Quote Originally Posted by 4theSNAKElady View Post
AFRICAN CICHLIDS!!!!! They are as close to salt, in terms of color, without actually going salt. They are very intellegient fish, and have interesting behaviors. They are also pretty hardy, and a bit more "forgiving" for the new fish keeper too!
This is the one I agree with.. Rams are not forgiving and not for first time fish keepers. Balas (I have a healthy school of 6) can grow over 10 inches. They are very fast moving and jump out of their tank if not covered well. They also cant have plastic plants or any decoration with sharp edges. They run into things. There is no actual shark you can get. Balas are a type of huge minnow. Rainbow sharks are a catfish. Bettas can be kept in a male/female pair but they will hide constantly in a community tank and not do well. I suggest a large group of young varied african cichlids. Many colors to choose from. Make sure you put at least 10 to 15 in the tank. This way they are less likely to fight and will establish rank right away. Then a colorful pleco a few months later once the tank is well established. Sailfins, leopards, royals, golden nuggets, are nice and dont get as big as commons. All, of course, after the tank is completely cycled and you have a good bacteria base built up in the gravel and filters.