What do you guys think of this stocking list?

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fishkeeper4244

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 20, 2011
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Atlanta, Georgia
im not trying to provoke any body i just want honest opinions.
i already have 1 common pleco (and some tetras but they will be moved to a smaller tank) in a 55. i will post the video of him tommorrow night.

future stock 55g

common pleco
bristlenose or rubberlip pleco
jaguar cichlid
2 silvertip sharks or 1 silvertip and 1 pictus
1 african knife

maybe another mid water fish so all of my fish are not on the bottom.
 
Common pleco no. Get too big. Stay with the bns or rubberlips. Silver tips no, they are brackish water. Go with 3 or 4 spotted pictus cats instead. Jag is fine but he might bully or even eat the knife in the future. More than likely the jag will be your only fish left besides the bottom feeders. He will not tolerate anybody else with him.
 
Hey fishkeeper...

For the most part, I don't think it's a bad stock list, but...since you asked for opinions :D

A common Pleco in a 55 is eventually asking for disaster. These guys get pretty big in time. They are going to be huge waste producers and your 55 gallons of water is going to take a ton of work to keep clean. In addition, the narrow width of a 55 is not going to be a good environment for a 12" or longer fish.

Silvertip sharks are going to get too big too. These guys are VERY active swimmers! They prefer to be in groups and will eventually need to be in brackish water. Altogether, they have 3 strikes against them for your situation.

The African Knife also is going to out grow a 55. He would be OK in there for awhile...but could end up being a snack for the Jaguar if he is too small. The ideal time span to keep him...big enough to not be eaten to still small enough to be healthy in a 55...is going to be a really short time.

I think the BN will be OK :)

Don't mean to be a downer, but that is how I see it.

Good luck!
 
I agree with ClDarnell completely except for on the African knifefish. Africain Brown Knifefish reach anywhere from 10" to 12", with some only reaching 7" and others growing up to 15". I think an 8" could live in a 55 gallon tank, but any bigger than that and you'll need a bigger tank. A good sized, fully grown, brown knife in my opinion should be kept in a 75-90 gallon or more. In a 55 gallon you'll have plenty of time before it out grows it though. If you're able to get a larger tank eventually then I highly recommend them, they are my personal favorite knifefish species
 
i have a common pleco in a 55 community, and i would say they are good fish for beginers, mine is about 8 inches, and im probably gonna try to sell it (or give it away if i cant find buyers) just because commons are relatively cheap and not really wanted by hobbyists. if i would get more plecos i'd try to get something more out of the ordinary, something that most people wont have. right now, besides the common, i have 4 longfin albino bristlenose plecos of medium size. they are way more active and cool than a common pleco lol
 
fishkeeper4244;4860416; said:
cool thanks. i feel like all i can have in my 55 is a few guppies haha. i guess i really need a bigger tank.
Click to expand...

lol, yeah, it seems that way sometimes huh? Don't worry, I am in the same situation most of the time. Even with a 150, I don't have a big enough tank to keep certain fish I want.

I'll be honest, if I had a chance to do it all over again with my 55, I would go with a couple of large groups of docile schooling fish. My decor would be as natural as possible...wood, rocks, plants, and I would consider 10-15 neons as one of the species. I wouldn't consider guppies.

From what I have seen, including my own set ups, no one has a big issue with minor over-crowding...it seems we all do it. But everyone for the most part agrees that a fish species needs a tank big enough to thrive comfortably. 12" fish in a 12" tank are a no no.

Good luck!
 
thanks a lot that helps. once i get a job i will save up for a 300g or something then i can have any fish i want, except for an arapaima, ha ha. later i want to do a DIY tank thats like 1000 gallons or something. but thats a lot of saving and a lot of research. :)
 
I honestly think you should do
1 convict
1 sajica
1 firemouth
1 salvini and
2-3 pictus cats
 
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