Just Brainstorming...

[fish_fetish65]

so, i'm currently kind of brainstorming about the possibility of relocating my current fish in the 55 gallon tank, and redoing it. i have come down to a few options, but i want to know which of these on my list could be mixed together comfortably within a 55G. so here it is:

oscar
jack dempseys
convicts
green severums
discus
shoal of silver dollars
big-lipped cichlid

and that's about all i can think of at the moment. obviously, i know that these all can't go in the same tank! (not quite that stupid LOL) but which of these could be mixed and live happily together? would they even be able to fit into a 55 by themselves? enlighten me with your fishy knowledge.

my options would be:
tropical semi-aggressive community
south american cichlid community
african cichlid community
mixed (but what could i mix?)

 

[bunjiweb]

55G is pushing it for both oscars, green sevs and jack dempseys in the long run. You would have to compensate by having brilliant filteration if you had any of these fish.

You could still make a nice South American community with some smaller pimelodus catfish such as the pictus, and cichlids such as firemouths and discus.

Or if you went for an African Cichlid community you could have about 15-20 cichlids and maybe a few small synos such as the petricola.

Ben

 

[fish_fetish65]

so if i were to have a jack dempsey, i suppose that would have to be the only fish in the tank?

how many discus could fit in there? i think they are gorgeous

another quick question: i know that this is considered a no-no, but i have heard of people mixing african and south american cichlids successfully... what is the likelihood of that?

 

[SamUK]

yea people do it but they shouldnt and there fish wont live out there full lives.


its not really compatibility thats an issue.


african cichlids like a high PH of around 8.0+


most other fish, community and big cichlids dont like that.


also if you skip forward about a year or 2 when the africans mature, theyll terrorize any other fish in the tank.

thats why there kept in species only tanks. that way you can stock with only africans who like the PH and if you stock the tank quite highly (about 18-20 fish) then the aggression they have will be spread out between them.


EDIT - if i was redoing my 55 id either go with malawis again or a pair of discus, shoal of cardinals and some corys on the bottom.

oh and heavily plant the whole thing.

 

[fish_fetish65]

thanks for the help... if only i had a 200G LOL. then how easy life would be...