[Radrichard]

Hi guys, this is my first post on this forum.

I am looking for some advice on setting up my tank and this site has been very helpful. I am feeling a bit overwhelmed in all the decisions that I need to make so hopefully you guys can help me with that too.

I have recently procured a 55g 4ft tank, as well as a 30g 3ft tank which I intend to use as a sump as I'd like the 55g to be a display piece and try not to have too many electronics in it.

This isnt my first time keeping fish and I am well acquainted with the cycling process, but I do want to plan what fish I want to keep. Initially, I was thinking of Demasoni and Yellow Lab because I love the complementary colours and was also toying with the idea of a Brichardi colony, but when my wife and I went to visit a few LFS we were both drawn to the Electric Blue Acara. I've been using AQAdvisor to try and get a feeling for what would work in terms of the stocking. I'd also have loved an EBA only tank with 6 or so but have subsequently read that they can get aggressive during breeding. My current idea is to have a pair of EBA, with 4 -6 Apistogramma Cacatuoides and a BN Pleco to try and get the complementary colour scheme but having done some research I am worried that the Apisto would be terrorised by the EBA when they started breeding.

Some other ideas:
2x Firemouths (probably get too cramped) or
2x Flag Cichlids (probably get too cramped) or
2x Yellow Convicts (worried about pH -- from tap is 6) or
20x Ember Tetras (worried about being a snack) or
2x Angelfish (little lacklustre in colour) or
2x Geophagus Tapajos.

 

[illy-d]

Aggression is relative. I don't think EBA's are going to be anywhere near as aggressive as african or central american cichlids. I'd be inclined to try 6 or so EBA with maybe a small group of 7 - 9 tetras (bleeding hearts get too big to be a snack for the acara, and the red would contrast the blue in the acaras)... You could try stocking more smaller tetras, but the smaller, more noodle shaped tetras (like Neons or Cardinals) may get picked off/eaten.

Just be sure to decorate /scape the tank with lots of territories, caves, hiding places, and sight breaks.

If all else fails and you do get a pair and aggression gets out of hand you could temporarily move fish to your sump & then re-home them.

Worst case scenario - maybe you end up with a breeding pair that grows old, gets large (for an acara), and provides you with tonnes of fry to sell or trade for store credit... That's not the worst thing in the world...