Stocking Suggestions For A 75 Gallon

[AXIS]

Okay so I've been keeping a 50L (13 US gallons approx) tank for a while now, which I've been really enjoying. Nice little fresh water community going on.

So I decided I'd like to try a bigger tank as well seeing as I was enjoying it so much, even managed to get the idea past the wife.


So I managed to pick up a larger second hand tank, thinking that I'd slowly over the next while, buy the filter/ornaments etc etc, as I didn't want to lay out on everything at once.

So I managed to get a 183cm x 36cm x 45.5cm (LxWxH) glass tank for cheap. (72in x 14in x 18in)

Now I figure that's probably something like 280-300L (75-80 US Gallons) approximate.

Now while I'm working on building the new stand for it, I figure I should work out filtering needs and possible stocking ideas.

I'd like to try some bigger fish in this one, not just community schools.

So I'm needing some suggestions, as the advice out there seems all over the shop.

I've been back and forth over ideas of cichlids and knifes, and loaches and its all getting a bit confusing.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

I don't know if 75 is quite big enough for a good shoal of clowns. That may be a bit cramped, but then again, I am no expert on clown loaches so don't take that to gold, and hopefully someone will correct me. I personally would do cichlids as a 75g is a good sized tank for a good group of malawis or others, (I have severums and a jewel in mine). Another idea would be a really large planted tank with really large shoals of fish (30+ tetras, 30+ neons, etc) You could do about 2 or 3 different schools of small fish with about 20-30 a school

 

[AXIS]

I don't know if 75 is quite big enough for a good shoal of clowns. That may be a bit cramped, but then again, I am no expert on clown loaches so don't take that to gold, and hopefully someone will correct me. I personally would do cichlids as a 75g is a good sized tank for a good group of malawis or others, (I have severums and a jewel in mine). Another idea would be a really large planted tank with really large shoals of fish (30+ tetras, 30+ neons, etc) You could do about 2 or 3 different schools of small fish with about 20-30 a school

I must admit the Severums are an attractive idea, they are a great looking fish. And would definitely meet my thoughts of a "bigger" fish. I'd been looking at them yesterday.

I'd be quite curious to hear if Clown Loaches would get along with Severums, I know they can get pretty big, too big for a 75G. But they grow so slow, I figure the grow out point would be so far down the line, if it ever became a problem I could upgrade then.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

No, clown loaches require different parameters than clown loaches, and they may even hurt the loaches as severums can be aggressive. the only thing is, you would need to limit the number of severums. I have 2 in a 75g with a Jewel Cichlid and a Synodontis Cat. Yes I know, the sevs seem like an unlikely tank mate for a Jewel, but they are the only fish she hasnt tried to kill. She is a psychopath. If you do severums, you would be limited to 2-3

 

[AXIS]

No, clown loaches require different parameters than clown loaches, and they may even hurt the loaches as severums can be aggressive. the only thing is, you would need to limit the number of severums. I have 2 in a 75g with a Jewel Cichlid and a Synodontis Cat. Yes I know, the sevs seem like an unlikely tank mate for a Jewel, but they are the only fish she hasnt tried to kill. She is a psychopath. If you do severums, you would be limited to 2-3

That makes sense.

What other tank mates would be suitable for two Sevs in a 75 Gallon would you think then?

 

[Dieses Madchen]

No, clown loaches require different parameters than clown loaches, and they may even hurt the loaches as severums can be aggressive. the only thing is, you would need to limit the number of severums. I have 2 in a 75g with a Jewel Cichlid and a Synodontis Cat. Yes I know, the sevs seem like an unlikely tank mate for a Jewel, but they are the only fish she hasnt tried to kill. She is a psychopath. If you do severums, you would be limited to 2-3

That makes sense.

What other tank mates would be suitable for two Sevs in a 75 Gallon would you think then?

I honestly cannot say. Mine are living with a Jewel Cichlid, which is VERY VERY unorthodox, being is that most jewels are psychopaths. I do not reccomend that you stock the way I have. My jewel just happens the like my severums, but generally this is not the case. if you do some research online though, you may have your question answered. Or someone else on the forum may know.

