Stocking Help Needed Please

[bae1994]

Well after half a year of my tank being planted I've become bored with it my parents are also laying new floor so it's ideal time for me to change it I'll be selling my plants shortly and will get this under way I need help with stocking mainly I'll tell you my equipment and go from there

Rio 400

TANK
5ft long
20 inches wide
20 inches tall

FILTER
Fluval fx5
Two power heads for flow

Lights unsure ( not that important at this time )

Here's what I'd like

1true parrot fish
And either a Ebjd or Oscar but not sure with the above
1 chocolate cichlid again not sure with the above
5 silver dollars
1 reed fish
1 bircher of somekind
1 rapheal catfish
2 pink kissing Gouramis


I'm guessing all could not go because of overstocking and compatability
But that's where I need your help

All helps appreciated bae

 

[Wills]

Hi sounds like a nice plan Main problem I see with that plan is there are a lot of foot long fish going into there. And with 3 of the 4 cichlids you mentioned all get very very thick and rotund and messy but probably 2 would be doable. I would go for something like this

1 True Parrot Cichlid
1 Chocolate Cichlid
5 Silver Dollars
1 Senegal Bichir ?
1 Rapheal Catfish

And you might get away with 3 or 4 Pictus Cats

Wills

 

[bae1994]

Yeah that makes sence

I'd love a Ebjd but would you say it would be too much if I had

1true parrot
1 Ebjd
5 silver dollars
1senegal birchir
1 rapheal Catfish
And I'd like some pictus ( never thought of them really )
So 3-4 pictus cats

Cheers for the help too

Bae

 

[bae1994]

Well the plants got taken up today and are now for sale it looks very weird now

 

[Davo86]

IME unless you have 2 or more raphaels you will hardly see them and if you decide to go for bichirs again go for a couple or more,
you'll see much more activity and interaction between them

1 True Parrot
1 Ebjd
5 Silver dollars
1 Armoured birchir
1 Senegal Bichir
3 pimelodella blochii

Although again personally I would try to find a slightly smaller alternative to the Silver Dollars

 

[bae1994]

Yeah makes sence


If I had
1true parrot
1 Ebjd
1armoured birchir
1senegal birchir
3 pimelodella blochi
2 rapheal catfish

And a shoal of dithers altho I may have to get silver dollars unless theres a good alternative suggested as silver dollars are one of my favourites


So any alternatives

Also if I had smaller dithers would this allow for more inhabitants

Cheers bae

 

[Davo86]

You could try the likes of Buenos Airies or Colombian tetras which may work with the tankmates mentioned, my JD and Bichir paid no attention to my colombians when i had them,

Safer options could be Giant Danios, larger Rainbows, Congo Tetras or a large barbs species like Filaments or spanner barbs

 

[bae1994]

Yeah not too keen on the idea of tetras or barbs Thanks for the suggestion tho but I'm trying to replicate the 5 foot tank we had when I was a kid so I'll have to go silver dollars I think

Would it be too much if i had

1 true parrot
1 Ebjd
1 armoured birchir
1 senagal birchir
3 pimelodella blochi
2 rapheal catfish
5 silver dollars


Cheers bae

 

[bae1994]

Well after summing up my options I don't really want to risk the Ebjd health issues so I'm gonna go for something else

If I had


1 true parrot
1 armoured birchir
1 senagal birchir
3 pimelodella blochi
2 rapheal catfish
5 silver dollars

I'd like another cichlid in there has anyone got any suggestions

All I can think of is a Oscar of green terror but I don't know if either would get on with the above any way lol

So I'd like some suggestions if any ones got any and if either of the above would get on

Bae

 

[Wills]

What about a group of Red Head Tapajo Geophagus? A group of 4 would work nice in there Or if you can find them Geophagus Pindare both are quite small - Pindare is the smaller though.

 

[bae1994]

Wow I really like the red head geos

Would they replace the second chiclid or the silver dollars as they're something that would push the silver dollars out the list

If It was the silver dollars

Would this work

1 true parrot
1 oscar
1 armoured birchir
1 Senegal birchir
3 pimelodella blochi
2 rapheal catfish
4 red head tapajo geophagus

 

[Wills]

Yes that would work pretty nice IMO

Wills

 

[bae1994]

Cool cheers for the help I've now gotta just sell the plants then the fish then my light then let the floor be put down then stock my tank

 

[bae1994]

Well I swapped this today the plants and fish are in a temporary 4ft

And the parrot has enjoyed the few cherry shrimp and 1 amano shrimp I'd missed

But after reading up on true parrots I don't think the geos will be enough of a dither for the parrot so I may go to silver dollars again

But would this be ok

1 true parrot
1 Oscar
1 armoured birchir
1 senegal birchir
3 pimelodella blochi
2 rapheal catfish
4 spotted silver dollars

 

[england]

I say look for a better choice of dollar, i need a dollar a dollars what i need

but seriously remember i had a spotted dollar which was the size of a dinner plate, absolutely massive, imagining four of them in the old 5/2/2 i had i thinks would be pushing it budd. look at redhooks maybe