Newbie Looking For Some Stocking Advice

[kayla20johnson]

I have posted a couple of times and have had awesome people give me some awesome responses! So I thought I’d ask for some more advice.

I currently have a 55 gallon high tank that I recently started and am doing fish-in cycling. I have the testing kit and all of that jazz.
What I have in my tank (10 total):

3 Glass Tetras (I know I need to add 3 more)

2 Pepper Corys (Again, I know I need more)

2 female Betas

2 Silver Mollies (I male, 1 female)

1 Bristle-nose Pleco (baby)

So far they are all doing great together and each have their own personality. Aside from the ones I know I need to add, I am wondering if it would be safe to add:

Shrimp (what kind?)

And

African Dwarf frogs. I read somewhere that the frogs can be a bit aggressive and I am wondering if this is true?

Also: after buying my Glass Tetras I found out that they get their colors from being injected with dye and therefore I do not want to get the same kind. Would it be okay to get 3 more of a different kind of Tetra? If so, which ones?

After I get some answers and I add a few more fish, I want to start posting some pictures! If you’d like to follow me to see how it goes please feel free to do so!

Thank you!

 

[OneLittleBubble]

I don't recommend putting female bettas with other fish. They can be bullied or bully the other fish. I am also pretty sure that african dwarf frogs should be by themselves.

 

[Sarah73]

Are you trying to do a sorority? Having just 2 betas isn't a good idea. As for shrimp you can do mainly any shrimp. Ghost, cherry, blue, lava, etc. Also add one more female Molly so the one female doesn't get bullied by the male. Adf can be added but since your tank is so big I don't know how good that would be.

 

[Esli]

Adf need to be in their own tank for several reasons. So maybe some shrimp is good!
Any shrimp is fine.

 

[kayla20johnson]

I don't recommend putting female bettas with other fish. They can be bullied or bully the other fish. I am also pretty sure that african dwarf frogs should be by themselves.

I have kept an eye on my Betas and they have been fine! I did the research to see what fish they are okay with. They are doing very well and I have had no problems thus far.

 

[Mick Frost]

Avoid Shrimp if you add Frogs, and vice versa. As for the tetras, it's going to be hit or miss. I currently have 4 Danios, 1 Guppy, 5 DNRs, and a Cardinal that all school together (and another Cardinal that never schools, and 4 more that school together in a different part of the tank).

 

[kayla20johnson]

Are you trying to do a sorority? Having just 2 betas isn't a good idea. As for shrimp you can do mainly any shrimp. Ghost, cherry, blue, lava, etc. Also add one more female Molly so the one female doesn't get bullied by the male. Adf can be added but since your tank is so big I don't know how good that would be.

Thank you! Would it be okay to get a black Molly, or should I get another Silver? And I’ll be sure to skip the Adf’s! And like I said, so far my Betas are doing very well. If 2 isn’t a good idea, should I add another or no?

 

[Mick Frost]

Thank you! Would it be okay to get a black Molly, or should I get another Silver? And I’ll be sure to skip the Adf’s! And like I said, so far my Betas are doing very well. If 2 isn’t a good idea, should I add another or no?

Except for mixing longfin & shortfin varities (which can be done), a Molly is a Molly. They even have a coloration called 24Karat which could make some cool looking babies with your silver.
Bettas are notorious for being individuals, some are content all by themselves in tanks that are really too small for the bioload, others get depressed when a Guppy is removed from their group of "buddies." Adding another could really go either way. A backup plan is always recommended when dealing with "semi-aggressive" fish.

 

[Mom2some]

I would anticipate any shrimp being possible snacks for the betta & mollys. Provide a ton of places for them to hide. I have a semi-aggressive Fish (angelfish) & I wanted shrimp so I trialed with ghost shrimp since my LFS sells them as feeders by the 10 unit. All eaten or dead within 24 hours. So just a caution if you want to add shrimp maybe test your fish with a less expensive option first.

 

[kayla20johnson]

Except for mixing longfin & shortfin varities (which can be done), a Molly is a Molly. They even have a coloration called 24Karat which could make some cool looking babies with your silver.
Bettas are notorious for being individuals, some are content all by themselves in tanks that are really too small for the bioload, others get depressed when a Guppy is removed from their group of "buddies." Adding another could really go either way. A backup plan is always recommended when dealing with "semi-aggressive" fish.

Thank you! I have a quarantine or hospital tank as a backup if anything goes wrong with any of my fish. If my Mollies do end up with babies, how do I deal with such a situation?

