# 55 gal stocking ideas...



## TabbyS (Jul 23, 2012)

I just bought my first tank 2 months ago. It's a 30 gal. I love it so I decided to get a 55 gal too. It's still cycling so I can't get anything for a few weeks but I'm having trouble deciding what to get. I was going to have a African Cichlid tank but I like variety so I want a community tank. I want a couple bigger fish with some schooling fish. The fish I really like are Parrot fish, rams, angels, loaches and upside down catfish. Ive researched parrot Cichlid tankmates but unfortunately I get conflicted answers. The LFS told me I could have 4 parrots in my 55 but everything I've read says one, maybe 2. Any suggestions on tank mates would be great!


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## zero (Mar 27, 2012)

by parrot do you mean one of these:



or one of these:

http://www.cichlids.com/uploads/tx_usercichlids/user_pics/7398/hoplar_4f7e19d9d3.jpg


if its the first one then id personally only get one. there bad enought on there own!!! weve had 2, one fully grown bully (would even bite us) and now the one in the picture whos getting too big for his boots. but if its the second, then i dont know, never had one.

i dont think a 55 is big enough for parrots tho and def not big enough for angels.

rams are really nice and ive got one living with tetras right now.

what pH is your tap water at?


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

One name - two fish. The test tube parrot is the fish that is pictured. It gets huge and has a lot of handicaps as a hybrid designed to have little ability to bite, and with spinal deformities. The natural parrot cichlid is rare because it is mean and fast - it has normal jaws and knows how to use them. I doubt it's the second.
I personally hate the idea of making up fish like the parrot when nature offers us so much beauty, but who am I?
Which loaches? Some stay small and manageable, and others like the clown loach will outgrow a 55.
Angels would work, as would upside cats if you are lucky. You need to research them seriously and study photos - they are several similar species some of which get large and mean (and flip over with age), and others that stay small, peaceful and upside down.

From watching parrots - one of the species used in the experiments that created them is quite a predator, and many parrots inherit that personality. It means they are intelligent, but aggressive. They want to kill every tankmate and eat it, however, the test tube nature of the fish (it could not survive in the wild) has left them with a terribly malformed mouth. They have no teeth to grab with (if you look, their jaws are deformed and they can't close their mouths), and their teeth are set way back in their mouths. They want to be killers, but all they can do is bump their prey. 
They want to be territorial, but unless they succeed in intimidating by size rather than really fighting, they are doomed. They can't defend themselves. So they should not be kept with other cichlids, or any territorial fish, nor should they go with fish that they will harass as food.
I am judging, but every time I watch parrots, I feel sad for them.


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## zero (Mar 27, 2012)

i second what nav said. i wasnt aware how they was made untill i done a bit of research after getting the second one. and its true, they try and fight but cant! ours swims into our gold severum and tried to fight but the severum has figured out he cant hurt him so doesnt bother fighting back. luckly its only really the severum (and some times the oscar) he tries and fights now as a couple others hes picked a fight with have faught back and the result was thankfully only a few missing scales. oh he also has stand offs with some of them too but i think hes realised they'll do damage that he cant do if he goes for them.


jsut re read my first post....cant believe i recomended getting one, not paying attention......dont get any!!


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## zero (Mar 27, 2012)

scrap my last post, got in yesterday to see the parrot and severum lip locking and swimming round each other in circles!!!!! nothing would stop them fighting....even poking them with the net (which usually sends them running) after they finished fighting about 2 hour laters the severum hid under a plant but the parrot kept coming back for more! had to turn the light off to stop the parrot stressing the rest of the fish too. might have to re home him if this continues today, already have one fish that got beat up really bad cant be dealing with another!


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