First time handling 55gallon

[Yipee]

So this is my first time getting a 55gallon and it is the biggest tank I will get so far. I am very excited and have thought about a few fishes but I need some other suggestions. Feel free to give any kinds of ideas.
Fishes I thought about so far.....
Some ram cichlids? I really like them but I totally have no idea on how many to keep because when I get 2, 1 always dies in about a week.
A school of about 8 pygmy cories?

[onebettarepublic]

I had pygmy cories along time ago, I absolutley loved them, they are the cutest things ever , Bolivian Rams are hardier than blue and I can tell you I did pretty well with them in a community tank with danios, cherry barbs, and cories....I lost one initially but of the three two survived and were quite characters.

[Yipee]

Okay so Pygmy and Rams are confirmed but what dither fishes can I use? Danios are too active for me and I've had neons, cardinals, white cloud minnows, harlequin rasboras and glowlight tetras. Just thought I could use the extra space for something which I've never kept before.

[onebettarepublic]

What about Cherry Barbs?  I liked those....Glowlights out? I like those too...I just bought some red eye tetras....They are kinda cool.  I still like glowlights better but my pictus might eat them....Btw Congrats on the 55!  You're gonna have fun.  I'm jealous you're getting Rams!

[Yipee]

Yea just read an article that Rams do better in a species tank so I think I will not get any dither fish except for the pygmy cories and have more space for more rams. Glowlights and cherry barbs are cool but I already have them in my community aquarium and this time I will be totally devoted to a rams tank and their special needs. I am SOO excited with the 55. Gosh I will do a ludwigia jungle.

[Pagey]

Just one warning with a ram tank - you have to sit some distance away to watch them doing their thing. Get too close and you'll have a row of rams up front staring back at you. 

They're very inquisitive and intelligent fish, in my experience. And they definitely do better in a species tank. I kept a couple of skunk loaches in with mine instead of cories and they did quite well. 

[Yipee]

I do have a weird trick of watching my fish. The tanks are placed on some sort of shelf and I crawl then station myself near the tank. I switch off the room lights and switch on the aquarium light. Normally after 1 minute of freezing the fishes go on doing to usual stuff.

[SneakyPike]

If I had 55 gallons, I would have a barb tank with 3 schools of barbs: 6 tiger barbs, 6 Odessa barbs (or, maybe rosy barbs)  and 5 gold barbs. These fish are very colorful (almost like salt water fish), very active in all levels of the tank and very interesting to watch.