New 90 Gal Tank Stocking Questions Sa & Ca

[pat1963]

Hi all
Back to the hobby after a 20 year hiatus, darn things have changed!
Just finishid cycling my tank using 20x 1.5'' Zebra Danios, everything went well no fish lost in the month it took.

I found a home for 15 of the ZD so no longer have them.
Tank has pleanty of plants, rock for caves and driftwood.
So here is what I currently have in there:

-5 x Zebra danios (1.5'')
-6 x Firemouth (2'')
-5 x Siamese Algea Eater (2'')

All of the above are getting along, the FMs of course chasing each other around ocasionnaly (I think I might have all males, hard to tell at that size...), and eating well and what they are suposed to.

What I will add short term:

5 x Clown Loaches

I would also like to add some more compatible SA or CA cichlids. Any suggestion on which ones and quantities would be appreciated.

Any and all opnions on my current and planned mix are more the welcome.

Thanks

Pat

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[cheesy feet]

Depends how many gallons/litres your tank is Some clown loaches can becomemassive but most ime are 8' and under.

 

[pat1963]

Depends how many gallons/litres your tank is Some clown loaches can becomemassive but most ime are 8' and under.

Thanks for answering Cheesy, like I state in the title my tank is 90 gal (400 litres).
Your opinion is appreciated.

Pat

 

[Mystix212]

If the siamese algae eaters are chinese algae eaters rehome them imediatly. ASAP. They'll kill other fish. Let the big cichlids kill your danios if you want. Clowns take 10 years on averagew to get to 12". After 6" they slow down a heap. Some american cichlids you could add;
-Severums
-Green Terror
-Blood Parrot
-Convict

Just some.

 

[pat1963]

If the siamese algae eaters are chinese algae eaters rehome them imediatly. ASAP. They'll kill other fish. Let the big cichlids kill your danios if you want. Clowns take 10 years on averagew to get to 12". After 6" they slow down a heap. Some american cichlids you could add;
-Severums
-Green Terror
-Blood Parrot
-Convict

Just some.

Mystix
I made sure they where SAE and not CAE, I studied the differences in appearance between the 2, I'm fairly confident I got the right ones.
So your OK with the Clowns? The number of them I want to add?

Of the cichlids you propose, if I add the Clowns, how many should I get. I prefer to stick to pairs of same species.

Thanks for your help.

Pat

 

[Mystix212]

Yeah SAE and great. CAE, not so great. A minimum of 4 clowns is what I'd get. They need to be social

 

[cheesy feet]

Sorry yeh, i would say 4 would be ok.When they start getting bigger (6 - 8') i would say they would take up about 40-60 gallons of your stocking (i have divised my own stocking method lol).It's not neccessary to have them in a large group.I have had 2 for ages.Although they are quite shy they come out alot and feed.

 

[pat1963]

Sorry yeh, i would say 4 would be ok.When they start getting bigger (6 - 8') i would say they would take up about 40-60 gallons of your stocking (i have divised my own stocking method lol).It's not neccessary to have them in a large group.I have had 2 for ages.Although they are quite shy they come out alot and feed.

I got 4 Clowns, 1.5'', they got to work almost immediatly. One of the FMs seems annoyed by them and pecks at them when they show up in his territory.

Now, after exstensive readind, I'm thinking of adding 4 x Rainbow Cichlids and calling it a day.

What do you all think?

 

[cheesy feet]

Yeh thats
It will be good short term but not long term though.

 

[Mystix212]

A 6" clown would be about 4-5 years old.

 

[cheesy feet]

I spose that is long term. O well lol

 

[Mystix212]

Wouldnt it be great to breed clowns.

 

[pat1963]

Wouldnt it be great to breed clowns.

Sure would be, but apparently very rare in captivity.

So everyones OK with the 4 Rainbow Cichlids? I found some nice ones about 2'' long. Thinking of picking them up today.

 

[Mystix212]

Sounds great.

P.S It would take 7-8 years to breed clowns if you brought them very small.. They mature at 9-10".

 

[LisaLQ]

A 6" clown would be about 4-5 years old.

My clowns got to 7" in their first year, so that kind of disproves that theory lol.

To the OP - let me get this right in my head - you have a 90g tank with:
6 x firemouths
5 x clown loaches (planned)

I'd say that was pretty much stocked, myself, cichlid wise. You might squeeze in some dithers, but 6 firemouths pretty much rule out any more big fish (especially with the clown loaches in there) in a 90g.