.

Clown Loach 1.75

Above is a really good deal on clown loaches. They're usually 10.99-12.99 each. Buy 4 or 8 on that website and they can live happily in a 55 gallon for about 5-6 years. After that, maybe a 75 gallon would be better. Clown loaches have big personality. When they're small they seem to have even more personality and when they're big they're just a joy to own. They get huge, it's awesome. But don't expect them to get huge until you've owned them for 8 years. About 8 years in and they will start getting pretty large. They can live up to 20 years.

 

[RoyRob]

I have one, my fault for getting just one, not realizing at the time I needed more...it does fine just very shy

 

[Amazoniantanklvr]

Female midas cichlid, acara (normal or EB), blood parrot, salvin's cichlid, severum, angels, keyhole cichlids, bolivian rams, GBR's, apistos, red devils, rusty cichlids, kribs and labs.

 

[Islandvic]

A mix of 15x male Mbuna cichlids (preferably not more than 1 of each) + 3x synodontis petricola

I keep all male Mbuna in our 55g. They are easier to keep than I expected.

Tons of personality.

For ideas on different types of Mbuna, check out the following web sites: Quinn's Fins, Imperial Tropicals and Live Fish Direct.

 

[Kevin1962]

Any of the smaller puffers.

 

[MomeWrath]

Please don't put an oscar in a 55. Please....please....please...They cannot live their whole life in a 55 they get too big. A 55 is 13" front to back and an oscar can grow to be a foot long within a year.
Mbuna and puffers (like Figure 8's) can be good options but have very specific and somewhat demanding care needs.

My suggestions...
Angelfish - they love watching their people
The larger gourami species - moonlight, pearl, or even snakeskins. Once they get to know you they will swim right up to the glass and stick their feelers out to touch you.
Firemouth cichlids have big attitudes but can still be kept with other species (to a point). They have bright colors and don't get too large.
Or if you wanna get real creative you could keep 2-3 fancy goldfish. Goldfish have great personalities - they are very friendly towards each other and their people.

 

[Amazoniantanklvr]

Thx I forgot firemouths.
also festivums, mother of a pearl earth eater & geophagus.

 

[aidanfish2002]

I have one, my fault for getting just one, not realizing at the time I needed more...it does fine just very shy

Order 4 more off aquahuna.com. They have the cheapest clown loach prices. Whats $28 + $12.99 shipping for 4 fish that will live half you life. Its a small price to pay for a fish that you can enjoy for 20+ years and also will give your lonely clown loach company.

 

[RoyRob]

Order 4 more off aquahuna.com. They have the cheapest clown loach prices. Whats $28 + $12.99 shipping for 4 fish that will live half you life. Its a small price to pay for a fish that you can enjoy for 20+ years and also will give your lonely clown loach company.

Lol Seriuously considering it, the one is in a fairly well stocked 55 so 4 more loaches would push me over capacity. Still looking at other options though and thank you for the link. I was checking it out last night

 

[aidanfish2002]

Lol Seriuously considering it, the one is in a fairly well stocked 55 so 4 more loaches would push me over capacity. Still looking at other options though and thank you for the link. I was checking it out last night

I'll mention that the ones of aquahuna are really small, they're bioload isn't much. So you're bioload will adjust over time as they grow. I'm sure they wouldn't push the tank over the limit.

 

[RoyRob]

Tank is planted..I have a Common Pleco (again a mistake for a 55) 2 KuboTaI Loaches, 2 Apistogramma. 2 Kripensis, 2 Cory's, 1 Angelfish, 2 Green Terror/Blue Acuna Hybrids (which I'll most likely have to rehome) 1 Garra and of course the 1 Clown Loach

 

[nobettasinbowls]

I also vote for a pufferfish (as long as you make sure you will provide enough crunchy foods for dental care, and aware that all are wild caught), a larger/pair/group of cichlids (one that stays under 8", such as a couple blood parrots (mine were really nervous at first and appreciated lots of cover and dither fish, but once comfortable they were water puppies), african peacocks, firemouth).

I also agree with 2-3 fancy goldfish or, larger gouramis.

Another idea, while a 75 is nice, 55 gallons is the minimum for 2 senegal bichirs.

Here are some different bichirs in a 75, amazing fish!

Here is a senegal exploring his home.

 

[RoyRob]

I also vote for a pufferfish (as long as you make sure you will provide enough crunchy foods for dental care, and aware that all are wild caught), a larger/pair/group of cichlids (one that stays under 8", such as a couple blood parrots (mine were really nervous at first and appreciated lots of cover and dither fish, but once comfortable they were water puppies), african peacocks, firemouth).

I also agree with 2-3 fancy goldfish or, larger gouramis.

Another idea, while a 75 is nice, 55 gallons is the minimum for 2 senegal bichirs.

