Set up ideas

[FoxRob]

In the next few weeks we are going to start working on our 55 gallon, since we have found a stand my wife actually like for it. It was a community FW tank in our old home before we moved.
The tank is a 55 gallon long, has 2 Aqua Clear 70 filters 2 water heaters and air pump.

Since we need to stock it with fish we love the way cichlids look were thinking of stocking it with them not sure if African or South American. I know from the researching I have done in the past they like lots of hiding spots and like to dig so we are thinking of using sand as the substrate. How thick should it be for them? What would be the ideal plants for it.

I want to have the plants in and rooted before the first fish goes in the water.

 

[Andrew McFadden]

You should need around 70 pounds of sand. I would just buy 2-50 pound bags and egg crate. The egg crate you can get at most hardware stores and is for lighting. It will go under the sand to protect the glass from the rocks.

Depending on what cichlids you go for you may not be able to keep plants alive. There is a lot of us African rift lake cichlid keepers that have failed at this. ut

There are
African riverine cichlids
Madagascar cichlids
South American
Central American cichlids
( I think I got them all)

So choose wisely and there is a member for each here to help

 

[Daniel622]

I would definitely go African There is more variations of Africans and some South Americans get big like oscars

 

[Mogurako]

I'd personally choose a South American community tank centered around dwarf cichlids/angels or a Central American tank with Thorichthys or Cryptoheros and livebearers. Africans are boring IMO.