tank plans

[isaly]

As I mentioned in my intro, I’m a newb. My 55 gallon tank is three weeks old and I’ve got six small fish in, two serpae tetras and four fruit tetras.

I have two general sets of plans. I vacillate.

In either case, I don’t want to overstock the tank. I also want plants but not a jungle.

First idea is a pair of electric blue acara…really cool looking fish…maybe four of some sort of rainbow and/or a supporting shoal of some tetra or other fish that won’t bother the acara and that the acara won’t eat. I’m thinking I’d put the shoal in first and add the acara as juveniles. If the acara grow up with the shoal perhaps that and the combined influence of numbers might mean they’d all get along. I’m not thinking anything smaller than 2” for the shoal. If predation happens, it does, but I don't want to set up the little folks for a dinner date they won't return from.

The second is a school of something like silvertip tetras, maybe 25 - 35. I saw a vid of Cory in his store making them focus and move in concert with his hand. The points on the fin tips en masse looked like little fireworks. I’m not committed to the silvertips yet…mmm…acara or schoolhouse?

Anyone with any ideas about these choices feel free to chime in.

 

The visual composition of the tank will involve two large and three smaller granite river rocks with a thick bed of coarse multicolored gravel. I may mix in some finer gravel in places to help hold smaller plants. The effect will be sparse but impactful in terms of the bold strokes of the rocks against whatever plants I use.

I’ll post pics when I think it’s pic-worthy.

[sudofish]

I put an electric blue acara in with a group of praecox rainbowfish. There's also a pearl gourami in there. The pearl gourami is actually aggressive towards the rainbowfish but the acara is chill as he is the tank boss and everybody knows it. He hasn't gone after any of the rainbows. In a 55 gallon I'd probably do something like bosemani rainbows. 2 is generally not a good number when it comes to cichlids as there will be aggression and there's not enough fish to spread the aggression out evenly. The aggression would be with each other, they will most likely ignore any non-cichlid species.

[Atitagain]

Obviously you should go with what your passionate about, I love the electric blue acara. I’ve never kept them but they are right at the top of the list if a proper tank size opens up in my fishroom. If you only have one tank the stocking is such a difficult decision most times.

[isaly]

Sudofish, By pair I mean male and female If I can manage to find 'em sexed. Hopefully they won't be too 'spensive. Unsexed juveniles were $17 last week at lfs. Ming says he'll try his best to identify a pair for me. I'm thinking I'd be willing to pay for a mating pair but that likely means I won't be growing 'em up.

Atitagain, I'll likely do something more in the future, I want to be on solid ground in terms of technique before I dive deeper. I'm guessing you love to hear it — I feel confident I could diy a nice shelving system to put a couple of 20 gal longs and a few nano projects, use sponge filters, rig up a manifold of sorts to send air to all of 'em...that'll probably be a few years from now. I like the school idea about as much as the acara, just needs some thought.

[JettsPapa]

On 10/27/2021 at 5:22 PM, isaly said:

As I mentioned in my intro, I’m a newb. My 55 gallon tank is three weeks old and I’ve got six small fish in, two serpae tetras and four fruit tetras.

I have two general sets of plans. I vacillate.

In either case, I don’t want to overstock the tank. I also want plants but not a jungle.

First idea is a pair of electric blue acara…really cool looking fish…maybe four of some sort of rainbow and/or a supporting shoal of some tetra or other fish that won’t bother the acara and that the acara won’t eat. I’m thinking I’d put the shoal in first and add the acara as juveniles. If the acara grow up with the shoal perhaps that and the combined influence of numbers might mean they’d all get along. I’m not thinking anything smaller than 2” for the shoal. If predation happens, it does, but I don't want to set up the little folks for a dinner date they won't return from.

The second is a school of something like silvertip tetras, maybe 25 - 35. I saw a vid of Cory in his store making them focus and move in concert with his hand. The points on the fin tips en masse looked like little fireworks. I’m not committed to the silvertips yet…mmm…acara or schoolhouse?

Anyone with any ideas about these choices feel free to chime in.

 

The visual composition of the tank will involve two large and three smaller granite river rocks with a thick bed of coarse multicolored gravel. I may mix in some finer gravel in places to help hold smaller plants. The effect will be sparse but impactful in terms of the bold strokes of the rocks against whatever plants I use.

I’ll post pics when I think it’s pic-worthy.

• I'd suggest getting at least six more of the serpae tetras.  They're beautiful fish, and one of my favorites, but they can be a problem nipping other fish if they don't have enough of their own species to focus their attention on.
• What are "fruit tetras"?

[Patrick_G]

For a feature fish definitely go for something that you love. The Acaras are cool, and also check out the various dwarf Cichlids. Apistogramma, Rams and Kribensis are all neat fish that deserve consideration. 

[isaly]

On 10/28/2021 at 10:47 AM, JettsPapa said:

• I'd suggest getting at least six more of the serpae tetras.  They're beautiful fish, and one of my favorites, but they can be a problem nipping other fish if they don't have enough of their own species to focus their attention on.
• What are "fruit tetras"?

Fruit tetras are, as I now understand, dyed white skirt tetras. I saw 'em, thought they were cool and bought four at about $4 apiece without knowing of the process which, according to the interwebs, is cruel and kills a lot of 'em.

Two are a very light pinkish orange and two have blue backs with a small orange blob above and between the eyes. 

I wouldn't have bought them if I'd known 'cause, to me, I wouldn't knowingly support that

...and I would feel dirty if I didn't care for them now that I have em...and they don't look any less cool.

I guess the moral is to research before buying.

[PedroPete]

Definitely a good moral to the story. Good luck and add photos when you can 🙂