What kind of fish...

I keep my peacock eel in a 20 ga and it is doing fine. It is 6 inches right now. I really wouldnt go by AC's database, it is in some extreme need of updating. I might be wrong about keeping my peacock in my 20 but it is extremely healthy and i have had him for almost 2 years.
 
Paradigm cubed: the convict and jack dempsey you are thinking of for your tank will do fine, but I would not recommend any eels as potential tankmates. The "freshwater moray" is really a brackish water fish, and is definitely too large for the tank you have. Similarly, the eels from the genus Mastecembelus (tire track, fire, peacock, etc.) get fairly large. In addition, these eels like to hide at the bottom, and the cichlids you will have will most likely not let anything get to the bottom (i.e. they'll eat it first).

Something a little more active would probably be a better idea. One of the more colorful mid-sized plecos would work well, as would a Synodontis catfish or two. S. ocellatus, S. angelicus, S. schoutedeni are all interesting mid-sized fish that would work in your tank.

Andy16: if you think you have found any errors in the species database, please feel free to email the management. If you are correct, I am sure it will be updated. However, your blanket criticism of this handy (on-line, searchable) resource is not terribly helpful, and might lead people to ignore it when it could actually provide them with some useful information. When I spot-check it, it seems to be fairly accurate to me. Also, I will tell you that I kept a peacock eel in the past (if he hadn't crawled out of the tank one night I'd probably still have him), and he got to be almost 18" long in relatively short order. Although yours is still alive, you may have stunted him by keeping him in a tank that is far too small for way too long. I'd look into getting him into a 40 gallon or larger ASAP to see if he can still achieve full size.
 
Thank you for your informative reply! I just wanted to check on this factor to confirm whether a Peacock Eel is completely out of the question. My friend purchased a Tilapia, Dempsey and Eel when they were juvenilles and they get along. Do you think it would be a possibility if I purchased these while they were all young? Or do you have any ideas about unusual sorts of fish or VERY colorful I could place in the tank rather than an Eel.

Thanks...

**Most of the catfish that I looked at like the Angelicus were peaceful fish, will those go well with those two more agressive fish?
 
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The issue with the cichlids and the eel is not one of aggression. Rather, the cichlids are greedy eaters while the eel would tend to be less so, especially when dealing with the live or frozen foods that the eel would probably require (eels are somewhat picky eaters, in my experience).

The synodontis catfish I mentioned are all both active and attractively patterned, and while they are not themselves aggressive, they respond quickly and firmly to aggression. The cichlids would quickly learn to leave them alone (I keep synodontis in almost all of my cichlid tanks, and they get along fine).
 
Thanks for the information. I came up with three scenarios... Maybe you could tell me which is possible are possible.

Scenario #1
2 Convicts
1 Jack Dempsey
1 Synodontis

Scenario #2
1 Convict
1 Jack Dempsey
1 Synodontis
1 Hujeta Pike (just checking, not sure if this is even a possibility)

Thanks..

Are there any sort of sucker fish that can live well with a JD, Convict and Synodontis?

Out of curiosity what fish do you have housed with your Cichlids?
 
Andy16: if you think you have found any errors in the species database, please feel free to email the management. If you are correct, I am sure it will be updated. However, your blanket criticism of this handy (on-line, searchable) resource is not terribly helpful, and might lead people to ignore it when it could actually provide them with some useful information. When I spot-check it, it seems to be fairly accurate to me. Also, I will tell you that I kept a peacock eel in the past (if he hadn't crawled out of the tank one night I'd probably still have him), and he got to be almost 18" long in relatively short order. Although yours is still alive, you may have stunted him by keeping him in a tank that is far too small for way too long. I'd look into getting him into a 40 gallon or larger ASAP to see if he can still achieve full size.
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No critisism here. All i used to hear about the database was everyone complaining about how it should be updated. Im getting rid of my eel as soon as i can. Didnt know the eel could get taht big. Sorry for misleading anyone here, just trying to help.
 
Andy16: no chance of your upgrading to a 40 gallon anytime soon? That and some extra attention at feeding time might get your eel back on his growth track. What are his tankmates? Mine did his first two years in a 29 gallon tank with some angelfish, then upgraded to a 55, then went for a stroll across the carpeting at midnight and wound up buried in the garden. An old girlfriend had named him "Neil"; he had a lot of personality. You might get by with extra water changes in the short term, but really need to give them more room to achieve their full size.

P.S. I know that the species database is probably not perfect, but it will only get better if people help to correct and update it. And it is extremely useful to have available on line. Think of it as a contribution that AC can make to the hobby overall.
 
no there is no way upgrading is gonna happen. Im only 13 and my parents hate my interests.(except fishing). I might be able to if they make a 40 gallon tank that is only 24 inches long. I asked my dada today if i could start another tank in my room and he said no. so right now im gonna have to settle for less with my 20 gallon.:(
 
I can happily say I have decided to purchse:
2 Convicts
1 Jack Dempsey
1 Synodontis

From what I have read none of these fish live near the top of the tank. Are there any omnivours that would fit such a description thereby filling my tank completely?
 
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