Please. Help me stock my 55!

[stingray4540]

I am going to set up a 55 gallon aquarium soon. Hopefully. And I was wondering if I could get some input from everybody.
I really want 1 Jack Dempsey, and at least 1 jewel cichlid. My question is, Should I get a male/female pair of jewels and the Dempsey, Or 1 Dempsey, 1 Jewel, and 1 other fish.
If you pick the 3 different fish, what should be my other fish? What would be able to hold it's own with a Dempsey and Jewel, but not get to big as to overcrowd, And it has to be a good looking fish, I like color. Maybe some kind of african? Also, any input as far as bottom scavengers are concerned would be apreciated. Could be catfish or some kind of lobster or crayfish or whatever, just no snails.
I know this should probably be in the cichlid forum, but there doesn't seem to be as many people there as the freshwater forum.
Thank You!

 

[KingOfTheDeep]

a lone dempsey would do good in a 55gal..they get big, and they are very agressive, possibly a full grown convict..or a green terror, could be tankmates...but i wouldnt try it

as for bottom feeders...maybe a pleco..they get big also and will probably outgrow a 55 gal fast..as will any other catfish..except a cory

why not go with the more placid cichlids, like angels and discus, discus are very colorful and very fin to keep/breed, angels as well..and you wouldnt be so limited

if you like the africans and dempseys more..i would suggest a small group of africans, or a lone...maybe even a pair of small dempseys, or a pair of jewels

 

[KingOfTheDeep]

did i say fin? haha! meant fun

 

[stingray4540]

I've just fallen in love with the dempseys and jewels, so I want at least one of each. I know a jewel would easily hold its own with a dempsey, I'm just don't know much about other cichlids. I would be buying all the fish small, 1-2 inches, so there wouldn't be a problem with a baby fish going in with a half grown dempsey. just as long as the other fish can hold its own when full grown with a full grown dempsey.
I really don't like plecos all that much and they get too big. Are cory cats the only catfish that doesn't get bigger than 6 or 7 inches? If so would cory cats be ok and not get eaten?

 

[stingray4540]

Anybody else have any suggestions?

 

[stingray4540]

Anybody?

 

[stingray25]

you could get adempsey and a jewled cihclid a couple nice cats would look cool or some sort of small colorful pleco corys are too small but check this site
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scateg.cfm?pCatId=1163 when you click the fish it has info on it

 

[Hrafnkel]

as for bottom feeders...maybe a pleco..they get big also and will probably outgrow a 55 gal fast..as will any other catfish..except a cory

On the contrary, plenty of other non-cory cats will stay small enough. Dwarf plecos, otocinclus, raphael cats, lots of synodontis cats...

 

[stingray4540]

Thanks, I know about live aquaria. What about one of those hammers cobalt blue lobsters and a Synodontis Ocellifer with a Dempsey and Jewel? Would that be all I could have or could I have one more smaller cichlid in there that could hold his own?

 

[stingray25]

well the Synodontis Ocellifer is kind of small a Synodontis Decorus Catfish, Ornate Pimelodus Catfish, Pictus Cat, Synodontis Eupterus Catfish would all be suitable for the tank size don't know if they would get along though! The small cichlid wouldn't be ok the catfish you can only have 2