After a long 10 years, my blood parrot Cichlid finally passed on. After losing her significant other in a power outage a month back, she can finally rest in peace. After 10 years I've learned a lot and got a good amount of experience under my belt, and I love this great hobby and all of the joy it has given me.
I'm looking to start a new aquarium setup, possibly keeping my 55 gallon or going for a step up. I have a few ideas I'm thinking about, and I've come up with a few stocking ideas that I'm super interested in for my new home I'm moving into. I like the idea of conserving space (being a college student only gets me so far with apartments) but I have enough room to go for up to a 60-65 gallon. I was contemplating going small with a 36 gallon bowfront as well, but I'm not as sure about that.
What I'm really looking for is a fun little setup, maybe with Cichlids, maybe with another Bichir or Ropefish, or just a couple of fish with great personality. Here are some of my ideas, and a few questions:
-I could get a 60 or 65 gallon tank, and I'm really interested in Ropefish or Bichirs because I kept a Senegalus for a while and I loved him. I heard that Ropefish are social, so I was thinking how many could I put in a 65 gallon before I have to upgrade later on. Also, if I went the Bichir route, how many could live happily in a 65 gallon? Are there any tankmates that would work well with them, i.e. not steal their food or become their food?
-I could go with a 36 gallon bowfront tank, and I would probably try an Angelfish with Cories and Rasboras, maybe substituting the Rasboras for a breeding pair of Bolivian Rams, although I'm not sure how well that would work out...
-Lastly, I may just keep my 55 gallon tank and try more Cichlids. I love the idea of a breeding pair of SA Cichlids and a few other fish that look stunningly beautiful. Either that or I could go with a planted South American tank/biome sorta thing, which I've always wanted to do.
I would say the most important factor for me is cost, then size/space. I would like to keep a 65 gallon maximum, because I can't really keep any more in my apartment.
Any feedback is appreciated!
I'm looking to start a new aquarium setup, possibly keeping my 55 gallon or going for a step up. I have a few ideas I'm thinking about, and I've come up with a few stocking ideas that I'm super interested in for my new home I'm moving into. I like the idea of conserving space (being a college student only gets me so far with apartments) but I have enough room to go for up to a 60-65 gallon. I was contemplating going small with a 36 gallon bowfront as well, but I'm not as sure about that.
What I'm really looking for is a fun little setup, maybe with Cichlids, maybe with another Bichir or Ropefish, or just a couple of fish with great personality. Here are some of my ideas, and a few questions:
-I could get a 60 or 65 gallon tank, and I'm really interested in Ropefish or Bichirs because I kept a Senegalus for a while and I loved him. I heard that Ropefish are social, so I was thinking how many could I put in a 65 gallon before I have to upgrade later on. Also, if I went the Bichir route, how many could live happily in a 65 gallon? Are there any tankmates that would work well with them, i.e. not steal their food or become their food?
-I could go with a 36 gallon bowfront tank, and I would probably try an Angelfish with Cories and Rasboras, maybe substituting the Rasboras for a breeding pair of Bolivian Rams, although I'm not sure how well that would work out...
-Lastly, I may just keep my 55 gallon tank and try more Cichlids. I love the idea of a breeding pair of SA Cichlids and a few other fish that look stunningly beautiful. Either that or I could go with a planted South American tank/biome sorta thing, which I've always wanted to do.
I would say the most important factor for me is cost, then size/space. I would like to keep a 65 gallon maximum, because I can't really keep any more in my apartment.
Any feedback is appreciated!
