new at fish keeping!!!!

Question
I know have a 55 gal tank. its been two weeks we went and bought some fish 4 Cory catfish,bala,algae eater, 2 gold fish and a snail. the tank seems so bare I really would like to add some Mollies,frog and maybe some others but not really sure what would be the best thing to do!!!! how many fish in a 55 gal is to many and what kind of fish will work the best together!!!!plz help

Answer
Hi Kimberly,
Congrats on the new aquarium!

Its important to allow your aquarium plenty of time to establish a 'biofilter'... which is a beneficial bacteria colony that grows on all surfaces of your aquarium but especially your gravel bed and filter. These good bacteria control fish waste in a simple process. First by converting harmful ammonia (produced by the fish) into 'nitrite' and then later, more bacteria convert 'nitrite' into 'nitrate' which is the final end product of the bacteria's work.

You can test for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate with a simple test kit you can buy from your petstore.

When ammonia and nitrite are both ZERO... It is safe to add a few more fish. Don't fully stock your aquarium right away or you will overwhelm the weak biofilter. Stock your aquarium gradually allowing at least 1-2 weeks in-between small batches of 3-4 fish added.

Mollies and frogs (African Dwarf Frogs I assume) are fine additions to your current community. Just make sure to read up on the frogs as they require careful attention to feeding and fish usually out compete the little frogs for food.

I'd stock no more than 1 molly-sized fish per gallon. Allow more room for bulkier fish. The best species of fish that get along well together are those who share similar temperaments and behaviors. Its best to research potential species you are interested in and check to see what the best tankmates for them are.

Some good common species of fish that you might be interested in are Tetra species, Platies, Danios, Barbs, Swordtails, Guppies and Rasboras. Look into those fish and you'll likely find a species you are interested in.


Look into a wonderful fishkeeping book called - "The simple guide to freshwater aquariums" towards the end of the book, there are many stocking 'schemes' for 55-gallon aquariums with proper numbers of fish selected for the tank's size and very good interesting/colorful combination's.

I do hope this helps!
Karen~