I agree with you. If I were you I'd go with smaller species of wolves personally. I like watching my gold and odoe interact swimming about around the dw so I'd try for a pack of both of about 6+ each. Add some SD too for more movement and aggression spread maybe. Then I'd have a curu and a mala for biggest species. Then do some cats like a trachy, maybe some ornate pims maybe even grow some jaguar cats out too since I stay up late a lot and watch the fish come out. There's only two cichlids I like so I'd get those which are jags and argenteas. Maybe try to grow some erythrinus out alone, I have one that's the dominant fish and he's grown fast for me gotten thick and everything. That's it off the top of my head. I'm sure if I were to come across any species that interest me Id add them if I felt it were realistic. Maybe bichirs.
Like you, specimen tanks aren't my thing, I like watching fish interact, which is why I'd try and have what I deem mostly active fish and then some that I just like personally. And which is why I'd probably add some stock and remove some here and there for the experience to see how they interact. But my for sure stock in that tank would be the wolves and odoe. I know I would definitely try a wyckii once all the wolves and odoe are atleast 10" because that's my favorite catfish and arapaimag said over 600g they can be comm with little to no problems. And being their a medium sized cat maxing at 2' usually, sometimes a bit bigger or smaller (22-28").
It's either try that or do the big three for me, dorado aimara and wyckii
