55 gal overstocked need help.

[DaisyTattoo]

I know I have been posting alot recently but I have lots of questions and thank you to everyone that has helped me. I just recieved this 55 gal 2 weeks ago and I think it is overstocked. Almost all of the fish are bottom dwellers as well. Here is a list of the crew.

1 male betta
1 red tailed shark
1 rainbow shark
1 flying fox
2 zebra loaches
2 weather loaches
1 horseface loach
1 violet goby---he is going back to LFS ASAP due to the fact that he is brackish
1 upside down catfish
1 black skirt tetra
5 other tetras- i forgot their name
2 irriedescent sharks
unknown amount of ghost shrimp
1 mystery snail
1 small pleco

Here is what I would like to do. I want to get rid of the red-tailed shark b/c he is beating up the flying fox. I am getting rid of mr. violet goby..poor guy.(walmart sold him to my boyfriend as a freshwater fish). I also want to remove the irridescent sharks b/c they are going to outgrow the tank and it is easier to place them when they are small. I would like to get a few more black skirt tetras, so mine isnt so lonely. But I would also like to add a small school of something colorful. I really dont want to cause problems with overstocking though, so what would ya'll recommend?

 

[MoparORnoCAR]

The red tail and rainbow shark will not get along for long.

 

[DaisyTattoo]

The red tailed shark sometimes picks on the rainbow shark, but he has focused on the flying fox for now.

 

[Genral72]

I think you'll be fine but I'm no expert.

 

[fish_breeder_05]

I can see a few simalarities to my own bottom feeders. first of all bettas get shy and stressed in a community, and usually drift until thy a sucked upby a filter. put himin a bowl.the red-taied shark and the rainbow sharks will get large and aggresive, find homes for them. don't know about the flying fox. If by zebra, you mean yoyo, then keep them, they aregreat. same for the dojos. dependding on the size diff. the horse can school with the dojos but you could add another so it can deside. get rid of the sharks an your good

 

[jadefoodog]

lol fish breeder i can almost see it comming with that "put him in a bowl": comment.

anyhow about the black skirt tetra i heard they are better off alone if they arent in a goup of 6 or more . if its just 2 or 3 they will fight all the time but if they can establish a pecking order its ok

 

[wannabefishguru]

you are pretty well stocked on the bottom just start to get mid to top dwelling fish like tetras angels guppies swordtail, mollies, gouramies hatchet fish, and waterever else seems okay.

 

[Roan Art]

I can see a few simalarities to my own bottom feeders. first of all bettas get shy and stressed in a community, and usually drift until thy a sucked upby a filter. put himin a bowl.. . .

That's interesting. I didn't know they got shy and stressed in a community! Wow. Sucked up by a filter? Horrors!

Learn something every day, doncha?

Or maybe not. How about doing some research before you make comments like these, huh? You couldn't be more wrong.

Fish don't belong in bowls.

Roan

 

[UncaBret]

Fish don't belong in bowls.

That's right! They belong in a vase!

 

[mykidsmylife]

I can see a few simalarities to my own bottom feeders. first of all bettas get shy and stressed in a community, and usually drift until thy a sucked upby a filter. put himin a bowl.

Please don't do this!!! Your betta can live quite happily in your 55 gallon. I have one in my 40 and he does wonderful. Just make sure that there are a few places that he can get out of the current created by your filter if he wants. In my opinion, a bowl is a very cruel environment for a betta and that's a bit of poor advice.

I think if I were you I would try to re-home all your sharks. I think you are fine on the bottom dwellers. Good Luck and let us know what your decision is.