[dylantheheeler]

i just set up my 55 gallon freshwater tank. i just want some input from all of you about what i should add to it.
so far i have:
1 tetra
2 minnows
1 fancy goldfish
1 baby goldfish
1 tiger barb
4 black neon tetras
2 baby plecos
2 red platies

also, all of these fish are under 2"..most being about 1".
i want something big, almost like angelfish, which is what i am leaning towards right now.

 

[susankat]

You have a mixture of tropical and cold water fish, which won't work in the long run. The gold fish and minnows would be a cold water tank. The others require tank temps to be somewhat warmer than what the goldfish need.

First you need to decide on which type of tank you want then go from there. In a community tank I would go with tropicals. Or you can have just a goldfish tank.

In a tropical tank you can have an angel but you will need to up your numbers of the tetras and barbs to at least 6 of each. As they can be pretty bad at nipping fins. The neons will make angel food once the angel gets full grown.

The plecos if they are common plecos they will get 18 to 20 inches and your tank isn't big enough to house them. I would trade them for a couple of bristlenose plecs which ususually max out at 5 inches.

 

[Dmaaaaax]

You have a mix of community fish there. Most of which like to live in schools of 6-10. The tetras are tropical fish that typically like lower pH and softer water. The platy and barbs tend to like slightly harder water and higher pH.

The tiger barbs can become aggressive and territorial. The goldfish and minnow are not tropical fish. They can live in colder water, and the goldfish can get pretty big, and cosume alot of food and make a lot of waste. The plecos, depending on the species can also get really big...bigger than angelfish.

You may want to ask yourself what kind of tank you want to have for the long run, and what kind of equipment you have to take care of them (filter size, heaters...etc).


EDIT...LOL, looks like susan and I have similar answers, but she beat me to it.

 

[dylantheheeler]

well i know that the fancy goldfish will have to go, we have a 1500 gallon pond that will be their home in the future, and i will be getting more schooling fish like tetras and barbs. but what i want to know is what is the nicest looking big fish?

 

[susankat]

I'm partial to angels like this one. But I wouldn't put one in there until the goldfish are moved and the tetras and barbs have their schools upped. And as told in earlier post they have different requirements than some of the fish that you are keeping.

 

[susankat]

I've got about 60 angels right now. Golds, koi, blue koi, double blacks, blacks, tigers, half blacks, silver striped and smokes.

But I would still suggest before putting angels in that tank, to up the numbers of the barbs and tetras.

The gold fish require cooler water to thrive, as they have a higher o2 requirement and the warmer the water the less o2. They are also big waste producers. Angels like live plants. Goldfish tend to eat plants. Plecos are major waste producers. You will be looking at water changes every couple of days to keep the water good enough for the fish.

 

[dylantheheeler]

oh yeah, i know that plecos are waste producers, but for now it is no problem, because they are still only 1.5" long. i have underground filters running to make vaccuming easy, a hang on the back filter, and i am getting a canister filter in august, so waste is no problem. as for the schools, i will up the schools of fish to about 6 or 7 of each breed.
Thanks for your help!

 

[Dmaaaaax]

Susan, no Altums?....you know you want some.





A tease for you:

 

[susankat]

Oh I really want some, but not any good ones around here, and its too hot to ship. Already lost a couple of shipments coming in due to heat. So gonna wait till its cooler to order some.