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I'm in the process of getting a new 55 gallon tank. I know for sure that I am going to get about 6 tiger barbs and 1 red tail shark. What kind of cichlids, if any, could I put with these. And what are some suggestions that would go with the barbs and shark??

I wouldn't recommend putting cichlids in a tank that isn't dedicated to cichlids specifically. The reason for that is cichlids require a Ph of around 8, where as the barbs and shark prefer a Ph of about 7 to 7.5. With there not being much of a happy middle, the difference could stress one fish or the other.

If you want to keep the barbs and the shark, make sure the barbs are all the same species of barb, because even if you have 3 tiger barbs and 3 green barbs for that total of 6 you're going for, they won't school. As for the shark, make sure that any other bottom dwellers are territorial, otherwise the shark will terrorize them, rather than everyone sticking to their own territories.