This is defintely the last one

[TheFishDodo]

I agree stalsbergi are awesome. I would love to have some as well one day.
I would leave the thoricthys and salvini out. Salvini are crazy aggressive, one would probably kill everything in a tank this size once it was mature. And thoricthys are like the geophagus of CA fish, they do much better in groups. This tank is a little small to do a group, maybe you could fit 4 of a smaller species, but then forget about the rest of the stock list.
If trying to keep different species of cichlid together in this tank, your best bet is to stick with dwarf species.

I just find that dwarf cichlids dont have as much personality. I would go with a pair of fish but I don't have anywhere where I can give all of the fry. If I could find a pair of cichlids that spawned very infrequently and had small broods I would get them not doubt about it. Maybe a couple of keyhole cichlids or a pair of salvini. I was also looking at the african butterfly cichlid and Hemichromis Lilafii (I would want exsul but good luck to me finding them here). If you have any suggestions for a pair pf cichlids I would love to hear them.

Aren't Crencichla large mouthed predators? Why is noone worried about them and the small tetras/cories?

C. Regani have smaller mouths than many of the other piles and C. Compressiceps only get to be 4" at max and with a bigger body tetra or normal sized corydoas they couldnt eat them.

 

[Gourami Swami]

The dwarf crenicichla stay very small and can be kept with larger tetras/cories pretty well.

Have you kept many dwarf cichlids? I find that they have about as much personality as their medium-sized relatives. I do feel you on watning bigger fish, but your tank is pretty small. Mixing species of medium-sized cichlid, like a salvini, in this tank, is not going to work out how you want it to. Maybe in a 75 gallon it could work, but this tank has no room for anybody to run away. I have the 50 gallon seaclear tank, which is like yours but taller, and I would feel bad for any fish trying to live with an adult salvini in it.

Why not just get a pair of cryptoheros and let the parents eat the fry? If you don't remove the fry they eat them after a few weeks. Or you could keep some danios or something with them, that will eat the fry as well. I would not attempt salvini pair in this tank, but a cryptoheros species would be fine. I am keeping panamensis right now and they are a lot of fun.

 

[TheFishDodo]

The dwarf crenicichla stay very small and can be kept with larger tetras/cories pretty well.

Have you kept many dwarf cichlids? I find that they have about as much personality as their medium-sized relatives. I do feel you on watning bigger fish, but your tank is pretty small. Mixing species of medium-sized cichlid, like a salvini, in this tank, is not going to work out how you want it to. Maybe in a 75 gallon it could work, but this tank has no room for anybody to run away. I have the 50 gallon seaclear tank, which is like yours but taller, and I would feel bad for any fish trying to live with an adult salvini in it.

Why not just get a pair of cryptoheros and let the parents eat the fry? If you don't remove the fry they eat them after a few weeks. Or you could keep some danios or something with them, that will eat the fry as well. I would not attempt salvini pair in this tank, but a cryptoheros species would be fine. I am keeping panamensis right now and they are a lot of fun.

If I went with soemthing from the Cryptoheros/Amatiltania genus or the rainbow cichlid what would be some good species for tanks mates to make a biotope. I was looking at the Firemouth genus because of their sand sifting capabilites and there arnt many species in central america which keeps the sand clean. I know of the Astynax tetra genus,live bearers but I dont know which ones. Some species of catfish would be great also.


Edit: I just found this biotope which is something I would love to try in my aquarium https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/firemouth-biotope.568972/

 

[Gourami Swami]

That is a great looking setup that you posted. Tanks like that are right up my alley.
I personally think that guy's tank was a little small for a group of FM's , and I wonder how his fish got along once breeding started.
I would recommend a slightly smaller species than firemouth if attempting something like that in your 40. Amatitlania nanoluteus would be perfect. 1 male with 3-4 females is what I would go for. Any more than one male and you are bound to have problems, most likely one male being killed.
There are some other cryptoheros available right now which are very cool. Jeff rapps has septemfasciatus, I saw a few from his stock in person a couple weeks ago, and they are very pretty. Myrnae would work as well. I would just stay away from convicts or hrp's. They get pretty nasty.
As far as tankmates I would go for some livebearers of your choice. Any of them will work. I avoid the "fake color" bright red/yellow ones you see in the LFS when trying to do a biotope. Swordtails are a good choice and easy to find in "natural" colors.
As far as catfish, there are very few cats found in CA available in the trade. A close choice is the bristlenose ancistrus pleco, as ancistrus can be found in panama (not common bristlenose- but it's about as close as you will get)

Here is a tank I've had for the last couple years with a similar setup- P. Panamensis group, single female H. tamasopoensis, ameca splendens/belenosox belizanus livebearers, ancistrus. This was a 5' tank.

