75g with about 50 cardinal/neons + a couple big centerpieces, suggestions?

[HenryC]

I got a 75g ready to be stocked, I originally wanted about 6 tapajos but after watching cory's neon tetra tank with vals, I fell in love and now want to do something similar.

I'm planning about 50 neons/cardinals, whichever I have locally available, (but I prefer cardinals since they're more colorful), and a couple medium//big sized, peaceful fish,=. I know the general rule of "if it fits in the mouth, it will be dinner" but was wondering if you guys have any suggestions for bigger fish that might live in peace with the tetras and at the same time be intimidating enough to encourage schooling around the tank. I'm thinking:

Electric blue acaras - Super peaceful right?
Pair of Red spot severums - Also peaceful
Pair of Festivum cichlid - Dunno much about this guy
Single Texas cichlid - They say it can be extremely aggressive, but love the coloration
A few firemouth cichlids - Maybe peaceful in a group?
Pair of Keyhole Cichlids - Peaceful
Pair of blood parrots - A bit feisty but mouth doesn't let them do much damage
Group of silver dollars - peaceful right?
A salvini - Aggressive? 

Any other suggestions are welcome, though I'm trying to steer clear from the classics like discus, angels and rams (if I can lol!)
 

Edited January 29, 2021 by HenryC

[Fish Folk]

Aren't new tanks fun?! 

Having kept and raised Electric Blue Acaras, I'd discourage mixing them with small tetras. They have a very intense bite force. Our Threadfin Acaras -- Geophagus Heckelii -- decided that cardinals and neons finally fit into their mouth . . . and so . . . that happened . . . and right after I'd posted a YouTube video boasting about their peaceful cohabitation too! I'm reasonably sure that any aggressive cichlid -- e.g. Texas Cichlid -- will eventually eat the tetras. Never kept them, but Blood parrots might work. Not my favorite fish though. Keyholes are a possibility. They're really quiet fish though . . . maybe not exactly "centerpiece" Cichlids. Firemouths are bossy and belligerent. They'll probably leave a school of slightly larger Black Neon Tetras alone. We loved the way the Firemouths and the Black Neons worked together. But if you get Firemouths, they will spawn. And you'll be up to your eyeballs in fry! Salvinis are insane. No. Just no! My opinion? Don't bother. 

Why are you trying to avoid Discus? They're not terribly hard to keep, and they're swell tank mates for Cardinals because both like it hot -- ca. 85-89 degrees F. We keep our discus with just sponge filters. Water change once a week. Feed a wide variety. They're not hard. 

[HenryC]

3 hours ago, Fish Folk said:

Aren't new tanks fun?! 

Having kept and raised Electric Blue Acaras, I'd discourage mixing them with small tetras. They have a very intense bite force. Our Threadfin Acaras -- Geophagus Heckelii -- decided that cardinals and neons finally fit into their mouth . . . and so . . . that happened . . . and right after I'd posted a YouTube video boasting about their peaceful cohabitation too! I'm reasonably sure that any aggressive cichlid -- e.g. Texas Cichlid -- will eventually eat the tetras. Never kept them, but Blood parrots might work. Not my favorite fish though. Keyholes are a possibility. They're really quiet fish though . . . maybe not exactly "centerpiece" Cichlids. Firemouths are bossy and belligerent. They'll probably leave a school of slightly larger Black Neon Tetras alone. We loved the way the Firemouths and the Black Neons worked together. But if you get Firemouths, they will spawn. And you'll be up to your eyeballs in fry! Salvinis are insane. No. Just no! My opinion? Don't bother. 

Why are you trying to avoid Discus? They're not terribly hard to keep, and they're swell tank mates for Cardinals because both like it hot -- ca. 85-89 degrees F. We keep our discus with just sponge filters. Water change once a week. Feed a wide variety. They're not hard. 

Thanks! I figured most of these could not be done, wanted to try asking anyways! I'd love discus but they're a bit out of my budget right now (grown). And I've read purchasing them young means very high amounts of daily water changes and maintenance in order to make them grow large and healthy, right? Cause they're the most delicate when young.

[StevesFishTanks]

Anglefish neons and plants the classic og setup.

 

I like the idea of a school of dollars or red hooks. Though they may massacre the plants.

Edited January 29, 2021 by s1_

[Fish Folk]

5 hours ago, HenryC said:

Thanks! I figured most of these could not be done, wanted to try asking anyways! I'd love discus but they're a bit out of my budget right now (grown). And I've read purchasing them young means very high amounts of daily water changes and maintenance in order to make them grow large and healthy, right? Cause they're the most delicate when young.

Well, if you have good water, keep up your maintenance schedule (1x water change per week, 30%) Discus aren't really that finicky. We buy _all_ of our discus young. We spend  about $25 / each. They work best in schools. You could get about 8x in a 75 gal. We keep 6x in our 55 gal.

 

[JettsPapa]

Have you considered a group of one species of gourami (not dwarf), like maybe pearls?

[Squeegee79]

11 hours ago, HenryC said:

Electric blue acaras - Super peaceful right?
Pair of Red spot severums - Also peaceful
Pair of Festivum cichlid - Dunno much about this guy
Single Texas cichlid - They say it can be extremely aggressive, but love the coloration
A few firemouth cichlids - Maybe peaceful in a group?
Pair of Keyhole Cichlids - Peaceful
Pair of blood parrots - A bit feisty but mouth doesn't let them do much damage
Group of silver dollars - peaceful right?
A salvini - Aggressive? 


 

Edited quote for space
I personally would not put any of these with small tetras, the tetras would almost certainly become dinner.
I think you might be underestimating what will fit in a fishes mouth. 🙂
Perhaps a small school of Bosemani's rainbows or something? There is still a chance they pick off some neons, but it is much smaller than with the cichlid species.

[Brandy]

I like angelfish as a cheaper low effort version of discus, and I have found in a larger tank German Blue Rams also work if you really like the classic cichlid shape but want to avoid carnage.