Birthday Gift

[troublesum]

Tomorrow is my B-Day and my wife bought me a 55 gallon tank this weekend i put the stand together and painted the back black i will have PFS and a AC70 with a large sponge filter and fake plants, cant do live plants.
I thought about Convicts, HRPs, Apistos, was also thinking some angel fish but i think i want a more calm relaxing tank with community fish or what i would really like to hear is some cool oddball fish that could live in a 55.
But pretty open to all suggestions and ideas my water is neutral and tank will get 2 WCs per week

 

[Deadeye]

Top of my list for a new setup would be an African riverine tank.
African butterflyfish for the top, Congo or African redeye tetras, pair of jewels or kribs, smaller synos, and maybe sub in a peacock or half banded spiny eel (since African spinies are harder to come by).

 

[troublesum]

Top of my list for a new setup would be an African riverine tank.
African butterflyfish for the top, Congo or African redeye tetras, pair of jewels or kribs, smaller synos, and maybe sub in a peacock or half banded spiny eel (since African spinies are harder to come by).

Those sound cool especially the jewels i use to have a pair. How many of each fish would you recommend? i know the Jewels just a pair. As for the spiny any special requirements? for feeding?

 

[Deadeye]

Those sound cool especially the jewels i use to have a pair. How many of each fish would you recommend? i know the Jewels just a pair. As for the spiny any special requirements? for feeding?

I guess it depends on what your water change routine and preferences are. I tend to stock heavier because I never know when to quit…
I would say:
Jewel pair
6-8 tetras
3 ABF
1 spiny
Depending on the cat you could either do a small school, solo, or just do no cats if it seems to heavy.

I also forgot to mention in the first post smaller bichirs like sens, but I would personally pick either that or the eel.
Frankly, I’m still learning with eels. I had a lot when young but that was when everyone was fed flakes and I wondered why they didn’t last long. I have a new one I got a little over a month ago. I haven’t seen it eat but it must be eating something. They aren’t super picky, most meaty foods will do. It seems to be more an issue of confidence. Getting it feeding in a qt or having multiple can help.