Trying to plan my 55, What do you think?

[James B.]

I'm trying to plan out my 55 gallon and need some advice,
It's a standard 4 foot by 1 foot tank, so far the only fish that is for sure is my GT/Gold Saum (just about 2.5 -3 inch now, unsure of the sex). I'm trying to figure out what else if anything would work for life in the 55 with him/her.
The tank is going to be a natural looking tank with gravel bottom, drift wood, and stones. Thinking about some plants but don't know if they would last with the GT from what I have read they like to uproot them, and I am not sure if I will stick with the store bought background or take it off and paint the back black or blue.

So far it's up in the air between 3 choices
1) Sex the one I have and get a mate but I'm worried about the tank being to small when both are full grown.
2) Try other Cichlids like a Con or a Firemouth (would love a JD) but once again worried the tank my be too small in the long run.
3) Just get tank filler like some Tiger Barbs or Silver Dollars and bottom dwellers, but I have know idea as to what would be good or how many to get as I have never keep any of these aside from Green Tiger Barbs so any extra info would be helpful if you think this is the way to go.

What do you think would be best? If you have an idea that is better then mine please feel free to share just note the main fish is the GT and I want the tank to reflect that.

Thanks
James

 

[Cichlaholics Anonymous]

Choice #2 of some smaller cichlids like fm's and cons is a good choice, although I'd look into other Thorichthys or something like that instead of more bread and butter cons and fm's

 

[rmorse]

Throw in some Giant Danios for sure....They fill up the unused space in a 55 gallon with a medium sized S.A. or C.A.

 

[James B.]

The more I think about it the less I like option 2 so thats out, now it comes down to if you can keep a pair in a 55 (I think not but may be wrong) and what to get if I go route #3.

I don't know a whole lot about community fish but I was thinking something like this:

1 Green Terror
1 Striped Raphael Cat
10 Tiger Barbs (mix of green and gold or all green)
? some other schooling fish

or

replace the cat with a Pleco (thinking blue phantom or something like it)
replace tiger babs with silver dollars and cut back the # of them.

Do these sound ok? if not what would you suggest?
If I were to do the Giant Danios what would be a good # of them to get?

 

[bluegryffin]

I have rainbows with mine and he doesn't care that they are even there. I, however, am also looking for a smaller cichlid for a tankmate.. . I think tiger barbs would be fine if you got a group of like 5 or more.