# Setting up 50g tank - stocking!



## Austin (Feb 1, 2010)

Hi everybody! I am setting up my 50g tank again that has been sitting for a year mostly completely empty! I am planning to buy an Eheim 2215 (or 2217 we'll see) canister filter. 

I have been thinking recently what I will stock in the tank! I been looking at rainbow fish and I really really like them! They seem beautiful and also very peaceful -- I don't really like mean fish. They also seem like they would fit my water conditions. 

What I have considered thus far is:








I also really like Red Cherry Shrimp! I feel like they will make my tank more interesting, especially if they have their own little population going! 

I may only get 1 angel, so that would leave room for changes, but I'm fairly sure I would like at least 1. 

I am wondering if you can mix and match rainbow fish? I would love 3 red irian and 3 boesemani! Although, I notice that they are different genus (that is the first word in a scientific name right?) so they are even more unrelated than some other varieties of rainbowfish! Also, it sounds like they require different temperatures.

Currently, without a heater, the temperature is about 78.8 degrees. I'd need to test the pH, but I know it is around ~8. Average tap water in my town is 8.1 according to the water report. I'll have to dig through some boxes (we moved) to find my test kit... but I know I have hard water.

If anyone has other suggestions let me know ! Thanks!

Also, I intend to have live plants. But I want the plants to be fairly "low tech." Right now I have the plants that survived just sitting there for over a year - java fern, crypt, and anubias, so I assume those are easy and plan to keep those xD


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## BarbH (May 23, 2011)

More than likely you are going to have issues with the shrimp and angels. There is a good chance that the shrimp will become angel snacks.


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## Austin (Feb 1, 2010)

I was considering that. I think I'm going to see how it goes though (is that mean?). I am going to see if it's possible to sort of create a little area that is heavily planted or create a small cave or something for them. I hear they reproduce easily so maybe I'll be able to create a stable population. They're really cool. I guess I'll have to think about that.


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## NewFishFiend (Feb 21, 2013)

Angelfish are shoaling fish. An ideal number would be 5. Also, they run the roost. If you aren't interested making your aquatic world centered around angels then I don't suggest getting any. Also, angels are very territorial and if, say, you bought one and then decided you loved it and wanted to get 4 more, the chances of that working are slim. The one angel that is already established in the tank will not appreciate newcomers and will most likely start a war lol. I say this out of experience. I LOVE angelfish and my 75 gallon is centered around them. I have a wide variety of fish in aquarium, however, that get along quite well with my angels. The decision is yours as to whether or not you want to cater to your angels and make your other stocking decisions based on that, or if you want to leave them out completely. As an idea, I will tell you what I have stocked:

3 angels (had 5 but my dominant female bullied 2 to death.... see what I mean)
11 Candy Cane tetras
8 black striped neon tetras (had 10, but 2 became angelfish food. (dart shaped fish such as this is the natural prey of angels. The angels and these were my first fish and I didn't properly prepare. the remaining tetras are too large for the angels to eat..... for now)
2 blue dwarf gouramis
2 platys (both males)
4 bolivian rams ( 2 males, 2 females. they are paired and have their own territories on each side of the tank. I was very lucky. rams should be single or in pairs)


This setup has a species that enjoys each part of the water column so that my tank looks lively. It is a colorful mix and extremely entertaining. Both my ram pairs are spawning and they get pretty territorial over their rocks, but it doesn't take long for the other fish to catch on. When the eggs hatch, they become angelfish food. And tetra food.... and most likely gourami food lol.


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## Austin (Feb 1, 2010)

Your three angels are doing fine? I have had angels for a while. Initially I had 2 angels together and I kept trying to get more and they would always die. Well, actually, I had a male and female and they started spawning. Later, the female died, and the only angel I introduced was a female and spawned with the male later. 3 of those babies survived, then the mom died again. So it was 4 fish and it seemed every year one would die for some unknown reason. This was over the span of about 8-9 years. Anyways, they seemed fine when the numbers were 1 or 2 (at the times they were). Anyways, I acknowledge they may be more comfortable in shoals but I feel they would be fine. I won't be getting wild angels... it seems the standard store angel is sort of far removed from its natural habits... like acidic pH, protecting fry, etc. I just don't want to get maybe 5 and have a few of them die because of aggression. I almost feel they may be happier with a smaller population?

Anyways, I will consider more angels then. It's such a tough decision.


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## NewFishFiend (Feb 21, 2013)

Austin said:


> Your three angels are doing fine? I have had angels for a while. Initially I had 2 angels together and I kept trying to get more and they would always die. Well, actually, I had a male and female and they started spawning. Later, the female died, and the only angel I introduced was a female and spawned with the male later. 3 of those babies survived, then the mom died again. So it was 4 fish and it seemed every year one would die for some unknown reason. This was over the span of about 8-9 years. Anyways, they seemed fine when the numbers were 1 or 2 (at the times they were). Anyways, I acknowledge they may be more comfortable in shoals but I feel they would be fine. I won't be getting wild angels... it seems the standard store angel is sort of far removed from its natural habits... like acidic pH, protecting fry, etc. I just don't want to get maybe 5 and have a few of them die because of aggression. I almost feel they may be happier with a smaller population?
> 
> Anyways, I will consider more angels then. It's such a tough decision.


Well it's your fishtank and your decisions. That's what makes this hobby what it is. You do whatever you are comfortable with.  When I bought my first two rams i would have sworn it was a male and a female. Once their breeding tubes dropped I seen it was 2 females. Everyone told me that I would be wrong to get 2 males because the chances of them pairing was slim to none and they would just bully each other. I did it anyway, because that's what I wanted to do. And they paired. You just never know. When I had 5 angels, I assumed they were trying to form their heirarchy when they were being aggressive to each other, but one of them was never really accepted. After about 2 months, she started to hang out by herself on the other side of the tank. Another day and she quit eating. Found her dead the next morning. Absolutely no signs of disease. Then about 2 months after that, they did the same thing to another angel. Once again, no signs of disease. I have the 3 I have now and they seem to get along pretty well. If another dies, well.... I may have to rethink what could be the problem.


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## Austin (Feb 1, 2010)

Sometimes I'll feel kinda bad though if I do something that won't be good for the fish! I guess that's why I'm justifying.  I really kinda want rainbows but I'll be sad if I can't also get angels! I can't get shoals of both they won't fit.  But I need to think about it. Angels would be pretty to have a group. But then again, I wouldn't want them fighting anyways. :X


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## NewFishFiend (Feb 21, 2013)

I know what you mean. I feel guilty for every fish loss I've ever had. I beat myself up when it happens. Wondering if I missed something. Wondering if it some horrible, invisible fish disease and all my fish are suffering without me knowing (i'm a fish hypercondriac I think). The fact that you care says loads about what kind of fishkeeper you are. Just do your research and go with your gut  I'm a justifier too. I just keep thinking that even if I am doing some things wrong, my fish are better off with me than with many, many other people that they could have went home with and definitely better off than being in the tiny display tanks at the LFS.


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## Austin (Feb 1, 2010)

That is true! But in a way buying them is supporting more fish being bought for the display tanks! But that's over-analyzing ;P! I think they would be fine. The hard part with fish keeping is a lot of people have different opinions.


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