Long term 55g community plan for a beginner

[N0body Of The Goat]

Over the last few days, I have been throwing all sorts of mixes into the utility at www.aqadvisor.com , trying to find a balance between relatively hardy fish and those that will need a mature cycled tank.

Having looked around my two LFSs, I thought it might be best to start a thread on my plans (which can and often do change by the hour), rather than posting in specific species forums.

Currently, I am thinking of investing in a Jewel Rio 240 tank and cabinet starter kit, which I hope to at least partly fishless cycle before adding the first fish (almost certainly Zebra Danios). I am thinking about a landscape that involves some driftwood (if indeed this is vital for a happy BN Plec) at one end, some sort of multi-cave formation at the other end, with a mix of small-tall live plants in the middle.

My tropical specialist LFS owner informed me that Southampton tap water has a pH of ~8.5, I believe it is moderately hard (old job involved recycling washing machines, often caked in limescale) and the LFS owner said if I am not planning to breed, all his fish are quite happy in de-chlorinated Southampton tap water.

Option 1 (in order of addition to tank)
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6 x Zebra Danio (Danio rerio)
10 x Harlequin Rasbora (Trigonostigma heteromorpha)
6 x Cherry Barb (Puntius titteya)
5 x Boesemans Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia boesemani)
6 x Dwarf Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia maccullochi)
1 x Bristlenose Pleco (Ancistrus sp.)
1 x Betta [Male] (Betta splendens)
6 x Marble Hatchet (Carnegiella strigata)
1 x Bolivian Ram (Mikrogeophagus altispinosus)
1 x Kribensis (Pelvicachromis pulcher)

The two immediate concerns with "Option 1" is that Boesmans temp range according to some sites can be as low as 24C, but not others, plus whether the Betta is a bad move (especially with Danios from what I've read in some places).

Any feedback is very welcome!thumbs2:

[annageckos]

Option 1 (in order of addition to tank)
------------------------------------
6 x Zebra Danio (Danio rerio)
10 x Harlequin Rasbora (Trigonostigma heteromorpha)
6 x Cherry Barb (Puntius titteya)
5 x Boesemans Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia boesemani)
6 x Dwarf Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia maccullochi)
1 x Bristlenose Pleco (Ancistrus sp.)
1 x Betta [Male] (Betta splendens)
6 x Marble Hatchet (Carnegiella strigata)
1 x Bolivian Ram (Mikrogeophagus altispinosus)
1 x Kribensis (Pelvicachromis pulcher)

:

You may find that your planed stock is too much for the 55. It will be crowded. I know with my 55 at first I thought it was a ton of space and over stocked it. But I didn't like they way it looked that way. So now it is more reasonalbly stocked with less types of fish, but larger schools. I would probably pick on or the other school of rainbow fish, and up the numbers by a couple. I don't thing the male betta will be a good choise because some of the other fish can be nippy, unless you could find a plakat male, with has short fins. Or even a female, some of the females are just as pretty as the males. If you do try a betta, make sure to have a back up tank to move him to if needed. For the hatchets you need to have the tank completely covered, they can find the smallest hole and jump. The ram and krib should work out fine.

[Zilla]

I wouldn't put a Betta in there. Fins are going to get nipped and I'm not sure how well a Betta will stand up to the activity levels of Boesemani Rainbows.

They are active, like to spar and act the sharks that haven't eaten in a month with every feeding. If you want a Betta, give him or her a tank or a quieter community tank.

[N0body Of The Goat]

I was quite surprised that aqadvisor did not bring up the red warnings, when I entered the Betta, out of curiousity. They look lovely, but they do seem to be a nightmare to find suitable companions for.

The Boesmani Rainbows are the species I am trying to work out a peaceful community around, they look lovely at the two LFS I have, even as two inch juvenilles. The Dwarf Rainbows still had price tags on the Pets at home tanks, but they had none left and young lad had no idea if more were planned in the near future.

As regards stocking, yep, I was surprised that aqadvisor allowed so many adults without going over 100% stock rating! My current thinking is to try and find a balance between hardy starter fish, but then allowing compatable exotic/oddball fish in the long term, while trying to include different fish types.

So instead of the Betta and the Dwarf Rainbows, perhaps replace them with a pair of Dwarf Honey Gouramis and some Khuli Loaches? Part of me would love to include a pair or trio of live bearers, especially Endlers (or more realistically, Platys or Mollies), but then I would have the dilemma of what to do with all the offspring... Survival of the fitest in the tank, or try and find a way to offload them.

Given the natural pH and hardness of Southampton water, plus the availability of one inch babies right now at the tropical LFS specialist (Tropi-Quaria), there is the leftfield plan z of going for five fish from three species (one male to 4 females) of Malawi Cichlids with a BN Plec! :D

[N0body Of The Goat]

In the last week, I've visited my local branch of Aquajardin and Maindenhead Aquatics, its really opened my eyes (in terms of using mineralised RO water; much healthier looking LFS stock; very patient and helpful staff letting me pick their brains for ~30 minutes at each place).

