# 55 litre tank mates



## luke1983 (Aug 25, 2008)

i have kept tropical fish before and am by no means a newbie, just wondered what people would reccomend keeping in a 55 litre tank?

Its been cycling for a while now, temps are at 25C, it well planted with CO2 and a light.

I was thinking along the lines of:

1 Red Tailed Black Shark - I've heard the stories about them but kept them successfully before!

6 Tiger Barbs

8 Neon Tetras or other small tetra's.

Any comments welcome.

Oh aye and a couple of shrimps to do the cleaning!


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## Esfa (Apr 15, 2007)

Deffo not the shark! They grow upto 8" and can be very territorial in smaller tanks.

Some fish suitable for your tank size, but deffo wont all go together include:

Dwarf puffers
Endlers
Bumblebee gobies
Pygmy gouramis
Pygmy corys
Threadfin Rainbowfish
Gertrudes rainbowfish
Various Killifish
Ember tetras
Celestial Rasbora 
kuhli loaches 
harlequin rasboras 
heterandria formosa
then various dwarf shrimp, seems like you know about these already.
Also snails. :2thumb:


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## russm (Aug 28, 2009)

Most of the above would be suitable but I would be careful if choosing the dwarf puffers as they can be nippy with anything that has long fins like the endlers and the gourami.


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## xweeqtx (Aug 18, 2009)

To be honest Dwarf Puffers should be in a species only tank, no other tankmates. Not sure about shrimp with them, I assume they'd take them for lunch..

55 litres is what, just over 10 gallons? 12 maybe? 

A nice shoal of colourful tetras, and you're shrimp would go lovely in that, especially since it's planted.


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## Esfa (Apr 15, 2007)

xweeqtx said:


> To be honest Dwarf Puffers should be in a species only tank, no other tankmates. Not sure about shrimp with them, I assume they'd take them for lunch.


Like I said in my first post, not all the fish in my list would go together.

I've kept my puffers successfully with bumblebee gobies, leopard danios, various dwarf and filter shrimp, freshwater pipefish and larger snails like nerites. :2thumb:


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## Reptile-newb (Jul 13, 2009)

DPs are loads of fun. I keep mine in a species tank, but only because my tank I keep them in isn't big enough for other fish.


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## Trillian (Jul 14, 2008)

Not the RTBS (needs a four foot tank) or the Tiger Barbs (at least 150L and minimum of 10) as the tank is way too small. It would be ok for the Neon Tetras though. How about a shoal of them plus a trio of Honey Gouramis (1M:2F) and a group of Otos (added several months down the line to allow for a buildup of algae)? That would make a nice, varied community. 

Whatever you decide on, make sure you read the Sticky on Fishless Cycling as that's the best way to set up a tank. : victory:


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## Cleopatra the Royal (Nov 29, 2008)

Don't keep neons with Tiger barbs.

The Tigers will bully them, probably to death.

Harry


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## Cleopatra the Royal (Nov 29, 2008)

Trillian said:


> Not the RTBS (needs a four foot tank) or the Tiger Barbs (at least 150L and minimum of 10) as the tank is way too small. It would be ok for the Neon Tetras though. How about a shoal of them plus a trio of Honey Gouramis (1M:2F) and a group of Otos (added several months down the line to allow for a *buildup of algae*)? That would make a nice, varied community.
> 
> Whatever you decide on, make sure you read the Sticky on Fishless Cycling as that's the best way to set up a tank. : victory:


 
Ottos generally only eat brown algae. A bristlenose catfish will clear the algae like anything.

If you're going for an SE Asia tank, a dwarf species of Flying Fox or Sucking Loach would be good.


Harry


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