Suggestions For A 80g Tank Ans A 45g Tank?

[CluelessScot]

Hello Everyone,

I am planing on getting 2 new tanks.

Tank 1 - 60" long by 18" high (not sure on width) will be about 85 Gallons (+/- 10)

I would like to put some Big fish in this tank. Around 6~10" fish perhaps? maybe Oscar, Jack dempsy, Severum or Firemouth?
im not saying i would like all of these or even just these, but these are the fish i have seen in the LFS and they are very interesting. What would you all suggest to put in this sized Aquarium? Say this was your tank, what would you do thumbs-up.gif

Tank 2 - 36"L 15W 18H About 45ish Gallons

This tank would be for my Girlfriend and she wants all things like discus, Angelfish and Neolamprologus brichardi.
The Angel fish would be a problem due to them needing a matur tank (heard about 6months?) The discus are supposedly very difficult too (from what ive read) The Neolamprologus brichardi are rather fun to watch smile.gif the guy at the LFS said they were easy to care for.
What would you put in this sized tank? We would be happy with say 1,2,3,4 larger fish

What would you stock these tanks with?

Thanks

Kev

 

[IMCL85]

severum/discus/flowerhorn r all good for this tank. But the flowerhorn must be kept alone in one tank. A 80g is perfect if u want to breed it else a 45g feet perfect for it. Severum and discus can both be house together.

 

[CluelessScot]

severum/discus/flowerhorn r all good for this tank. But the flowerhorn must be kept alone in one tank. A 80g is perfect if u want to breed it else a 45g feet perfect for it. Severum and discus can both be house together.

So...

What your sayin is if i want to breed then put the fish in the 80g, but its ok to keep them (not to breed) in a 45g?

What could i fit in the 45g? like 2 severum and 2 discus? or less or more?

i was also looking at Jack Dempseys... would i beable to keep a JD in the 45g?

 

[IMCL85]

JD can be kept in a 45g but must be along, it would kill anything include a mate in that tank.

If I were u

45G
for either 1 male red devil/flowerhorn/JD/Texas Cichlid would be perfect

85G
You can keep 2 severum and arround 6 discus together. But remember all this fish r heavy poluter so good filtration is a must.

 

[freddyk]

A 45 is enough for a single JD or Severum, but big fish in small tanks don't do much and you can get more interesting behavior from the fish if you go with a pair of something that fits better, like Firemouths or Angels, or many other non-so-obvious species. In the 80 gallon you can do a compatible pair of JD's, Severums or other largish cichlid. For really large ones like Oscars or Flowerhorns you can only have one in the 80. A 45 is not a suitable long term home for them.

If it was my tank I would no doubt do a pair of something suitable in each tank, since there's no other way to keep them as far as I'm concerned. With real territorial fish like the JD's, they would be about all you can put in the tank, but with more easy going ones like the Severums you'd have more options for other non-cichlid tankmates for them (something to think about if you were considering some variety in the tank).
Neolamprolgus Brichardi are a rock dwelling ciclhid from lake Tanganyika in Africa. They are very easy to care for, but need alkaline and pristine water. A pair would do well in the 45 gallon, but would be the only fish you can have in it, so it will be a pretty quiet tank.

Do yourself a favour and go with a species tank for Discus if you had any inclination of keeping them, they'll do much better and you would be able to cator to their needs, which are different then for Severums.

Either way, make sure you learn what you can on the fish you choose in order to give them a good home. Good luck

 

[CluelessScot]

some interesting thoughts there...

i wont be going with discus

I think the plan is:

45g - Pair of Blue Acara or Firemouths with large rosy barbs

80g - would love a JD but i think it may end up with Severums. How would i go about stocking that tank for severums? would it just be a male and female, or could i have a male and 2 females? or more? I would have X amount of severums, X amount of Corys and/or X amount of Rosy barbs...

