What To Do With A 120L?

[Naringlo]

So sometime this year I will be getting a bigger tank. My dad doesn't want me to sell it as I wouldn't get much for it.

So I'm going to carry on using it but I'm unsure on what to do with it.

At the moment I'm thinking about those shell dwelling cichlids. I believe they are quite small. Can anyone give me a name and the common name for them and some info possibly (Can anyone tell me the pH, temp, diet, tank mates, max number of them in a 120L etc)?
I think maybe something along the smaller cichlid line may be good since the lighting on the 120L only supports low lighting plants. I already have aquarium safe rocks and sand.

Another thing I was thinking is a FW Puffer tank. But I don't know the name of the pufferfish that doesn't need brackish water. Anyone? I think that may be able to work. So can anyone tell me about those? e.g. Can anyone tell me the pH, temp, diet, tank mates, max number of them in a 120L etc?

Any other ideas are welcome too.

My newer tank will be stocking:
-Angelfish
-GBR
-Glowlight Tetra
-BN Pleco
-Corydoras

Thought I'd let you all know so you don't suggest a similar set up since they will be both in the same room.

Thanks!

 

[Wills]

-Angelfish
-GBR
-Glowlight Tetra
-BN Pleco
-Corydoras

So is that the stocking for the new tank?

I will assume so and suggest some options for the 120

Love your idea for shell dweller, and also the puffer idea - your freshwater options are South American Puffers and Red Eye Red Tail Puffers - I would go for the RERTs as they are smaller and the tank will take a good sized colony where as the larger South Americans are more suited to a colony in a tank in the 200+ liter realms.

The red eye red tails would work with some fast schooling fish like Rasboras as well so thats a plus

Wills

 

[Bugdozer]

How's this for an unusual idea:
Dark substrate and rocks, black backing, fit it with dark blue/purple lighting, add some blind cave fish! Possibly add a tiny model skeleton in the corner.

 

[Jumpspin]

^^^ That sounds really cool! +1 from me!

 

[dbanner]

How's this for an unusual idea:
Dark substrate and rocks, black backing, fit it with dark blue/purple lighting, add some blind cave fish! Possibly add a tiny model skeleton in the corner.

That would look pretty cool

 

[Zante]

Here's something a bit unusual: how about a crab tank?

Halfway between an aquarium and a vivarium, you'd have something quite unusual and interesting.

 

[fishprotector]

depending on the footprint, how about a hillstream loach setup?

 

[Crossfire]

i like the blind tetra idea, as well as the shell dwellers


or, you could do the best thing ever. Sand subsrate, plants, pvc pipes, natural caves, and a pvc pipe cut in half then semi submerged in sand and up against the glass so that any fish hiding in it will be seen!

AND FILL THAT THING UP WITH KUHLI LOACHES!!!!!

 

[Tuxyu3]

Here's something a bit unusual: how about a crab tank?

Halfway between an aquarium and a vivarium, you'd have something quite unusual and interesting.

I have kept crabs for the better part of last year and some of this year before I was able to get back (escape) to fish.
The only crab I have ever come across for freshwater tanks is the red clawed crab and I would not recommend these to anyone; RCC will only live happily in a brackish tank and ideally need 2/3 of the tank to be on land. I bought 3 RCC and although they were in brackish water, fed easily and appeared happy two of them I suspect were killed by the last one which as you understand meant I was reluctant to get anymore so decided to wait till he passed away and get back to fish but ooooooh no, that little b***er lived for months on end happy as larry now he was on his own. Suffice to say my one RCC quickly became pretty boring all on his own and as evil as it sounds I was kinda happy when he bit the dust! Maybe it would work differently in a bigger colony......

Sorry for my rambling

 

[Zante]

Here's something a bit unusual: how about a crab tank?

Halfway between an aquarium and a vivarium, you'd have something quite unusual and interesting.

I have kept crabs for the better part of last year and some of this year before I was able to get back (escape) to fish.
The only crab I have ever come across for freshwater tanks is the red clawed crab and I would not recommend these to anyone; RCC will only live happily in a brackish tank and ideally need 2/3 of the tank to be on land. I bought 3 RCC and although they were in brackish water, fed easily and appeared happy two of them I suspect were killed by the last one which as you understand meant I was reluctant to get anymore so decided to wait till he passed away and get back to fish but ooooooh no, that little b***er lived for months on end happy as larry now he was on his own. Suffice to say my one RCC quickly became pretty boring all on his own and as evil as it sounds I was kinda happy when he bit the dust! Maybe it would work differently in a bigger colony......

