Best planted community fish combo for a 55g?

[SuperNewb]

Barbs?

 

[Atxpunx]

Yeah a school of barbs would be okay. Have you seen celestial pearl danios? That would be an awesome school to consider.

 

[siva]

Whats a good unique fish that can be the star of the show?

Did you look into any of the cichlids I mentioned? I wouldn't go for the GBR's. As an experienced hobbyist I cannot keep them alive, which is not unusual for this species, so rather than frustrate yourself silly, look at some of the more hardy dwarf cichlids. If you do want a colony of RCS, you may want to avoid larger fish like this. If you go with larger fish like this, I'd recommend you stick with the cheaper ghost shrimp which have a better chance of surviving due to their size and lack of color, and also cost much less so not a big deal if they become snacks.

Barbs?

What kind of barbs? You need to nail down what is most important to you to have in this tank, so you can stock around them and make sure everyone is compatible. The centerpiece fish you choose may not work with barbs.

Yeah a school of barbs would be okay. Have you seen celestial pearl danios? That would be an awesome school to consider.

CPD's are way too small and skittish to keep in this type of community, and if a large enough CP fish is stocked, they could be eaten.