Stocking Suggestions 75 Gal

[mattb22]

Hey,
 
Just got a 75 US Gal Tank almost setup and just want some advice.
 
Looking for this as a stock list and wanted some opinions:
 
1x Electric Blue Jack Dempsey (Main Fish)
1x Red shoulder Severum (Really like the Golden or red spotted but believe they get a bit too big)
1x Peacock Eel (Plenty of tubes in the tank for hiding holes)
2x Geophagus (Not sure what species yet, advice?)
1x Shoal of dither fish (unsure of what yet, looking at possibly rainbows or some sort of barbs)
 
This is only an idea of a list as I still need to get the tank heated up and the gravel/sand down.
 
 
Thanks,
Matt.

 

[fluttermoth]

Could you post the dimensions of your tank and the hardness of your water, please?

 

[mattb22]

Hi,

We have hard water locally and just realised that the geos are a soft water species. GH about 160ppm. PH 7.6.

It is a Fluval Profile 1000 so 39"L x 18"D x 24"H

 

[SherLar]

   I have both severums (gold) and Jacks in different tanks. I got my first severum and my first Jack at the same time, and as they grew, both were fairly aggressive (the severum was worse). At the advice of a friend, I added a couple more of both species and the aggression calmed considerably.
   I could be wrong (my wife says it's a high probability whenever I open my mouth), but I would stock a pair at least of each to be safe.

 

[mattb22]

I've been told my aquarium wouldnt have the length for one severum or JD what woul be your opinion

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Honestly, with that water, I'd consider going African Rift Cichlids rather than South American.
 
Plenty of beautifully colorful options available.  You could go with a biotope and stick to a single lake.
 
Lake Malawi being my current favorite.
http/www.malawimayhem.com/articles_chemistry_water_chemistry.shtml
 
Relevant quotes:

pH
pH is probably the single most important property to understand and monitor. It refers to water being acidic, basic (alkaline) or neutral. With a measurement of 7 being neutral, less than 7 is acidic and greater than 7 is alkaline. While common tropical fish are happiest right around neutral, African cichlids prefer the following alkaline ranges:
    Lake Malawi species:    7.4 – 8.6
    Lake Tanganyika species:    7.8 – 9.0
    Lake Victoria species:    7.2 – 8.6

 

GH (General Hardness)
General hardness or “total hardness” is a measure of the magnesium and calcium in the water. Africans are most likely to appear vibrant and colorful in aquariums with a general hardness ranging from 160 – 320 ppm (parts per million) or 9° – 18° DH (“Deutsch hardness”). Because DH values refer to a German hardness scale, I have heard GH mistakenly referred to as “German hardness” which is incorrect. This is a mix-up between the particular water property being measured and the scale on which the result is expressed. There is also a “Clark scale,” but since I am not personally familiar with it and don’t know how widely it is used I chose not to calculate the target range using that scale. Examine your test kit carefully so that you are certain what scale it uses. The following conversion table may be helpful:

 

KH (Carbonate Hardness)
Carbonate hardness, also known as “buffering capacity” or “total alkalinity,” is a measurement of carbonates and bicarbonates in the water. It is best described as water’s ability to keep the pH stable as acids or bases are added – almost acting like a sponge for those additives so they cannot affect the pH. Without adequate buffering, the pH in your aquarium will eventually drop because the end result of the nitrogen cycle is nitrate (nitric acid), which slowly builds up between water changes. With sufficient buffering the pH remains stable. For a Rift Lake aquarium, KH is ideally in the range of 180 – 240 ppm, or 10° – 14° DH.

 
You didn't mention your kH... but using crushed coral as your substrate, you'd have the kH right where you'd want it (I believe) and your gH would boost up a bit as well, right into the 'happy' range.
 
 
 
 
Some food for thought.  (Though, you'd be changing your entire stocking plan - the good side is that you would be working WITH your tap water chemistry AND with the physiology of your fish.)

 

[mattb22]

Honestly, with that water, I'd consider going African Rift Cichlids rather than South American.
 
Plenty of beautifully colorful options available.  You could go with a biotope and stick to a single lake.
 
Lake Malawi being my current favorite.

http/www.malawimayhem.com/articles_chemistry_water_chemistry.shtml
 
Relevant quotes:

pH
pH is probably the single most important property to understand and monitor. It refers to water being acidic, basic (alkaline) or neutral. With a measurement of 7 being neutral, less than 7 is acidic and greater than 7 is alkaline. While common tropical fish are happiest right around neutral, African cichlids prefer the following alkaline ranges:
    Lake Malawi species:    7.4 – 8.6
    Lake Tanganyika species:    7.8 – 9.0
    Lake Victoria species:    7.2 – 8.6

 

GH (General Hardness)
General hardness or “total hardness” is a measure of the magnesium and calcium in the water. Africans are most likely to appear vibrant and colorful in aquariums with a general hardness ranging from 160 – 320 ppm (parts per million) or 9° – 18° DH (“Deutsch hardness”). Because DH values refer to a German hardness scale, I have heard GH mistakenly referred to as “German hardness” which is incorrect. This is a mix-up between the particular water property being measured and the scale on which the result is expressed. There is also a “Clark scale,” but since I am not personally familiar with it and don’t know how widely it is used I chose not to calculate the target range using that scale. Examine your test kit carefully so that you are certain what scale it uses. The following conversion table may be helpful:

 

KH (Carbonate Hardness)
Carbonate hardness, also known as “buffering capacity” or “total alkalinity,” is a measurement of carbonates and bicarbonates in the water. It is best described as water’s ability to keep the pH stable as acids or bases are added – almost acting like a sponge for those additives so they cannot affect the pH. Without adequate buffering, the pH in your aquarium will eventually drop because the end result of the nitrogen cycle is nitrate (nitric acid), which slowly builds up between water changes. With sufficient buffering the pH remains stable. For a Rift Lake aquarium, KH is ideally in the range of 180 – 240 ppm, or 10° – 14° DH.

 
You didn't mention your kH... but using crushed coral as your substrate, you'd have the kH right where you'd want it (I believe) and your gH would boost up a bit as well, right into the 'happy' range.
 
 
 
 
Some food for thought.  (Though, you'd be changing your entire stocking plan - the good side is that you would be working WITH your tap water chemistry AND with the physiology of your fish.)


 
 
 
I really love the colours of some of the rift lake cichlids but I just don't think they have quite the character of the SA/CA Cichlids. Even though they are beautiful to look at.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Understandable. Consider this though, only the Jack Dempsey is appropriate for your water of the fish you listed in your first post (well, the rainbow fish, as well, but none of the other SA cichlids).