[petlover516]

ok so i am trying to do a science project on stress involving a colorful fish tank.
i am using a 55 gallon. i need suggestions for colorful fish-so far i was thinking:
-shoal of cardinal tets
-mixed shoal of glofish danios
-german blue ram pair
-australian rainbow

plant suggestions, colorful fish suggestions, decoration suggestions, and substrate suggestions or all greatly appreciated!

i guess for lighting i could use a double hood with 1 fluerescent light and 1 blue light.

 

[djrichie]

Will as a pet lover and my fish are my pet just as much as my dog or cats....... IMO using them as test subjects is not a good thing. But thats just me.....

 

[petlover516]

no im not hurting them. im just bringing friends over and i'll have them watch a scary movie, see if there blood pressure and heart rate go up, and than showing them the tank, and than see if there blood pressure/heart rate go down. so its really the kids who are being tested! and for filteration i plan on using an undergravel filter and an aquaclear.

 

[petlover516]

actually i am quite confused with UG filteration-all the actual books recommend them, but all the internet sources don't. i think i might also add emp. tets to my list, specifically the longfin variety, but i need opinions! i will also probably use sand as substrate.

 

[Stellaluna]

Undergravel filters are very much out of fashion. They basically suck all of the gunk from the substrate down below plastic plates where you cannot get to it, and it builds up over time.

Use a good HOB (hang on back) filter or better yet a canister filter,

Do you have a good understanding about the nitrogen cycle of an aquarium? You will not be able to add all of these fish at the same time - bacterial colonies have to build up, which consume the waste produced by the fish, and this can take weeks.

 

[petlover516]

the science fair won't start until october! thats why i am preparing to set it up hopefully by easter so i can add fish slowly and have it ready and thriving by september. so yes i know all about the Nitro Cycle and are currently teaching it to kids on my website. o and DJ if feel the same about conducting tests on animals-the person that won the science fair last time had squirted different types of substances at goldfish to see which one repelled the fastest. he than flushed them alive!

 

[Stellaluna]

the person that won the science fair last time had squirted different types of substances at goldfish to see which one repelled the fastest. he than flushed them alive!

Yikes!!

Ok, then you've got plenty of time to get things rolling. It sounds like a great experiment!

 

[petlover516]

ok so whats your suggestion, stellaluna?

 

[Stellaluna]

I like the fish you have listed above. I am not sure about the rams, they can be a bit shy, but not always.

You could also look at some of the more wacky colored guppy varieties available these days, and many of the platys come in interesting, bright colors. Stay away from the colorful dwarf gouramis - they are tough customers and will basically make trouble in your tank. I don't know what your budget is going to be for the fish, but the cardinals and glofish are going to be a bit pricey, though if you don't get a huge number of them, filling out with less expensive fish, it will not be too bad.

Go to the LFS/pet shop a lot and keep looking at the fish every time you go, and you will see what fish catch your eye. Then we'll talk ratios and numbers. It is easier to overstock a 55 than you might think!

I'd get a Rena Filstar XP3 or XP4 if you have the funds for a canister, but otherwise a large Penguin or AquaClear would work for filtration. You'll need a heater also.

 

[petlover516]

i have also read that the rams are very sensitive, so i think i might go with orange chromide. i need hardy yet bold, outstanding fish so i guess that put rams out. i just saw some posts about flame guppies and galaxy guppies-they were beautiful.

i think i might go like this:
-6 cardinal tets
-3 glofish, 1 golden, and 1 longfin zebra danio.
-3 emperor tetras
-3 wacky color guppies
-1 A. Rainbow
-1 B. Rainbow
-3 cory cats (probably bronze, but i may try OLs if i can find them)
-1 oto
-1 orange chromide

i think i might be overstocking but im not sure.

 

[susankat]

You might try bolivian rams, not quite as colorful as the blues but not as sensitive and nice in their own rights.

 

[Stellaluna]

Agree with Susankat- I've had terrible luck with German rams and would love to try Bolivians, if I could ever find them. Rams are a great mild-mannered cichlid for a community tank like this.

 

[jaysinnva]

I'm not sure if B. Rainbow in your list means Boesmani Rainbows or not, but they have great colors once they've grown up a bit. I like the cardinals as well.

 

[Doedogg]

The only fish on that second list I would question is the Orange Chromide. I really dont know much about them but arent they more on the brackish side?
If you end up going with corys, look into Pandas, they are really cute little guys and crazy. Also up the school to six with whatever species you get.

 

[Stellaluna]

Agree about the orange chromide - brackish fish, very sensitive to fluctuations in water params. For a new setup I'd stick with hardy fish.

Also, otocinclus cats prefer to be in groups, and they too can be sensitive fish.

 

[petlover516]

hmmm...the encyclopedia i saw it in mentioned it as a very insensitive, community cichlid and didn't say anything about it being a brackish fish. anyways i've never seen them shop tanks but i think i might try wild-type angels instead.

 

[petlover516]

i also went to the LFS and saw pure albino rosey barbs, a Hot-Pink guppy, and a few pure-albino white(not gold) three-spot gouramis, but over the last 2 i would prefer 3 small platies.

 

[petlover516]

ok this thread was left alone for a while, and now i have changed my tank style around. it will be an Amazon bioTope tank. now i am aiming for this set-up:

15 cardinal tets
hundreds of cherry shrimp
2 German rams (both blue)
2 angelfish (1 koi, 1 wild-style)
3-5 black widow tets
3-5 emperor tets

filteration:
aquaclear110

substrate:
riverstone and pea gravel

plants:
Amazon Sword(center)
RoseaFolia (back)
micro swords (front)
hornwort(back)

and what othert plants would look good?

 

[Stellaluna]

I don't think the shrimp will last long at all with the angels and tetras, but otherwise it looks good.

 

[ELewandowski]

I might have read past it, but what size tank is this?

looks like a colorful setup.