I would anticipate any shrimp being possible snacks for the betta & mollys. Provide a ton of places for them to hide. I have a semi-aggressive Fish (angelfish) & I wanted shrimp so I trialed with ghost shrimp since my LFS sells them as feeders by the 10 unit. All eaten or dead within 24 hours. So just a caution if you want to add shrimp maybe test your fish with a less expensive option first.

Thank you! I will most likely get a few ghost shrimp

 

[Mick Frost]

Thank you! I have a quarantine or hospital tank as a backup if anything goes wrong with any of my fish. If my Mollies do end up with babies, how do I deal with such a situation?

IMO if you don't want babies, you should avoid breeding conditions (with Livebearers, those conditions are a male and a female in the same tank). Towards the left wing, the Bettas will probably control the population quite well. Survivors can be given away to good homes.

 

[kayla20johnson]

IMO if you don't want babies, you should avoid breeding conditions (with Livebearers, those conditions are a male and a female in the same tank). Towards the left wing, the Bettas will probably control the population quite well. Survivors can be given away to good homes.

Okay, thank you much! And as for Tetras, will it be okay for me to get 3 more that are not Glass Tetras? I don’t want to buy those again because I found out they get their color from being injected with dyes.

 

[Mick Frost]

Okay, thank you much! And as for Tetras, will it be okay for me to get 3 more that are not Glass Tetras? I don’t want to buy those again because I found out they get their color from being injected with dyes.

They are most likely Black Skirt Tetra.

 

[kayla20johnson]

They are most likely Black Skirt Tetra.

This is what they look like

 

[Mick Frost]

Yup, albino Black Skirt Tetra with the fish equivalent of celebrity Botox.

 

[Sarah73]

Thank you! Would it be okay to get a black Molly, or should I get another Silver? And I’ll be sure to skip the Adf’s! And like I said, so far my Betas are doing very well. If 2 isn’t a good idea, should I add another or no?

Doesn't matter as long as it's a female Molly. The problem is that if you add another one or two it can make things worse or better. The problem with just staying with two is that there is no one else to be with other than the other beta. They get grump to.

 

[kayla20johnson]

Yup, albino Black Skirt Tetra with the fish equivalent of celebrity Botox.

Is that what you’re saying I should get to go with my Glass Tetras?

Doesn't matter as long as it's a female Molly. The problem is that if you add another one or two it can make things worse or better. The problem with just staying with two is that there is no one else to be with other than the other beta. They get grump to.

There are also Tetras in there

 

[Mick Frost]

Is that what you’re saying I should get to go with my Glass Tetras?

Yes, they're the same species. Unfortunately it's not a guarantee that they will recognize each other.

 

[kayla20johnson]

Yes, they're the same species. Unfortunately it's not a guarantee that they will recognize each other.

Alright, thank you very much! I’ll let you know how it goes

 

[wolfdog01]

View attachment 438582

This is what they look like

Yeah those look like injected fish to me. I know they make Glofish which is completely humane, jellyfish is mixed in with their DNA so it is natural. Not too sure if they could go in your tank though, don't know a lot about them.

 

[cody2posh]

Hey there! Congrats on the setup! So I'm not quite sure where the Dwarf frogs got this reputation, but I keep one in my guppy/shrimp breeding tank and have literally never had an issue, even with him eating fry (it's super heavily planted) and while I rarely see him, I do catch him hanging around every once in a while, occasionally even catch him dart up to get air before disappearing again.

As for shrimp, I keep and breed my cherries just fine, and it doesn't seem like any of the fish you have in there would give them a problem. The cool thing about cherries is that as long as they're able to live comfortably, they'll breed en masse! Ghost shrimp are a little more active imo but they're basically impossible to breed in a setup (larval stages and what not) but for $.10 a ghostie at my LFS I can't complain.

If you're looking for something a little more interesting, rabbit snails are always a bright and low-req addition. Also ThaI micro crabs have been blowing up recently, but I'm not sure how those fair with some of the other tank mates you've already mentioned.

Outside of that, everyone else pretty much gave you good advice as far as things like another female molly. Really, I'd say browse forums or your LFS and find things that you like personally and find a way to make it work in your aquarium, best way to find something YOU really love!

 

[kayla20johnson]

Hey there! Congrats on the setup! So I'm not quite sure where the Dwarf frogs got this reputation, but I keep one in my guppy/shrimp breeding tank and have literally never had an issue, even with him eating fry (it's super heavily planted) and while I rarely see him, I do catch him hanging around every once in a while, occasionally even catch him dart up to get air before disappearing again.

As for shrimp, I keep and breed my cherries just fine, and it doesn't seem like any of the fish you have in there would give them a problem. The cool thing about cherries is that as long as they're able to live comfortably, they'll breed en masse! Ghost shrimp are a little more active imo but they're basically impossible to breed in a setup (larval stages and what not) but for $.10 a ghostie at my LFS I can't complain.

