What to keep in a 50 Gallon?

DarkSoul

Mad Scientist
Mar 12, 2007
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London, Ontario
Well things are coming together so nicely for my tank, and really the only thing that needs doing is the plumbing, which will require some more money (fittings are quite expensive, especially for my intricate needs :)) But after that, its all time for plants and fish..... plants first :D

So its got me thinking now, About what sorts of fish to keep, and what possible plants to keep with them.
I would ideally like to balance everything out as much as I can.

In the past, when I was 15 (and really knew nothing, didnt have access to the net, etc) I had a 20 gallon, and had;

2 Angel fish
1 RopeFish (Erpetoichthys calabaricus)
1 Betta
about 4 cardinal tetras
and i think maybe 5 or 6 neon tetras (that number got reduced.... fast.)
1 common pleco, about < 3"

Well, aside from the ropefish eating all of my neons, instead of the feeder guppies i tried to feed it, they all seemed to get along quite fine. I had never seen them fight, though there was some occasional fin nipping on the betta.... which seemed to stop after the neons all vanished.

Bad mistakes, and lack of knowledge aside....

Now that im setting up a new tank, (well, Ive had the tank since i was 17, and im now 24, but just getting it up now) I would like to still have a betta, a ropefish, and a pleco at least. I think these 3 fish may not be so much of a problem, as they arent usually small enough to fit into the ropeys mouth.

I might also like to have a few angels if possible.... but again, im really judging based on past experience with the same fish, though i have read many conflicting things since back then.

I do actually care for the well being of the fish, and want my fish to be happy thriving little animals, not there just for the sake of actually having fish.... im not darla ;)

And this is why I ask of you, the experienced fishkeepers, those whom have more knowldge than I and the experience of keeping these absolutly amazing creatures of the deep......

how should I stock my tank, keeping in mind the above preferences fron my less than knowledgable, past experiences?
 
no one would like to offer their advice? i may be a little far off from actually having the fish, but I would like some ideas on what to put in there.
 
Well let's see, it sounds like your looking at a fresh water set up....There are alot of good web sites that offer information on capatibility on different fish....As you know small fish grow up to be big fish,That needs to be kept in mind,unless you are planing on another set up in the future..Spend some time on these forums looking at posts about hobbists starting there tanks......I happen to like cichlids but thats me...:hi:
 
Well, I'll leave the plant suggestions to those that have a true liking for them...I'm kind of hit and miss with them.

A 50? To me it speaks of a trio of angels, but if you get a pair to mate off, you'll need to float one away or set up a breeding tank just for them.

Add a school of cory, 5-6 for the bottom. Some rasboras or hatchets for the mid/top.

Maybe a pair of rams. Some red minor tetras or blackskirts to fill 'er up.
 
Freshwater yes, I forgot to mention that :)
And I do plan on another setup.... once I have fish in there, and the tank is running smoothly, I will be putting some decent sized chunks of money away for a few months to purchase a 125g tank.

I think its about the largest tank i could get away with on my 3rd floor, old, apt with solid concrete floors, against a solid concrete load bearing wall.

But, I digress

What are your opinions on keeping a pleco, betta, and ropefish together in a 50 gallon?
I didnt notice my previous ropefish growing very fast, so my thoughts are, that he would be ok in the 50g for a couple of months, until i purchase a 125g.

EDIT
Id also like to have a cleaner shrimp or two of some kind in there if possible..... would it be?

whats a ram?

Also, Im going for a more "dark" look to the tank, like a more deep sea look, with a good hit of blue in the lighting.
brightly coloured fish are a plus :D
 
Angels, as discus look great in a black water tank.
 
Loaded with natural tannins from driftwood, dark water.
 
oh... I want clear water, just a darker appearence to the tank overall.

Im thinking of covering my background with darker reds and blues to match the rocks on my castle, and possibly using some dark sand mixed with the epoxy to finish coat it.
Im also going to purchase another light fixture for my hood, and get a 20,000K tube, and some other form of beneficial light for it (they are double fixtures)

I was also considering adding a black light to my setup to enhance any flourescent colours in the tank if that would work ... (no i dont have bright pink gravel lol)
 
Black background/paint, black sand/gravel, colors burst
 
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