[vicvonqueso]

Recently got into the hobby and I'm having a blast with my black orchid crowntail betta's 6.5 gallon, and just got a 55 gallon tank to mess around with > Tell me what you all think!

I'm thinking of adding a few schooling and shoaling fish, maybe tetras of some sort, corys, rainbow fish or some other top dweller, zebra danios, 3 kuhli loaches, some nerite snails and shrimp of some sort. Also angelfish for the centerpiece fish.

The hardscape is mopani wood and dragonstone.

Plants:

• Anubias
• Hairgrass
• Blue Hygro
• Red Crypt
• Java Fern
• Java Moss
• Windelov
• Bacopa
• Repens
• Rotala Wallichii
• Microcarpaea Minima
• Super Blue Buce
• Alternanthera Reineckii

 

[Plinkploop]

Rainbows and cories would obliterate your shrimp. Angels for a centerpiece pushes zebra danio- water temperatures are quite different. I'd be very careful with keeping kuhlis and angels together without having lots fine sand pits and caves.

What fish are you most interested in keeping in this tank?

 

[vicvonqueso]

Rainbows and cories would obliterate your shrimp. Angels for a centerpiece pushes zebra danio- water temperatures are quite different. I'd be very careful with keeping kuhlis and angels together without having lots fine sand pits and caves.

What fish are you most interested in keeping in this tank?

The fish I'm most interested in are probably the cories, kuhlis, and angels, but since I'm still trying to figure out a good combo, I'm more than willing to change things up. What would be a better centerpiece to go with kuhlis? How would gouramis fair?

 

[Plinkploop]

Some gourami would be better suited than others. Watch out for the dwarf blue males. From the time I've kept pearl and 3 spot they have shown little aggression. I've never personally kept any dwarf gourami. You can definitely do angels and kuhlis you just have to plan out to give them areas to hide. Do you have sand or gravel for a substrate?

 

[vicvonqueso]

Some gourami would be better suited than others. Watch out for the dwarf blue males. From the time I've kept pearl and 3 spot they have shown little aggression. I've never personally kept any dwarf gourami. You can definitely do angels and kuhlis you just have to plan out to give them areas to hide. Do you have sand or gravel for a substrate?

The subrate is fluval stratum. I have some hiding places dug out under the stacked rocks, especially in the middle. I can always change things around. Since it's a new tank, I have plenty of time to get this all planned out while it cycles

 

[Plinkploop]

If you are going to keep kuhlis or any other scaleless burrowing fishes you should really have sand for a substrate. I'm sure there's people that keep them without sand but it just seems too risky IMO. Just a thought. They're very susceptible to getting cut and then it's very easy for them to suffer infections and that's something that usually doesn't end too well as they tend to be sensitive to a lot of treatments.

 

[vicvonqueso]

Okay, so maybe nix the kuhlis and get more cories? I do like cories

 

[Plinkploop]

Okay, so maybe nix the kuhlis and get more cories? I do like cories

Keep an eye on their barbels and have a soft place for them to forage. They are another species that appreciates sand, but I've kept them fine with gravel, so long as it's rounded and not sharp. It's also important to be diligent about water quality in this scenario.

 

[vicvonqueso]

Keep an eye on their barbels and have a soft place for them to forage. They are another species that appreciates sand, but I've kept them fine with gravel, so long as it's rounded and not sharp. It's also important to be diligent about water quality in this scenario.

The stratum is very soft and round, no sharp edges from what I can tell

 

[Plinkploop]

The stratum is very soft and round, no sharp edges from what I can tell

Yea, that's why I think you should be okay. I didn't have problems with cories and stratum but it's still best to keep vigilant. It's easier to prevent issues than it is to fix them.

 

[jake21]

I've kept kuhli with angels and have not observed any issues in several years. I suppose if the angel is large and hungry and it could catch the kuhli unaware it might be an issue but kuhli are pretty darn fast. I had to isolate one of my adult angels in a 29 with some very small kuhli and still did not observe any issues. Not saying it can't happen but my personal experience is that this stocking has more severe issues. Also i would never keep an angel with shrimp....

I also keep kuhli on both eco-complete and very fine sand. Not sure one works better but to be honest the tank with eco-complete has a 2ftx2ft forest of java fern where the kuhli spend a lot of time 'buried' in the plants.

Rainbows and cories would obliterate your shrimp. Angels for a centerpiece pushes zebra danio- water temperatures are quite different. I'd be very careful with keeping kuhlis and angels together without having lots fine sand pits and caves.

What fish are you most interested in keeping in this tank?

[

 

[vicvonqueso]

Yea, that's why I think you should be okay. I didn't have problems with cories and stratum but it's still best to keep vigilant. It's easier to prevent issues than it is to fix them.

Oh, of course! That's why I'm here. Just want to have a healthy, happy community. Now I just want to figure out a few good top and mid dwelling fish

I've kept kuhli with angels and have not observed any issues in several years. I suppose if the angel is large and hungry and it could catch the kuhli unaware it might be an issue but kuhli are pretty darn fast. I had to isolate one of my adult angels in a 29 with some very small kuhli and still did not observe any issues. Not saying it can't happen but my personal experience is that this stocking has more severe issues. Also i would never keep an angel with shrimp....


[

Okay, so if I want shrimp, separate tank

Alternatively, what would work with shrimp?

 

[Plinkploop]

I've kept kuhli with angels and have not observed any issues in several years. I suppose if the angel is large and hungry and it could catch the kuhli unaware it might be an issue but kuhli are pretty darn fast. I had to isolate one of my adult angels in a 29 with some very small kuhli and still did not observe any issues. Not saying it can't happen but my personal experience is that this stocking has more severe issues. Also i would never keep an angel with shrimp....

I also keep kuhli on both eco-complete and very fine sand. Not sure one works better but to be honest the tank with eco-complete has a 2ftx2ft forest of java fern where the kuhli spend a lot of time 'buried' in the plants.


[

My concern is mostly with the sensitivity to injury to the kuhlis trying to hide in an immature tank. If you have a forest soft spot or sand covering a good section it's not as likely to happen. Never would I say it's impossible to keep them together, just a little more difficult in certain settings.

 

[Plinkploop]

Oh, of course! That's why I'm here. Just want to have a healthy, happy community. Now I just want to figure out a few good top and mid dwelling fish

Rummynose were my first thought. Then lemon tetra....

 

[reddhawkk]

I second the lemons.

 

[vicvonqueso]

Ooh I'm interested in both of those

So for now I've got
Angels
Rainbows (maybe)
Lemons
Rummynose
Cories
Nerites

What kind of numbers would I be able to get out of these in a tank this size?

 

[somewhatshocked]

Alternatively, what would work with shrimp?

Nothing.

Any fish can potentially eat shrimp, hunt them, harm them, kill them, eat their young.

That doesn't mean some won't survive or thrive. But fish are not ideal tank mates for shrimp. If you have the means, definitely consider a shrimp-only tank.

 

[vicvonqueso]

Nothing.

Any fish can potentially eat shrimp, hunt them, harm them, kill them, eat their young.

That doesn't mean some won't survive or thrive. But fish are not ideal tank mates for shrimp. If you have the means, definitely consider a shrimp-only tank.

Noted.

Also, once I get this cycled, which fish would be best to add first? I plan on adding angels last so that might be months down the road

 

[Plinkploop]

I usually start with the 'clean up crew' snails, oto, cory etc then the smallest of schoolers and then I add based on natural aggression, least aggressive first most aggressive last. I don't know if there's truly any difference adding the schoolers based on aggression but I do it anyway.