Advice On Stocking a 55 Gallon Tank

[epate]

I have a 55 gallon tank with 5 Platys and 4 Black Skirt Tetras... What other fish would go well in this tank. I think I would like some to be a bit larger than the fish I have in there now, just to add some change to the tank. What do you recommend? I was thinking of adding a Pleco in about another month or two... Also how many fish total (going by what I currently have now) would you say I can put in the tank? Thanks for any info!

 

[GobyGuy5]

What other fish would go well in this tank.

That depends on the current fish you have in this tank, and your water conditions (pH, Hardness, temperature, etc.) Fortunetly few fish don't get along with platties and tetras, so that shouldn't be a problem. If your water is soft to medium-hard and your pH is around 7, (6.5-7.5) Few fish wouldn't enjoy your tank.

. I think I would like some to be a bit larger than the fish I have in there now, just to add some change to the tank. What do you recommend?

Granted your water conditions are as discribed above,
You could look into Dwarf Cichlids, those are beatifully colored and around 3-4" If you wanted something bigger, Angelfish should work nicely for you they get up to 6" and are great community candidates if you don't have other fish that can fit in their mouths............... You would probably benifit by checking out the Aquaria Central Profiles http://www.aquariacentral.com/species/fresh.shtml
They have pictures, water conditions and needs for many common freshwater fish!

Also how many fish total (going by what I currently have now) would you say I can put in the tank?

That all depends on how BIG the fish are, bigger fish require more room than smaller fish do, you could easily fit more fish into your tank though!

 

[125gJoe]

You should have a Pleco in there!.. Great cleaners..

 

[andruboz]

i'd get a pleco but not a common one. i had one in my 55 and it was a total poop cannon. had to vaccum every 3 days if i didnt want to look at long stringy brown ...whatever.

maybe one of those gold spot plecos wont grow as fast or poop as much.

now my algae fish is a chinese algae eater. darts for a cave when you walk into the room but after awhile gets used to you. argues with the blood parrot over territory, but nobody gets hurt.

 

[pinballqueen]

Plecos are beautiful fish (all a matter of perspective, though, my ex-husband thought they were hideous...), but you need to be sure that the one you pick is going to work for the job you need it to do and the size of your tank. Common plecos are really easy to find, but they get really big, and get a little lazy about algae after they get to be 8 or 9 inches. They'd rather eat the slime coat off of a slow-moving fish...

Other plecos are smaller, but prefer not to eat algae at all, such as the Q. Arabesque and the Clown. They are primarily carnivores, whose favorite snack is shrimp pellets (or better yet, shrimp...). There are some good pleco species out there that do the algae thing AND don't get to be big enough to eat your leg... such as bristlenose. This might be the best overall choice (if you are wanting them for a cleaning crew, otherwise, there are more colorful breeds out there if you're just wanting an "ooooh, pretty..." effect...)

My suggestion on tankmates would be larger tetra breeds, such as silver dollars, hatchetfish, etc., since you already know your water is well suited to tetras. The characin family is widely varied, and everything from neons to freshwater barracuda are represented.... (piranah as well, but they're not so peaceful...)

P.S. ALL plecos are poop cannons....

 

[Spider]

If you are looking for something wierd, interesting and strange, you might try a reed fish or a baby whale(looks like a mini whale but with a fin instead of a fluke). Reed fish do need heated tanks though and I think baby whales do to.

 

[OrionGirl]

A well-fed pleco will not pick up the habit of slime coat eating. Keep in mind that not all plecos are true vegetarians. they all will take some meaty foods, with some almost exclusively eating meaty foods.

Look into rainbows. Some great varieties, larger, active schoolers. Hardy, good community fish.