Here are some different bichirs in a 75, amazing fish!

I was given a Bichir, it was amazing, about 5" long...I woke up one morning to find 2 Neon Tetras missing....I took him to LFS for trade...

 

[kered]

A nice group of rainbows, I love them but rarely see them in my country

 

[Amazoniantanklvr]

Green Terror/Blue Acuna Hybrids

Blue acara? Can I see pics? I love to see hybrid fish (tho most I wouldn't get lol).

 

[Corydork]

Neolamprologus Multifasciatus. I have a bunch in a 20 long and am looking to move them up to a 50 gallon. Super big personalities, but prefer a species only tank.
Other than them, my only recommendation would be (obviously) cories.

 

[Amazoniantanklvr]

Other than them, my only recommendation would be (obviously) cories.

Duh

 

[jaydivingboard]

My angelfish is my favorite, always interacting with me and is always the first fish to the food, when he was a juvenile I would hand feed him bloodworms bc the rest of the tank is filled with fast movers and anytime I walk into the room his face is pushed against the glass trying to see what I am doinh

 

[Amazoniantanklvr]

My angelfish is my favorite, always interacting with me and is always the first fish to the food, when he was a juvenile I would hand feed him bloodworms bc the rest of the tank is filled with fast movers and anytime I walk into the room his face is pushed against the glass trying to see what I am doinh

You literally just described my angel.

 

[FinalFins]

Pufferfish? Huge personalities. You could go for ShoudentI puffer, pea puffers, south american puffers? MAYBE Hairy Puffers but please correct me if I am wrong, don't know much about hairy puffers

Other than that cichlids are pretty cool. Sure there are a ton more species out there if neither of these fit you

 

[jaydivingboard]

Pufferfish? Huge personalities. You could go for ShoudentI puffer, pea puffers, south american puffers? MAYBE Hairy Puffers but please correct me if I am wrong, don't know much about hairy puffers

Other than that cichlids are pretty cool. Sure there are a ton more species out there if neither of these fit you

One of my friends from college had a pea puffer with neon tetras and corydoras in a 10 gallon and that tiny little thing was a murderer probably didn't help that his tank was severely overstocked though, could probably work in a 55

 

[FinalFins]

One of my friends from college had a pea puffer with neon tetras and corydoras in a 10 gallon and that tiny little thing was a murderer probably didn't help that his tank was severely overstocked though, could probably work in a 55

Hmm. Is this tank already stocked? Pea puffers are usually kept alone but can be community fish if you know what you are doing and get lucky.

ShoudentI and amazon puffers are peaceful though.

 

[Feohw]

The only problem with schoutedenI puffers is that they are so expensive. Otherwise I'd have had one without hesitation. They are fantastic. If you don't mind spending big time then I highly recommend them.

 

[Amazoniantanklvr]

The only problem with schoutedenI puffers is that they are so expensive. Otherwise I'd have had one without hesitation. They are fantastic. If you don't mind spending big time then I highly recommend them.

Just looked them up. Wow they ARE expensive! I could buy a whole school of discus for that money!

 

[FinalFins]

The only problem with schoutedenI puffers is that they are so expensive. Otherwise I'd have had one without hesitation. They are fantastic. If you don't mind spending big time then I highly recommend them.

250+ is so high priced for a tiny puffer

Ahhh, angelfish and shoudentI puffers together.... that would be an awesome tank.

Just looked them up. Wow they ARE expensive! I could buy a whole school of discus for that money!

Depends look up wild green tefe discus and you'll get prices around 100-150 USD !

 

[RoyRob]

Blue acara? Can I see pics? I love to see hybrid fish (tho most I wouldn't get lol).

 

[Amazoniantanklvr]

Interesting fish.

 

[Corydork]

Here’s my Electric Blue Acara. I’ve had him for about 3 months now and he’s grown about 2-3 inches. He’s by far my most behaved fish. I’ve even seen him defending my school of OLC’s in the tank from the Angelfish in the tank. I’m not sure what the cause of that behavior is, but he’s definitely tied with my sterbaI for my favorite fish.

 

[RoyRob]

My hybrids are displaying aggressive behavior, well one toward the other. The bigger of the two squares of with the Angelfish but the Angel doesn't back down. The KuboTaI loaches just mess with him lol..

 

[Kevin1962]

Hmm. Is this tank already stocked? Pea puffers are usually kept alone but can be community fish if you know what you are doing and get lucky.

ShoudentI and amazon puffers are peaceful though.

Yes. Pea puffers are individuals.
My Snoop is not aggressive at all. She just shrugs off any aggression from the archers or tetras with a "seriously, dude?" look. She can tear a cricket meant for the archers to pieces and if they try to shoulder her away she just bites the cricket in their mouths.
So much fun to watch my 1" puffer shrug off 3+" clouded archers.