Empty 55gal, fish suggestions

[peaches]

Hey everyone!
Its been forever since I've posted here.

I have a 55 gallon almost empty tank sitting in my living room that needs some really interesting fish that are 'different'

It is filtered with a Cascade filter and currently no heater due to consistently warm summer temps. The tank is cycled and has been running for many years now.

I am FASCINATED by the Bichir species. And I love those aquariums I see that are cichlid communities with severums, bichirs, ect.

I am not sure if my tank is big enough and what I might be getting into if I get a few bichirs. I have kept several severums before in the past. They've always been very aggressive.

Gold Severums rule too!

I am curious to hear you guys suggestions. Right now, all I have living in the tank is a 6 inch Striped River Catfish. Here he is- (not the best picture)

 

[zorba4884]

If you want clour its big enougth for a African cichlid comuinty tank. but i can never go past Americans.

 

[guerilla 33]

a ropefish would fit fine in a 55, you would have to make sure there was no possible escape because the will take advantage of any gaps in the lid, you would want to get more than one though because they like company
bichirs and ropefish are related (both polypterus) so if you like bichirs look into ropefish

 

[HiImSean]

i've got bichirs and severums in my 55g. i have a m/f pair in my tank and a senegal and delhezi. they all get along great. my sev's will chase some fish but not the bichirs. i have alot of filtration on my tank an pretty heavily stocked right now

 

[Cichlaholics Anonymous]

severums and bichirs sounds good, although I'd go with the more attractive Rotkeil severums over the gold

 

[peaches]

So Bichirs wouldn't grow too large then? That's good.

Nice to hear other people have almost the same setup I was trying to plan out.

So there's not that chance of the bichirs outgrowing the 55gallon (width wise front to back) I have a 75 gal too but I have a community living in there.

There are bichirs commonly available around here. There were some awesome large and beautiful ones at a local fishshop, I think they were almost full-grown. But then the local petsmart stocks babies too. They usually call them "Dinosaur eels" I just don't want to accidentally get a giant bichir.

Ropefish are neat too. I like them. I make sure to block all holes around the filter with plastic mesh so that's no problem there. I've learned already to be careful of this when I watched my dragon fish squeez through a tiny hole in the hood and soar out of the tank. He's a big fella now!

I might have to switch my substrates... These bottom dwelling fish would probably do better with sand right?

 

[HiImSean]

there are some that would outgrow a 55g. a senegal(dinosaur ell) would be fine in a 55g. check out the poyl forum to see which you like that'll fit in your tank.

 

[peaches]

thanks a bunch!

 

[jimmybling31]

why not get africans and load it up