I had a 45 gallon community tank years ago. It was when I was just starting out in the trade so the species mix was rather odd, but it all worked out reasonably well. There was a breeding pair of altispinosa rams, three Dicrossus maculatus, one Dicrossus sp. red-fin, some blue rams, and to top it off some west african nudiceps cichlids.
This mix was not ideal for breeding, and it did result in some damaged fins, but overall, it was a stable tank.
So, the message is, you can get away with a lot, but keep a sharp eye out and remove fish if things just aren't working out.
More recently in my fish carrier I have really lent towards tanks with numbers of just a few species. Fish in these simpler tanks more often display their full beauty and behave in more dynamic interesting ways.
-Sam
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