Nice, exotic like fish?

[Screamin_99]

Hello, my girlfriend and I are looking at fixing out 55 up with some new kinds of fish..


She likes bright colored fish the PRETTY stuff but I like more of the exotic and cool looking fish.

im wondering. what kinds of FW fish are out there something that looks cool.

open to ideas and suggestions! all of them!

I have a few fish that shouldnt be in there but they are all sadly going away but anyway.

I would like to know how many and what all I could keep in it. as well as Id like to learn some different things about the fish you might suggest.

please im open to all oppinions.

I would like to see pictures as well..

[Jaws10]

needle nose gar are just right for a 55G. yu can only keep one gar in that 55 though.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y8/...t/bd236d16.jpg
http://www.aquariumfish.net/catalog_...eedle_nose.htm

im going to get one of these gar and heard they make good pets

[JustOneMore20]

African cichlids are very colorful. You could have a nice number of different types in a 55g.

[Screamin_99]

ok question.

Would I have to do anything different to setup a cichlid tank?

what would I need ect... also how many could I keep and what kinds?


Also most of my fish that I have came from different places and the last big batch of different fish I got came from Pet-smart. would they take these regular fish I have back and give me money toward Cichlids or no?

[JustOneMore20]

Would I have to do anything different to setup a cichlid tank?

You'll need a high pH. If your tap pH isn't naturally high, you can buy cichlid substrates that buffer the water and raise the pH.
HEREyou'll find an article on two cichlid substrates.

what would I need ect... also how many could I keep and what kinds?

Depends on what you can find and what you like.
Check out these cookie cutter setups for a 55g tank. Check out their profiles and see if you like the fish.
Then you'll have to see what you can get at your LFS. Most stores, especially chain stores, keep their Africans in a mixed tank and they don't know the differences between them. You'll have to be good at IDing them if you get them from Petsmart.

Also most of my fish that I have came from different places and the last big batch of different fish I got came from Pet-smart. would they take these regular fish I have back and give me money toward Cichlids or no?

I'm not sure. You'll have to call the store and see. Don't tell them you didn't get them from there, just mention you have some fish that you can't keep anymore and would you take them since there is no one else you can give them to.

I gave a few fish (blackskirt tetra and a couple danios) to Petsmart when I realized a 10g wasn't big enough for them. They took them, but said someone in the store would take them...they weren't going to sell them. And I didn't ask for a credit or anything.

I'd try small local fish stores if you have any in the area. They may be more willing to take fish and give you credit for them.

[judya]

Bright colored, pretty, exotic and cool looking are all in the eyes of the beholder, or course! I have a lot of brown fish, some silver, some kinda tan.

[flamingo]

Originally Posted by Jaws10

needle nose gar are just right for a 55G. yu can only keep one gar in that 55 though.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y8/...t/bd236d16.jpg
http://www.aquariumfish.net/catalog_...eedle_nose.htm

im going to get one of these gar and heard they make good pets

For the 4 thousandith time people, call it needlenose fish or needlefish at the least, it's not even closely related to the gar family. Nostrils are placed differently, fins are shaped different, they act different, etc. btw, depending on how skittish they are you can keep 3 or 4 in a 55. With mine I had two and could very well have put two more in there (anybody who HAS NOT kept them don't lecture me on this). Oh yeah, lol, I love that the first pic is mine .


Scared_99, do you have two 50 gallons or are you skipping the thing we talked about? I really don't mean to sound rude but i'm tired as heck and I don't want to type four page long articles in pm then have it blown off in three seconds

[Puffer Pita]

Originally Posted by flamingonhot

I really don't mean to sound rude but i'm tired as heck and I don't want to type four page long articles in pm then have it blown off in three seconds

And just why should you be treated any different than the rest of us? Hmm?

[JustOneMore20]

Bright colored, pretty, exotic and cool looking are all in the eyes of the beholder, or course! I have a lot of brown fish, some silver, some kinda tan.

I certainly agree. I think my tetras are pretty...and I think my ram is pretty and exotic. Its all what you make of it yourself. I think rainbowfish are pretty and exotic....so I'm setting up a 55g with a school of Bosemani's as my centerpiece.

I think you should go with Africans. They are pretty easy to find and are brightly colored.

[Gourami Swami]

lol. Screamin, cichlids actually require some close attention to water quality. You said to me in chat "I dont keep track of that ph crap" but for tropical fish, especially cichlids, you will need to. Lots of cichlids also need hard water, and you can put, say 20-30 fish in a 55 gallon, if they are mid sized. You might be able to keep more. They like to have lots of company.

Good luck!

[Jaws10]

For the 4 thousandith time people, call it needlenose fish or needlefish at the least, it's not even closely related to the gar family. Nostrils are placed differently, fins are shaped different, they act different, etc. btw, depending on how skittish they are you can keep 3 or 4 in a 55. With mine I had two and could very well have put two more in there (anybody who HAS NOT kept them don't lecture me on this). Oh yeah, lol, I love that the first pic is mine


they arent gar??! o sorry bout that they look like them though. yu can actually keep one in a 30 gallon. (i repeat 1)

[Scuba Kid]

No, they aren't gar, but it is the name they are sold by. As long as there is an understanding that they are not true gar, i don't see a problem in calling them needlenose gar, as that is the name they are sold as and the name most people use.

[Jaws10]

im serious, this fish wuz under the gar species at a website and said nothing of it not being related

[Scuba Kid]

they aren't gar. They're characins, the same group of fish as tetras and pirahnas.
http://aquaticpredators.com/forums/i...?showtopic=332 for more information on true-gars vs. fish with the gar name.

[mr.dark-saint]

Guppies and more guppies. All shades, color, tail styles. They're something to see in a huge school like a shimmering curtain. Or you might want a school of Congo Tetras since they're very colorful (all shades of iridescent greens, gold and blues) fast (like feeding a school of tuna ) they're mostly mid-top water. They can also coexist with African Cichlids.