Pet fish recommendations for a 55

[Zanzag]

Heres my pair,
started them off in a 55 and would have been perfect. I'd get a small group and thin down to 1 male with multiple females. A pair in a 55 would allow for plenty of dithers both on top and bottom.

Can definantly hold their own in a rowdier community, but my male hates any cichlid his size or bigger so far

 

[Backfromthedead]

Heres my pair,
View attachment 1400269started them off in a 55 and would have been perfect. I'd get a small group and thin down to 1 male with multiple females. A pair in a 55 would allow for plenty of dithers both on top and bottom.
View attachment 1400270
Can definantly hold their own in a rowdier community, but my male hates any cichlid his size or bigger so far

That male is a friggin chunker. Does he stop eating when they breed? I have one male that stops but the fat one forgets about his eggs once the food drops in the water it seems.

 

[clm08k]

Heres my pair,
View attachment 1400269started them off in a 55 and would have been perfect. I'd get a small group and thin down to 1 male with multiple females. A pair in a 55 would allow for plenty of dithers both on top and bottom.
View attachment 1400270
Can definantly hold their own in a rowdier community, but my male hates any cichlid his size or bigger so far

Beautiful pair! are these green terrors?
Do you have any large bottom dwellers in the tank? If so, how do they act with them?

 

[Zanzag]

Funny you say that. My pair takes turns when they have dry so someone always gets to eat. And yeah hes a chunky one, to put him on a diet means to starve the tank

 

[Zanzag]

No regular colored blue acara. Mine are with a oscillated synondontis and a few smaller pleco clm08k

 

[Sean W.]

Wow Backfromthedead Look at those! Wonderful! Thank you for those pictures. You are further solidifying my decision to get those.

The question is now, where do I get them. I've called all my LFS and no one has them, none know when they can get them. Any pointers? I think I want to get 6-8 and wait for them to pair off and keep the two nicest.

Thank you!

 

[twentyleagues]

Wow Backfromthedead Look at those! Wonderful! Thank you for those pictures. You are further solidifying my decision to get those.

The question is now, where do I get them. I've called all my LFS and no one has them, none know when they can get them. Any pointers? I think I want to get 6-8 and wait for them to pair off and keep the two nicest.

Thank you!

The normal blue acara are really underrated fish imo. Eba are also a cool looking fish, either is perfect for that tank. You could put some swordtails in for dithers also. Wetspot had them last week.

I have an extra 75g ive been debating on setting up a ca or sa community. I think ca would be better with my well water but most of the fish I'm interested in are typically tank raised anyway. I'm going for pasionis or ellioti or acara I think with swordtails not the red ones. Green or something more natural looking.

 

[Stanzzzz7]

The normal blue acara are really underrated fish imo. Eba are also a cool looking fish, either is perfect for that tank. You could put some swordtails in for dithers also. Wetspot had them last week.

I have an extra 75g ive been debating on setting up a ca or sa community. I think ca would be better with my well water but most of the fish I'm interested in are typically tank raised anyway. I'm going for pasionis or ellioti or acara I think with swordtails not the red ones. Green or something more natural looking.

Pasionis and swords sounds nice.

 

[Backfromthedead]

Wow Backfromthedead Look at those! Wonderful! Thank you for those pictures. You are further solidifying my decision to get those.

The question is now, where do I get them. I've called all my LFS and no one has them, none know when they can get them. Any pointers? I think I want to get 6-8 and wait for them to pair off and keep the two nicest.

Thank you!

Well i got three of mine from a local keeper who didnt want them anymore via craigslist, and the others i picked out from petsmart at various times.

The petsmart male is by far the prettier of the two, despite being subordinate to the fat fellow in the breeding heirarchy.

 

[Backfromthedead]

The normal blue acara are really underrated fish imo. Eba are also a cool looking fish, either is perfect for that tank. You could put some swordtails in for dithers also. Wetspot had them last week.

I have an extra 75g ive been debating on setting up a ca or sa community. I think ca would be better with my well water but most of the fish I'm interested in are typically tank raised anyway. I'm going for pasionis or ellioti or acara I think with swordtails not the red ones. Green or something more natural looking.

This is another reason i usually encourage EBAs vs. wild type. It seems the tank bred eba are more adaptable to water conditions than most wc blue acara. Ive personally had trouble getting wc bujurquina and other acaras to thrive in my neutral-hard water whereas the EBA seem to be made for tap water. But i guess if you can find captive bred blue acara that might help.