Stocking ideas for a non-standard 55gallon
- Thread starter Crash89
- Start date
Seems like exos need at least a 4 foot tank to keep from killing each other. Something like a snail fin tetra looks meaner than it is and acts like a cichlid.
The GT recommendation for a 55 gallon is not a great one, most of us would consider a 75 gallon minimum for a male. And as far as 50 gallon tanks goes, yours has quite a small footprint. I would probably prefer a 40 breeder to a 25"ish square tank in terms of keeping aggressive cichlids. You might be able to get away with a pair of convict relatives or acaras. I'm not sure if you have experience breeding larger more aggressive cichlids, but it is quite different than the rams, the size difference is usually much bigger between the M and F and the F gets killed quite often. Usually best not to try and keep undivided pairs in a small tank.
You may be disappointed after reading about 50 gallon recommendations online, but your tank should be stocked more like a 30 or 40 gallon to be honest. I do think dwarf cichlids would be the best choice by far.
Nanoluteus would probably work fine if you wanted something central american, and I have seen some pretty bulky 4-5" males in the past that were impressive.
You may be disappointed after reading about 50 gallon recommendations online, but your tank should be stocked more like a 30 or 40 gallon to be honest. I do think dwarf cichlids would be the best choice by far.
Nanoluteus would probably work fine if you wanted something central american, and I have seen some pretty bulky 4-5" males in the past that were impressive.
Update, im probably going for electric blue acara. Any suggestions on dither fish? I have rummynose tetras. But i heard they are gonna be eaten?
Tetras are good, but I would opt for a taller bodied one like serpae, bleeding heart, skirt, or Colombian, just to name a few. Thin tetras have a good chance of getting eaten.
Diamond tetra is a good somewhat geographically correct one.
I think ropes was as an alternative. They aren’t active, but aren’t inactive either (like most polys I suppose). Personally I think the tank is too small for a fish like that anyway.wont Rope fish just hide? They dont look like a centerpiece fish. And not really a dither fish for the blue acara since they live in the same region of the aquarium.
But thx for the input
For the acaras you could do a school of tetras and also something like yo-yo loaches or Cory cats as bottom feeders.
