55 Gal Stocking Ideas

[Wills]

Hi there posted a while ago about upgrading my 125 to a 4 foot tank managed to find a good priced tank with a good filter its not quite as large as I wanted but that filter is too tasty to pass up as it will work well for future upgrades as well. So the tank is a Fluval Roma 240 with a Fluval FX5 the tank used to be used for marine but it will be dried before collection and I will be giving it a good going over as well.

My stocking ideas are :

Stocking A-
1 Acarichthys heckelii (threadfin acara)
1 Aequedens Diedema
2 Amitala Sequila (honduran red points)
3 Anasotmus ternetzi
1 L235
1 L135
+ a medium school of dithers maybe columbian tetras

Stocking B-
1 Acarichthys heckelii (threadfin acara)
2 Aequedens Diedema
2 Amitala Sequila (honduran red points)
6 Anasotmus ternetzi
1 L235
1 L135

Which do you think would do best? I am unsure about 1 or 2 A.Diedema I would love 2.
I have had advice on the recorded agression of some male Acarichthys heckelii but this
is one of my favorite fish and also my partners as well so I want to give it a go but I
am ready to rehome if needed.

Also do you think I have any room to add in non cichlids in these stocking plans? I dont
want to do any more bottom dwellers or plecs as the cichlids are mainly going to stick around
there. Interestingly the anastomus ternetzi are documented as top level fish and the ones I have
at present stick with this as they are always up near the top. But its just the balance that I
am worried about.

Let me know what you think

Thanks Andy

 

[Wills]

bump any one got any thoughts?

 

[Wills]

bump again anyone?

 

[Cichlid_Crazy]

The hecklii could be a issue, they need to be in groups of 1 male to 3 females, the males become very agressive and territorial plus they get to about 10" (the females smaller)

I had to rehome mine in my 100g because it was attacking my Severums and Brasilensis non stop.

Why not go for a Red Head or a Surinamensis species? i think they are much nicer looking than Heckliis and will fit in nicely with some HRPs.

 

[Wills]

The hecklii could be a issue, they need to be in groups of 1 male to 3 females, the males become very agressive and territorial plus they get to about 10" (the females smaller)

I had to rehome mine in my 100g because it was attacking my Severums and Brasilensis non stop.

Why not go for a Red Head or a Surinamensis species? i think they are much nicer looking than Heckliis and will fit in nicely with some HRPs.

Really? I had read they were aggressive to other threadfins in the same tank even females because of how hard they are to spawn and most sites list average size as 6 inch with 8 inch as being large?

I had looked at Surinamensis and there is a really nice one near me thats a few years old and around 6 inches. ThoughIve heard of their max size at 10 inches but I wanted to stick around the 6 inch mark for this size tank and leave the 10" and 12" for when I get my big big tank thats why I went for the threadfin because of the reported size. One of my good LFS has some adults in so I might go have a look for a female though I have read they are hard to sex but Im guessing the females stay smaller and with smaller threads.

I like the red heads as well but I thought they like groups? But again these were something I was thinking of for my big big tank and getting a group of 4ish.

The only other one I can think of is the newly described one the pindare which is meant to stay small around 5-7 inches so maybe a trio? But would that be too many cichlids in a 55? With 2 HRP 2 A. Diedema and 3 G.Pindare? A lot tells me so unless I went with maybe 2 HRP 1 A.Diedema and 3 G.Pindare? But thats if I can find them not sure if they have made it to England yet.

Wills
Wills

 

[Wills]

Bump any thoughts so far I'm thinking

1 A.Diadema
3 G.Pindare
2 HRP

Then for non cichlids im thinking

5 Anostomus Ternetzi
1 L235
1 L135

Then I can decide if it would be a good idea to add in a small school of say 6 of some medium/large tetras? I know it would be overstock but with the filter the tank comes with, would that just swallow up the waste from this school?

Wills

 

[Wills]

Bump again? Anyone even if you think its okay can someone just let me know thoughts please

 

[Cichlid_Crazy]

I don't even know what half those things are you listed lol

 

[Wills]

lol I do like my rare stuff.

1 A.Diadema - type of acara around 5 inches
3 G.Pindare - new type of "dwarf" eartheater documented at 6inches max
2 HRP - hondurans
5 Anostomus Ternetzi - smallest of the 3 commonly traded anostomus though the hardest to find of the 3
1 L235 - flyer plec
1 L135 - wormline plec