Suggestions on stocking a 55g

DKRST

I need opinions on fish for a planted tank. Right now, I have a 55 gallon with 5 pepper corys and a variety of plants. I'd like to add angels, but had so much trouble with LFS angels dying, I'm swearing off angelfish temporarily. While I enjoy the corys, I'm anxious to put something else in the tank! I prefer a sedate community tank, with fish large enough to view from across the room. I'll be adding some shrimp in the near future.

All suggestions welcome!

GwenInNM

Check out Rainbow Fish - very smart, pretty and you can get the Dwarf variety or the larger ones.

Great fish. Happy stocking!

gingerael

kissing gouramis are always fun and tend to be quite mellow! they are great for community aquariums! another fav are the bala sharks.

aunt kymmie

What are your water parameters? Easier to suggest fish once we know what your water stats are. I'd hate to recommend GBRs if your ph was 7.8 and alkaline. Easier to match fish to your ph, rather than ph to the fish.

LasColinasCichlids

Boeseman Rainbowfish are pretty awesome, and in a 55 gal you could have 6 of them like they prefer to be kept.

Croaking Gourami, Sparkling Gourami ( a lot of them)???

A variety of Rasbora shoals??

But you said fish to see across the room...hmm...Maybe a couple of giant danios? They can get up to 6 inches...and my lfs often has a couple that are full size. And with their active swimming you have the right sized tank.

Or maybe odessa barbs?

aunt kymmie

A shoal of Congo tetras would also look pretty spectacular. I like the Odessa Barb suggestion too. Denison barbs are another personal favorite of mine.

DKRST

Lots of good suggestions so far - thanks! My tank pH is about 6.8, medium lighting, singificant plants, some some barbs aren't going to work. Danios would preclude getting Angels later on.

ElectricBlueJackDempsey

+1 on the Congo Tetras. a group of 6 -10 would look amazing. Also, my lfs has a 75 gallon show tank with angels, rainbows and Denison's Barb/Roseline Shark and that would make a very interesting tank too.

DKRST

I'm not familiar with the congo tetras, I'll check them out. I also had not thought about mixing the rainbows with the angelfish.

I swore off angelfish for a while.... That lasted all of 5 days. I saw three quarter-size angelfish today and couldn't resist (a different store than where I have been getting my previous "deaders" from). They aren't fancy in any way, but I'll take them if they'll survive! These angels are large enough to assist me in reducing my excess Guppy fry population as well. If live food won't keep them alive, I don't know what else to do!