Advice/suggestions For My 5ft Tank After Stocking Change

[minxfishy]

Think Im going to move my 4 satanoperca daemons and 10 rainbowfish, BN plec, plus small (I think might be stunted) Bichir to another tank (63usg 4ft).

This will leave in the 5ft 125usg:

1 Oscar, 1 Severum, 2 Senegal bichirs and 4 bala sharks and bgkf.

What could I add that will a) not be food and b) be ok with these fish.

I dont want to go down the GT route again as that clearly didnt work, the other options I can think of are a single Salvini (but never had one and unsure of their aggression levels), a single Jack Dempsey or.......?? I would lurve a Jaguar but Im pretty sure that will end in tears like the GT did, so that will have to wait. Possibly another Oscar, but again, I dont want to have to rehome if the two O's come to blows.

Right now the Oscar is just under 4", so I want to add something early enough for it to grow with the Oscar. The Severum is now nigh on 8". Bichirs are 8" and 5-6".

Any ideas guys?
Thanks

 

[Cichlid_Crazy]

Salvinis are great looking...A JD might work...i mean they are cheap so if it don't work out...you wont lose alot ofmoney rehoming it.....they are not very aggressive imo.

I dunno if the Balas will be a good idea long term because they get longer than Oscars and need loadsssss of room (and very skittish).

Geophagus Brasiliensis males are amazing looking....they are about the same aggression level as a JD and will probably boss your tank....but not to the point where it hurts other fish.



The Jag would be a bad idea...they get alot bigger than people think and agression wise will destroy your sev and probably Oscar to, I wouldnt feel co,fortable keepign a GT with a Jag let alone more placid guys!!!

I would love one to.....why do I always want what i can't have lol!!!

 

[minxfishy]

The balas will be fine in the 5ft, its a minimum size for them I know alot of people find them skittish, these guys arent, first to come to the tank front, chase the hose around when I do w/c, nothing seems to phase them, suprised me as I thought they would be and take ages to settle in, but were happy from the moment they went in.

Not going to get the Jag dont worry, after Nelly's Brutis, I wouldnt consider it unless it was a single species tank.



Hmm would a vieja work??

 

[Cichlid_Crazy]

They are amazing (Vieja) i saw soem for the first time in my LFS the other day...really pretty, although i have no experience with them.

 

[minxfishy]

They are lovely looking fish, just wondering what temprement they have.

 

[holidayinn]

A vieja might work, but they do have a reputation of being aggressive. I had an adult male Synspilum in with my pair of adult Red Devils, he terrorised both of them relentlessly (my pair are extremely docile, no aggression except between themselves), but as you know has more chance of working if put together as juvi's. I think Regani is supposed to be one of the more milder Vieja. I would suggest more SA cichlids e.g. Chocolate Cichlid, Geophagus species, maybe an Acara, Festivum...from the CA side an EBJD would be nice.

 

[minxfishy]

The more I think about it, the less I want something that may turn out to be aggro. Maybe I should think more along the lines of something dithery

 

[minxfishy]

Would Pictus cats work?

 

[Cichlid_Crazy]

^Yes

 

[Liam50]

i love pictus cats! if my mum would let me have a rio 300 i would have a nice group of five or six as they look really cool when in groups. also i would get a geophagus surinamasis cool fish. slightly aggressive but nothing compared to the fish you currently have.

 

[minxfishy]

Well decision made (I think) although everyone feel free to add anymore suggestions.

The only choice left now was the tank. Was going for a 4ft as already said, however, although ALOT more money, the Trigon 350 would fit lovely in my front room, whereas the 4ft would have to go in the kitchen, which would mean I cant sit and watch the fish (unless I sit in the kitchen) which isnt what I want. Ho Hum, £325 as opposed to £800!! (with a free fluval 405) Oh dear, my savings are going to take a hammering I can feel it in my bones

Plus the 350 gives alot more space to add something more to it
Oh pants, I dislike my children when they put obstacles in my way, my 15yr has just asked how we would get it in the room, due to the fact that my door way isnt wide enough to fit it in, the trigon is 87cm wide, my doorway is 69 wide!!!

 

[Wills]

Turn the trigon on its side so you just have to get the height through the door. Awesome tank as well, is that £800 for the trigon cos that seems a lot I paid £500 for mine with everything in new about 2 years ago.

 

[Cichlid_Crazy]

I still think you should get a Male Brasiliensis....you'll fall in love with it guaranteed.

Its got those green terror style pattern without the nutty personality.

The females are ugly tho.

Heres my old one i sold when i moved on to Mbuna

 

[minxfishy]

Turn the trigon on its side so you just have to get the height through the door. Awesome tank as well, is that £800 for the trigon cos that seems a lot I paid £500 for mine with everything in new about 2 years ago.

Yeah for the trigon, they have shot up in price, cant find it cheaper either.

Was looking at maybe the rio 300 but they've changed it, upgraded it so its taller (which I dont like) and upped the lighting which is algae nightmare, cant find a new one anymore that isnt the upgraded version.

 

[Cichlid_Crazy]

You can get teh Trigons alot cheaper online than from LFS's....like half the price.

Also the fluval equivlents are like half the price and much nicer looking tanks/better made...plus they come with external filters....T5's...real wood cabinets and pre-drilled tank.