Sorry for my rambling

In case this interests you, I have been researching panther crabs. I haven't had much of a chance to verify the info, so take everything I say with a pinch of salt. They are fully freshwater crabs and they are fully aquatic, although I have read somewhere that a little bit of land is good for them (again, need to find verification). Also apparently they are social, so they should do well in a small community.

 

[Tuxyu3]

Here's something a bit unusual: how about a crab tank?

Halfway between an aquarium and a vivarium, you'd have something quite unusual and interesting.

I have kept crabs for the better part of last year and some of this year before I was able to get back (escape) to fish.
The only crab I have ever come across for freshwater tanks is the red clawed crab and I would not recommend these to anyone; RCC will only live happily in a brackish tank and ideally need 2/3 of the tank to be on land. I bought 3 RCC and although they were in brackish water, fed easily and appeared happy two of them I suspect were killed by the last one which as you understand meant I was reluctant to get anymore so decided to wait till he passed away and get back to fish but ooooooh no, that little b***er lived for months on end happy as larry now he was on his own. Suffice to say my one RCC quickly became pretty boring all on his own and as evil as it sounds I was kinda happy when he bit the dust! Maybe it would work differently in a bigger colony......

Sorry for my rambling

In case this interests you, I have been researching panther crabs. I haven't had much of a chance to verify the info, so take everything I say with a pinch of salt. They are fully freshwater crabs and they are fully aquatic, although I have read somewhere that a little bit of land is good for them (again, need to find verification). Also apparently they are social, so they should do well in a small community.

I will have to look into this, thank you very much

 

[J@son]

i like the blind tetra idea, as well as the shell dwellers


or, you could do the best thing ever. Sand subsrate, plants, pvc pipes, natural caves, and a pvc pipe cut in half then semi submerged in sand and up against the glass so that any fish hiding in it will be seen!

AND FILL THAT THING UP WITH KUHLI LOACHES!!!!!

or instead of putting kuhli loaches, you can put ropefish / reedfish in a smae kind of tank
They very interesting kind of fish

*same

 

[Naringlo]

Thank you all for your replies and excellent, interesting suggestions.

Yes that is the new stocking for the new tank, my bad for making it unclear.

Thank you Wills for the info on a FW puffer species. I'll have to see if my LFS can get hold of them so I know it's an option. I've only ever seen figure 8's in there and pygmy puffers.

Bugdozer, I would because that would be the best thing for the center of my lounge. Unfortunately, the soon to be spare tank is that awful Fish Pod 120 which the only lighting available is the low powered white bulb and the blue moon bulb. So I cannot do that. Which sucks.

Zante, I've kept RCC before, because they are cool! But they can escape my tank. I've spent many morning where I've looked in to the tank and he's gone. Found him by the front door haha.

fishprotector, I've actually been quite interested in the hillstream loach before. Do they get big? What do you mean by footprint?

Crossfire, KUHLI LOACHES! Do you have a tank full of Kuhli Loaches? That would be amazing to see, or an absolute headache. :L I'll get a few if I go for a community tank over a species tank as I've never kept those before.

Tuxyu3, no worries, I love reading peoples rambling as long as it's useful or amusing.

J@son, that is definitely a interesting fish, so much, I might just get one for the newer set up instead (depending on which one is more secure).

Thank you all for your replies! This has definitely helped me along!

 

[Naringlo]

Actually, after watching an amazing documentary, I'm probably going to go with:


(Shell Dwellers, just one of the three species)
- Lamprologus Brevis
- Lamprologus Multifasciatus
- Lamprologus Signatus

Then I'm thinking
- Cyprichromis Nigripinnis Mupulungu
- Julidochromis Dickfeldi

And a Synodontis Petricola

 

[webbie]

Go for Multis mate cracking little fellas ,try to get 1 male 3/4 females you will soon have plenty of fry to contend with,just remember to get them plenty of shells,a pair of Julies would be fine Tanscriptus and Ornatus are smaller than the Dickfeldi and would suit a smaller tank better