# New 55 Gal tank.......



## abrown (Feb 26, 2007)

So, my hubby brought home a 55 gal tank the other day and we are wondering what type of fish to put in it. We are thinking Africian Chicilids because we want some nice bright colors since the back wall of the tank is black. So, any ideas would be welcomed. 

thanks


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## musho3210 (Dec 28, 2006)

well african chichlids are a whole different part of freshwater fish, thy will be very nice, just check your ph of the water, the gh and kh as well and if they are good, go on to buying there special rockwork and there special gravel


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## abrown (Feb 26, 2007)

I forgot mention we want live plants not fake ones.


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## musho3210 (Dec 28, 2006)

well that kind of rules out african chichlids, they like plants all too much


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

musho3210 said:


> well that kind of rules out african chichlids, they like plants all too much


Javan ferns and Anubias are perfectly safe as they can be tied to the rocks or woods so uprooting is not possible. Both are also tough so they shoudl withstand the havoc of the African cichlids. Are these Malawi or Tanganyikans?


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## abrown (Feb 26, 2007)

We haven't bought the fish yet, we are just now setting up our tank and are waiting a few days to make sure that the water is just right for them if that is the way we intend to go. If you have any suggestions on some other fish that we we should look at that would be helpful as well. All I have ever owned were gourami's and mollie's but my brother had a Jack and it ate everything you placed in the tank with it.


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## GobbleDog (Mar 6, 2007)

I've been tinkering with my new 55 gallon tank for about 6 months now. Unfortunately, I've already gone through a few fish in trial and error. I recently learned that despite being a freshwater fish, spotted puffers need little bit of salt. Doh! (I wish the first few fish stores would have told me that earlier... especially after I told them my fish kept dying) 

In any case, year ago I raised an Oscar and a couple of convict fish and they were all a piece of cake to take care of. But I don't recomend them because they don't coexist with other fish very well. I don't like the Cichlid's either because of their ferocious nature. They look cool, but you can only put other cichlid's or equivant type temperment of fish in with them. (I tried mixing a cichlid with my puffer recently and he bullied my puffer around the tank until I had to remove the cichlid.)

I prefer friendly fish. Puffers, molleys, gobeys, different types of feeders, tons of ghost shrimp, etc... (I've heard puffers could be mean, but mine have always coexisted fine with the others)


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## tophat665 (Sep 30, 2006)

A 55 is tall enough you could do Angelfish, large tetras (Like Von Rios, Diamonds, Congos, or Emperors), a shoal of Cories, couple of bristlenosed plecos, maybe a banjo cat for snail control.

Do a large sand/small gravel bottom over a layer of garden peat. Either that or use Ecocomplete.

Hardscape with driftwood and black slate. Maybe a couple of small flowerpots half buried in the substrate and covered in java moss. Carefully select and place a couple of swords (maybe 2 big ones and 3 to 5 smaller ones), java moss on any cut ends of driftwood, and maybe down in the crotches of it too. Pick some long tall, straight plants and plant one or both of the back corners for the angels to hang out in a really natural way - vals are great for this, as are some of the narrow leafed swords. Then pick some stem plants with contrasting leaf shapes. Star Grass, Ludwegia, Eloodea densa, cambomba, and hygrophilia coymbosa or polysperma are great for that, and Brazilian Pennywort or other Hydrocotyl species are a great contrast with their round leave.. Add a contrast plant, like a dwarf lily or a banana plant or a bunch of red temple. If you have the light for it (150+ watts of good full spectrum light) and CO2 or feel like dosing Excel, you might want to try making a lawn with Microsword, Dwarf hairgrass, Helzine, or Glossostigma.

Alternately, a loach tank would be a lot of fun. Put in a shoal of 7 or so Yoyos, Angelicus, or Striped Loaches. Get 3 SAEs if you can. Round out with some interesting dithers - Cherry barbs, Black Ruby Barbs, Pentazonas, Red Eyed Tetras, Praecox Rainbows - 6 to 12 of something relatively peaceful, but active and tolerant of active fish.

Use a sand bottom, again, and plant with Wisteria with a couple of dwarf lilys, and make a tree or two by tying java fern to driftwood. Lots of caves (red shale, granite, petrified wood).

At this point, if someone gave me another 55, I might set it up with skunk loaches and American Flag Fish. I'd probably go nearly Mbuna with the rockwork, and keep the plants confined to the ends and a few epiphytes on the rocks, with lots of beach in the middle. Maybe plant some of it with hairgrass, maybe not.

You could go African - pair of African Butterfly fish, Couple of Leopard Bushfish, shoal of Congo Tetras. I'd put some swordtails in to keep the predators in fry. Lots of branchy driftwood at one end (Manzanita would be perfect), An onion plant at the other in the back corner, and let the leaves grow out over the surface a bit. Some anubias here and there, and some assorted crypts in the foreground, stems in the back.


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## Twisted_Angel (Apr 23, 2007)

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/cookie_cutter_55g.php

Here's a good link for you. IF you scroll down a little, it gives several cichlid combos for a 55 gallon aquarium.


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## MattD (Apr 25, 2007)

abrown said:


> We haven't bought the fish yet, we are just now setting up our tank and are waiting a few days to make sure that the water is just right for them if that is the way we intend to go. If you have any suggestions on some other fish that we we should look at that would be helpful as well. All I have ever owned were gourami's and mollie's but my brother had a Jack and it ate everything you placed in the tank with it.


A few days? Wait at least a couple of weeks before putting anything in there.


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## Rue (Jan 28, 2007)

I second that! Don't rush to put fish in unless your water is ready for them...or at least the nitrifying bacteria is present...


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