If you're looking for something a little more interesting, rabbit snails are always a bright and low-req addition. Also ThaI micro crabs have been blowing up recently, but I'm not sure how those fair with some of the other tank mates you've already mentioned.

Outside of that, everyone else pretty much gave you good advice as far as things like another female molly. Really, I'd say browse forums or your LFS and find things that you like personally and find a way to make it work in your aquarium, best way to find something YOU really love!

Thank you so much! My Betas are my absolute favorite-their personalities are so unique and I love it. My male Beta in my 5 Gallon tank gets favored just a wee bit. I had somebody tell me too that my tank might be too tall for the frogs-is this true since it’s a 55 High?
The only shrimp I have found in my area are the ghost shrimp. I haven’t been able to find any others besides a lobster that my LFS offered me but I turned down. I’ve never heard of the ThaI micros crabs though.

Yes, they're the same species. Unfortunately it's not a guarantee that they will recognize each other.

Would a loach be a good fit?

 

[cody2posh]

Would a loach be a good fit?

What kind of loach?

(Hillstream are my favs)

 

[kayla20johnson]

What kind of loach?

(Hillstream are my favs)

Maybe a Kuhli?

 

[Sarah73]

Maybe a Kuhli?

You can't have "a" kuhlI loach. You need at least 6. Hillistream loaches and kuhli's are completely different species. The hillistream will kill other tank mates to get to food while the kuhli's are peaceful tank mates.

 

[aussieJJDude]

Those glassfish aren't considered to be 'tetra', they are Parambassis ranga... a type of perch almost. If you can, consider purchasing undyed fish, you can find them if you look around, especially online.

They are very different to albino black skirt tetra, Gymnocorymbus ternetzi.

 

[Sarah73]

Those glassfish aren't considered to be 'tetra', they are Parambassis ranga... a type of perch almost. If you can, consider purchasing undyed fish, you can find them if you look around, especially online.

They are very different to albino black skirt tetra, Gymnocorymbus ternetzi.

Just like glo fish

 

[aussieJJDude]

Just like glo fish

Slightly... Non glo fish are still relatively popular, however undyed glassfish are rather rare... they mostly a specialty import...

If a store has the option of shipping some in, then they should ve able to source undyed with ease.

 

[cody2posh]

You can't have "a" kuhlI loach. You need at least 6. Hillistream loaches and kuhli's are completely different species. The hillistream will kill other tank mates to get to food while the kuhli's are peaceful tank mates.

Just curious where you got this? I've got a hillstream loach in my guppy breeder and he's wouldn't hurt a fry!

 

[Sarah73]

Just curious where you got this? I've got a hillstream loach in my guppy breeder and he's wouldn't hurt a fry!

I used to own hillistream loaches. When I had one, it went after my cories, when I added a second one they started killing my cories so that's my experience.

 

[cody2posh]

I used to own hillistream loaches. When I had one, it went after my cories, when I added a second one they started killing my cories so that's my experience.

Oh wow, yeah I guess that'd be pretty good proof. I guess maybe it's an individual personality thing?

 

[Sarah73]

Oh wow, yeah I guess that'd be pretty good proof. I guess maybe it's an individual personality thing?

I really don't know, but I'm not gonna try to continue to figure it out. No hillistream for me. the thing is that they attack at night. my cories started dying for no reason, so I watched the lights go off and saw the hills attacking and jumping my cories....life lesson

 

[kayla20johnson]

Those glassfish aren't considered to be 'tetra', they are Parambassis ranga... a type of perch almost. If you can, consider purchasing undyed fish, you can find them if you look around, especially online.

They are very different to albino black skirt tetra, Gymnocorymbus ternetzi.

The fact that they have Dye in them is what makes me not want to get more

Those glassfish aren't considered to be 'tetra', they are Parambassis ranga... a type of perch almost. If you can, consider purchasing undyed fish, you can find them if you look around, especially online.

They are very different to albino black skirt tetra, Gymnocorymbus ternetzi.

The ones I have aren’t see through like the picture; it was just the closest I could find. And I don’t want to purchase anymore due to the fact they are dyed

You can't have "a" kuhlI loach. You need at least 6. Hillistream loaches and kuhli's are completely different species. The hillistream will kill other tank mates to get to food while the kuhli's are peaceful tank mates.

Good to know! If I were to get 6 Kuhlis would they be okay in my tank?

 

[Sarah73]

Yes ma'am, they would be ok. you could even add 2 to 4 more to make the kuhli's happier.

 

[aussieJJDude]

The fact that they have Dye in them is what makes me not want to get more

You can get ones that's not dyed - aka normal?