55 gallon/200 litre

[Oli]

So what would you go for instead? I am
Set on a planted tank, with some big fish 5-8” community tank. I definitely want a big school of tetras or something with a few big fish to look at. I like angels, oscars, blue Acaras etc. Essentially I am looking for a big, entertaining fish who could be in a planted tank and draw attention, that could live with
A school of tetras.

 

[Guyb93]

So what would you go for instead? I am
Set on a planted tank, with some big fish 5-8” community tank. I definitely want a big school of tetras or something with a few big fish to look at. I like angels, oscars, blue Acaras etc. Essentially I am looking for a big, entertaining fish who could be in a planted tank and draw attention, that could live with
A school of tetras.

Me personally if I was working with a 4ft 200l I’d go with 8-10 black skirt tetra 8-10 corys I’d go with bronzed just preference but I’d maybe look at larger rams . Electric blue rams would maybe suit your preference sry similar looking to eba a little smaller but being smaller better chance of a group but not really big enough to be a centrepiece in my opinion, I’d like to think a female green terror would work in a 200l with no other cichlids

 

[vanalisa]

Maybe you decide on what type of tetras you want first.
I like lemon, pristella, and candy cane tetras. At least for some of the bigger Tetras. If you get a whole lot of them they will school real nice and look very impressive.
Then you can find a bigger fish that is complementary colors to your tetras!
I don't know it's late....hahaha
...maybe just another way of looking at things.

Also, maybe you've already worked all this out already but you have to find out whether or not the fish go together in the kind of water you have.

FINALLY, tell me about your 55 gallon I've been waffling and looking at bigger tanks. Actually found a pretty good-looking 37 gallon kit at a reasonable price but it'd be really nice to get a 55!!!

 

[AquaBarb]

In a 200 id only do a pair of Eba. Something like Keyholes or Rainbows cichlids in a group of 3 or 4 might be a better option or dwarf cichlids like apistos.

I wanted to do a similar set with a group of Eba's or Red headed tapajos and research was coming back with the same answers your getting with pairing up etc.

I ended up with other cichlids but will do the Eba tank in the future.

My tank is a 5 ft (450 ltr) which i think will be ok for a group of 5 or 6 Eba's but i think a 200 is too small

 

[Colin_T]

Get 2 tanks. Have cherry barbs ad other small fishes in one tank, and the acaras in the second tank. Have them on a double tier stand so they only take up the space of one tank.

The only way to have a group of most cichlids, is to have a very large tank so each fish or each pr of fish can establish and defend its own territory. Most cichlids have a territory that is 3 feet or more in diameter.

If you get 5 blue acaras, chances are you will need to remove some when they mature, pr off, and start breeding.

You can keep Geophagus with blue acaras. Geophagus brasiliensis and G. surnamensis are both good sized fish and peaceful. The main drawback to Geophagus cichlids is they like to dig.

 

[Oli]

I already have a tank with Cherry barbs and tetras, I just thought they’d also look good in a tank with the Acaras, but seems that isn’t an option Regarding the blue Acaras, I’ve been told so many different things about how to go about it so I’m just going to get 5 juveniles and there is a chance it will work. If there’s any aggression or pairing off, I’ll deal I’m with it when the time comes I have seen a number of videos and forums where people have kept groups of fully grown EBA’s in a 55 gallon and it works so I’ll just have to hope seems a better option then just getting a pair, because they can’t be sexed that young so there’s a chance I’d end up with two males

 

[Colin_T]

A lot of videos on the internet are staged. The same with a lot of documentaries on TV. They set up huge studios and make it look like a jungle, add a couple of birds and some cameras. Get the footage and then remove the contents and change the shed to something else.

People set up tanks to film and say this is how you can make your tank. After they have done the video, they take the tank apart and set up something else in it.

If people are genuine about keeping this and that together and showing it on the internet, they should show weekly updates of the tank so people can see how things change.

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If you have room in your tetra and barb tank, perhaps add a pr of dwarf cichlids to it. Apistogramma cacatuoides, Aequidens dorsiger or something like that could be housed with the tetras and cherry barbs.

 

[Oli]

This guy seems to have a successful one but with 3 blue Acaras, maybe that’s what mine will end up like Can only hope. My tetra tank actually has a pair of dwarf gouramis in so It’s fully stocked and beautiful pic below