Ideas for a 5ft tank?

[cprize]

Hi all, im going to be setting up a 5ft soon, im open for ideas on what to put in there, its only going to be a display, not too sure what i want in there, here is what i have already on my shopping list:

*Common bristlenose, albino bristlenose, calico bristlenose, peppermints, one or two L no. catifsh.

*2 red tailed sharks

*8 clown loaches

Should i go african or american?

If i did american id get a convict pair, firemoouth pair, and not too sure what else?

And if i did africans id just get males of a few different species..

Any other ideas?

wanted to chuck a ghost knife and maybe an elephant nose fish in the tank too, but only if they are ok with the other fish.

What else can go in there? would you put africans or tangs? or just go full tropical fish?

Also want to know where to get a rock backgroun for this size tank?

Thanks.

[cooder]

Not sure on the background, but alot of those fish probably wouldnt like it in a tank with tangs (tangs are africans you know) because of the high alkilinity of their water. If your going to keep tangs, do them a favour and keep them with tanganyikans only... there is a huge variety in colour, shapes and lifestyles of cichlids in lake tanganyika, there is the sand sifters and featherfins, shelldwellers, open water fish like cyprichromis, petricolous(or rock) fish like many of the neolamprologus and tropheus. there is gobies and frontosa and all sorts.... take your pick:

Here is a coockie cutter setup for a 5ft. 12 regualr cyprichromis of your choice (not jumbos) 6 gold occies or a colony of multies/similis or 6 speciosus for shelldwellers. an altolamprologus calvus pair or harem, a julidochromis pair:

OR some snad sifters like enantiopus melanogenys, they are very cool! look em up. with a school of cyps. basicly cyps can go in any sized tank as big or bigger than 4ft bar a frontosa tank lol.

Or frontosa of a certain type?

malawians, im not sure....

Hope this helps,

If you want pics look up those names on google.

Cody,

[cprize]

Thanks, yeah i like tangs, if i went with a tang setup id get some frontosa, with malawis id probably get males of many species.

Could the ghost knife, elephant nose and red tail shark nd loaches live with the malawis? My mrs wants them in the tank thats all lol.

If i went american/south americn i was going to get a pair of convicts and pair of firemouths in there, dont know what else..

There will be alot of rocks etc to keep the fish happy, also got to find a background lol