Setting up a new 55 gallon and need suggestions on more colorful fish

[brevilo99]

This will be my 3rd tank and I'd like to do it a little different and have fish that are more colorful. My other 2 tanks have driftwood/plants with one tank having Tiger Barbs and the other Mollies. I used to have 2 Koi Angel fish that were nice looking but felt that 29 gallons wasn't enough room. I plan to use sand as a substrate for the new 55. Any suggestions on colorful fish that are suitable for a 55g would be appreciated. Attached is an older pic of my other 2 tanks. Just want a different look this time around. I know this may sound silly being that it's a freshwater tank but I'd like for it to have a saltwater vibe if that makes sense? Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

[Colin_T]

What are the tank dimensions (length x width x height)?

What is the GH (general hardness), KH (carbonate hardness) and pH of your water supply?
This information can usually be obtained from your water supply company's website or by telephoning them. If they can't help you, take a glass full of tap water to the local pet shop and get them to test it for you. Write the results down (in numbers) when they do the tests. And ask them what the results are in (eg: ppm, dGH, or something else).

If your GH is above 300ppm or you are willing to use a Rift Lake water conditioner, you could go for a Lake Tanganyikan or Lake Malawi set up. Tank size is a major factor here and these fish need a tank that is at least 3 foot (preferably 4ft) long. But in a suitable sized tank with a GH around 300ppm and a pH around 7.6-8.0, you could go for Aulonocara species (peacock cichlids). You can go for 1 male and a few females and let them breed. Or get a group of males and no females for lots of blue, red and yellow colours.

Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika have lots of limestone rocks and the colours from Aulonocara cichlids can make it look like a marine tank even though it's freshwater.

 

[T Waters]

Hi, the most colorful freshwater fish might be the Australian and Asian Rainbow fish. I haven't kept those. If I did I would want genuine schooling fish, where they all swim in unison as a group (schooling) Some are just shoaling which do stick together but don't try to move identically.

Colorful fish (Rainbow fish) schooling together must put on a great show. Not all Rainbow fish are schoolers, but a few are. I keep Frontosa which imitate statues and waste no energy moving and need a huge tank (120 gallon at least). So I have no experience with Rainbow fish.

 

[T Waters]

Her video shows schooling but they are not rainbow fish like these:

 

[Colin_T]

Rainbowfish live in groups that school when threatened but hang out in loose groups when nothing is stressing them. In an aquarium, males usually set up small territories and display to females and other males.

The following link has all the know Australian and New Guinea rainbowfish.
Melanotaeniidae and Pseudomugilidae

 

[brevilo99]

I will have to check on that. Dimensions are 48″ L x 13″ W x 20″ H. Thank you for the suggestions.

What are the tank dimensions (length x width x height)?

What is the GH (general hardness), KH (carbonate hardness) and pH of your water supply?
This information can usually be obtained from your water supply company's website or by telephoning them. If they can't help you, take a glass full of tap water to the local pet shop and get them to test it for you. Write the results down (in numbers) when they do the tests. And ask them what the results are in (eg: ppm, dGH, or something else).

If your GH is above 300ppm or you are willing to use a Rift Lake water conditioner, you could go for a Lake Tanganyikan or Lake Malawi set up. Tank size is a major factor here and these fish need a tank that is at least 3 foot (preferably 4ft) long. But in a suitable sized tank with a GH around 300ppm and a pH around 7.6-8.0, you could go for Aulonocara species (peacock cichlids). You can go for 1 male and a few females and let them breed. Or get a group of males and no females for lots of blue, red and yellow colours.

Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika have lots of limestone rocks and the colours from Aulonocara cichlids can make it look like a marine tank even though it's freshwater.