[Aussieman57]

Have been looking into various stocking plans for this tank which will be a display tank in living room. Fish chosen based on looks (color, fins, etc.) and occupying different levels in water column. Also species which wife will like that will provide color & interesting features. Tank has pool sand substrate with some pebbles mixed in to give it a more natural look, various driftwood pieces & some rocks. Plan is to add plants (red root floaters, anubias and maybe hornwort). Filtration is 2 Eheim 2217 canisters. Lighting Hygger planted 24/7 LED light...
Acarichthys heckelii (one centerpiece fish)
Geophagus sp. Red Head Tapajos (4 fish)
Electric Blue Acara (1 fish)
Swordtails (6 fish) Marigold or brick variety
Per Aqua advisor this stocking plan provides a 94% stocking level for the tank & require 44% weekly water changes when fish are full grown. Pic of tank below. Have some more Manzanita driftwood that will be added to bring wood to top of water column and plants that will be added to tank and wood to break sight lines.

 

[Auballagh]

Well, alrighty then.
Looks like someone has decided to jump into the New World swimming pool!
Awesome!
I like your stocking scheme a lot. Looks pretty compatible to me, and there are plenty of good-looking fish in that mix. With a bit of spice in the Threadfin Acara, and some harem-keeping drama potential in the Red Headed Tapajos Earth Eaters!
Their is a small possibility that the Threadfin Acara and the Andinoacara pulcher, Electric Blue Acara could pair of and spawn. But, that's pretty unlikely, esp. if you get the Electric Blue Acara. Just keep an eye on things, an adult sized Threadfin Acara in that 4 foot tank could bring down some serious pain on everyone else in there if it goes into spawning-attack mode.
Otherwise, I would up your Swordtail numbers just a bit, to 8 - 10 individuals. More numbers will help to confuse the 'big boy' in there, and hopefully keep Swordtail off the Cichlid Menu. And of course, I would stock with the Swordtail group in this tank first.
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Can't wait to see how this aquarium develops. Keep posting up pics!

 

[Aussieman57]

Plan on putting the swords in first once the tank completely cycles and all driftwood and plants have been added. Could always eliminate the EBA & bump up the number of Tapajos. Would have liked to do the CA theme with the Nicaraguan but it is a living room display tank and the wife loves the Red head Tapajos. Thought it was only fair she get a voice in the mix.

 

[Auballagh]

Hmmmmm.....

Thought it was only fair she get a voice in the mix.

Oh yeah, these things are all good - as long as the Commander In Chief says it is!
You said early on that this was gonna be a display tank. So, I'm actually kinda surprised you didn't get pulled in by the African Mbuna thing. Yikes! The striped Blue and Yellow Vortex!!!

 

[Aussieman57]

After spending 2 decades breeding Lake Malawi, Tanganyikan & Victorian Cichlids I've had enough. Kinda bored with them at this point. I'm dedicating this part of my life to playing with New World Cichlids. I may dabble in Killifish a little too as I can convert some closet space to work with Killis again. Did many of them for years and especially like breeding the annuals. Time to get the infusoria cultures on the windowsill.

 

[jwm2k3]

I've had Mbuna for a while, they live in my 65g....I don't really even look at it anymore.

My 90g south American cichlid tank gets all my attention! 7 Geo Red Head Tapajos, 5 Gold Acara, 7 Urau, 2 Heckelii. These fish are all juveniles. I've had the Gold Acara and 5 of the Geo Tapajos for about 1 year. The others I've added in that year. It's a peaceful tank, active, attractive, the Geos stay from midwater to the bottom, the Urau are midwater to top of tank and the Acara's roam everywhere. I feed Northfin veggie cichlid formula as 80% of their diet, supplemented with frozen blood worms a few times a week. The Urau eat my Amazon swords and munch on my driftwood all day. The Geos keep the sand looking perfect. Out of my 7 Red Head Tapajos, only 2 are showing the red so far.

I am seriously contemplating rehoming my Mbuna and making the 65g another South American tank.....

 

[Aussieman57]

That's a lot of fish for a 90. I'm assuming you plan to rehome some of these once they get bigger.

 

[jwm2k3]

Yeah, the tank is very full! It looks great! The fish will most definitely be placed in the appropriate sized tanks. But for now it's awesome to watch them grow and colors to develop.