How many fish?

cwilfinger · 08-04-2008, 02:49 AM

I have a 55 gal fish tank and need to know how many fish I can safely put into the tank. The fish will be no larger than 2 inches full grown (most will be an inch and a half).

lauraleellbp · 08-04-2008, 03:35 AM

Depends on the species in question. A 2" plecostomus or molly will be 2-3x the bioload of a 2" tetra.

What species are you looking at now?

mgamer20o0 · 08-04-2008, 05:15 AM

depending on set up 40-60 this is a 100% guess with nothing to back it up

newshound · 08-05-2008, 02:05 PM

what is your filteration like?

cwilfinger · 08-05-2008, 05:09 PM

Well at the moment my tank has not been set up yet....

I have an Eheim 2215 ordered and I am looking for another 2215 or 2217 to go with it.

The fishes that I would like to stock the tank with are the following

Cardinal Tetras
Black Neon Tetras
Dwarf Otos
Harlequin Rasboras
Thread Fin Rainbow Fish
and lots and lots of shrimp

I'm researching on the following fishes, I like them but do now know too much about them yet...

Ruby Red Pencilfish
Breckfords Pencilfish
Ember/Fire Tetras
Gold/Yellow Tetras

kotoeloncat · 08-05-2008, 05:13 PM

Fish stocking depends on what your filtration is like, how many, how big is their max size, and also temperament

Filtration :
I can jam pack my 125 with fish (fish list on my 125 gal thread), but I have 3 high power canister filters

Size, number and temperament :
you can put maybe 2 pairs of Apistos in that 55 without anything else in there or you can put some 40 cardinals. The apistos will argue and torment its tankmates during breeding season, while cardinals wont harm anything (shrimp maybe ?)

Pencilfish needs to be kept in a group, I have heard more than once than a lone pencilfish can go beserk and terrorize the whole tank.

cwilfinger · 08-05-2008, 05:16 PM

I am looking at very peaceful community fishes only.

I would like to have at least 6 of every fish in the tank...

lauraleellbp · 08-05-2008, 06:15 PM

Personally I'd stick with 2 or at most 3 species of schooling fish, and get more fish in each school. The fish will be happier and IMO the tank will look better with those large schools.

Any of those fish should work well given your water parameters aren't extreme.

08-04-2008, 02:49 AM	#1
cwilfinger Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (52/100%) Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Illinois Posts: 375	How many fish? I have a 55 gal fish tank and need to know how many fish I can safely put into the tank. The fish will be no larger than 2 inches full grown (most will be an inch and a half).

08-04-2008, 03:35 AM	#2
lauraleellbp Fresh Fish Freak (View User Tanks) PTrader: (69/100%) Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Tampa, Florida Posts: 22,486	Depends on the species in question. A 2" plecostomus or molly will be 2-3x the bioload of a 2" tetra. What species are you looking at now? __________________ Geckos galore: Geckos in Tails, and follow Geckos in Tails on Facebook 29 gal Planted Tetra Tank, 46 gal Betta simplex community, 90 gal Low Tech Community, Amazon Fishing; my Journal of 10 days in Bolivia along the Rio San Martin

08-05-2008, 02:05 PM	#4
newshound Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: May 2005 Location: northern ontario canada Posts: 555	what is your filteration like? __________________ under stock over filter

08-05-2008, 05:13 PM	#6
kotoeloncat Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (125/100%) Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Jakarta, Indonesia Posts: 825	Fish stocking depends on what your filtration is like, how many, how big is their max size, and also temperament Filtration : I can jam pack my 125 with fish (fish list on my 125 gal thread), but I have 3 high power canister filters Size, number and temperament : you can put maybe 2 pairs of Apistos in that 55 without anything else in there or you can put some 40 cardinals. The apistos will argue and torment its tankmates during breeding season, while cardinals wont harm anything (shrimp maybe ?) Pencilfish needs to be kept in a group, I have heard more than once than a lone pencilfish can go beserk and terrorize the whole tank. __________________ hey...my algae pearls

08-05-2008, 06:15 PM	#8
lauraleellbp Fresh Fish Freak (View User Tanks) PTrader: (69/100%) Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Tampa, Florida Posts: 22,486	Personally I'd stick with 2 or at most 3 species of schooling fish, and get more fish in each school. The fish will be happier and IMO the tank will look better with those large schools. Any of those fish should work well given your water parameters aren't extreme. __________________ Geckos galore: Geckos in Tails, and follow Geckos in Tails on Facebook 29 gal Planted Tetra Tank, 46 gal Betta simplex community, 90 gal Low Tech Community, Amazon Fishing; my Journal of 10 days in Bolivia along the Rio San Martin

08-04-2008, 05:15 AM	#3
mgamer20o0 Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (158/99%) Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: cali Posts: 1,616	depending on set up 40-60 this is a 100% guess with nothing to back it up

08-05-2008, 05:09 PM	#5
cwilfinger Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (52/100%) Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Illinois Posts: 375	Well at the moment my tank has not been set up yet.... I have an Eheim 2215 ordered and I am looking for another 2215 or 2217 to go with it. The fishes that I would like to stock the tank with are the following Cardinal Tetras Black Neon Tetras Dwarf Otos Harlequin Rasboras Thread Fin Rainbow Fish and lots and lots of shrimp I'm researching on the following fishes, I like them but do now know too much about them yet... Ruby Red Pencilfish Breckfords Pencilfish Ember/Fire Tetras Gold/Yellow Tetras

08-05-2008, 05:16 PM	#7
cwilfinger Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (52/100%) Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Illinois Posts: 375	I am looking at very peaceful community fishes only. I would like to have at least 6 of every fish in the tank...

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