which stocking will work

allaboutfish

2-cutteri cichlids (pair, kind of like convicts)
1-green terror
10-barbs(rosy or tiger)
or
2-cutteri cichlids
1-firemouth
10-barbs
or
2-cutteri cichlids
1-jack dempsey
10 barbs
or
2-cutteri cichlids
1-severum
10-barbs
and which of those cichlids will have the best personality?

Tazman

in what size tank? and what are your water parameters. Need to know those before we offer suggestions as to the stocking.

Crusader

Just curious how large is your tank?

Green Terror's and Jack Dempsey's get very very large.

I would tend to stay away from the rosy barbs and go with Tiger Barbs. Tiger's in my experience are a more aggressive fish and could hold their own better than the rosy's.

If you get a pair of Convicts, or any cichlid like them you are going to have to monitor your tank close as they will beat the crap out of everything else in your tank. They have been known to hold their own against fish three times their size.

Severums get large (8"), but are relitively peaceful compared to a Jack or a Terror, but still need their space.

Firemouth's stay around 5" and would be a similar size to the convicts and have enough toughness to hold their own against convicts, but like I said, a breeding pair of convicts is dangerous in any tank.

I would go with the Firemouth and Tiger Barbs depending on tank size you might want to try to find a mate for the Firemouth.

Convicts are a beautiful fish.

Hope this helps.

allaboutfish

oh its a 55 gallon and im getting it tomorrow. at first im only gonna have the cutteri in there with my aquaclear 50, and then add fish when i get more filteration.

i dont have convicts. theyre cutteri cichlids.

the aquaclear is cycled by the way. will probably add in my sponge filter too until i use it for quarentine.

allaboutfish

the green terror is the one i most want. id take a Severum over a Firemouth and the Jack Dempsey i want to take off the list.

allaboutfish

could i do something like this
2-cutteri
10-dithers(suggestions?)
1-firemouth
?-angelfish?
i have 11 angels currently and am keeping 5 in my 55, maybe 2 in my 29 and ill have 4 left over to sell or maybe i could keep some in here?

Tazman

Green terror is going to be too much for the angelfish, in fact all the fish you mentioned will likely stress the angels.

I would add a group of tetra (any except the Neon Tetra), Neon Tetra are natural prey for angels in the wild and should be avoided. Black skirt tetra work well and possible a Bushynose Pleco or Bristlenose Pleco as a bottom feeder.

allaboutfish

so you wouldnt do any angelfish with this stocking?
10-bleeding heart tetras
2-cutteri cichlids
1-firemouth

Tazman

Sorry I meant keep the angels and add the tetra.

jaysee

I would do giant danios as dither fish.

I agree, the rosy barbs don't stand a chance with those bigger fish, but might be able to handle the smaller ones well. Firemouth is the best choice, IMO.

I think that zebra loaches would do well as bottom dwellers.