Restocking a 55gl

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courtneem

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 25, 2007
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South Dakota
www.structed.net
After my wipe out in my tank, in order to keep my sanity I want to start to plan stocking.

I woke up to NO dead fish today so I may be on the uphill now. FINALLY! It will be about a month before I get any new fish. I want to get everything healthy and back to good order. I was going to get a 75gl very soon but will hold that off until this summer since I lost most of my fish.

A 55gl to use now, a 75gl in a few months so I want to somewhat plan for both. The 75gl though for sure will house my 2 fourline pictus and my common pleco if they make it through this with me.

I will tell you what I had and what I have left. I had my 55gl planned around spotted and fourline pictus. I adore these fish but I am not sure I want more spotted pictus. Many say they are hardy but I have found they are very touchy. They get sick and go fast and meds take them out to easy.

My 55gl has two HOB filters rated for 30-60GL, I run with 80F temp usually and a PH of 7. Gravel and unplanted. My 75gl will be sand and unplanted with a xp3 filter and plan to do 80F again and ph of 7 as well.

I am willing to go another direction... so give me some ideas. I do like the idea of a rainbow shark or a red fin shark, or a few of them. If they are able to live with my fourlines and my pleco in a 75gl.

If the serpae tetra are okay with the other white skirts and glow light tetra I wont get more tetra. If they would be better off with more of the serpae back in there I can get more serpae. I know they use to stay in their group.

I HAD

2 Four line pictus - 5-6"
4 spotted pictus - 3-4"
5 clown loaches - 2"
8 serpae tetra
8 white skirt tetra
3 bleeding heart tetra
1 glass tetra
3 glow light tetra
1 apple snail - quarter size a lil bigger
1 common pleco - 4" or so

I have now

2 four line pictus - 5-6"
7 white skirt tetra
2 serpae tetra
3 glow light tetra
1 apple snail
1 common pleco
 
Rainbows fight when housed with other rainbows, One will be a good add though. That was ALOT of fish in that 55, with such low p.h... spikes will cause major die offs every time. Most sharks that look like rainbows like red tail, red fin, and even albino rainbow. Will harass the weakest, till the point of death sometimes. I would get another plec to keep stuff clean. (when you have both tanks good to go) Pics in 75 with plec, one of the above sharks, and maybe a good size school of dithers. keep the rest in the 55. Hope this helps.
 
bigspizz;857275; said:
Rainbows fight when housed with other rainbows, One will be a good add though. That was ALOT of fish in that 55, with such low p.h... spikes will cause major die offs every time. Most sharks that look like rainbows like red tail, red fin, and even albino rainbow. Will harass the weakest, till the point of death sometimes. I would get another plec to keep stuff clean. (when you have both tanks good to go) Pics in 75 with plec, one of the above sharks, and maybe a good size school of dithers. keep the rest in the 55. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

I agree it is a lot of fish and by no means a good home for long term. I want to stress all these fish were SMALL. My Clown Loaches were the size of my White Skirt Tetra. My serpae are just little things. Inch if that with out a tail. Clown Loaches were the last addition and only added because I was going to have a 75gl in a few weeks (on hold now). The only "big fish" are the 2 fourlines and the 1 pleco which the biggest is 5 1/2 - 6"

I dont feel I was "overstocked" but would be pushing it as the fish grew. The only one on a growth spurt is the pleco. The fourlines have slowed down the last 4mo and well we all know Clown Loaches grow really slow. I planned to have a 75gl and that wouldnt ever be an issue.

I test my water A LOT because of this and watch it close. My PH has always been stable for me. My ammonia and nitrIte stay at zero and I dont see my nitrAte go above 20. I do PWC every Friday and keep my tank clean and change the filters on a rotation etc.

Before they got sick I never saw my PH change. It has been the same. No swings. I had no ammonia spike, no nitrIte spike, no nitAte spike. My temp was constant.

Even the guys at my LFS are confused because they are completely involved in my fish tank. They know what I have, how it is set up and how many fish I have. They know my future plans and work with me. They don't just push a sale. In the start they even told me fish wouldnt be good until I got my tank more cycled. It had some trace nitrIte left. They are great! My sister brought her water in and it had .25 almost .5 ammonia. She gave me her spotted pictus they were to big for her tank. She was going to get some small fish and they told her to wait. How many LFS do that? lol

With that said, they are confused as well because they know I liquid test often and keep track closely as I was at this level waiting for my 75gl. I took my water into them once a month to check. They even say I have really good water.

It just in our eyes was NOT the water. I didnt see a swing in ANYTHING until well into several fish deaths and meds which is to be expected.

I have narrowed it down to

1) I had one clown loach that I have had for awhile that just never seemed right. He always seemed on the weak side and it was the one that I noticed flashing last Friday this all started.

2) I know at times foods can still have parasites like frozen blood worms.

Other wise I am at a loss.
 
If I got one raindbow shark, what kind of fish would I have to avoid?
 
another rainbowshark or red tailed black shark......u either have 1 or you have lots, not 2 or 3 because then they will kill each other.

I'd suggest a big touch cichlid to go with him.
 
I have never kept a Cichlid but they do intrigue me. Are they straight FW or are they brackish? Is my PH ok for them? Will they eat my fourlines?
 
yup, get something like a severum, jack dempsey or something. should work good with a tough RTBS.
 
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