Rethinking my 125

[Mistacliff]

So I thought I had this all figured out.
1 green terror
1 green severum
1 jack dempsey
1 firemouth
5 tapajos
3 silver dollars

I had plenty of people say some of this was no good. I went to pick up some of these fish and my lfs strongly recommended against basically all of it.
I love the look of the green terror, jack dempsey, carpintis, or Texas.
I don’t want to have a tank with just 2 or even 1 lonely fish. My lfs basically laid it out like most of these fish would need to be mostly by themselves.
So first question is my original stocking just asking for trouble?

My next idea is something like:
3 silver dollars
5 heckelii
1 rotkeil
1 green severum
1 orange severum
2 eba

My next idea would be something more of a community tank.
3 silver dollars
10 Bolivian rams
2-3 apistogrammas
2-3 kribensis
2 angelfish

Next community idea:
3 silver dollars
2-3 dwarf blue gourami
2-3 angelfish
15 corydoras
And others?

Basically the silver dollars are here to stay because they are already in the tank.
And when it comes to the community tank I’m not as certain what direction to go.

 

[Mudminnow]

I've only kept a handful of the species you are considering, so I can't much comment on your stocking plans. But, in regards to what to keep with your silver dollars, I would suggest an oscar. My dad had a tank with an oscar and a school of silver dollars when I was a kid, and I have fond memories of it. Also, maybe some type of larger pleco could round things out in such a tank.

 

[Broggy]

I can't say anything for the other options, but I like the community idea.

I would do
5-6 silver dollars
2-3 angels
20 or more corydoras
1 pair of kribensis
30 or more dither fish like tetras, rasboras, barbs, etc.

I wouldn't do the gouramis personally, but you could do it. also, I have never kept angelfish, so I dont know if they would work in this situation.

 

[Mistacliff]

So I think I’m at a new crossroads. I love the idea of the community tank but my last tank was basically all those same fish. I’m trying to test the waters with some new cichlid tank, which was the whole point of the new bigger tank. Broggy, you almost had me hooked on the community again, I like that stocking for sure.

So this is where I’m at now:
Number one option as long as it will work this is my desired setup.
1 green terror
1 jack dempsey
1 green severum
1 orange severum
5 geo heckelii
3 silver dollars

Second option if you think number one is asking for trouble.
1 green severum
1 orange severum
1 rotkeil
2 eba
5 geo heckelii
3 silver dollars

Thoughts? I definitely want one of these 2 options.

 

[Broggy]

I dont know anything about the fish on the list, hopefully someone else has some insight about those ideas.