Need advice on my 55 gallon

yippee

Tell me how this sounds so far:
10 tiger barbs
6 cories (not sure what kind yet)
2-3 Ctenopoma acutirostre
1 Red tail Black Shark

Is that okay so far?

Tank will be heavily planted in parts but open in others. Sand substrate. More than enough filtration

1077

Climbing perch are largely predators and can grow quite large if you are capable of keeping the water near pristine.You may wish to consider raising some small feeder fish for them. Purchasing feeder fish is the quickest way I know of introducing disease to ones tank. Perch will also feel more comfortable with some type of floating cover ,either live plants, or artificial.
If you have your heart set on Red tail shark, I would add it last.
With the exception of the corys, and tiger barbs, I might wait were it me,,(and it ain't) wait until the tank was a little more mature and I had a readily available food source for the climbing perch. JMO.

yippee

i will treat the tank with live/frozen food. I do plan on turning my existing 10 gallon into a wild Guppy breeding ground, we all know how quickly they reproduce. I definitely have already thought this through, and i appreciate the advice.

I really would like a Red Tailed Shark. I've heard lots of people say they go well with barbs. Obviously every fish is different, but i'm hoping it will work out in my case. If nothing else it can always be re homed.

OTher than that are there any issues? the climbing perches won't eat the barbs right? I'm thinking full grown the barbs will be too big, but i'm not sure.

Edit: do the stocking levels sound okay?

1077

As long as perch gets guppies on occasion ,they may not bother with barbs which as you have noted get large in their own right. Shark will prolly claim the bottom or a good potion of it while barbs and perch will inhabit the mid to upper levels.
I don't see anything wrong with stocking you have planned.IMHO

Sj45

Sounds like my tank(s).

yippee

Food to know my plan works. Would you assume there would be any room for anything else?

Would two penguin 350s be too much filtration?

1077

IMHO nope,and yes. Maybe a 350 and a 200.

yippee

will that cause one side to filter better than the other or will they still filter evenly?

1077

Will be plenty of filtration.

JohnnyD44

thats what I plan to put on my 55G next week....if the stupid carpet people ever decide to show up!