What Next In Tank? Ideas For My Fish Tank

You should definitely have Corys, with a tank that size and temperature you could choose whichever you want, though they're not cheap and you MUST get at least 6 of one species. Sterbai might be good.
I'm a bit surprised that you say your fish are "silvery", I wouldn't have described either of them like that! Maybe they haven't fully coloured yet?
Personally I'm not keen on the platy varieties, to me they look unnatural and overbred, the Busy Lizzies or Pelargoniums of the fish tank  . I prefer more natural looking fish (and flowers).

The congos and harleys are certainly colourful turquoise, orange yellow etc but in an irridescent way, i just feel i need a "ping" of bright colour, oh well plenty of time to think about it, and yes i have seen "emerald cory" in local MA, they are lovely, but again too much like what i have already, oh well at least i have a very subtle and harmonious tank lol 

I think people often have a "vision" of what they want their tank to look like, but it is more like a marine coral reef than a freshwater tank. In the coral reef type there are many very strongly coloured fish, often in solid reds, blues, yellows etc. I think many people are attracted to the Malawi cichlids because they are closest in look to reef fish, probably because their habitat is rather similar.

However, there are very few freshwater fish with that look. Fish are generally designed NOT to be seen, a solid red fish swimming in a river or lake would be an easy target for any predator. Hence almost the only fish of this sort of colour are artificially bred, wild platies, swordfish, mollies and even goldfish are basically rather boring greenish.

The Boesmani rainbows are one of the fish that really does seem to need a higher temperature, the Red rainbow is perhaps the closest to a solid red fish that is easily obtainable though they take a fair time to mature.

For contrast, I'd be tempted to go for fish with stronger patterns, e.g. stripy barbs (not Tigers with Congo tetras) and patterned Corydoras e.g. sterbai, julii, reticulatus or loaches such as the Zebra loach.

Yes did wonder about a swop around, mind you the Harleys seem brave little things, and as you say, Richard, it is a very natural looking tank at the moment. Ah well, time to think and rethink. Yes Helen, my Harleys do look red sometimes, mainly when i have pink light on, they are "on fire" then, in natural sunlight they are beatiful silver lilac and purple.

Thanks, fcmf, yes i will give it a few months before i decide i think 

I have green tiger barbs, normally I don't like fish which have been "changed" from the original colour, but in this case they actually look like "real"  fish, more than the original stripy ones even. I did get 10 to avoid fin nipping of other fish, which took up a lot of the stocking capacity, but they do look very nice swimming in a shoal. It's the red fins that make all the difference.

Thanks all, it's looking like Rainbows are my only option to be honest, so i will have to decide which ones and see what's available. I also want some Corys, but i gather they need a well established tank, so i will wait a few months.

But very small for a big tank, maybe too nervous to be with Congo tetras.

Not sure why Aquamaid has decided that only rainbows are suitable though?

I think the cardinal tetras add the most colour to my tank. They are the fish that show up most in photos. But they are another relatively small fish.

I've had bronze cories previously but am going to get emerald catfish (similar to but not cories) which are bigger but hopefully also a bit more colourful.

I considered rainbow fish, but with soft water had less choice. I'd love to see how they develop colour wise if you do get some.