Stocking 50 gallon aquarium

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karen99

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Nov 21, 2005
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I'm not really that much of a newbie but this is a newbie type question. I have a 50 gallon, orignally set up to be a cichlid tank. I ended up eventually selling off the cichlids as they spent all their time hiding.
SO I removed their rocks and caves and put in lots of driftwood.
Right now I have in there 19 tiger barbs, 8 serpae tetras, and 1 medium pleco. They've been in there for a good 6 months or so (except the pleco who I've had over a year).
I need something more in there - it looks too empty. Anyone have suggestions for a larger 'specimen fish' that would get along?
The water is about medium hardness - the limestone gravle and driftwood are balancing each other out?
 
I would remove some of the tigers, seems like too much of a space waste... The pleco'll get 16-20" and dirties water fast, so really, you're OS right now (at least you will be when he grows).
 
Well, the pleco is 6-7" and hasn't grown any in the year I've had him. I took him for a friend that was moving. I think it may be because there is very little green algae in the tank for him. I feed occasional spirulina pellets and zucchini slices so he won't starve but he's not getting enough to grow much. The barbs have grown a lot in the time I've had them.
Since the tank was originally set up for cichlids, it also has good filtration. I think it could hold another fish or two.
I'm not sure about rainbowfish... I like them, but don't they do better in larger schools?
 
What about Discus?
 
Rainbows from what I've heard are best id schools of like 6-7 ( I know because I wish I had the space for them)
 
karen99 said:
Well, the pleco is 6-7" and hasn't grown any in the year I've had him. I took him for a friend that was moving. I think it may be because there is very little green algae in the tank for him. I feed occasional spirulina pellets and zucchini slices so he won't starve but he's not getting enough to grow much. The barbs have grown a lot in the time I've had them.
Since the tank was originally set up for cichlids, it also has good filtration. I think it could hold another fish or two.
I'm not sure about rainbowfish... I like them, but don't they do better in larger schools?
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Yes, rainbows do best in schools, I think five is a large enough group, but you're going to run into this problem with most community fish, they usually do best in schools. Discus also do best in schools. Your main limitation now is that you have so many tiger barbs, they're using almost your entire capacity. My advice is to sell half the tiger barbs and get a school of 5 or 6 rainbows. Nine is a big enough school of barbs and that leaves enough room for a school of rainbows, which like artdale said, never hide, they're out front and center 24/7. And in a mixed school, you'll see the males light up a stripe on the top of their heads they use during breeding called a breeding stripe, very cool to see!
 
Do you know what kind of pleco you have? Common pleco can get up to 2 feet long, but there are a few kinds that stay smaller. I think bristlenose pleco only get to about 6"? Might explain his not growing. :)
 
furfinsfeathers said:
Do you know what kind of pleco you have? Common pleco can get up to 2 feet long, but there are a few kinds that stay smaller. I think bristlenose pleco only get to about 6"? Might explain his not growing. :)
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Bristlenose males average 4.5", 5" tops, with females around 4" tops. His is already too big to be a BN.
 
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