A few big fish or multiple medium size fish?

[Gatorbait101]

I am setting up a 90 gallon tank and I was curious if I should do like 5 bigger chichlids (ex. Oscar, Texas chichlid) or around 10-12 medium size chichlids like firemouth and black convict. Also, to make my girlfriend happy, she wants a pair of angelfish in the tank. Will the angelfish go with either idea? What about a rainbow shark?

 

[mambee]

A 90 gallon is big enough for 1 oscar and nothing else. 10-12 medium sized cichlids is also too many fish. You have to research the aggression level and territoriality of each fish which you are considering. Also, angelfish wouldn't work with this mix, plus they need to be kept in groups of 4 or 5 to spread their aggression.

 

[JMeyer]

I don't think 90 gallons is too small for around 10 medium sized cichlids. I have 4 in my 29 gallon tank. You just have to be sure to have enough inserts for all of them. You also want to make sure one kind isn't way more aggressive than the others. But yeah, angelfish probably won't work with what you're thinking.

 

[fiddlercrab]

Get 1 oscar and 2 discus.

 

[mambee]

Get 1 oscar and 2 discus.

This is really bad advice for many reasons: Oscars are too large, Oscars would dominate the discus and hog all of the food, discus require very warm water and immaculate water conditions, discus need to be kept in small groups to avoid bullying.