Stocking A New 125L Tank

[GlennStretton]

I'm in the process of cycling my first tank and I'm trying to figure out what to put in it when its ready.
 
My water stats are currently:
 
Nitrate mg/l 45
Nitrite  mg/l 0.16
Total Hardness: 11 DH
Carbonate Hardness 18 DH
PH 8
Co2 mg/l 6
 
Its a 125l 80 x 50x 35cm (W x H x D) tank.
 
Given that I have hard alkaline water, I'm thinking central Amercian cichlids.
I really like the firemouths and the blue acaras. 
 
I've read conflicting info from all over, but my plan at the moment is:
 
1 firemouth
1 blue acara
8-10 green tiger barbs
and some sort of bottom dweller.
 
Any advice?
 

 

[cooledwhip]

corycats are awesome. 

 

[Akasha72]

the water is probably too hard for cories - generally cories need soft water. If you are considering cories I'd recommend doing some research on planet catfish first. There are so many different cory species and some may be live in water moderately hard  

 

[Byron]

The GH of 11 d is not too hard, so the hardier commercial species like Corydoras aeneus and C. paleatus will manage, but I would not have any wild caught corys.  But before that, more thought should be given to the mentioned fish.
 
I would not consider Tiger Barbs; to be at their best, a group of 12-15 (whether the original, green or albino forms, all are the same species) in a 30g tank (125 litres) is it.  Some corys could work with them, but not the cichlids.  Barbs especially known nippers are not advisable with sedate cichlids anyway.
 
The Firemouth (Thorichthys meeki) is a lovely cichlid, relatively peaceful, but at the same time skittish and shy.  A nice cichlid in a small group, but this needs a larger tank.  A single specimen, or perhaps a pair, with carefully selected tankmates (which might not fare well when the cichlids are breeding though).
 
Livebearers are moderately hard water fish, and many are suited to this space.  Perhaps with a single Firemouth?  And a group of the corys?  The Rainbowfishes are also suited, some of them (check water parameter needs) without the cichlids.
 
Byron.
 
The Blue Acara, Andinoacara pulcher (previously in the genus Aequidens) needs a larger tank just for itself, and wouldn't work here.