Types of fish fortall 56 gallon freshwater tank

yodapoolman

Hey all,

I'm new to the forums and also to keeping fish. I had a 10 gallon tank for a while that had an emerald cory and 5x black skirt tetras. I recently upgraded and transferred those fish to a 56 gallon tall tank (due to size constraints in apartment) and I was looking to add more types of fish.

I have 2x Fluval U2 filters, a 150-watt heater, and an air pump that supplies air for ship and cave ornaments.

I was thinking of adding about 5 tiger barbs, a Redtail shark, and a rubber nose pleco, but I had heard that the shark might not be a good fit for a tall aquarium.

I'm pretty novice at all this lol, but I'd appreciate any suggestions. I don't know if I'd want larger fish occupying the middle as I like to see the activity :)

Thanks for the suggestions!

Byron

Hi and welcome to Tropical Fish Keeping forum.

One of our resources here is the section called Tropical Fish Profiles, accessed via the second tab from the left in the blue bar across the top of the page. It contains most of the commonly-available fish, and many plants too. If the name as it appears in the profile is used in a post, it will be shaded, example: Tiger Barb. This works for common and scientific names.

I would review the profiles for the fish you are considering, as they are not whole-heartedly recommended for community tanks. The Red Tailed Shark gets big, much too big for a 56g tank, and it can be very nasty as noted in the profile. Tiger Barb need larger groups, at least 8, to hopefully avoid aggression, but they can be very nasty (fin nipping and more) with other fish, so tankmates must be carefully chosen. I would not myself limit your tank by having this species.

The rubber nose pleco is not (yet) in our profiles, but this is another fish to consider carefully. It attains 5 inches and usually considers smaller fish as food. A Bristlenose Pleco would be a better choice, or one of the smallish (under 4 inches) Hypancistrus species that are becoming more widely available today; there are a couple in our profiles, Hypancistrus zebra and Hypancistrus furunculus, and there are many others similar. Or the Whiptail Catfish is a good community fish and has some interest. Check its profile.

For some good fish, have a look through the tetra (under Characins in the profiles), rasbora and danio (under Cyprinids), most are peaceful but issues will be noted in the respective profile.

Hope this helps you.

Byron.

yodapoolman

Thanks so much for the info. There is a ton of info on that area you mentioned. I look forward to delving into it deeper.

I'm not set in stone on keeping the tetras, they were recommended for cycling purposes. I'm looking for something about the same size that are active and somewhat colorful. I understand your position on the tiger barb and agree because I don't want just the barbs, I want a community with variety.

Thanks again for the info, Byron. If anyone else has thoughts I'd love to hear them! :)

redchigh

I would reccomend a fishless cycle. If you use the search feature (top right corner of the screen) you're sure to find instructions on it.

yodapoolman

I agree that'd be an easier way to cycle, but as I already transferred the fish are you saying I should get rid of them and finish the cycle with no fish and then add brand new fish? If so, any recommendations on a good community for 56 tall? Ideally, I'd prefer the long to give them room to swim, but due to space constraints I opted for the tall. I'm not looking for larger fish (with the exception of bottom dwellers like RTS or the suggested bristlenose pleco). I'd like to see some variety and playfulness/movement, not some big fish just hovering in the middle of the tank eating and pooping lol.