Once everything is set, this hobby gets a little boring...

I used to post all the time on here, but I've found recently that keeping fish has lost a lot of enjoyment. Once I got my tank all set up exactly like I wanted it, I kind of lost interest. I think a big part of it is that community fish are kind of boring; I've found for the most part that they are tiny, nameless, and predictable.

I'm trying to think of a way to innject some life back into the hobby I once loved so much. I think I enjoyed my tanks the most when I had only a few predatory fish rather than the throngs of community fish. So, to my question:

For a 55g, what's a good 3-5 fish set-up that will be interesting to watch? They don't have to be predators, just unique cool fish. I'm not too interested in Ciclids because when I used to have them they messed with my decor way too much. Unless there is a breed that doesn't do that, then I would consider it...

[greenmaji]

I think.. this is just a thought here.. that if you traded out a few of your community fish for some dwarf cichlids or angel fish you'll get some personality into your tank.. [acronym:a63262612c="Just My Humble Opinion"]JMHO[/acronym:a63262612c] though.. [acronym:a63262612c="Hope this helps (or) Happy to help"]HTH[/acronym:a63262612c]

*edit*dwarf cichlids and angelfish are non digging/tearing up the tank cichlids*edit*

[duugong]

i think angels would be good for you or maybe some clown loaches, inother words add some fish with personality to your community

[gheitman]

There are certainly several species that are interesting and don't mess with the decor. Angelfish are not only beautiful fish but they also have great personality. You could get a couple of pairs in a tank that size if you remove some of your current fish. You would definitely have to trade in your smaller tetras because angelfish look at them as a food source and not tankmates ("fish are food, not friends").

As mentioned above, some dwarf cichlids would certainly be interesting. You could easily get 5 or more apistogrammas or perhaps some L. curviceps. With the right decorations and water conditions they would probably even breed which brings your fishkeeping experience to a whole different level.

I don't know if your 55 gallon tank is planted or not. I've found that planted tanks are never "done" and can always be redecorated with different plant species that change in shape, size and color. Just yesterday I removed a ton of grown plants from my 30 gallon tank and sold them back to my [acronym:1606bce9d8="Local Fish Store"]LFS[/acronym:1606bce9d8] because I wanted more swimming space for my angelfish. I was able to use the credit from my plants to buy a bag of sand, some fertilizers and some more plants for my other tanks

I'm sure that more people will have other suggestions, but I just want to add that all of my tanks are planted and I have cichlids of various sizes in most of them. They keep me busy every week in rearranging plants and rocks, pruning and transplanting, etc. While I occasionally reach the point where a tank is temporarily stable for a month or two, soon new plants or fish become available which cause me to make changes of varying degrees once again. It is anything but boring at this point.

[Devilishturtles]

Do you have the money/interests to perhaps try saltwater? It's definitley a change and would keep your interest. So many cool things you can do with it. Just a thought.

[Clown Monarch]

Move to [acronym:8a5fb71118="Saltwater"]SW[/acronym:8a5fb71118] - you won't get tired. I've had the tank set up for 14 months now and I still find new life.

and the amount of money and time you'll spend will keep you from losing interest...

[newhobbist]

Once I got my tank all set up exactly like I wanted it, I kind of lost interest. I think a big part of it is that community fish are kind of boring; I've found for the most part that they are tiny, nameless, and predictable.

I felt almost the same way first. Not that I lost interest, but I become dissatisfied with what I have. I was trying to find different fish for my community tank, but the most common fish, such as Gouramis, Rams, etc., appear to be the most beautiful. Since I've got these fish from very beginning, I didn't see the way to improve my selection. I'm not interested in rare fish if it is plain looking. I'm interested in fish that is appeasing to my eye.
Recently I saw several tanks with adult Peacocks in one of my LFSs and decided that this might be my way to go. I don't know whether whey will uproot plants, but they are gorgeous that I would mind even if I had a planted tank. Now I'm doing a research about other fish that can be kept with Peacocks and if I'm satisfied with results, I will be busy for next several months preparing for transition (change of water parameters, decor, substrata, plus finding a new home for my current fish, some of which I will miss). If you decide later to move to Peacock, let me know and I will share results of my research.

Devilishturtles suggests to try saltwater, which might be a good idea also.

[vero]

Once I got my tank all set up exactly like I wanted it, I kind of lost interest.

Maybe that's why people get [acronym:6214c9000a="Malaysian Trumpet Snails or Multiple Tank Syndrome, depending on context"]MTS[/acronym:6214c9000a]. You set up a tank. Then you're satisfied with your work and look for another project because you reached that goal and need another one to stay interested.

Beware!

I'd go for another tank (what will you do with the fish you have?) with a theme. Like reproducing a specific habitat like the Amazone river or an African lake. I've seen a book that showcased aquariums reproducing rivers or lakes from all over the world. It even explained how the tank was set up. The tanks were amazing. And surely the kind of project to keep you buzy for quite a while.

[fishfreek]

[acronym:409afbeac3="In my opinion"]IMO[/acronym:409afbeac3] you get out of it what you put into it. If you languish and dont put much into it than in response you wont get much out of it.

If the 'simple' community setup has got you in a rut think about a species tank or move into a planted enviorment.

[Zezmo]

I liked the suggestion to simply change out some of the fish. Looking at the list of tank inhabitants it seems something like a few Gouramis or maybe a troop of Loaches would spice things up without displacing everyone in the Tank.

I'm surprised the Boesemani are not more "interesting". Do you have any females in your Group? A mixed group of Rainbows can be very active and interesting.