Maidenhead overwhelmed me with the varieties of Rainbows they stock:-
Bosemani
Celebes
Threadfin
Dwarf Neon
Parkinsons
Madagascar
Spendid
Autralian Radiant (wild caught)
Pseudomugil Furcata (love their Tetra-like look, but with intricate fin detail)
Red
Blue (gorgeous colour, even at ~5cm)
Fasciata

Aqadvisor is suggesting at least 5 of each species, but if I was to just stock the 55g with only Rainbows and a few invertebrates, could I keep them happy by getting two or three of each species (introduced gradually over several months), especially the larger ones (Red and Madagascar spring to mind, having only been up 20 minutes)?

[Brhino]

The suggestion of 5+ of a given species is because that species prefers to be in a school. If it does not have a large enough school, it may be stressed and nervous, or aggressive. With a few exceptions, fish of one species do not school with fish of another species, even if they're somewhat similar. It would be better to half your number of species and buy sizable schools of each, rather than getting just a few of several different species.

[Lady Hobbs]

If you are having a natural pH of 8.5, I would just buy some African cichlids that are compatiblile with one another. You are trying to put way too many different species into one tank and too many of them, as well.

There is no reason to mix a Betta, Barbs, Cichlids, Community Fish all together.

[N0body Of The Goat]

Overnight, I have thought about the mix conundrum brought up by my visit to Maidenhead and my current thoughts are to eventually (building up stock every couple of weeks or so) add the following to a Jewel Rio 240:-

Single species of ~6 Rainbows from the "Melanotaenia" family (Bosemani; Blue; Banded; Parkinsons; Splendid; Dwarf)... Probably the Blues
~6 Reds
~6 Celebes
6-10 Forktail Blue Eye
6-10 Threadfin
6-10 Pygmy Corys
~10 Bamboo Shrimp
~10 another shrimp species
a few snails, not including Assassins

I have personal issues with the idea of a Malawi setup, despite it being the easiest choice for my local tap water and knowing the overcrwoding reduces tension. I like captive animals to have a good sized area to live in. For example, our Syrian Hamster has a Rotastak network of two Cosomopods; a "kidney"; two stacked round; "home and away" to run around in. Our two guinea pigs have a 4'x2' cage and a 4'x3' indoor run plus a new 4'x4' outdoor pen for the nice days that have happened recently.
Consequently, I am ruling out any fish that could get over 12cm long for this planned 55g setup.

"There is no reason to mix a Betta, Barbs, Cichlids, Community Fish all together" in your opinion.;) As long as the mix is going to "play nicely" together and not overstock the tank, having different types of fish in the tank could make it more interesting, in that even without looking into specifics, I would expect say a loach to behave differently to a cory.

[rhonin]

Nice water! (I have African Cichlids:22: )

I would have to go with Lady Hobbs recommendation.
Unless you plan on using RO water you will find a pH that high, plus the hardness will pretty much preclude you from almost all plants and most fish you have listed (and inverts) will not do well.

I recommend you try to build a tank that will work with your water (less hassle in the long run) and stock accordingly.

There are many different types of africans that will look great - plants will be a challenge.

fyi - in my african Tanganyikan tank (ph - 8.5) the only plant I have had any success at is the anubia.

:22:

[N0body Of The Goat]

I meant to add that I am now going to go the RO route, but could not locate the edit button before leaving for work this morning at 0635 ;)

RO turns out to be much cheaper than I expected, considering the processing involved, at ~£3-50 per 25l. :)

[yhbae]

I was quite surprised that aqadvisor did not bring up the red warnings, when I entered the Betta, out of curiousity. They look lovely, but they do seem to be a nightmare to find suitable companions for.


You are correct. I just finished collecting feedback for betta from a betta forum with respect to their compatibility in a more complete picture. For the next build, it will show a lot more warnings when you try to mix them with other species of similar sizes.

[N0body Of The Goat]

I think it has now come down to a choice of two setups:-

Suitable small fish that work with the hard and alkaline conditions for Celebes Rainbowfish (probably including Neon Dwarfs and Furcata Rainbows)

OR

Suitable fish to keep with lively 11cm Green-Barred Danios (Opsarius Pulchellus), possibly including the Humphead Glassfish (another Myanmar species) and Redline Torpedo Barbs

Since my last post, I have reveived my Rio 240 from a price matching LFS. There is a ~1cm layer of Deponitmix (hoping to find suitable hardy plants that can cope with hard alkaline water in a fastish current provided by additional powerhead) underneath 5-10cm of "Congo sand," with three medium-sized bits of bogwood covering ~30"x4" surface area placed so that they make natural caves. ~200l of tap water went in today and the electrics were turned on (110W T5 lighting briefly, Juwel 1000 pump and heater left running).

Part of May Day bank holiday will be spent hunting down a source of ammonia! :D