Large Fish For 55 Gallon Tank?

[TealFish]

Hey! i'm planning on getting a 55 gallon aquarium (Juwel Rio 240) but don't know what fish to put in the tank...

I've considered a Silver Arowana but i know that the tank definitely wouldn't be big enough as they grow very fast, I've also thought about keeping 1 Tiger Oscar with around 5 Malawi's or Tropheus but apparently they are too aggressive so that idea is out the window. At the moment I've resorted to just 1 Tiger Oscar even though 55 gallons would only just be big enough at a push, but i'm thinking that i cant just spend nearly £1000 on a decent tank for just one fish.

So i don't know what fish to get and i need suggestions of what kind of fish to get, i'm looking for reasonably colourful fish to go with a planted tank and sizes of about 4 inches.

Thanks in advanced!

 

[skjl47]

Hello; I also have a 55 gallon tank. My take is there are no fish in a category where arowanas and Oscars are a part. Many consider a 55 not large enough for even one lone Oscar.
My choice a few years ago was a pair of common angel cichlids. I bought two juveniles figuring at maturity they would be decent fit in a 55 with some capacity for a very few other small fish. This worked out fairly well except they just happened to turn out to be a male and female. That story I related in a thread I started about when they started laying eggs.

Let me say right now I get that angel fish are not the sort of trophy fish you appear to be thinking of. I just do not think you will get many reasonable suggestions of that sort of fish suitable for a 55 gallon. Do folks put arowanas nd Oscars in a 55 gallon? Yes they do and there are many threads to be found in this forum where they often are asking for help with the problems that result.

Just my two cents. Feel free to ignore.

 

[celebrist]

6 inch max size if you want to keep them for life

 

[Lsey81]

I honestly wouldn't put an aro or Oscar in 55...are you set on monsterfish? 55 would be excellent for a community tetra or livebearer tank...i only advise against because I have put Aro in a 75 gal thinking I had time....huge mistake they grow waaaay faster than you think...good luck! Keep us posted!

 

[Jexnell]

I would suggest something from the Amatitlania family. You can have a breeding pair and still have room for a group of Tetras/Swordtails/Plattys and a bottom fish.

I have a 55 with a breeding pair of Honduran Red Points. There are also 4 Swordtails, 16 Neon tetras, 2 Plattys, a male Beta, bushynose pleco, 4 Kulli loaches and Nerite snails.
The HRP's are too busy breeding to mess with anybody else. They have picked off a couple Neons over the months but changing to a taller tetra will fix this.
But the tank is in this wierd balence where the HRP's eat all the other fish fry, and they returned the favor and eat the HRP fry. So everyone stays busy breeding and don't really bother anyone else, and my tank don't get overwhelmed with fry.

 

[J. H.]

Mbuna.

 

[Fishnerd360]

Jack Dempsey or female green terror, or a pair of electric blue acaras. These are options that worked well for me besides a green terror in my 45 gallon, not a 55 gallon, but only 10 gallons off.

 

[esoxlucius]

It seems to me you've got big fish ideas but small tank budget. I think a lot of us have been there at one time or another. But here's the thing, a lot of people in your position just go and take the selfish option and get the fish anyway, and then months later come on here bleating about the sorry state of their parameters or fish health.

But respect to you. You know it's not right and you've come for advice first. There are masses of options for other smaller, colorful interactive fish, some have already been mentioned. And further down the road i've no doubt there will come a time when circumstances are more favourable and you can get the monster tank for your bigger dream fish. Good luck.

 

[Iamfish]

I have been so happy with my electric blue acaras in my 55 and would 100% recommend that. Other options could be rainbow sharks or a dwarf gourami like the honey, flame or blue.

 

[Niki_up]

I have been so happy with my electric blue acaras in my 55 and would 100% recommend that. Other options could be rainbow sharks or a dwarf gourami like the honey, flame or blue.

I was just going to suggest acaras, they say on the smallish side and are beautiful!!

Another fish that is quite colourful is the Kribensis, they are on the smaller side so I’m not sure if that will fit your bill.