80g Stocking

[tahneen]

Hi all what oddballs could I keep in a 80g
I dont know the demensions right now but I will find out
I realy want an oscar and yes its not much of an oddballbut they are like puppies
I realy want a dat but I dont know how I would get one as I have never seen one where I live so I think my list I have made is somewhat good, please make any suggestions
1 oscar
1 ghost knife
2 sengals
3 pictus cats
1 dat maby?

or

1 oscar
1 ghost knife
1 sengal
5 silver dollars maby?

what about a spotted climbing perch as I saw one at my lfs and it was the first time they ever had them and they where labled as leopard gourmies

 

[Mr._Fishy]

All dats will outgrow an 80g. However, they grow very slowly so if you get one small you could keep it in the tank for some time. The bgk may outgrow the 80g depending on the dimensions. I wouldn't keep bgks with oscars as the oscars can get a little aggressive. Bgks are very sensive and fragile so I wouldn't keep one with anything that is the least bit aggressive. The smaller polypterus (ropefish, palmas, delhezi, senegal) will work in an 80g. I think would be a risk keeping pictus cats with bgks. Ime bgks are not very quick to find their food and the pictus may not allow the bgk to get any. A spotted climbing perch should work, but the bgk may decide to go for its eyes.

Ryan

 

[shroob]

With an oscar in your tank, you will probably have trouble getting food to the slower/shyer fish that you list (asz ryan says earlier).
I would either do an oscar with some catfish/bottom feeders or just do an 'oddball tank'.

 

[tahneen]

ok I fust realy wanted an oscar
and about the dat I was just going by the profile in the forus here for the false siemese tiger as thats the one I would get
and the bg was only there because my family loves them but meh my tank
I realy want birchirs in the tank like 2 rope fish and two sengals, so what could I keep with them?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

you can have an oscar in an 80gal, but not a whole lot else with him, parhaps a group of catfish/larger loaches or something like that. But I feel an 80gal is a bit small for a group of dithers like Silver Dollars with the Oscar so the other real option for tankmates for him is other NW cichlids, but again the tanks not really big enough to have enough to spread out the aggression.

If you're set on the Oscar then I'd say just keep him with a nice group of bottom feeders

 

[tahneen]

how do this sound, and I would be glad if someone made a list too of options
1 armoured bichir
2 sengals
2 rope fish
2 spotted climbing perch
and I would like some suggestions on ditthers that wont get eaten by the birchirs

 

[shroob]

how do this sound, and I would be glad if someone made a list too of options
1 armoured bichir
2 sengals
2 rope fish
and I would like some suggestions on ditthers that wont get eaten by the birchirs

Ropefish like to be in groups, so if you were to have them I would say get 5 or so, which would make the bottom of the tank pretty crowded really, so I would either do the 3 polypterus OR have some ropefish.

The ropefish also have mouths that are abit smaller than the polypterus's so you could have smaller dithers with these if you like (though still within reason). The list is quite long on what can go with polypterus, silver dollars will go (depending on the dimensions of your tank), people are hit and miss with congo tetras (though with ropefish they should be fine). More peaceful cichlids should be ok as well, blue acaras, festivums etc. basically anything that is too big to eat and won't harass them.

You could do an african theme'd tank if you wish, such as reedfish, congo tetras, african butterfly fish possibly ctenopoma acutirostre (though make sure that the congo's are bigger, these have surprisingly large mouths).

 

[tahneen]

2 spotted climbing perch
4 rope fish
1 sengal
1 ABF
some kind of NW chiclid

 

[shroob]

That seems ok (though depends on the NW cichlid, try and get the more peaceful ones). One thing I should have mentioned earlier, watch out for the ABF, due to its long trailing fins the other fish may nip them. So I would keep an eye on it, also they have a reputation for being notoriously unactive, so may be something you want to think about (they are also jumpers, so have the tank well covered).