If plants are the priority, I'd recommend a 1M/2F Gourami trio, 12 Tetra (Rummies are my fav, but most should work well), and 6-8 Cories. None of those would harm the plants considerably (the only exception would be if the Gourami mate and he builds a nest) and would make for an interesting tank IMO. Hatchets or Rainbowfish would also be an option in place of the Tetra. There's a ton you could do... you could replace the gourami with Rams or Apistos, Tetra with hatchets, cories with smaller loaches, etc. It's really about what appeals to you and what you want to watch for the next few years...
I got the stocking blues
- Thread starter Odysseus
- Start date
Id like to start a chiclid tank. I have a tiger oscar and he is so friendly, he recognizes me 
He is in a 20 gallon tank though so I need to find something bigger to put him in. I think you should go with chichlids!
He is in a 20 gallon tank though so I need to find something bigger to put him in. I think you should go with chichlids!
I wouldnt go with the puffers, you could set up a smaller tank and put it on the stand below the 55 for them if you really wanted them. How about angel fish?
Rainbowfish do really well in planted tanks, the plants will bring out their best coloration and they're not the big plant destroyers that most cichlids are. They also get along fine with a wide variety of other fish, mine are with fish as small as neon tetras and zebra danios and fish as big as clown loaches (the loaches are only a few inches longer than the smallest rainbows though). A 55 gal is big enough for pretty much any species of rainbowfish that you like. Only thing to watch out for is if you're using CO2, be careful of the "end of tank dump". Rainbows are very oxygen intensive, so if you don't have enough aeration and the "end of tank dump" happens, they could die.
