Looking to set upa 55 gallon cichlid tank

[Darkness]

And I need suggestions on fish, american, not african is all i know i want. I already have a pair of convicts in a 29, so not them. I'm hoping to get about 4 or 6 fish in it, but most fish i've looked up get too big for a 55. So right now I have a pair of firemouths as an option. What would you guys suggest for other fish?

[MCHRKiller]

Your going to be hard pressed to get 4-6 cichlids in that tank. You would however be better off to get a single pair of cichlids and add some other non-cichlids in the tank with them For a 55G a M/F pair of Salvini would go along nicely with 3 regular silver dollars and maybe a pair of bristle nose plecos.

[Lady Hobbs]

I agree with Jenn! I had a couple firemouths but they had 400 babies so then what? This begans the problem. A couple Severums would be another option. Females if you don't want spawns.

[thatcichlidguy]

Lots of CAs will work , finding them at your LFS may be another story. Mostly you'd be lookng at two species (one pair each) and ones that stay under 6". Aquascaping this tank to seperate it into two territories with plenty of sight breaks will be needed as well. Some common types that will work are Cutteri , Rainbow cichlids, Honduran red points, Sajica, Green fliers, and Archocentrus septifaciatus the seven stripe cichlid. For the smaller CAs these are pretty common but not always available at evey LFS so getting them might take some hunting them down to a breeder.

On the SA front, there are many options as well. Keyholes , Curviceps, Dorsigera (Curviceps and Dorsigera are very similar and often sold as the same fish), and the golden dwarf Nannacara anomala. Also the common dwarfs such as Apistogramma species (many to choose from) and the Mikrogeophagus species will work just fine in that size tank. Another option and some of the smaller geophagus species and Gymnogeophagus species, though these may have some degree of specialized care requirements they can (depending on species) make a nice ceterpiece for a 55.

Hope that helps and gives you some Ideas .

[rhonin]

Definitely begin with the end in mind....
A pair or two and some ancillary fish.
This may look a little anemic at the start but trust us - they will rapidly grow into the tank and you will end up with something special.

I would recommend something that does not exceed 5-6" as they will need the room - especially if they produce fry.

Best of luck!!

[Northernguy]

Have you got the 55 already?
A 75 is also a 4ft tank and will give you a few more options.

[Crispy]

As usual, I will recommend eartheaters (geophagus).. would go well with firemouths. There are many many kinds, just stay away from the bigger species.

Fairly non-aggressive for the most part.

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[toddnbecka]

I have some 1.5-2" Australoheros oblongum juvies available. Males reach 5", females 3", overall quite mellow cichlids. Actually mix well with curviceps, and come from hard, alkaline water in the wild. Here's a couple pics of the fish:
Breeding Pair:
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Male:
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Female:
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Juvies:
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