Stocking a new 46 gallon Bow Front

[regulator75]

Hey everyone, I am looking for stocking suggestions for a new 46 gallon Bow Front.

I have only kept brackish and cichlid aquariums, currently I am running 2 cichlid tanks and am looking for a change of pace.

For this new community tank I would like lots of movement and bright colours through out the tank.

However, I am kinda of newbie when selecting these fish types.

Any and all suggestions are welcome.

Thanks!

[Vallisneria]

Do you prefer a certain kind of community fish? Livebearers(guppies, platies, swordtails), Tetras , Rainbowfish? Do you care if you mix types? Or would you want to stick to one group.

For tetras, my favorites are Congo tetras and Columbian tetras. They get a bit larger and have beautiful colors. Congo tetras are nice and showy with they longer finnage and striking colors. Cardinal tetras are also great. Can't beat their colors and beauty in a planted tank.

Livebearers will give you great color and movement. They come in many different colors, patterns and fin types.

Rainbowfish are work nicely too. They come in a variety of sizes and colors. My personal favs are the celebese(great fancy fins), dwarf neon(stays small, beautiful blues) and Bosemani(its half yellow half blueish, great looking fish).

I say, scroll through some community fish profiles and pics and see what kinds you like.

[regulator75]

Do you prefer a certain kind of community fish? Livebearers(guppies, platies, swordtails), Tetras , Rainbowfish? Do you care if you mix types? Or would you want to stick to one group.

For tetras, my favorites are Congo tetras and Columbian tetras. They get a bit larger and have beautiful colors. Congo tetras are nice and showy with they longer finnage and striking colors. Cardinal tetras are also great. Can't beat their colors and beauty in a planted tank.

Livebearers will give you great color and movement. They come in many different colors, patterns and fin types.

Rainbowfish are work nicely too. They come in a variety of sizes and colors. My personal favs are the celebese(great fancy fins), dwarf neon(stays small, beautiful blues) and Bosemani(its half yellow half blueish, great looking fish).

I say, scroll through some community fish profiles and pics and see what kinds you like.

I really don't have any idea about community fish... I will check out some your suggestions, thanks.

[Qattarra]

You may want to consider a school of fish like cardinal tetras. Being a group of 15 or more it is always fun to watch them swim together. Neons don't school as well. You may want a group of 6 or more cory cats too, again that bonded behavior is enjoyable to observe. At the very surface the african butterfly fishes (related to arowanas) skim the top of the water with their upturned mouths ready to scoop any food that you may drop or drop in visitors such as flies. I agree the congo tetras are beautiful as are many others. Don't forget to shop with our sponsors and let them know you're an AA member.

[Drydock]

I have a planted community tank and my favorites tend to be the Congo tetras and I have a group of Blue Rainbows. They are fast and colorful, and I find that they don't seem skittish. When people approach the tank, they will continue to swim out in the open to be viewed as opposed to hiding in the plants or caves.

I have a couple of Emperor Tetras (not the keri tetras that look the same) that also look very nice, but tend to be a bit more shy to humans but aggressive with some of the other bigger fish I have in the tank.

I also have rasboras, platys, cardinals, black neons, black skirts, rummy noses, lemon tetras and yellow tetras in my tank.

On the bottom, I have a group of cory's and a trio of Butterfly Plecos (L025)

When you are looking to fill a community tank, you need to keep in mind which layer of your tank the different types will fill (Bottom, Middle, Top). My Congos, Rainbows and platys tend to be closer to the surface and a lot of the other smaller tetras tend to be the mid to lower-mid levels. IMHO, to have a nice looking community tank, you need to have a good balance of different fish that will live in different areas of your tank. I often will look at a tank I am stocking and look for a fish to 'fill a hole' then go to a LFS to find a good mid range or top level fish.