cichlid tank?

[andyt_uk]

hi y'all
my first post outside general chit chat
got my 50 gal tank ready and looking for more fish to add
after much research i am now considering some cichlids - not 100% cichlid tank but wanting a few nicely coloured interesting fish
currently have a couple of platty thinking they rule the roost in there
was thinking of adding some cory julii
but how about an angel or two, and some rams or apisti wotsits
there just seem so many to choose - i want dwarf varieties so i can have more fish, and the more colourful the better
but can anyone recommend any good combinations/quantities

water = pH <7, KH < 6 GH <10 (or is it the other way round), temp currently at 24C, ammonia, nitrite = 0; nitrate almost 0

no salt - dont believe platty need it

TIA

 

[CFC]

I would recomend Apistogramma cacatuoides (Cockatoo dwarf cichlid) or Apistogramma agassizii (Agassiz's dwarf cichlid) both of which are harem breeders so you can have more cichlids for your space, in a tank your size you could have 2 males and 6 females without suffering from territory problems, i would however stick to just one species to prevent possible crossbreeding.
I wouldnt recomend angels for a community tank as they will eat small fish, though in 6 months when the water parameters have settled you may be able to have a pair of discus if you are up to the challenge and dont mind the work.

 

[juanveldez]

I agree with CFC... I would love to have some apistos in a tank they are very colorful, and they also have alot of variants that they have bred for even more color.

 

[carppy]

So you want a species tank...I'm not too familliar with dwarf cicclids, I've always had 3" and over. What advice I can offer is that you stick to cicclids with similar environment preferences. The smaller cicclids I've had were a breeding pair of blue acaras which were nice looking with decent temperment, and blue rams, also nice temperment. YOu don't want to mix south americans with africans(most dwarves are african). best thing you can do is research and find out who mingles best with whom. They may not fight as babies but as they get larger they become more agggressive and territorial.