A Stocking Thread - Almost From Scratch

[tenohfive]

It's been a few years since I've been on these forums and to say my knowledge is a bit rusty is a fair comment, so I was hoping for a bit of help. I've got a 370L front room display tank that until not long ago I had setup as a new world tank which was running brilliantly (after a fair bit of aggression dispersal/rescaping/restocking.) About a year ago I knocked a plug socket loose, leaving the tank without heat or filtration for a few days and managed to kill all bar one of the occupants. The sole survivor was a Rainbow cichlid/Herotilapia multispinosa. Since then I've just left him be as the only occupant of the tank but I'm thinking about adding some more fish now.
 
Now I don't really want to have another battle on my hands working out what mix of new world cichlids will go with, so I'm considering a couple of options:
 
1. Putting in maybe 3 other peaceful new worlds and some dithers.
2. A community setup but with relatively big fish.
 
If possible I'd like to go with a 'bigger is better' approach to the fish themselves - I want to be able to easily see them from across the room, but I've no idea what. The only type I am quite keen on if at all possible though is some form of hatchet fish - I've yet to keep anything that is so active and stays in the top part of the tank so often.
 
Can anyone advise on which option would be better, and what sort of stocking I should consider?

 

[nofishinginmytank]

You could keep some bottom feeders with the rainbow Maybe some cories or a BN pleco, I know a few people who have kept cories and plecos with rainbows with no problems, except that they can eat the rainbow fry but if you only have one this wont be a problem anyway I dont really know anything about hatchet fish to be honest so hopefully someone else can help you with that one  http/www.fishlore.com/profiles_marble_hatchet_fish.htm I found you a bit of information on marbled hatchet fish although after reading it I am not entirely sure that they would be suitable with your rainbow cichlid, as they can grow to 5 inches and the hatchet fish grow to 2 inches This site gives you information on the different types if hatchet fish- http/www.tfhmagazine.com/details/articles/the-perfect-surface-dweller-hatchetfish-full-article.htm  I have also heard that black skirt tetras (lovely community fish), keyhole cichlids (beautiful fish), gouamis (funny entertaining fish) and african butterfly fish (dont know much about them) can all be fine with rainbows hope i helped