What variation of Tropical Fish would you put in a 55 gallon tank?

Question

Hi all! I asked a question before regarding the fish I had wanted to put in, but that was shot down. LoL. I was set on goldfish, and was told NO NO NO! hahaha. So I would JUST LOVE to hear some of you give me some lists of quantities and types that you would house in a 55 gallon. I am interested in COLORFUL arrays and varieties of fish and diversity as well. Nothing boring for this tank...hee hee. And if you can bare a few more details on cycling, feeding, and care because this tank is set up and ready but empty...and I am new at this ;) Thanks!! Muah

Answer 1

I don't know why everybody is saying no to goldfish, it should be your choice what you like, but any way
If you want to go real colorful go with cichlids
By the way that is the third time you ask that question
I answered on the second one, and I have seen what opinions all the others have
But if you want to have a reall opinion besides the one I gave to you already you should email magicman116


Good luck, and I'm looking forward to all the other answers



EB

But just in case you read my answer carefully on your second time asking and you have questions, feel free to email me


Edit*
check out this site
http://www.fishchannel.com/saltwater-aquariums/default.aspx?default=111

Answer 2

Since you are new at this I highly advise not going with cichlids. They may be colourful, but they're territorial and can be difficult to stock and manage unless you do some research first. It's also tough to get variety with them because of this territorial nature.

As mentioned there is no reason why you can't go with goldfish just because some other people don't like them. A 55 gallon is certainly big enough to house 3 or 4 fancy goldfish.

As far as Tropical fish go you have an unlimited selection. I recommend going to the store and writing down the names of some you like. Do NOT ask the fish store for advice or you'll become just another victim of ignorant and misleading advice. Instead, get back online and start researching the fish you like to see how big they get, what type of environment they need, and what is compatible with them. Don't rush the tank, but take your time and do it right the first time. Boring is in the eye of the beholder and it depends what you're looking for.

The first mistake beginners make is that they think more variety leads to the nicer and less boring tank. This isn't necessarily so. A planted tank with 4 specimens of 8 different kinds of tetra's is not nearly as nice as a planted tank with 32 neon's (just as an example). If it were me and the idea was for a community I would do this:

1 largish group of a top dweller (example, danio or red tail rasbora).
1 largish group of a mid dweller (example, almost any smallish tetra)
1 largish group of bottom dweller (example, corydora catfish)
1 or 2 'centrepiece' fish (example, small to mid sized Gourami)

As far as cycling goes, you don't need to cycle if you know how to do it right. If you ask the fish store for gravel or filter media from one of their tanks, take it home in a bag of fish water, and then put this into your own filter, you will be introducing live bacteria at the same time as the fish, which means the tank will already be cycled. Just make sure you don't add more fish then bacteria. Aside from that, research 'cycling aquarium' on google and the information available is unlimited.

Last thing - don't forget to buy a book so you can learn not only how to set up the tank, but also how to maintain it. Anybody's tank should be worth weekly water changes and vacuuming to keep the water clean and stable and the fish at their healthiest.

Answer 3

I have always kept goldfish in my community tanks. Other than a couple getting beaten up because a pair of Dempseys decided they were ready to breed, I've never had any problems with having them in a tropical tank. Oh, and I caught one eating one of it's smaller tank mates too, but that's fish for ya.

If you do decide to keep some goldfish, just remember they grow big and fast.

From your other questions, you're wanting a peaceful community tank I'm guessing. There's all kinds of possibilities.

Any of the Cory catfish
A small pleco, like the gold nugget, or rubber lipped
A school of neons, black neons, glowlight tetras, or glo-fish (http://www.glofish.com/)
Some guppies, platties, sword tails or mollies (all good at reproducing)
A pair of Kribensis(if you've got enough decorations and stuff if they decide to mate)
A betta, paradise fish, or small gourami
Glass fish (not the painted ones)
Killifish or Rainbowfish (if you can find them in your area)
Goo Obo Gudgeon (interesting little fish)
Celestial Pearl Danio (or Galaxy Rasbora, it's name was changed. A tiny little fish, but they look great in a group)

This is just a small list of fish.

One example of fish might be something like this==

8 Neons
2 Neon Blue Dwarf Gouramis
6 Panda Corys
1 Gold Nugget Pleco
6 Congo Tetras
6-10 Celestial Pearl Danios
A pair of German Blue Rams

That gives you fish that cover each swimming section of the tank, a variety of color, and still leaves you room to add a few more or different fish.

Look around at the stores near you, and see what fish you like, then do a little research on them to see if they fit what type of tank you want.

Answer 4

I would also say that this is your tank - you should be able to keep what you want, as long as you realize the adult size of the goldfish you get and plan accordingly (they don't all stay at the cute 2 inch size you see them at in stores). Personally, I like bright solid orange/red and calico colored goldfish in orandas and fantails: http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/ftypes.html If you get the fancy (double tailed) types, they stay a little smaller (8-10") than the single tailed varieties (12+ inches). Since you should plan for the adult size, this will probably limit you to 4-5 goldfish for the tank.

If you would rather try tropicals (they are smaller, so you can get more fish for the tank), platys, swordtails, and guppies all have nice colors in the red/orange/yellow shades. Guppies and dwarf gouramies also come in some nice blues. I also like rainbowfish which come in various colors, but get more males than females if you want to see the brightest colors - this goes for all the species listed above. Bettas are nice too, but you can only keep one male in the tank.

You can find photos of these and other fish in these links: http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/categ.cfm?pCatId=830
http://www.elmersaquarium.com/000tropfishcareguides.htm

You can find info on cycling (and more) in these links:
http://www.fishlore.com/ - see nitrogen cycle under beginner's guides, freshwater
http://www.firsttankguide.net/ - see cycling your tank link at bottom of the page

Answer 5

55 gallon tank is rather big. Honestly the best thing to do is go down to your local pet smart, or w/e pet store you get fish at, and ask them. But from what I know personally. Salt water fish are more colorful, but harder to take care of. Freshwater are easier to care for, but obviously not as colorful. Don't mix big and small fish together. Don't mix goldfish in with any other fish, they give off a poison that would kill them. Make sure to see what the fish eat, most places have a tag below the fish, saying there habits, and rather they get along with others well. It is also always nice to buy them in groups, since fish often travel in groups of there own anyways. Also look at what size the fish can grow to be. . . . if they get big, lets say 7 inches or so, they will probably need a bigger tank later on. But yeah, like I said, its best to ask someone at your local pet store =D.

Answer 6

If you want goldfish, do goldfish. Don't let anyone talk you out of it - your tank is big enough and you just need to learn how to take care of them.

If you've been scared off and want colorful, go with African Cichlids. I have 8 in my 55 gallon, and they are great. Check out http://www.cichlid-forum.com/index.php
for more on them. This site can also help with general setup and maintenance. Good Luck!

Answer 7

It depends on size, sure, but if you're going for fish similar to the guppies/platies you already have then a few dozen or so. For example you could add a small group of ~6 cories to cruise the bottom and maybe a dozen of something else to fill in the middle. Tetras or danios or something small and active. Also be aware that if you have pairs of guppies and/or platies their numbers are sure to rise on their own.

Answer 8

i would go with africa cichlids OR discus fish, they are colorful but dont move much, so cichlids would proberly best