# Advice for stocking a new 50-65 gallon planted tank



## FishObsessed (Jan 18, 2010)

Hi all,

I'm fairly new to any serious fish keeping. I'm helping my parents set up a new tank as a housewarming gift. I get the fun of the design and the setup without having yet another tank! They would like a 50-65 gallon tank, and they want angelfish. I'm thinking:

4-6 angelfish (of some sort, I know they come in different varieties)
10ish cardinal tetras (to cover the schooling fish)
1-2 corydoras? (for clean up duty, I know they don't eat algae but plecos seem...tempermental)

I would also like some live plants, but I'm going to stick to easy keepers that won't need CO2 or fancy fertilization. Dad has 125 gallon saltwater tank now, and plenty of experience with both fresh and saltwater tropical tanks, but he wants something _easy_. For plants, I was going to go with:

_Taxiphyllum barbieri_ - Java moss (it's doing so well, tied to driftwood in my 8 gallon tank)
_Hemianthus micranthemoides_ - pearlgrass or hairgrass (I don't know about this, but it looks like an easy foreground plant)
or _Eleocharis parvula_ - Dwarf hairgrass (another one I don't know well...it looks like an easy keeper)
_Vallisneria_ sp. - Don't know the common name, but I have _americana_ in my 8 gallon, it makes an easy background plant

What do you think? As far as fish go, my dad has kept angels before (though all of my tanks just have guppies in them - they are so _easy_) but I don't know anything about most freshwater fish. What about easy keeping foreground plants? Am I trying to put too many fish in the tank??

If you're still reading, sorry for the novel, wanted you to have the relevant details! Thanks!:-D


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## PRichs87 (Dec 30, 2009)

Keep corys in a group of at least 6, they will be much better off.


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## PRichs87 (Dec 30, 2009)

Also, do research on an species before buying, just google their name, plenty of sites come up with details on keeping them, space required, etc.


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## Angel079 (Feb 14, 2007)

For a ~50g I'd not get more then 4 Angels considering their adult size, but more Cardinals would be in.
For the Cory's and that size tank get at least 8, they are farrr less skittish the larger the group is, less stressed = healthier fish = happier owner 

Keeping live plants is often appearing far more complicated then it truly is. What plants need is a proper light most of all, that's where many owners go wrong. Apart from that a good source water or the add of a weekly comprehensive fertilizer to cover the nutritious. That all said you can keep just about any plant you would want. Feel free to check out my tanks under the aquarium tap here to the left, these are all set up w/out ferts nor CO2 and I'd wanna say the plants speak for themselves.

Suggestions I can give on the specific plants themselves from my experience:
Hairgrass spread it out nicely when you first get it, if planted in the "bunch" its coming in the pot it never seems to thrive as well/ quick (See my 2nd New Shrimp Farm set up picture)

On the Vallis I find the spirals or corkscrew make a pretty neat look for the back of a tank.

Considering the tank size, I'd add something like larger Swords to it too, like the Amazon Swords, maybe 3-4 of them.

Then maybe some Cryptocoryne for the middle. So from back to the front you'd have tall plants, medium, small grass know what I mean? And all these are super easy to keep, with the exception being Dwarf Hairgrass like I said above.


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## iamntbatman (Jan 3, 2008)

Also keep in mind that as they mature, your angels are likely to pair off and start spawning behavior, which will increase aggression between them.


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## FishObsessed (Jan 18, 2010)

Thanks Angel079! This is great feedback.

Four angels does seem like a better choice, and I was hoping I could up the number of cardinals. It does seem that most people are recommending more Cory's! That's great, because I think they have wonderful personalities, and if they are in a bigger group they will surely be happier!

Your tanks DO speak for themselves, they are wonderfully lush. I also like the look of the spiral Vallis, and the kind I have in my tank has a habit of getting too tall if I don't keep on it.

I hadn't thought too much about the mid-height plants yet, Cryptocoryne looks like a good option!


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## FishObsessed (Jan 18, 2010)

iamntbatman said:


> Also keep in mind that as they mature, your angels are likely to pair off and start spawning behavior, which will increase aggression between them.


Having never kept them, I wasn't sure about aggression. It is good to know I should err on the side of caution with numbers.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Remember that angelfish are shoaling fish by nature, so they like to be in a group. A 50-60g tank does not provide a lot of room (thinking of healthy growth development), so I would go with at least three angels.

There will be those who say otherwise, but many aquarists have experienced angels eating cardinals (and neons) so a caution there. If the cardinals are able to grow to their mature size before the angels are large enough to swallow them, probably less chance of losing them.

