The fishes you are intending to stock majorly determine whether or not the aquarium established by you will be a success. A 55 gallon tank gives you enough space to add immense variety of flora as well as fauna in your tiny yet vast ecosystem. You can experiment with a lot of species of fishes because of the size of this tank provided you conduct proper research before putting them in the tank. While maintenance is one thing you need to take care of in case of 55 Gallon tanks, you can a variety of biodiversity to this tank. A 55 gallon fish tank which has been stocked ideally will never fail to be the centre of attention and attraction in your living room.
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HOW MANY FISHES FOR 55 GALLON TANK
A 55 gallon tank provides you with sufficient room to experiment. The space provided by the tank is quite considerable and a variety of fishes can be used to add life to the tank. If you are planning on putting in average tropical community fish, you can go to the extent of 25 fishes. The number of fishes you intend to put in your tank is hugely determined by their temperament, space they require, and the zone of the tank they are more likely to occupy. Depending on the fish you choose, the number can even go as low as seven.
WHAT ALL FISHES CAN YOUR 55 GALLON TANK BEHOLD?
The tank can clearly embrace a large number of fishes. A smart selection while choosing fishes for a 55 gallon tank be made by making a choice based on the zones occupied by the fishes. This way, you can not only add more variety to your aquarium but also make full use of your large tank. It is thus, very crucial to do a research about the fishes you intent to make inhabitants of your aquarium. Some of the fishes that your tank can embrace include:
For the bottom level of the tank:
- Cory catfish
- Plecostomus
- Loaches
- Cherry and ghost shrimp
- For the mid-level portion of the tank:
- Gourami
- Angelfish
- Neons and other tetras
- Cherry barbs
- The top-level tank occupants:
- Guppies
- Swordtail and platy
- Mollies
- Zebra danio
You can also fill your tank completely with a single species, and if you are inclined towards this option you might want to consider
- African Cichlid
- Oscars
- Green spotted puffer
The fishes should be selected based on their requirements pertaining to space and food. Also, care needs to be taken regarding the type of fishes, their temperament and sizes so as to ensure the preservation of the entire biodiversity inside your aquarium.
SOME STOCKING IDEAS THAT CAN COME IN HANDY
The total success of your aquarium will be depending on how ideally you choose the fishes and how judicially you stock them. These combinations have a great impact on the survival and life of the aquarium. While keeping a variety of fishes together, it is imperative to ensure that they do not end up harming each other. Before stocking, you need to do proper research about each species that you are planning to adopt for your tank. The stocking ideas also vary depending on the shape of the tank.
Below are some of the stocking ideas you can efficiently use for your 55 gallon fish tank:
- 1-2 pair m/f of Dwarf flag cichlid, Bolivian Ram, Goldeneye cichlid
- 20-25 of tetra species considering their small size and peaceful nature.
- While stocking for 55 gallon tank, you should avoid Bushymouth catfish.
- 8-12 corydoras fish can prove to quite suitable for the tank.
- 3 males- 5 females of Black Molly, Dalmatiner-Molly or Silver-Molly
- 5 males and 10 females of Endler Guppies or Flamingo Guppies or Guppy paired with Cardinal Tetra or Ember Tetra or Rosy Tetra or Flame Tetra or Glowlight tetra.
You should keep the following things in mind while fishkeeping:
- The fishes you put together should share a peaceful environment.
- The bigger fishes should not tend to eat up the smaller ones
- The tank should embrace all the necessary equipment which are necessary o provide the fishes with a conducive environment.
Conclusion
Thus, a 55 gallon tank can widen your scope of experimentation with an array of fishes. If all the necessary aspects like stocking are looked after, you can easily build a nice aquarium.