 

[TheFishDodo]

That is a great looking setup that you posted. Tanks like that are right up my alley.
I personally think that guy's tank was a little small for a group of FM's , and I wonder how his fish got along once breeding started.
I would recommend a slightly smaller species than firemouth if attempting something like that in your 40. Amatitlania nanoluteus would be perfect. 1 male with 3-4 females is what I would go for. Any more than one male and you are bound to have problems, most likely one male being killed.
There are some other cryptoheros available right now which are very cool. Jeff rapps has septemfasciatus, I saw a few from his stock in person a couple weeks ago, and they are very pretty. Myrnae would work as well. I would just stay away from convicts or hrp's. They get pretty nasty.
As far as tankmates I would go for some livebearers of your choice. Any of them will work. I avoid the "fake color" bright red/yellow ones you see in the LFS when trying to do a biotope. Swordtails are a good choice and easy to find in "natural" colors.
As far as catfish, there are very few cats found in CA available in the trade. A close choice is the bristlenose ancistrus pleco, as ancistrus can be found in panama (not common bristlenose- but it's about as close as you will get)

Here is a tank I've had for the last couple years with a similar setup- P. Panamensis group, single female H. tamasopoensis, ameca splendens/belenosox belizanus livebearers, ancistrus. This was a 5' tank.
View attachment 1313456

Wow... I am so jealous of that setup where dis you get that sand or that 3d backround. I'm thinking of a biotope of a pair of tbars or another cryptheros besides the 2 which you mentioned to stay away from (except hrps if I can find a placid pair in person I might think about it considering that they are so tempremental) I would put some green swordtails with them.
My other idea was a columbian river biotope with a pair of Andinoacara Biseratius considering how beautiful their breeding colors are. Get some emperor tetras an ancistrus pleco and some corydoras and I would be set. (I think I am convincing myself to go with the 2nd option)
Edit: The one thing I don't know about the biseraitus is their personality)
Edit 2: Maybe 2 pairs of rainbow cichlids with some swordtails

 

[Gourami Swami]

Thanks, I liked that setup a lot. Just took it down because I'm moving soon.

The sand was just some estes' "natural white sand" I bought at a pet store. The 3d background I bought on Ebay in pieces and cut them to size, and silicon-ed them into the back. If you search "3d aquarium background" on ebay, the cheap Chinese ones are the ones I bought. I think it was 10$ each sheet.

For just a single pair, you could probably do any of these species, even convict. I was saying to avoid them if trying to fit a small group.

Either of those setups sound great to me. I am partial to CA cichlids personally. But those biseriatus look nice. I have not kept them, so can't comment on their personality.

Edit: I'd go for a harem instead of 2 pairs. Won't be much room for two pairs to have territory in this tank. 1m 3f should work.

 

[TheFishDodo]

Thanks, I liked that setup a lot. Just took it down because I'm moving soon.

That stinks I hope you can get it set up again once you move if i had a cycled tank and you were close enough to me I would take those fish in a heart beat (if you were giving them up) but I dont even have my tank in yet. Oh yea the Biseriatus is like a hidden jewel of the cichlid hobby they may look boring but a female in breeding is one of the most beautiful things ever.
Heres one

 

[Gourami Swami]

Those are very nice, and very obscure, which I like.
The fish, I unfortunately sold at the last NJAS auction. I kept my breeding pair of the panamensis though, am going to put them in the 50 gallon seaclear. If they have auctions near you I would say go check one out, they had lots of rare CA cichlids and livebearers at this one.

 

[TheFishDodo]

Those are very nice, and very obscure, which I like.
The fish, I unfortunately sold at the last NJAS auction. I kept my breeding pair of the panamensis though, am going to put them in the 50 gallon seaclear. If they have auctions near you I would say go check one out, they had lots of rare CA cichlids and livebearers at this one.

Up here in North East Massachusetts there really isnt much going on in terms of fish keeping. Theres Uncle Neds fish factory like an hour away. The closest store which has a good selection of fish is not even a fish store its the biggest reptile distributor in the US I mean they have a good selection of fish but nothing that rare. They also somehow mislabled what I think to be a flowerhorn as a Keyhole cichlid. There is a new place up in Manchester by which opened 10 years ago ill have to check it out.

 

[TheFishDodo]

I'm down to a couple of species of fish to do a biotope with and I want your guyses opinions on it
1. A pair of Andimoacara Biseratius
2. A harem or pair or 2 of rainbow cichlids
3. A Harem of C. Nanoleatus
4. A pair of basically any other species from the Cryptheros Genus
5. A pair of buffalo cichlids
6. A pair of cichlids from the Thorichthys genus
And finally 7. A group of T. Socolofi (if I can find them prob won't happen )