New 475L Tank... (It's Arrived!)...

[mattlee]

Stocking will be:

10 Emperor Tetras
10 Cardinal Tetras
1 Red Dotted Severum
1 Rotkeil Severum
4 Geophagus sp. Tapajo Red Head
6 Leopard Corys
7 Sterbai Corys
6 Bronze Corys - Maybe
1 Jaguar Cat
1 SAE
1 L177

I'm also massively tempted by some Cichlasoma ornatum but I can't find out what they're temperaments like?.... Anyone got any info on these?

The sun cats are going to my LFS since they won't be suitable for my tank and the Bushfish will be going in another tank....

you could keep that tank and stocking at about 25-26 degrees and all of the fish will be fine mate. if you dont fancy the bronze i know of a group of peru gold stripe corys going cheap if your interested although they require similar conditions to most other corys so it would be down to personal choice.
ive pm'd you some info on the cichlosoma ornatum

 

[Ryan_W]

Hmmmm...

I'm going to give the Geos a miss and buy a pair of Cichlasoma ornatum. After reading up on these, they're pretty much identical to JDs but have a more placid temperament and are more suited for a community tank.

I'll be buying a pair of 1.5-2" juvis and growing them with the tank. Hopefully all will be good and squabbles will be minimal.

Can't wait to get this tank sorted, just need ND to pull their sodding finger out!

Ryan

 

[kizno1]

Sounds good. Im not sure how the Corys, Tetra and SAE will get on with them though. I think they could become a snack once they get bigger.

 

[BethK]

aren't Cichlasoma ornatum pretty rare and hard to get hold of? Heard you have to import them from somewhere like Japan and that they are about £40 per one but I may have got my wires crossed with that!

 

[kizno1]

aren't Cichlasoma ornatum pretty rare and hard to get hold of? Heard you have to import them from somewhere like Japan

Oddballs express have just got a load in.

 

[Ryan_W]

Yea, VERY hard to get hold of... They're not been available in the UK for around 20 years apparently... I'm going for 2 or 3 depending on price and availability at the time...

 

[BethK]

ah okies, saves on dosh then lol

 

[kizno1]

Yea, VERY hard to get hold of... They're not been available in the UK for around 20 years apparently... I'm going for 2 or 3 depending on price and availability at the time...

There £40 each. They got 6 in but im not sure how many will be left now.

 

[BethK]

Good luck, lots of pics please, if you do get them lol

 

[Carlovel1]

Sounds good. Im not sure how the Corys, Tetra and SAE will get on with them though. I think they could become a snack once they get bigger.

+1
They will be suited for community tanks but only with bigger community fish, so, the smaller corys and tetras are out of the equation. Or will RyanW still add the smaller corys and tetras with these cichlids?

 

[BethK]

tbh, with the amount of larger fish the OP is wanting, I think he should get rid of the shoaling fish and cories and just keep it a species tank

 

[mattlee]

if the tank is set up right then there is no reason it cant work. yes larger cichlids will be a threat to things like tetras and maybe corys but if the decor is planned out and the space used wisely it just might work. there will have to be a few no go zones for the cichlids as they get bigger but all of the cichlids he is buying are juvis and wont be a worry for a while. also when the cichlids get bigger most become more relaxed and if kept well fed wont be bothered to chase a small cardinal tetra. people keep tetras with cichlids all the time like angels and discus, including myself in the past and to be honest they never bothered them and i didnt lose a single tetra.
a well sheltered substrate will keep the corys out of reach and happy and things like wood positioned in a way so bigger fish cant get to certain areas of the tank will keep the tetras out of harms way. all being well the cichlids may well just concentrate on each other and not bother with anything else. my cichlids dont bother my BGK or pleco that are much smaller than most of them as they arent a threat to them.

it also could end up in a feeding frenzy as soon as the cichlids are big enough to munch on a tetra etc. it is a risk /gamble but it could work if planned right. if a few tetras start going missing then maybe remove them before they all have gone. trial and error with set ups like this im affraid amd another factor is the individual cichlids temperament.

 

[Ryan_W]

Couldn't have said it better myself Matt

 

[Ryan_W]

Quick update...

New tank is here, it isn't damaged like the last one, and they made it to my exact specifications this time!

There's a sticker on the tank saying it can't be used 'til the 28th So I've got to wait 'til Sunday before I can aquascape it and collect my fish from Matt.... ARGH, annoying!

Can't wait to get it all up and running now!

Ryan

 

[Littlemonkey]

God that is soooo frustrating. I'd be standing there just staring at it working out the scaping. Sunday's going to be a busy day me thinks, bet your up at the crack of dawn to get started. I know I would or 1 min past midnight (set the alarm clock)