If you could fill in the X amounts lol

Thanks

Kev

 

[AnthonyRobinson666]

unless you can get a breeding pair, i'd get approx 4 juvi's and let them pair off...
i believe you could get 5 juvi firemouths in there to, as their quite slow growing and just as hard to sex when juvi, or not breeding...

Id replace cherry barbs with top dwelling shoalers, but barbs should be fine!

and any thing from 6 to 10 corydoras, top end preferibly

plus maybe a plec to stay on top of algee

ARobinson

 

[AnthonyRobinson666]

ps bricardi's are fantastic if you get a pair, they form a social group (Clan is a better word )
what happens is the adult pair breed and bring up the fry, then once indipentant they spawn again, having the older fry looking after the fry... Ive seen four genarations in the same tame tank...

just remember to remove the fry after they reach approx. 2"

sand bottom, terracotta pots, and a few red lilly...
...with brilliant white fish of all sizes...
...did i paint a good picture?

pps just those though!!!

and remember to pull off the lily shoots that reach the suface, or they block all the light!!!

 

[freddyk]

I would have X amount of severums, X amount of Corys and/or X amount of Rosy barbs...

Good advice there - get 4-6 severums and let a pair, or get 6-8 and let two pairs form. Eventually this tank would only hold one pair of Severums (they do potentially reach 12"") but the second half of their growth is much slower then the first and you can get by with two for quite a while. At least 6 barbs, and probably not much more then 10 or so, though I do agree that some fast top dwellers would be more ideal- barbs tend to be too active and energetic for relaxed cichlids like this.

 

[CluelessScot]

Deff getting the pic now guys... i can see it now

if i were to get 6 severums and let them pair off, what do i do with the other four? i know that the aquatic club swap fish but would the severums not be the last fish to add to the tank?

Thanks for the great advice tho

Kev

 

[AnthonyRobinson666]

between 2" and 3" is the usual size of juvi severums round here and at that size they wouldn't bother much,apart from each other the main reason for gettin more than 3 is because...
(2) the larger of the 2 will pick on the smaller
(3) the larger one picks on the smaller 2 and the middle one picks on the smallist
(4) the larger one picks on the rest equally
also increases the chance of a pair...

and as i mentioned a pair of fire mouths and a pair of sevs whould be fine in the 80g together...
sorry bout over selling the bricardi's

ARobinson

 

[parker313]

Deff getting the pic now guys... i can see it now

if i were to get 6 severums and let them pair off, what do i do with the other four? i know that the aquatic club swap fish but would the severums not be the last fish to add to the tank?

Thanks for the great advice tho

Kev

If you get them from a good lfs, most lfs's will take them back for store credit. The good news there is that most lfs charge a lot more for bigger fish than for little fish, so you actually stand to get a good amount in credit.

You may want to consider serpae tetras (sometimes sold as Red Minor Tetras) for the shoaling fish for your sevs, though rosy barbs are an excellent choice too. Other red fish could be tiger barbs, but it would be super important to have a good sized school of them to keep them nippy and annoying at each other, not the sevs. The serpaes can be nearly as nippy as the tiger barbs, but I've got 10 of them and they keep their fighting amongst themselves very well.

I would definitely do Freddy's suggestions - my severums are just the stars of my tank (yes, I know they will outgrow the 46g).

 

[CluelessScot]

You may want to consider serpae tetras (sometimes sold as Red Minor Tetras) for the shoaling fish for your sevs, though rosy barbs are an excellent choice too. Other red fish could be tiger barbs, but it would be super important to have a good sized school of them to keep them nippy and annoying at each other, not the sevs. The serpaes can be nearly as nippy as the tiger barbs, but I've got 10 of them and they keep their fighting amongst themselves very well.

i have 8 Serpae tetras in the tank i have now... Not a good idea for me they have killed one of my rams through stress. they are picking on the other now so i have moved them into a small 5 gallon tank (too small i know but im taking them back on sat morning as the shops only open on saturday n sunday)

they seem ok with the Bolivian rams, but i think thats because the bolivian rams are about 3" so probs the bigger the fish the less it harrasses them

Kev