55gallon stocking suggestions

[TheHoodGuy8]

Hi, just set up a 55 gallon aquarium and I'm not sure what I should stock it with. My city's water is considered hard I believe.
* Ph = 7.8 - 8.52 units.
* GH = 159 - 164 ppm
* Calcium = 47 - 78.5 ppm

Some Ideas I've had were:
- Tetra Tank with 5 or six large schools of tetra
- Angel Fish Tank with 5 or 6 Angelfish and a school of tetra
- Some type of larger cichlid as a centerpiece and building around that

I could use some suggestions or tank ideas yall think would be weird, interesting, or cool! (Doesnt have to be on the list) I'd like to hear some opinions on the ideas I've listed too. Ive attached an image of aquarium.

 

[Sgooosh]

I think chiclifs are off the list UNLESS you get supplemets in the watrr

 

[Wills]

South American cichlids would work they like soft water and would fill the same niche as your angels in your plans.

I quite like the tetra tank but open it up all charcins and get a mix of things like Head standers, big disk tetras like bleeding hearts and then some hatchet fish for the top splash tetras are a really under rated fish too. Then you could get darter tetras for the bottom of the tank and a few smaller tetra species for the middle like lemons, neons, cardinals, rummy nose etc. Could even include some calm dwarf cichlids here like nanacara or laetacara

 

[Essjay]

My city's water is considered hard I believe.
* GH = 159 - 164 ppm

That is actually at the top end of soft water rather than hard water. For those who prefer dH, it's 8.9 to 9.2.

 

[AquaBarb]

Trio of pearl gourami with a shoal of Harlequin rasbora would look pretty cool with some cories for bottom activty

 

[Essjay]

That sounds familiar.......

In my 180 litre/48 gallon tank I have 4 pearl gouramis, a shoal of espe's rasboras which are closely related to, and look similar to, harlequins, and kuhli loaches

 

[TheHoodGuy8]

South American cichlids would work they like soft water and would fill the same niche as your angels in your plans.

I quite like the tetra tank but open it up all charcins and get a mix of things like Head standers, big disk tetras like bleeding hearts and then some hatchet fish for the top splash tetras are a really under rated fish too. Then you could get darter tetras for the bottom of the tank and a few smaller tetra species for the middle like lemons, neons, cardinals, rummy nose etc. Could even include some calm dwarf cichlids here like nanacara or laetacara

Yeah that sounds like it would be a super active tank! Highly considering it! How many dwarf cichlids do you think I would be able to put in?

 

[Wills]

Yeah that sounds like it would be a super active tank! Highly considering it! How many dwarf cichlids do you think I would be able to put in?

Depends on the species but two pairs would work of most or a harem if you choose a species that prefers that

 

[Utar]

If you go with Angels and Tetras, sometime soon you might find you have to rescue the Tetras. Angels can be very aggressive depending on the fish. I have two Angels in a 55 gallon and find it would be better for them to be in at least a 75 gallon. With my experience, although I love my Angel Fish, skep the Angels and go with the Pearl Gouramis. This way you want, have to worry about re-homing anything in the future.