What to stock my 47cm cube tank with?

[sealife]

What would work in a 27gallon, 103 litre tank? Mainly looking to stock with 1 to 3 intelligent cichlids as life time pets.

47cm (18.5 inch) cube tank. Volume around 103 litres, 27gallons.
My water from tap is:
PH 7.6 to 7.8
GH: 5
KH:2.5
Temp: around 24 degrees/75 fahrenheit (can adjust)
Only plastic/silk plants.


I love fish that are not shy and interact with me. Not fond of fish that are shy and hide all day.
Not particularly fond of dwarfs either, unless someone really impresses me with something unusual.
What would work long term?

Thanks.

[Dave]

One barramundi for a year before it is too big. He will be your best friend when you are holding its tucker.

Cheers
Dave

[sealife]

lol don't they get huge?
They look very scared in stores.

Looking for something I can keep for years and years. So it wont outgrow my tank.

Any others?

[Dave]

They are friendly and relaxed once they get settled. A spangled gudgeon or sleepy cod. They wont outgrow the tank and will settle in because they have a small home range. One of my mates kept a sooty grunter for many years, they have personality.

There is a fish here that will lift its head out of the water and watch you walk about the room. The Sinuous Gudgeon, Odonteleotris macrodon, grows a little over a foot and has graeat personality. That with an archer fish who will spit at you when you walk past.

Cheers
Dave

[sealife]

lol Dave, are u recommending me Australian natives?

[Dave]

of course.

[sealife]

Was looking more towards cichlids. Mainly Americans.
Something like:
2x convicts
or
single texas (if possible)

etc etc

[djmm]

If I'm not mistaken African cichlids prefer low Ph water, which might be hard for you to achieve with no live plants/woods?

[DCCXVIII]

If I'm not mistaken African cichlids prefer low Ph water, which might be hard for you to achieve with no live plants/woods?

errr, you may want to double-check that. Last time I checked African cichlids preferred high ph. There's a reason why people put Texas holly rock in such setups. It buffers the ph and stops it from going below ~7.5'ish. Sometimes takes it all the way to 9.

A true species specific setup for cichlids typically has no plants at all, just rocks.

[djmm]

Sorry mental blank - in my head it was american not african - that's why I was wondering why you wanted to put them there lol