 

[AXIS]

I see lots of Googling in my future that's for sure.


Still lots of time, no rush on this one. I'm not planning on getting any fish in it for months yet.


In the middle of making my plans for the new stand I want to make for it.


I do like the look of those severums though, are yours both male/female/mix?

 

[Dieses Madchen]

Right now they are really young, only about 1.5 inches long. I think one of them is a mail, but the other one I am having trouble telling

 

[AXIS]

Well I just ordered two SunSun 404A cannister filters off ebay.

Bit of a gamble on the "chinese knockoff" but we'll see how they go.


Does anyone thing using both of these at once will be overkill? or will I be just right?


See how the flow goes I suppose when its full up of media



Just about finalised the design plan for the stand too.

 

[holidayinn]

Ime Clown Loaches get along fine with SA cichlids, they just get ignored....if you go that route, try and get as large loaches as possible, as they're very slow growing and e.g. 2" ones could develop to be an expensive treat...you've many options in that sized tank, best thing to do would be start with fish(es) you want to base the tank around and then ppl can recommend.

 

[Tizer]

I would say you have lots of options, but the tank is a very odd shape (in my eyes) 6 foot long, but only 14" inches deep and 18" high? I've never seen a 6 footer that shape, they have usually been 2 foot deep and 2 foot high, pics please!

 

[AXIS]

Clown loaches definitely appeal to me. I think they are pretty cool. If its at all possible to have some in a tank this size, I'd certainly like it.


Yeah its a reasonably long skinny tank. I was lucky to get this size one past the wife as it is though, hehe

If it was any bigger I'd don't think she'd have gone for it

Should look good along the wall we've planned for it though, I'll take a pic for you tonight Tizer.

 

[AXIS]

I would say you have lots of options, but the tank is a very odd shape (in my eyes) 6 foot long, but only 14" inches deep and 18" high? I've never seen a 6 footer that shape, they have usually been 2 foot deep and 2 foot high, pics please!

Here's the pic of the tank. Long and skinny.

Hopefully should go nice against a wall.

 

[onidrase]

Using my own judgement, the tank definitely has the length for clown loaches, but not the width. I'd steer clear, tbh.

I like the severum idea, other biggish fish that could fit in the tank would be Jack Dempseys, Green Terrors, Firemouths, convicts, Honduran Red Points, T-Bar cichlids, Blue Acaras, there's a whole lot of different cichlids out there. Oscars are a maybe, once again, the width is a little worrying.

Those are all totally random off the top of my head suggestions, and throwing them all together would likely end badly as they all have different temperaments and needs.

As far as bottom feeders go, some more off the top of my head suggestions, raphael catfishes, pictus catfishes, synodontis catfishes, and maybe some smaller eels may work. I don't know a whole lot about loaches, though.

Knife fish, I'm thinking the only common species would be the african knife, as other more common species such as clown knives and black ghost knives get gigantic and clown knives get particularly aggressive, I've heard they have to be kept alone. Once again, good length, bad width.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

Using my own judgement, the tank definitely has the length for clown loaches, but not the width. I'd steer clear, tbh.

I like the severum idea, other biggish fish that could fit in the tank would be Jack Dempseys, Green Terrors, Firemouths, convicts, Honduran Red Points, T-Bar cichlids, Blue Acaras, there's a whole lot of different cichlids out there. Oscars are a maybe, once again, the width is a little worrying.

Those are all totally random off the top of my head suggestions, and throwing them all together would likely end badly as they all have different temperaments and needs.

As far as bottom feeders go, some more off the top of my head suggestions, raphael catfishes, pictus catfishes, synodontis catfishes, and maybe some smaller eels may work. I don't know a whole lot about loaches, though.

Knife fish, I'm thinking the only common species would be the african knife, as other more common species such as clown knives and black ghost knives get gigantic and clown knives get particularly aggressive, I've heard they have to be kept alone. Once again, good length, bad width.

Severums get just as long as clown loaches....they may not be suitable either if a clown loach is not.