[fishstix]

I cycled the tank for a month with the two gold fish (so i had no intention of keeping them for very long anyway, i just needed a hardy fish to get things rolling) then i added the tiger barbs while they were very little; from what i have researched most fish get along with tank mates they grow up wth. While the tank was cycling large amounts of algea built up on the sides to the point that it was hard to see into the tank. I then bought four sucker fish who have done a great job keeping the algea level down but not completly so im not too concerned about there not being a food source; but i will take that into acount from now on. I did confuse the species of sucker fish i got with another, i wanted to get some Bearded Corydoras but instead i got the common pleco, wich can grow to over two feet( but only if it has the food to grow with). My plan is to take three of the sucker fish back and maybe the oscar as well. I want to get more schooling fish and a different cichlid as with the oscar i seem to have bit off more than i can chew. I wanted to get some form of crab, but it seems they take better to brackish water than freshwater. Anyway, ive become attached to the oscar want to know if there is any way to make a 55 gallon work.