Top-Mid Level Fish

[coldmachineUK]

Hi, I wondered if I could pick peoples brains on this one.
I'm still on my mission to find a suitable centrepiece top to mid level fish for my FW community (its actually about 58-60G but rounding seems easier and taking into account gravel etc.). It's slightly over 4' long, and taller/wider than a standard 55G.

I decided not to go with rainbows in the end. I also decided against a pair of kribs too.

Here's whats out:
- Rams
- Angels
- Kribs
- Rainbows
- Anything aggressive

Tank conditions:
- Fast flowing (so something that's ok in a current)
- pH 7-7.8 (i.e. alkaline primarily)
- Temp: 26c
- Established (i.e. params are fine).

Occupants:
- 2x Botia Kubotai
- 3x Botia Dario
- 4x Schistura Mahnerti
- 1x Elephantnose
- 3x Cory Sterbai
(i.e. quite bottom-level oriented at the moment)
- 5x Neon Tetra
- 2x Black Neon Tetra
- 3x White Cloud Mountain Minnow
(i.e. 10 schooling fish; they do school together esp. the black neons and minnows)
- 3x Amano Shrimp

The tank is also heavily planted, and has several pieces of bogwood/driftwood.

Right now the problem is that my cories are always out playing, along with my schistura, but my botia are generally tucked away in little hidey holes, coming out mainly in the evening. The tank lacks activity until the loaches come out to play, and then all the focus is on the bottom level.

I'm thinking I might go for another 10 schooling fish of some sort rather than a centrepiece fish, but am not sure.

I'm also still toying with the idea of a pair of festivums...

Any ideas?

[BrianNY]

Festivum are a fantastic choice. Very peaceful for cichlids and lots of personality. You might also want to include a pair of blue or giant gouramis.

[coldmachineUK]

I quite like gouramis personally, my family don't though They were my first thought though. My father used to keep an awful lot of gouramis (he was a gourami and cichlid person) inc. kissing et. al. Maybe that's why my family'd prefer I didn't go for them!

The other thing is that I've read a fair bit about gouramis being a little aggressive...do you think they'd be a problem?

If I got two festivums do you think it'd be possible to up the level of schooling fish still (say to 15?) or would that be overstocking.

Tank has 50% pwc weekly, and is filtered by a Tetratec EX700 canister and an internal Eheim Aquaball rated for a 20G.