Please. Help me stock my 55!

I love the decorus, but wouldn't it get a little too big for a 55 at 10"?
How about this?
1-Dempsey
1-Jewel
1-cobalt blue Zebra, (or a yellow or blue peacock)
1-Synodontis Decorus ( or Ocellifer)
1-hammers cobalt blue lobster/ crawfish
Would this be overstocking?
If it is, If I got rid of the crustatian could I keep the 3rd cichlid?
Or should I leave it at 2 bottom dwellers and 2 swimmers?
Thanks for everybodies help so far!
 
I think most synodontis like to school (but I could be wrong). You might look into striped raphael cats, they're very attractive and hide a lot during the day which can save them from the more aggressive cichlids. Also, forget the crawdad. He'd try and spear the cichlids or they'd have a nice lobster dinner out of him. :P
 
lobster :confused: no peacock and youll be fine
 
Catfish other than the corys and other small variety, will take a while to out grow the 55. I had a pictus in with africans until it was about 8 inches long---it took a year or so. It's all about how much you feed. Loaches are great scavengers. Clown loaches are cool and have always held their own with my cichlids. They school and add a great color.

I've read alot of threads about peoples cawfish and lobster terrorizing the other fish in the tank by grabbing on to their tails as they swam by--even killing them. Crawfish and lobster belong in a pot of boiling water and eventually on my dinner plate.

I would advise against adding any africans in the mix. You would have to balance the water chemistry at a midpoint between what the africcans like and what the others like. Africans like a Ph between 7.8 and 8.2 while the Dempsey and jewel like it quite a bit lower between 6 and 7.8. I've seen all kinds of mixes in doctor's offices and what not, but to me it just looks wierd. If you want africans - do africans alone. (This coming from an avid african enthusiast.)

Discus are very hard to care for and very particular about their water chemistry and tank mates. Discus belong in their own tank. They stress out easy and you will end up spending a ton of money on fish that will not survive with dempsey's.

My advice---by small babies. This way you can house more than two. You can watch them grow--feed sparingly and it will take a while for them to outgrow the tank. A good fish store will probably know the difference between male and female---buy pairs so that they mate p instead of fight. When I stock a new tank I start with around 15 to 20 babies. A pecking order is established and (even with agressive africans) I usually only have to cull due to size. Provide enough cover in the form of caves and hiding places for the fish to establish their own territory and they will usually keep to themselves. Change it up when you do the water changes to keep them on their toes and most often aggression will keep itself in check.

There are so many rules of thumb that are able to be bent and even broken. Try some things out and see what works for you. The greatest thing about this hobby is all the possibilities, all the opinions, and all the end results. In my opinion, all healthy aquariums are beautiful.
 
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I understand about the catfish being slow growing, but I don't think I'll ever be able to afford to get anything bigger than a 55 gal, so I want fish that can live out there lives in there.
Ok, I get the hint, No lobsters.
The only reason that I was looking into adding an african is because I thought the jewel was an african. But maybe I should just go with my original plan and get the dempsey and a mating pair of jewels.
Unless anybody can suggest another compatible cichlid that wont outgrow my tank.
 
You could get severums, but a dempsey would be a bit too rough on them.
 
hmm

8 inch pictus cat?? That is a lot bigger then all of the sites I have seen list them at. The biggest I have seen listed have been 5 or 6 inches.
 
Yoemen said:
8 inch pictus cat?? That is a lot bigger then all of the sites I have seen list them at. The biggest I have seen listed have been 5 or 6 inches.
Click to expand...
May not have been a true pictus--but yeah he was about 8 inches from nose to tail--end of the tail fin. The pictus will most likely never outgrow the 55--especially with 3 big, aggressive tank mates.

What about a brichardi?
Brichardi is African from Tangynika. They are slow growers--the Dempsey would end up eating him I think.

The jewel I believe is a West african fish from the Niger River while the brichardi, zebras, and most other fish the stores call African are East African from the Rift Lakes (Tankanykia, Malawi, Vicorita. (someone please correct me if I am wrong). It's just a water chemistry thing again--West Africa 6-7.5 East Africa 7.5-8.2

You could balance the chemistry--set the ph and such on the high side for the dempsey and jewel and on the low side for the other. Whatever it ends up---post some pictures---you have me curious now!!
 
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