Alright, I've set up a 55 with a sand/gravel mix from a creek nearby and was interested in hearing some ideas for stocking it. I live in St. Louis and don't plan on traveling too far if I don't need to. Would like to have a true schooling fish of some sort, probably a half dozen or so of them. What are some of the absolute smallest species that are good schoolers (stay together in the aquarium, don't just freely move about the cabin once they hit the water)? Would like to get some darters and a madtom or two possibly also, and I really don't know many species at all that would stay in the upper 1/3 of the aquarium. Interested to hear everyone's thoughts. Thanks in advance.
55 Gallon River Setup
Started by
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, May 17 2012 08:58 PM
17 replies to this topic
#2
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Posted 18 May 2012 - 12:30 AM
I don't know how far their distribution extends but my Chrosomus erythrogaster school pretty well. They hang out all throughout the tank. They hide in the rocks when scared but most of the time they swim throughout the water column. Also careful getting madtoms, they are wonderful predators. I lost 4 of my 5 darters to the one I had in my tank. The bigger he got the bigger the darter that disappeared. The last one I moved into my 20 long.
#3
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Posted 18 May 2012 - 10:37 PM
For some reason, I just never really thought about Madtoms eating darters....size would be key I guess. I already decided against any bullheads for that reason, and maybe I'll have to leave Madtoms out too. Watched a few videos with some red-bellies and they seemed to not have much rhyme or reason as to where they were going - good looking fish though.
#4
Michael Wolfe
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Posted 19 May 2012 - 03:47 AM
Lots of different shiners (Notropis particularly) will school up if there is any sort of current in the tank... they will orient to it like they do in the wild and school pretty nicely for you... not sure what you have in the St. Louis area (sorry)... too far away from my books right now... but get a Petersons Field Guide and take a look at the range maps and see what you have.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#5
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Posted 19 May 2012 - 11:04 AM
Is the Petersons better than a National Audobon Society? Don't have either, but I have 3 other NAS field guides that I like a lot. I have a Koralia 1050 to put some current in there. I had it in one of the Saltwater aquariums, but moved it over when I set this up. Isn't a ton of current, do you think I need more than that?
#6
Michael Wolfe
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Posted 19 May 2012 - 12:07 PM
Yes, it is much better... see how excited folk around here were when the 2nd edition came out... in this thread...
http://forum.nanfa.o...+peterson +here
And on the current, it does not take much to orient a group of shiners... particularly if you always feed them by dropping the food near the powerhead and letting it "blow" it into the tank... that really re-creates the natural stream situation... the current brings them floating bugs and such and thats why they orient the way they do...
http://forum.nanfa.o...+peterson +here
And on the current, it does not take much to orient a group of shiners... particularly if you always feed them by dropping the food near the powerhead and letting it "blow" it into the tank... that really re-creates the natural stream situation... the current brings them floating bugs and such and thats why they orient the way they do...
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#7
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Posted 21 May 2012 - 10:28 PM
Well I started off with 5 Blackstripe Topminnows and 2 Mosquito fish. They seem to love it so far. The topminnows stay together for the most part and move throughout the water column while the Mosquito fish intermix with them occassionally but stick to the upper column. Hope to get a chance to get some Redbellies soon, not sure where or when yet though.
#8
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Posted 21 May 2012 - 10:42 PM
Wait you put fish in it already? It takes forty days for a tank to cycle. If day 0 is the first day you add fish flakes, day 40 would be when it's safe to put fish in it.
Slide 8 of http://www.ag.auburn...tion Design.pdf
More information: http://www.fishkeepi...ing-article.htm
If you have an established tank or a friend with an established tank, it might help you to put some of the media [sponge, bioballs, etc] from the old tank into the new one. Keep it wet with dechlorinated water during transfer. If it dries out the beneficial bacteria will die.
Live plants are a viable alternative to bacterial ammonia processing. Link: http://theaquariumwi...ical_Filtration
I just don't like it when people set up a new tank and put fish in it and are shocked when a week later the fish get sick.
