Too many choices!

[zenkatydid]

I have a new 4ft (180L) planted tank. Nothing is set up yet.

I'm looking at getting 2 pairs of bolivian rams and 1 or 2 bristlenose catfish.

To go with them, I've looked at panda cories, upsidedown catfish, pictus catfish, saddled hillstream loach, clown loaches, honey gouramis, dwarf cockatoo cichlids.

I have looked at so many fish, and wanted them all so many times that I'm just lost in a spiral!

What should I get? What would go well together? Any others that I haven't listed that you think I'd like, or would go well in my tank?

I am a beginner to tropical tanks, but have maintained goldfish tanks for many years, and have quite a bit of theoretical experience.

[Blucat]

how bout for starters:

Angels
Bolivian ram
ALBINO bristlenose pleco
school of assorted corydoras
schooling tetra (try congo, serpae)

if u want to look at another kind of species look up rainbowfish

[zenkatydid]

i don't really like tetras or angels. i've looked up rainbowfish and don't mind them - i'll have to remember to take a look at them when i go to the [acronym:cc65324136="Local Fish Store"]lfs[/acronym:cc65324136] next.

why albino bristlenose?

i'd like the overall feel of the thing to be a handful of larger fish rather than a whole bunch of smaller fish, though i don't mind something smaller, like some cories - as long as they won't get eaten or harrassed.

[BrianNY]

Congrats on the new tank. Obviously we can't keep every fish we want in the same aquarium so here's a good tip. Decide on the species that you'd most like to keep. Let us know what that is and we'll give you suggestions for suitable tankmates. This will make things go as stress free as possible for you and your fish.

[Jchillin]

I agree with BrianNY. Start with what you want as a main (show fish) and the rest are easier to suggest.

[Blucat]

just thought u might want to look at a picture of albino bristlenose, theyre really special

[xIHaKIx]

You should get the freshwater puffer fish, they look cool and I seen some one's tank they could get HUGE.

[zenkatydid]

i can't get pufferfish here - or, rather, i've never seen them.

as i said in my post, the fish i definitely want are the bolivian rams (and the bristlenose, but they go with almost anything)

i realise i can't have all those fish togetgher :P though that would be a sight!!

would any of the other kinds of fish i listed go with them? if not, what other kinds?

sorry if i wasn't clear

[greenmaji]

first off.. to help the english-system people the tank is ~50 US gallons..

marble or silver hatchetfish.. harlequin or regular rasboras.. maaaaybe cherry barbs..

off the top of my head.. [acronym:ecd060d801="Hope this helps (or) Happy to help"]HTH[/acronym:ecd060d801]

[workfortheman]

From experience, I would suggest AGAINST loaches with Rams. For some reason, my German Blue Rams hate my botia lohachatas, big and small! I'd assume the same with other loaches and Bolivians, and possibly the same with all bottom dwellers?

I would think that the gouramis would be okay, as they stay in the upper regions I believe. The Rams will mostly be lower.