Qualified Suggestions For Stocking Please

[doresy]

Hi all and Happy New Year. (Well not too good for me, just learned my factory closed over Christmas )

Anyways.......this blimin' Rio 125lt that I have been keeping ticking over since it completed it's cycle 2 weeks ago is STILL EMPTY!!)

It's full of fake rocks (see sig.) with the the earlier idea of putting cichlids in it.

I now know it's too small for malawis etc so as I still want fish that will use the rock cover rather than the open space I am still desperate for suggestions. I already have a community set up so that's deffinately out.

I obviously want it fully stocked so what about dwarf cichlids? I know there are Astos, Kribs, Rams and loads of others but my problem is knowing what goes with what. After getting yes to everything from the good old LFS I am well foxed and really, I don't want to make a mistake.

So, I am looking at around 6-10 fish including a small pleco of some kind. I'd like colour and rock users. My water is usually slightly hard and around 7.4 pH.

Without going too rare anyone care to take a stab with my stocking list? I know I have asked before but not really had a conclusive suggestion.
These are my thoughts so far.... Like Rams, Keyholes a bit boring, Checkerboard look great, Jewels too big? Flag again bit boring love Green Terror (I know, out of the question!)

Help!

 

[MermaidMel]

You've answered your own question I think. I was going to suggest dwarf cichlids anyway and a nice L Number [see the catfish board for those under 8"]
There's so many beautiful apistogrammas, you could even swerve the rams and kribs and just have a spectrum of apistos. My fave is Apistogramma Borelli but there are lots of others [internet research and Ebay are your friend for sussing out what you fancy]

 

[Truck]

firemouths?

 

[MermaidMel]

firemouths?

I think that although the tank is 125l that with all the rock is somewhat less volume and would not be enough for 12cm full grown firemouths

 

[Truck]

oh yeh the rocks, their big fish. im still debating on wether i want to go down the larger cichlid route once ive finshed my planted tank

 

[shroob]

Have you thought about Julidochromis (from tanganyika), they are smaller rock dwellers that should provide the interaction with the rock you are hoping for.

Some suggested set ups are HERE and HERE, though they arn't for your exact tank size they are the closest match. Scroll down to 'Tanganyika Mini-Community' suggestions.

Some basic info Here.

Though I don't know a lot about them, you might be better asking in african section for info.

 

[andywg]

Make it more interesting, go SW.

Could get a lovely frogfish in there. Who would turn down the chance for one of these:

Go salty, you know you want to

 

[Truck]

not every one has a SW budget, and the OP is using fake rock, i doubt it would seed, and if it did it would take months.

 

[MermaidMel]

Make it more interesting, go SW.

Could get a lovely frogfish in there. Who would turn down the chance for one of these:

Go salty, you know you want to

Awwwwwwwwwwww does it have feet? Its soooooo cute!

 

[andywg]

not every one has a SW budget, and the OP is using fake rock, i doubt it would seed, and if it did it would take months.

One day the upper part of this forum will start to realise that SW does not have to cost a lot.

My last two SW tanks were set up for a total of under £200 for the pair including buying the tanks and the materials for the stand.

SW doesn't have to be expensive at all. A frogfish tank doesn't have to cost much at all to set up, especially if you already have the tank and the stand.

 

[JustKia]

Awwwwwwwwwwww does it have feet? Its soooooo cute!

Aren't they just so ugly as be to very cute =)

Sorry Doresy, I'm not much help with stocking, but following the thread to see what you end up getting =)

 

[doresy]

OMG are they for real!

Sorry no help to me.

Thanks again shroob, tanganyikans seem the answer .....looking at Neolamprologus leleupi and some mates

LFS only had one but more ordered for mid-week.

 

[rabbut]

Aye marine can be done cheap. You can go "bio-mechanical" with a bio-filter the same as FW, and a Protien skimmer if you are keeping anything high-waste (though the latter isn't essential) and use that alone. A bit more maintanance than some would like, but work-able all the same There are reasons for the usual marine=expencive ideology, as most will only have looked at the widely recomended FOWLR or Reef set-up's using the current "fad" of the Berlin or Low-waste systems... These letter two systems will be easier to maintain, hence the recomandation, but since both are based on lots of live rock and flow, £ expendature quickly builds up...

Tanganican cichlids would fit your bill well also Dorsey, as recomended above. They are a bit specialist, but they do come about Dwarf New-worlds will make for an empty looking tank, guideline is a pair per 10g to avoid agression issues... Could still make a nice little tank, leaving you having to look for some dither fish that mebe break your mold of rock-hugging-fishy hippies Sorry, just had to put that...

I love my L66 King Tiger Pleco's and they are an easy-enough rock and wood cover lovers, though mine seem to prefur rocks... There are also Frog (L?), Flash (L?) and Phantom Plecos - in Blue (L?) and Green - L200

HTH some
Rabbut

 

[doresy]

now we're rockin'

 

[rabbut]

Don't forget that a lot of "fancy" pleco's will need meat in their diet. A few will latch to larger fish, so if that is a consideration for a tank-mate down the line, research them plenty before you buy

King Tiger, Flash and Frog Plec's all deffinately need meat. Not shure if Phantoms do. Tiger's IME at least don't latch, but the Phantoms apparently do... Again, not shure about the other two, though they are Hypansistrus and (in theory at least) should pose little risk of latching if fed correctly

All the best
Rabbut