Slide 8 of http://www.ag.auburn...tion Design.pdf
More information: http://www.fishkeepi...ing-article.htm
If you have an established tank or a friend with an established tank, it might help you to put some of the media [sponge, bioballs, etc] from the old tank into the new one. Keep it wet with dechlorinated water during transfer. If it dries out the beneficial bacteria will die.
Live plants are a viable alternative to bacterial ammonia processing. Link: http://theaquariumwi...ical_Filtration
I just don't like it when people set up a new tank and put fish in it and are shocked when a week later the fish get sick.
Edited by EricaWieser, 21 May 2012 - 10:42 PM.
#9
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Posted 22 May 2012 - 01:09 AM
No worries Erica, it's been up and running for over a month. I've had aquariums for about 15 years now, all sorts of different species at different times both fresh and salt. Thanks for the concern though. I only have two right now, even though I would like more. 125 FOWLR and this 55 for natives.
#10
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Posted 22 May 2012 - 06:32 AM
Oh good. I'm glad 
Do you have any pictures of your new setup?
Do you have any pictures of your new setup?
#11
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Posted 30 May 2012 - 09:38 PM
What do you have to do to be able to post an album? Also, when trying to post pics directly into this thread it says they are all too large, any way around that....i'm guessing everyone would be posting larger pics from phones, cameras.... Got a chance to roam the creek I grew up at over Memorial day. Caught some darters that I'm not positive on the ID of yet and some other chubs/minnows or something. Peterson's guide hasn't arrived yet so I am still kind of guessing at this point. Will post pics at some point hopefully.
#12
Michael Wolfe
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Posted 30 May 2012 - 10:01 PM
Click on NANFA Gallery at the top of this page and create a name for yourself (starting with the 'Register' link at the top right of that page) and proceed to post your pictures there. I see you are indicated as being a 'NANFA Member' (right there under your avatar). So you should have no problem creating your own gallery.
Then in your posts, you just click the icon here that looks like a picture and paste the URL form the photos into the link and the pics show up here in your post.
Then in your posts, you just click the icon here that looks like a picture and paste the URL form the photos into the link and the pics show up here in your post.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#13
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Posted 01 June 2012 - 01:42 AM
Alright, thanks a lot Michael.
#14
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Posted 06 June 2012 - 01:01 AM
For some reason it isn't sending a confirmation email or anything. I should be able to create a gallery with my current profile correct? I wont have two separate (one for a gallery, one for forums). Anyway, I thought it would be a breeze with the new peterson's guide....but WOW there is a ton of info in that book. I'm pretty sure I have 3 or 4 Orange throat or rainbow darters. Colors are hard to match up to pics. Then I think I have some type of chubs but once again it's difficult. Can't wait to post pics as soon as it's all sorted out! With the lack of rainfall in Central Illinois most of the fish were concentrated in relatively isolated/smallish sized pools so dip-netting was fairly easy.
#15
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Posted 06 June 2012 - 01:10 AM
They could be suckermouth minnows maybe, I'll probably have to pull them out of the tank to ID them....they just move too fast. Got everyone eating frozen preparations by day 3, so hopefully no losses from lack of food at least...
#16
Michael Wolfe
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Posted 06 June 2012 - 08:04 AM
For some reason it isn't sending a confirmation email or anything. I should be able to create a gallery with my current profile correct? I wont have two separate (one for a gallery, one for forums).
Yes, you do have to login seperately... you register and create an account... the gallery is out there... but not the same as the forum... so you do ahve to regiater and login seperately.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#17
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Posted 07 June 2012 - 10:37 AM
Alright, it said I succesfully set up an account so I might get some pics up pretty soon.
#18
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Posted 07 June 2012 - 12:11 PM
Sorry, I've been slacking on activating the gallery accounts. You should have received an activation email. If not, register again and PM me letting me know.
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