Upgrade! - Need Fish Ideas/help

[Davo86]

Thanks for the help Davo

No probs, will look forward to pics once its complete

 

[Wills]

Thanks I will probs be popping back now and again with ideas. Next priority is to find the tank!

 

[Wills]

Sorry one more post. Im just looking through used adverts and I'm a little stuck with the measurements for the tank - I was planning on a 4 ft x 18 in x 24 in tank but are there any other sizes that could work for this stocking? Just so I could maybe move the goal posts with what Im looking at. The main thing I am worried about is the sev - but although I want to stick at 18 wide Im wondering about the height do you think a 4x18x18 would work as well or should I stick it out and wait for the "dream tank" to come along?

Wills

 

[Davo86]

How about something like a Rio 300? these should be easily available and i believe are a little bigger at 4x20x24?

Alternatives are;
Aqua One Aquience - bow 1200B OR rectangle 1200R
or the Aqua One Regency 120 which is 4ft x 18 x 27
although these may be much more pricey

With a Sev I would definitely go for 2 ft deep personally, Mine makes the most of the space at all levels of the tank.
And with your intended stocking I would want a 300L tank minimum tbh

 

[Wills]

How about something like a Rio 300? these should be easily available and i believe are a little bigger at 4x20x24?

Alternatives are;
Aqua One Aquience - bow 1200B OR rectangle 1200R
or the Aqua One Regency 120 which is 4ft x 18 x 27
although these may be much more pricey

With a Sev I would definitely go for 2 ft deep personally, Mine makes the most of the space at all levels of the tank.
And with your intended stocking I would want a 300L tank minimum tbh

Yeah I'm agreed with needing it just a bit frustrating not being able to find one right now - thanks for the other brands though I saw the Rio 300 but I dont like the juwel internals they take up so much room - so I'm looking for one with it cut out and with an external or one with an external that I can try and cut the internal out of. Ill have a search for the aqua one ones.

Do you know if any of the Fluval tanks are big enough?

* edit

My other option would be to leave the severum out as Ive found a bargain roma 240 with a FX5 and I can wait for the sev till I get the 6 foot tank do you think that tank could cope with this stocking? so just

2 HRP
2 Aequidens diadema
5 Anastomus Ternetzi
4 Hoplo's - or similar
1 L135
1 L235

 

[Liam50]

cutting the internal out of a juwel is very easy takes around 5 minutes if that!

 

[Davo86]

The biggest Fluval Roma is the 240L

and yes this would be fine with your stocking without the Sev
IMO you could even add a small shoal of Colombians or similar if you wanted to

 

[Wills]

Hmmm I just emailed about that tank - I'm getting really really tempted to wait for my sev now. Do you think I could get an other cichlid in the 240? I went to an LFS that has moved stores the other day and they had a surinamensis that has been in the store for years (its a bit out in the sticks and I used to be a regular) and he is around 5 inches maybe, do you think this could work as a replacement for the sev?

The thing that swings this tank is the fluval FX5 included with the tank for £100 and the FX5 is what I want to work on the 6 foot I plan on in about 18months time. Only problem with this one is its been used for marine but its been stripped down and dried out now as the owner has upgraded. Will this be a problem?

Wills

 

[Liam50]

i have a geophagus megasema which is often labeled as a surinamasis. i will say they are slightly territorial... so thats something to watch out for.

 

[Wills]

Thanks liam Ill have a bit more of a think about that then anyone got any other ideas?

Main thing thats holding me back on this tank now is that its been used for salt water and I am a bit worried about the swap over to fresh water. Its about 2 hours away but so cheap the petrol wont matter! Again for the cost I just cant justify getting the bigger tank for the sake of a severum I would rather wait for my big build later on.

So yeah any more advice on the Suinamasis and also the swap to freshwater would be greatly greatly appreciated

Wills

 

[Davo86]

Thanks liam Ill have a bit more of a think about that then anyone got any other ideas?

Main thing thats holding me back on this tank now is that its been used for salt water and I am a bit worried about the swap over to fresh water. Its about 2 hours away but so cheap the petrol wont matter! Again for the cost I just cant justify getting the bigger tank for the sake of a severum I would rather wait for my big build later on.

So yeah any more advice on the Suinamasis and also the swap to freshwater would be greatly greatly appreciated

Wills

My Surinamensis is in with a Severum, Nicaraguence, Sajica, JD, Green Acara, and T.Ellioti, and is by far the best community fish,
IMO they are a great species that can easily be mixed with larger tetras and community fish that are 2.5inches or more

In this case the downside to them IMO would be that they potentially need just as much space as a Severum if not more.

As for the tank, if you give the tank and filters a good clean and check that the silicon is still all in good nick, there is no reason why it won't make a very good freshwater setup,

 

[Wills]

Thanks again Davo. I'm about 90% that I am going for it. Do you think I would be at my cichlid limit in this tank with the 2 HRPs and 2 A.Diedema or do you think I would be able to fit in an other small cichlid or 2? Maybe some kind of laetacara or Ive seen a lot of nice Krobia species photos around at the moment do you think these could work in this 4 foot tank, all the species would max out at around 4-5 inches depending on gender. What do you think or am I pushing it a bit at that? I would be looking to add in some dithers to break up that kind of stocking as well maybe the flame tetras that I said about or bleeding heart and probs cut the numbers of headstanders to 4 so just add in one more. Also I'll forget the hopos for now as well.

Wills