Colorful Aquarium Fish?

[gonzomax]

If he is a rookie, i suggest he start cheap. Don’t learn on expensive fish. Then buy an oscar to take care of the cheap fish.

[Faelyn]

@Babale

they should all be fine. I kept just abou half those numbers in a 30 for years (minus the loaches)

don’t add them all at once though. Take your water for testing untill ph ammonia and nitrates are at proper levels, then start slowly. I’d add four tiger barbs first, then a week later test the water and add two more And the platies. Once that water is good, you can add more fish. Save the loaches and dwarf gourami for last as they can be sickly.
A slightly larger, more aggressive fish you can add is the red tailed black shark. He, the loaches, an the pleco don’t eat normal food though. You’ll need algea chips.

@Babale

Oh and if you ever want to ask questions drop me a pm an I’ll be happy to help.

Thanks, I will! You’ve been really helpful and i appreciate it! We’re gonna go pick up a heater and take in a water sample. We’ll follow your suggestions, I hope everything comes out good! I really want a bright, colorful, lovely tank, and this sounds like a good path to it!

[TruCelt]

@Meagan

Ok, so we’re going to buy a heater tomorrow for sure, and I’m thinking atleast a Clown Loach or two (the SO won’t budge on it). Are they sociable?

Then he needs to return the 55 and get at least a 100 gallon tank. That should last them about 5 years, by which time he needs to have saved up enough for a 210. A 55 won’t be appropriate for more than about 7 months, as clowns grow very fast the first two years. It is also cruel to keep Clown’s in a pack of less than three, and really seven is better for them. And no, I am absolutely NOT recommending you put seven CLs in a 55.

If he’s not going to trade up immediately, then he needs to research other loaches on line, and choose something more appropriate. Show him striata, sidthimunki , and I’m guesing kuhli’s will catch his eye, as they are the same colors, and move beautifully.

Kuhli loach feeding frenzy

[aceplace57]

Can you recommend a beginners book or website article that explains how to setup the tank and get the water right? I had bettas in a small betta bowl. I’ve never used an aquarium because I didn’t know how to set it up.

[Myglaren]

There are dozens of websites that would be appropriate.
Just one of many.

[Babale]

Having done some extra research on clown loaches, I’m gonna revise my earlier suggestion. I thought you could pull off trading them with other fishkeepers when they got too big, but as sensetive as clown loaches are that may be a bad idea. I’d go with my list but replace 3 loaches with 1 rainbow shark.

Explain to your SO that loaches need a 75 gallon tank at the minimum. In order to be active and happy, even more.

[Polycarp]

@Babale

as for your concerns dwarf gouramis are not usually aggressive. They’ll not be too troublesome in a 55 gallon. Anything slow enough to get caught by them will be too big to be bothered.

My first tank was a fairly small one and I had two blues – they did everything but get cowboy hats and guitars and sing “Don’t Fence Me In” to convince me they needed more space. I got the clear impression that their reputation for being aggressive was directly related to people keeping them in too-small tanks – IMO they want swimming room, and are not particularly aggressive if they have it.

[Babale]

@Polycarp

@Babale

as for your concerns dwarf gouramis are not usually aggressive. They’ll not be too troublesome in a 55 gallon. Anything slow enough to get caught by them will be too big to be bothered.

My first tank was a fairly small one and I had two blues – they did everything but get cowboy hats and guitars and sing “Don’t Fence Me In” to convince me they needed more space. I got the clear impression that their reputation for being aggressive was directly related to people keeping them in too-small tanks – IMO they want swimming room, and are not particularly aggressive if they have it.

Yep, my 30gallon back in its community tank days had two yellow 3-dot-gouramis and two dwarfs. They were the most peaceful fish I had. Hell, my PLECO was more aggressive. (That bastard would try to suck the mucus off of the gouramis whenever they swam too low…)

Damn this thread is making me wish I still had a community tank. I knew I wanted cichlids so when my community fish died over time, I just didn’t replace them until all I had was a pleco. Then I put in two Convicts. I have like 18 now, and that’s after I gave some away.