Stocking plans for my 55g.... Need opinions on my final choice

southpaw

southpaw

Lefty
Jun 7, 2007
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Tennessee
Well since my 55g likes 2-3 weeks before it should be fully cycled I am now trying to get a stocking list going.Here is what I am planning right now but I will consider any changes that you might see I need to do....

10 Rummynose
6 Cory cats
2 German Blue Rams

I am wanting another school of 10 fish but havent made my mind up yet... was thinking maybe getting either Cardinals, Harleguin Rasboras or maybe some Danios of some kind. What do you guys think would look the best and go with the fish I have listed.

Here is a pic of my tank as of now...I am going to be adding another stump like i have but is much taller in the middle. Will the cover I have now do good for the GBR's or should I make a few small rock caves for them? I am not concerned in the GBR's breeding as from what I have read they like 80+ temps when mating and I plan to keep my tank around the 76-77 degree range for all the other fish.

tank%201st%20fill.JPG
 
White clouds? Lemon tetras? Glowlights? Cherry barbs?

What else will you put in?
 
First off I like the stocking plan, in fact its pretty much exactly what i have now, except only 8 Rummies and 10 Corys(Pandas). I would personally add a couple more corys.

You could either add another school or go with a centerpiece fish for two.

I would personally add 3 Discus in the tank, but they require a commitment to water changes and higher temps, 82F + .
BTW, the GBRs do best in temps above 80 ALL the time, not just during breeding, as I keep mine at a constant 82 with my rummies and corys and they are all doing fine.

You could also try angelfish, but i dont have much experience with them except that i know a lot of people keep them as centerpiece.

Or just stick with your plan and get another school of cards or herlequins.

I would suggest adding a small cave for the GBRs, because even if you don't plan on breeding them, they probably still lay eggs and get very territorial when they do, so a cave will give them a nice secluded spot to protect instead of the whole portion of the tank. ANd like i said before, the GBRs really show their best colors in 80F and up.


and how are you cycling the tank? If you can't add any media from an established tank, i really suggest using BioSpira to speed up the cycle.
 
add 2 more rummynoses to round out the school to 12, and then you could have another school of 12 cardinals easily in the tank.

be careful with those pieces of decor. they have been known to trap fish waste and cause problems in a tank. if you regularly clean them though, it shouldnt be a problem.
 
Would all the other fish do well in the 80 degree range? I dont have a problem with keeping the tank at 80 ....I just want all my fish to be as happy as they can be and figured a temp around 77 would be a good medium for all of them.
 
jm1212 said:
add 2 more rummynoses to round out the school to 12, and then you could have another school of 12 cardinals easily in the tank.
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That was kind of my original plan .....but didnt know if two schools of 12 would be too much or not. I do like the idea of having two schools of 12 though.
 
southpaw said:
Would all the other fish do well in the 80 degree range? I dont have a problem with keeping the tank at 80 ....I just want all my fish to be as happy as they can be and figured a temp around 77 would be a good medium for all of them.
Click to expand...


I have 10 panda corys, 8 rummies, and a pair of GBRs at 82F and they all look amazing.
 
davexstumpe said:
and how are you cycling the tank? If you can't add any media from an established tank, i really suggest using BioSpira to speed up the cycle.
Click to expand...

I am doing a fishless cycle.....adding ammonia daily now to keep it in the 2-3ppm range as the nitrites are spiked out beyond what my API test kit can handle. I tested for nitrates this morning and it was around the 7ppm range. So things are moving along.
 
davexstumpe said:
I have 10 panda corys, 8 rummies, and a pair of GBRs at 82F and they all look amazing.
Click to expand...

My plan is to add the two large schools first then the corys and then the GBR's last....I figure about a week between each school.

If I do it this way and keep the temp around 80-81 then I should be able to see how the fish handle the warmer temp before I ever get the GBR's ...then I can make up my mind then.


Leaning toward this stocking as of right now

10 Rummynose
10 Cardinals
8 Corys
2 GBR
 
southpaw said:
Would all the other fish do well in the 80 degree range? I dont have a problem with keeping the tank at 80 ....I just want all my fish to be as happy as they can be and figured a temp around 77 would be a good medium for all of them.
Click to expand...
80º should be fine for all of the fish you have.
 
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