And angels like security, lots of plants, wood stems and branches replicating dangling tree branches and roots will make them feel more at ease, and could have a desirable effect on behaviour. The pattern of wild angels is indicative of their environment where they blend in with vertical types of shelter.

And definitely minimum 5 or 6 Corydoras; one species, or a mix with 3 of each will work. You could have 9 corys in your proposed setup with 3 angels and a group of suitable characins, at least 7 or more of a species as they are shoaling fish too.

Byron.


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## Angel079 (Feb 14, 2007)

Personally was this my set up (and its fully your choice there, just my pers 2 cents) I'd get a 55-60g tank set up and cycled. Then start with 2 BABY Angels, get about 15-20 Cardinals (as they're bigger then Neons - Alternatively think about Emporer or Kerri Tetra as they grow bigger then the Cardinals) and at least 10, but more likly rather around the house no of 15 Corys (if choosing Bronze cory's get less as they're the biggest growing one's from the cory family).


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## FishObsessed (Jan 18, 2010)

Byron said:


> There will be those who say otherwise, but many aquarists have experienced angels eating cardinals (and neons) so a caution there.
> 
> ...
> 
> ...


I didn't know that about angels eating cardinals! Jeez. The more I read about other species of fish, the more I love the guppies I've got in my own planted tanks. I tend to spend more time on the plants than the fish. 

I was hoping to try to emulate the look (if not the exact species) of submerged forests, with the thin pieces of driftwood like roots and plenty of live plants, lots of vertical dimension. I haven't picked up anything for my hardscape yet, but it's in the back of my head. I was even planling to avoid a hood system so I could have the flexibility to do an open top. 

Thanks for the advice! Less angels, more and bigger tetras, many more corys seems to be the consensus.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

> I was hoping to try to emulate the look (if not the exact species) of submerged forests, with the thin pieces of driftwood like roots and plenty of live plants, lots of vertical dimension. I haven't picked up anything for my hardscape yet, but it's in the back of my head. I was even planling to avoid a hood system so I could have the flexibility to do an open top.


That would be ideal for angels and their companions (corys, tetras...). This is along the lines of my 90g flooded Amazon forest tank, in the photos. I haven't yet found any thin branches in the stores, but I have a few thicker tree stumps.

Open top aquaria can be interesting; there are several plants that will readily grow above the water, and if the water level was low enough it could be a nice aquascape. I have never gone this way because I have fish that will readily jump out, and I'm not prepared to lose them.;-) Several times I've had to retrieve flying hatches during feeding, and I have to be especially observant during water changes. Which reminds me, I believe angels will jump, I'm sure I've come across that...others may be able to confirm or deny.

Byron.


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## WisFish (Dec 16, 2008)

Years ago I had 4 angels in my 55gal tank. They all started out together as babies. When they got older, two of them paired up to spawn. The spawning pair then started to pick on 1 of the other two angels until it eventually died. Then they started to pick on the last one until it died. Then the two spawned. I tried to provide places for them to hide but a 55 for 4 angels just wasn't enough space once they got territorial. 

I've only ever seen them jump when the tank was half full during a water change. They didn't jump very high.


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## FishObsessed (Jan 18, 2010)

Byron said:


> That would be ideal for angels and their companions (corys, tetras...). This is along the lines of my 90g flooded Amazon forest tank, in the photos. I haven't yet found any thin branches in the stores, but I have a few thicker tree stumps.
> 
> Open top aquaria can be interesting; there are several plants that will readily grow above the water, and if the water level was low enough it could be a nice aquascape. I have never gone this way because I have fish that will readily jump out, and I'm not prepared to lose them.;-) Several times I've had to retrieve flying hatches during feeding, and I have to be especially observant during water changes. Which reminds me, I believe angels will jump, I'm sure I've come across that...others may be able to confirm or deny.
> 
> Byron.


I started this whole process of designing and researching with the idea of replicating that system as closely as I could, while still having easy keepers. I haven't had much luck finding thin branches yet either. It looks like you can order them online, at fairly reasonable prices, but as with everything ordered online you have to be careful. I'll definently want to stick to sites that show you the EXACT piece you are buying. 

Your 90g is beautiful, I looked at it after your first post! It gives me hope that CO2 injection isn't so vital as I thought at first. I'm told good lighting is the most important thing. I love floating plants, amazon frogbit in particular. 

We had a trigger fish jump out of my Dad's 125g saltwater tank, while we weren't at home. It was a pretty awful thing to come home to. I'll look into that with the angels, who are looking increasingly difficult to keep. Another reason I keep guppies, who are tough as nails. When I set up my first tank, Dad told me to get fish I couldn't tell apart so that I wouldn't name them, and be upset when I lost them. Of course I promptly named all my guppies, but it was a nice thought!

You give great advice, Byron!


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