So I have this tank (in another thread), which I suppose I should actually fill with fish at some point now it looks to be running nicely! The goal is to have it quite heavily planted. The pH is about 7.4 and i'm not that willing to play around with it too much.

Before I drive myself crazy thinking too much, I was wanting to know what other people recommended to pop in it. Currently it has golden barbs, 5 stray black neons, and two bristlenose. The bristlenose are the only things that absolutely must stay in there, unless someone else is willing to catch them for me.  Ideally the barbs and neons could live out their days in there but they can be put back in their previous tank if required. I also have sterbai corys to go in.

I'm looking at Rainbowfish currently, but I've also looked at some of the fancy types of Angels, though I always hear horror stories about them, and they seem hard to track down!

The next option would be some kind of cichlid? I've looked at rams and such but I've been wondering if I should go a little bigger.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

Cheers!

I'm a lot rusty but if I remember right Angels are that in name only and like to fin nip smaller slower fish and or each other, I've kept cichlids, small and large but never had any luck keeping plants alive in same tank with them. I'm not sure of Rainbowfish having never owned any. Just my 2 cents worth and I know I haven't helped at all with your plight

 

Actually you have helped. Angels are officially out!

Rainbowfish are awesome - they require a good sized tank (which you have) and a decent space clear of plants so they can zoom across the tank.  If choosing young rainbows ensure you get males as both sexes don't display a lot of colour when young and the males have fabulous colouring, females less so.  I kind of liked the look in your planted tank thread with the smaller fish grouping.  You could always go a heap of black neons with less of the golden barbs or something similar.

I had a great plan to keep it filled with small fish only, I've been eyeing up ember tetras for a long time, but I'm starting to see why people really love rainbows!

I take it it's fine to mix and match with them? Do they all crossbreed though? I thought I might start with 6 boesemani and then work from there. I have no idea about stocking levels with this tank for smaller fish, because I've seen tanks this size with like 2 Oscars, plecs and a shark I get confused!

I guess there is the potential for some rainbows to crossbreed but wouldn't think it would be a common thing.  You might have already looked at the article I wrote for the August 2014 AW magazine on rainbows.  The only time I saw fry in my tank was three weeks after I removed the last fish from my tank ie rainbows and tetras.  There was always a lot of spawning activity but never saw any eggs dropped, but certainly saw fry when nothing was around to eat them.  Boesmani are great, big males are stunning.  They are relatively easy to sex when smaller as the males will develop a brown stripe running down the centre of their face when females are present.  Alpha male will stand out a mile.

Excellent! I think they're looking like winners to me. 

I have found the article and will have a good read! They sound like they are pretty amazing fish!

Thanks so much!