Ideas And Advice For New Community Tank

[8kdr22]

Hi forum,
 
I am an intermediate fish owner and am looking to make a new freshwater tropical fish community tank. My equipment is a 45 gallon tank with a 350 magnum filter and also of course a heater. Before this I had a red tiger oscar that grew to a foot long before I had to get rid of it and it was my only fish. I now want to have a community tank with active bright fun fsh that will be fun to watch. They don't have to be bright but I want it to be an active aquarium that is a community. I have some background synthetic plants and a piece of driftwood and also assorted rocks. If any one has advice on decor and setup of the objects like how much open space the fish need that would be great. Also before I ask for the series of fish you suggest I would ask like to have fish that I can expand onto to make it a hobby. So i want to be able to add fish and add cool things I see. Lastly  would like to breed some a intermediate difficulty specs of fish. SO mane like an easy egg layer but something more advanced than say mollies platys and guppies. Thank you so much and also I took the tank down completely so I will be setting it up new again if thats any help thank you again.

 

[Ninjouzata]

What are the dimensions of your tank? Is your water soft or hard?
Are there any specific colors you want? How far away from the tank will you be viewing the fish?
 

to TFF btw!

 

[star4]

Ditto knowing your water conditions. For an egg laying fish you would be better looking at a dwarf cichlid, one that would care for the eggs and fry, breeding egg scatterers in a community tank is very difficult as the other fish eat the eggs.

 

[8kdr22]

Thank you for the responses.
 
So far I have not setup my tank and I plan on a fish less cycle right now I want to decide on the stock and purpose of the tank before I set it up. 
 
Also to answer Two eels are better than ones questions I would live bright fish but sophisticated interesting fish in my tank. I will be viewing them from no farther than 10 feet since the tank is in my room. The dimensions of the tank are 36x12x23 roughly.
 
Also I would not be opposed to cichlids but I would need them to be able to be part of a community with other fish besides cichlids because I had a cichlid tank before and I ended up after a year with only one oscar that ate everything I put in the tank so this time around I want a community of fish.