180 Gallon Stocking

[Bichir10]

I wasnt compltley sure where to post thid but figured here wud be ok. So i am getting a 180 gallon fresh water fish tank. But I am not 100% sure on how to stock it. I think I want to do somthing like monster fish but not sure yet. Deffinatley want a real big center peice cichlid, like a Oscar or similar. I also wanted to have a teacup sting ray in there if possible. Mainly this post is to see what you all would do and hopefully give me some ideas. thanks in advance.

 

[fish are friends....]

I think for teacup rays (Potamotrygon Motoro) you tank have to be a min of 2.5ft wide x 5ft long x 2ft Tall. someone else may have to verify that though! Oscar would be fine though or maybe a jaguar cichlid. They are pretty cool!

 

[Bichir10]

I think for teacup rays (Potamotrygon Motoro) you tank have to be a min of 2.5ft wide x 5ft long x 2ft Tall. someone else may have to verify that though! Oscar would be fine though or maybe a jaguar cichlid. They are pretty cool!

The tank is 6x2x2. I imagine a teacup wud be fine in there, dont they only get the size of someones hand? anyway what wud you say about a pair of oscars?

 

[fish are friends....]

yea, a pair of oscar would be perfect in there. You could also look at leporinus, Red Devils, Midas cichlid, Black Belt Cichlids or maybe a Datnoid

 

[bitteraspects]

There are tons of options with a tank that size. Provided you have enough filtration and decor, you coyld have more then one centerpiece.
I never suggest oscars personally, but there are many CA/SA options, if that's the oute you wanted to go. Also, the selection of dithers is much broader. The only thing you'd have to check on is compatibility with the ray as far as water parameters, diet, temp, ecr.

I personally liked the datnoid idea

 

[fatheadminnow]

Oscars are great fish, but are very messy and loves to move stuff around. The day you put the Oscars in your tank and you put everything where you want it, you may wake up the nest morning and find that all the decor is moved around. If you put something in the tank, and the Oscar does not like it, he will let you know for sure!

So if you want Oscars, you have to be ready and understand that you are not going to have a very "pretty" tank, so to speak.

But if I had a chance to get Oscars, I so would!

-FHM

 

[fish are friends....]

I personally liked the datnoid idea

Woop! Meg had a good idea for once... Go me

 

[bitteraspects]

I personally liked the datnoid idea

Woop! Meg had a good idea for once... Go me

Your avatar picture was a good idea too

Datnoids are awesome. I have quite a few myself, including some of the more rare ones (like my NGTs in my avatar) and they're great. Only thing is they grow veeeeery slowly and can be expensive

 

[fish are friends....]

Your avatar picture was a good idea too

Haha... I supose I should say thanks

Datnoids are awesome. I have quite a few myself, including some of the more rare ones (like my NGTs in my avatar) and they're great. Only thing is they grow veeeeery slowly and can be expensive

Dats are very nice... would never be able to afford to keep one though. The one in you pic looks V.nice!

 

[Bichir10]

Yes, I have always liked oscars but i have heard very mixed opinions about them. I would also like to see somthing a bit more exotic. My freind has datnoids and they are appealing but he has trouble feeding them, they will only accept live food, and I prefer to feed pellets, with the occasional live food. If you all could just take a look at this list and tell me what could work and suggestions about other possibilities.

**Deffinatley one/two centerpiece cichlids (im thinking flowerhorn, oscar, jaguar, or maybe JD, not sure)

**possibly move my Bichir to this one. How do you think that would work out?

**2 or 3 large catfish (need help on this subject)
I was thinking maybe syndontis, high fin banded shark, shovelnose, black lancer, lace catfish, paroon shark, some sort of armored catfish i really have no idea. i have seen some really cool catfish at my lfs but dont no the names.

** school of dithers prob my silver dollars

** teacup stingray

Please suggest someother fish or anything I want to no my possibilities. Thank you

 

[fish are friends....]

Shark cats are nice. So are pangasias catfish but I think they get massive! umm.. other catfish... Crystal eyed catfish (Hemibagrus wyckii) or synodontis decorus are one of my favourites
Flowerhorns are very nice. Silver dollars would be happy in there depending on what else you keep.
I like the idea of teacup sting ray.. but the name "teacup" sting ray means any small "teacup" sized freshwater ray. Personally though I'd go for the Potamotrygon Motoro variety

 

[bitteraspects]

Your avatar picture was a good idea too

Haha... I supose I should say thanks

Datnoids are awesome. I have quite a few myself, including some of the more rare ones (like my NGTs in my avatar) and they're great. Only thing is they grow veeeeery slowly and can be expensive

Dats are very nice... would never be able to afford to keep one though. The one in you pic looks V.nice!

Yeah. The NGTs cost me a pretty penny because they are so rarw. (3x @ $225-250/ea). But it was money well spent

 

[fish are friends....]

Ouch!

 

[bitteraspects]

Yes, I have always liked oscars but i have heard very mixed opinions about them. I would also like to see somthing a bit more exotic. My freind has datnoids and they are appealing but he has trouble feeding them, they will only accept live food, and I prefer to feed pellets, with the occasional live food. If you all could just take a look at this list and tell me what could work and suggestions about other possibilities.

**Deffinatley one/two centerpiece cichlids (im thinking flowerhorn, oscar, jaguar, or maybe JD, not sure)

**possibly move my Bichir to this one. How do you think that would work out?

**2 or 3 large catfish (need help on this subject)
I was thinking maybe syndontis, high fin banded shark, shovelnose, black lancer, lace catfish, paroon shark, some sort of armored catfish i really have no idea. i have seen some really cool catfish at my lfs but dont no the names.

** school of dithers prob my silver dollars

** teacup stingray

Please suggest someother fish or anything I want to no my possibilities. Thank you

I have over a dozen datnoids, and all of them eat ONLY prepared foods. The closest they get to live is when I feed them MP. And my frienda who keep them also have them trained on prepared foods. Your friend ahould get them off of feeders asap.
As for your centerpiece suggestions, you will probably have to skip the flowerhorn. They tend to be very aggressive and territorial. Generally they will not tolerate tank mates. But the others will work if provided enough hiding places. And remember, you are not limited to those cichlids. There are lots of other SA/CA options. Maybe look into some of the other guapotes and the like. (Dovii, Umbee, Freddie, RTM, Festae, Grammodes, ect.)
Also the shovelnose cat will eventually outgrow your tank, so unless you plan to upgrade, I'd stick with smaller cats.

 

[bitteraspects]

Ouch!

worth every penny.