Its been 4 months, need a "showstopper"!!!

Hello to all! I'm new here at fishlore and i've used this site for lots of advise when I first started out my tank. so thank you for all of your help!

I currently have a 55 gallon freshwater with:

2 tiger barbs
2 german blue rams
2 rainbow sharks ( 3in)
2 roseline sharks (2in)
2 loaches (2in)
6 pigmy cory cats (.5 in)
3 snails
6 tetras (1in)
2 phantom tetras (1.5in)
1 pleco (1.5in)
1 angelfish (1.5in)
1 humphead glassfish (2in)
1 red tail moon veritas (1.5in)
6 assorted mollys (1-2in)
2 betas (1.5in)
4 guppies (.5in)

I have 2 bubble stones (small running on a 10 gallon pump), I feed them flakes, frozen shrimp and blood worms. I have a few live plants but most of the plants are all fake.
The tank is fully cycled and has been for about 3 months now. The water quality is right where its supposed to be and all the fish look healthy and happy.

I am looking for a "show stopper" fish. Something that is unique but something that won't eat my other fish, a fish that is not too expensive (as I am a college student) and something that can live in a 55 gallon for its full length of life. I want something that is the crown jewel of the freshwater fish.


Thanks for all of your help!

p.s I'll put up some cool pics of my tank tomorrow!

 

Welcome to FishLore! I hope you can find answers to your questions.

A few things:

1. You say your tank is cycled, but what are your water parameters? A cycled tank should have 0ppm ammonia and nitrites, and measureable nitrates which should be kept below 20ppm with water changes. If you do not have a means to test your water, I would suggest the API freshwater master test kit. It lasts awhile and is much more reliable than strip tests.

2. Unfortunately, before considering adding a new fish, you may want to fix your current stocking. For example, bettas are generally not advised to be kept in community tanks. Some members have had success, but with so many horror stories, I wouldn't even consider it. Secondly, your two phantom tetras would appreciate a few friends, as they are a schooling fish. Loaches also prefer company. I posted a thread earlier asking about kuhlI loaches specifically, and everyone said they recommend getting 12 of them. I'm not sure about the glassfish or the sharks, but I feel like I learned many sharks are schooling fish as well.

3. I'm afraid you may not really have room for a "show-stopper" fish, especially once you round out your schools. My centerpiece fish for my 55 gallon is going to be an angel fish, so you may wish to consider that your centerpiece fish (though if you're used to it, it may not seem like a show-stopper ). I would wait for suggestions from other members, but my opinion is that once you fix your schools (and rehome the sharks, if that is the best option - again I don't know much about them), your tank will be pretty much stocked.

Best of luck with your tank!

 

thank you for your advise!
To your concern about the betas, I actually have had the betas in the tank for about 3 months now and they haven't been aggressive to each other or other fish oddly. I also was told that there was a slI'm chance for them to get along with everyone in the tank but I guess I got lucky!

The water parameters: I check them every week at a local mom and pop fish store where I also get all my supplies and water and such, and I cannot remember the exact numbers, but I went in just 2 days ago and they said that my tank could not be more perfect. They use some chemicals and drop them into different test tubes with my water in them and it changes different colors and they tell me if it looks good or not. I'll add them to my profile next week when I get another test.

I was thinking of giving my phantoms away since they are really boring and instead get 4-6 more neon tetras to add to my tank. I started out with 15 of them, but as they grew and as the tank cycled, I lost a lot of them in the first month.

I also forgot to add, I have 2 tiger barbs.

 

Wow, that's quite the stock list. You're pretty much stocked with just the sharks. The phantom tetras and the tiger barbs need to be in schools.

3 months, in the fish world is a very short amount of time. You've got fish in there that have the potential to live 10 years. once your fish grow up you're going to have some issues. I'd suggest cutting down on the number of fish if possible. Especially the fish that need proper schools.

Also, the bettas do not belong in there. Are they male or female?

 

I bet your betas are stressed by the current stock. That is the ONLY reason why they would be non-agressive. Trust us, we have nothing to gain by lying or misinforming you here.

You have the Ark effect in the tank, where someone buys 2 of everything.
Barbs and tetra all need groups of 6
Neither rose or rainbow sharks belong in that sized tank, they both get very large.
Loaches, depending on the species are either solitary or schooling

Rams, Angles and Bettas are 3 species you want to keep separate, unfortunately your tank is vastly overstocked and this causes stress in the fish, same reason why the fish store can keep so many fish in one small tank, stress.

Please heavily reconsider changing your stock. Remove the bettas, keep either the rams or the angle, remove the tigers as they will nip like crazy, remove the sharks, Get a solid ID on your tetra and loach species, even out schools and rehome fish as needed.

Length of the current fish is irrelevant, they will all get MUCH larger, and the 1 inch per gallon rule is a false and incorrect statement.

 

I was just PMing you lol sol the ninja!

 

Not that I doubt your mom-and-pop shop, but from experience, employees will often say that readings of 0,0,0 are perfect, but that means that the tank is not cycled. Perfect readings would be 0,0,<20.

I can't remember who, but when I was considering putting a betta in my 55 gallon community, a member shared his/her story of having a betta in a community tank for 4 months with no problems, then woke up one morning and the betta was beaten up and unfortunately didn't make it. As SK said, you may not be seeing problems simply because everyone's so stressed in the current situation.

Tiger barbs too are known for being aggressive, especially when not in proper schools of at least six or so.

 

I'd consider rehoming 1 Rainbow Shark as 1 will be more dominate and will harass the other to death.

My fish store had a Rainbow Shark that was 6-7" with 1" diameter in the belly area. He was huge!

With that stock you will have aggression issues down the road.

Sorry I didn't give you the answer you wanted but you are overstocked. I'd take a look and decide a better stocking plan so you can enjoy it with no worries.

The Angelfish will get an estimate of 4" long and 8" tall or bigger. That's a "show stopper" to me.

 

2 tiger barbs
2 german blue rams
2 rainbow sharks ( 3in)
2 roseline sharks (2in)
2 loaches (2in)
6 pigmy cory cats (.5 in)
3 snails
6 tetras (1in)
2 phantom tetras (1.5in)
1 pleco (1.5in)
1 angelfish (1.5in)
1 humphead glassfish (2in)
1 red tail moon veritas (1.5in)
6 assorted mollys (1-2in)
2 betas (1.5in)
4 guppies (.5in)
!

I'm no pro at stocking by any means, but I know basics, such as only 1 betta, if at all, and not putting with fin nippers, eg tiger barbs & guppies. Only 1 rainbow shark, as said above the dominant one WILL kill the other.
Also suprised your loaches haven't made your snails a snack.

I would love to see a picture of your fish so we can all determine from an unbias whether your fish really are stressed.

As for the show stopper, I would tell you one, but it wouldnt ever suit your tank in your position unfortunatly.

 

Overstocking issues and all that aside, I would say a parrot fish! They are so cute! I wanted one but my 26 gallon tank is too small.