Right, I've Given In... Need To Check Over Some Stocking With You

[Always Learning]

The Mbuna setup is going.. well, mostly. Some of the dwarves and my prize ones are going into a smaller tank in the cellar, just incase it doesn't work out for me. The more I look and read, the more I have talked myself into at least giving this a go! It could be an expensive mistake, or it could be exactly what I am looking for... time will tell.

The tank is a 48"x20"x20" 80g custom which will be replaced by a 72"x24"x24" 180g within 6 months as soon as we move into the new house. Filteration is 1 x FX5 and a 1400 APS. I will be buying the stocking at a young age, so that they grow together, but I am looking for something which can be housed in the 180 when fully grown, without having to remove any. Obviously, I know with cichlids that is no guarantee, but in an ideal world..

Here's what I am after anyway as my main stocking. Nothing rare, unless I come across any soon, but even living in Leeds, it seems hard to find many decent SA/CA suppliers.

1 x Red Oscar
2 x Rainbow Cichlids
1 x Jack Dempsey
2 x T-Bar Cichlid, or Sajica, whichever common name you know them by.
1 x Red Spot Severum, or Rokteil if I can find any local.
1 or 2 Firemouths
4 x Chromidotilapia Guntheri. They are African I know, but similar water requirements and they can hold their own. These are a must as they are stunning.
And something for the upper levels which won't become food.

How does that look and what would you change? I'd gladly up the numbers of some of the smaller ones. Anything else you could reccomend which is fairly easy to get hold of? Any help appreciated, as although I like to know as much as I can, experience is invaluable.

Thanks!

 

[hamfist]

All looks good. Biomass-wise, I think they would all be fine in a 180G. Although I know nothing about the africans, apart from I see from googling that they peak at about 6".

As for any extras, I would consider a chocolate cichild. A nice big cichlid,with lots of character. They often like the upper levels of the water too, as they are naturally surface feeders.
Everything on your list plus a choc would pretty much fill out a 180G once fully grwon though. Wouldn't really leave any room for further additions though.

 

[Always Learning]

Funnily enough, I have just ordered some of them in at work so I can see more of them in the flesh. Pictures only show so much but from the sounds of things, they're full of character.

Regarding the Guntheri, they stay at the bottom of the tank and sift through the sane all day. Keep to themselves mostly and as you have seen with the size, I felt I could get a group of these.They are another which pictures don't do justice though. http/www.aquarium-stammtisch.de/Forum/photoplog/file.php?n=249&w=l - Direct link to a pic.

Not sure whether there's any catfish which would fit in with the stock longterm though, as that is also something I was looking into. Wouldn't want to go down the Clown Loach route for obvious reasons.

Bio-Load I'm not too fussed about. I can add as many filters as needed and water changes are a doddle now with the Python, so I do regular water changes. My main concern is space when they're adult size. Granted, I expect there to be one or two evicted from the tank due to aggression and what not, but I don't want them to be overly cramped, yet at the same time, I'd like a variety. I have been spoilt with the Mbuna I know..

 

[hamfist]

With your stock list, it seems to me like you are pretty full up on fish for the bottom half of your tank. So catfish are just going to add to the congestion down there.
Perhaps look into a small shoal of one of the larger species of rainbows for the upper layers. Once full grown, these should be "oscar-safe".

Something to remember with chocs is that they can take a long time to settle in, but once they do, they will show you all the character that they have. They are not aggressive as such, unless spawning, but can be territorial about their claimed "spot" in the tank. In general I think would be perfect for the community you are thinking of.

 

[Always Learning]

I thought as much. Thanks for the response.

The chocolates certainly sound like something I would be interested in, after what you have said and all I have read about them so far... so a revised list would be something like.

1 x Red Oscar
2 x Rainbow Cichlids
1 x Jack Dempsey
1 x T-Bar Cichlid, or Sajica, whichever common name you know them by.
1 x Rokteil if I can find any local.
1 x Firemouth
1 x Chocolate Cichlid
4 x Chromidotilapia Guntheri.

That still seems like a lot to me though, but at the same time, I wouldn't know what I would skip as they all appeal to me. I'd like to have more of each species as they tend to do better with their own, but at the same time, I don't want breeding so that the tank becomes a war zone. I suppose if I didn't have the Oscar then that would open up some other options, but then they are one of the main reasons for me switching from the Mbuna setup... Argh!

You know, I have never been so frustrated with fishkeeping until this last month or so. My head is going round and round with so many different options.. what to move where, what to keep, where to set up a different tank etc etc.. I'm going to drive myself insane.