55g stock list. Hows it sound?

I think you're at the stocking limit. I would reconsider putting in neons or cardinals with angels, since although some have had luck in keeping them together, many more have had cardinals and neons eaten by the angelfish...

As for dwarf puffers, I would keep them in a species tank since they are fairly aggressive and slow, so they would probably pick on the smaller fish, while angels pick on them.

Hope this helps!

neons and cardinal tetras = lunch for angel fish. if it's tetras you're specifically interested in, i'd suggest getting some larger species such as congo tetras or perhaps rosy barbs.

ibanezgfx said:

alright... im still not sure whether i want discus or angels.

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Discus. But if you're going to get discus, make sure you get no less than 4-5 of them because they are a schooling fish and will form a pecking order.

-Ryan

discus would be my suggestion. they're probably a little less aggressive than Angels. I wouldn't recommend Dp's for a community tank they are very aggressive towards other fish including they're own species. They wouldn't last long being that they're slow in nature and it would stress them out if everyone gobbled up the food before they had a chance at it.

I don't know how much expierence you have but I have heard that discus require a good deal of expierence to take care of.

Discus can be a bit harder to keep IF you dont follow their basic needs...discus have 5 basic needs. Clean water, warm tank, frequent water changes and stable parameters. Discus need a good deal of biological filtration in their tank...discus can be a dirty fish, like a goldfish. So good biological filtration is a must. Because of this, I recommend a wet/dry filter on any discus tank, though you can get by with a good canister filter. Discus need warm water...minimal of 82. Ideally in the 84-86 range. Water changes...ideally, you should do a 50% water change on a daily basis for optimum health and growth on discus...BUT, you can get by with 50% water change once a week IF you stock the tank lightly. A stable pH is better than a low pH...this is especially true with discus. It has been said that discus need a pH in the acidic range...well this is 100% totally false. Discus can survive and thrive in a pH above 7. As long as your pH isnt much above 8, then they will be able to do just fine. Dont worry about the low pH...messing with the water parameters can set you up with more problems than not. Just leave it alone and go from there. Same goes for water hardness...it only matters if you're trying to breed.

-Ryan

ibanezgfx said:

i dont have much experience... i know you have to keep the chemistry stable, lots of water changes etc..

i would REALLY like discus, and the guy who actually sells them around me told me i would need 5-6 of them too. theyre just so **** expensive!

im def. going with 2 rams, i would really like some schooling fish and i want a nice "centerpeice" fish (angel or discus)

suggestions are welcome

also hows this site for driftwood? http://www.aquariumdriftwood.com/

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Yes, you do need a small school to keep them successfully or else one will become dominant and the rest will be pushed away from food and become stunted and sick. Discus can be expensive...depending on where you get them from. How expensive were they from your local guy? It is not unreasonable to pay $25 for a 2.5" discus...infact, that is the norm. But, you must also beware of those cheap fish...if they're from a LFS or a shady importer, dont buy as they are B grade fish and will end up sick and runted anyways. If you're going with discus, you may have to spend the extra money and get good quality, healthy stock.

-Ryan