What would you do with a new 55 gal tank?

[Rick's Dad]

Here's the challenge: You have a brand new 55 gallon (US) tank. You know you want a dwarf cichlid community. Your tap water, according to the lfs, has about 1 degree or less of carbonate and general hardness with a ph of 6.8. So, how would you set up the tank, what fish would you put in it and why? (No, there are no prizes, just a little fun and helping an old guy out )


Rich Lindsey (Rick's Dad)

 

[Neil]

Rick's Dad,

WELCOME TO THE FORUM

Well you are limited in the amount of Dwarfs that you can put into even a 55g. by the fact that they are CICHLIDS. With your water(which many here would be jealous of) you would want to keep South American or West African Dwarf Cichlids. Accordingly the water is good enough that it is entirely likely that, if you choose pairs, they will want to breed. That is where the trouble starts. So you have to modify your decisions on which fish to stock keeping this in mind. With no pirs an no breeding, you could get away with keeping 10-15 large (for dwarfs) fish in that space. But with pairs and the possibility of breeding, you should probably stick with 2 or 3 pairs or 2 small species groups.
When you set the tank up, if you establish good structure with plenty of hiding places and boundry material, you can safely keep that amount of fish in the tank. This does not include the numerous possibilities for other tank residents that can go along with the cichlids.
I will leave it at that for now and see what other responses you get. Your question is a big one with many facets and numerous possibilities. Once you get a feel for some of the generalities of what you are intending, you may want to post more specific questions that we all can work with.
Also, there is a search function on the top menu of the forum that may come in handy, as many people have discussed topics such as this a few times before. Good luck, Neil

 

[Eva32181]

So fair I have been successful wtih orange flash cacatuoides and borellis (got from Neil a while back) in similar water conditions. Their colors are beautiful! I would try those two species if I were you.