Will this stocking work for a 450 gallon tank ?

[anewbie]

I'm thinking of a 450 gallon tank - 10 ft long 3 ft wide and 2 ft high. The tank will have fairly dense plants in the back and some plants in the front.
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4 mesonauta festivus
16 angelfish
2 chocolate cichlid
30 lemon tetra
30 white fin rosy tetra
20 pangio meyers
10 clown loaches
10 zebra loaches
8 flash pleco
2 blue phantom pleco

I'm a bit concern the lemon tetra, kuhli loaches and maybe white fin rosy will become snacks for the chocolate. The white fin are fairly large for tetra and the lemon are not small but maybe the chocolate has a big enough mouth to stomach them ? The kuhli are small but pretty fast.
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Mod -- thanks for editing the post that was pretty silly of me but at least i am a newbie
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The required fishes in this tank are the angelfishes, flash pleco, clown loaches and zebra loaches. Everything else can be adjusted as well as the exact number of clown, zebra and angels.

 

[itiwhetu]

In 450 gallons you will never see the Tetras unless they are in a school of 100 or more. Leave the Chocolate Cichlids out. Up the size of the schools of everything else.

 

[DAnCSF]

Congratulations on your 450 gal tank.... I guess the better questions might be what can't you keep in a tank that large. If all the fish were roughly the same size at the start and there were PLENTY of hiding places you would see them at the start but as the fish age and grow in size few may go missing ... If it was me I would would go with large SE Asian arowanas and cichlids etc...Think of it this way a tank that large would allow for a complete circle of life scenario with life and death playing out among the denizens. Again good luck with your tank.

 

[anewbie]

Congratulations on your 450 gal tank.... I guess the better questions might be what can't you keep in a tank that large. If all the fish were roughly the same size at the start and there were PLENTY of hiding places you would see them at the start but as the fish age and grow in size few may go missing ... If it was me I would would go with large SE Asian arowanas and cichlids etc...Think of it this way a tank that large would allow for a complete circle of life scenario with life and death playing out among the denizens. Again good luck with your tank.

I modified the original post - the loaches and angelfish are required stocking. Also i never much cared for arowanas. Whatever i do put in the tank has to get along with the 'required' fishes. I am sadly familiar that angels never get along but i have 10 and they have to go somewhere so i figured i'd just add a few more... I currently have 3 pairs and 2 free males - 3 of them were original and 7 are off springs. Sadly the off springs are larger than the parents which created rather sad balance of things.

 

[FF_Member146894]

Also i never much cared for arowanas.

finally, someone with a large tank that isn't crazy about monster fish

 

[anewbie]

finally, someone with a large tank that isn't crazy about monster fish

Well the clown loaches can get fairly large... but generally i prefer smaller fishes. The chocolate cichlid are just so unique in their ability to constantly change colours but i suspect they won't fit in the tank.

 

[carligraceee]

Well the clown loaches can get fairly large... but generally i prefer smaller fishes. The chocolate cichlid are just so unique in their ability to constantly change colours but i suspect they won't fit in the tank.

My best advice is to never put small fish with cichlids... might not end too well. Maybe think of getting more cichlids in place of the schooling/shoaling fish you mentioned?

 

[anewbie]

My best advice is to never put small fish with cichlids... might not end too well. Maybe think of getting more cichlids in place of the schooling/shoaling fish you mentioned?

Well the question is how large does the fish need to be to be safe with the chocolate. If I complete drop the tetra and just go with the zebra loaches, clown loaches, angels and festivus will that work with the chocolate and can the tank support this setup ?
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Maybe
2 chocolate
10 angels
6 festivus
10 clown
10 zebra
8 L204
2 blue phantom
2 gold nuggy
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Or is the tank getting over populated. The tank will likely have continous water change at the rate of 1 gallon an hour and it will ahve a sump and sponge filters but no canister.

 

[Slaphppy7]

One gallon an hour water change, or 1 g/hour turnover?

 

[Avel1896]

Hello
• According to me, tank, even 10 ft long and 450 gal is overcrowded especially at bottom.
• Fish sizes too disparate : chocolate cichlid too small and wants very soft acidic water.
• You mix fishes that dislike current with fishes that want strong current.
• In addition, they are all territorial and spawn protector.

 

[anewbie]

One gallon an hour water change, or 1 g/hour turnover?

one gallon an hour of fresh water flow into the tank and one gallon an hour of dirty water flow out of the tank. The works out to 168 gallons a week.

 

[anewbie]

Hello
• According to me, tank, even 10 ft long and 450 gal is overcrowded especially at bottom.
• Fish sizes too disparate : chocolate cichlid too small and wants very soft acidic water.
• You mix fishes that dislike current with fishes that want strong current.
• In addition, they are all territorial and spawn protector.

chocolate cichlid are the largest fish in the tank - why do you say they are too small? Tank raised chocolate cichlid do not require very soft aciidic water...

 

[Avel1896]

chocolate cichlid are the largest fish in the tank - why do you say they are too small? Tank raised chocolate cichlid do not require very soft aciidic water...

Chocolate are big you're right. Up to 30 cm.
Angels grow large and tall 15 x 20 cm
Festivus up to 15 cm
Clown loach up to 30 cm
Zebra plec 8 cm
L204 12 cm
Blue phantom 16 cm
Gold nugget up to 25 cm

I'm talking of adult sizes. And still a mix of fishes that dislike current with fishes that want strong current, all territorial and spawn protector.

 

[anewbie]

Chocolate are big you're right. Up to 30 cm.
Angels grow large and tall 15 x 20 cm
Festivus up to 15 cm
Clown loach up to 30 cm
Zebra plec 8 cm
L204 12 cm
Blue phantom 16 cm
Gold nugget up to 25 cm

I'm talking of adult sizes. And still a mix of fishes that dislike current with fishes that want strong current, all territorial and spawn protector.

And which fishes are you concern want strong current that will upset which fish ? Also the loaches and pleco are not huge on territory. Well not in the same fashion as for example breeding cichlid. In my current tank if you give the pleco a small cave that is their territory end of story.

 

[Avel1896]

And which fishes are you concern want strong current

These fishes : Clown loach, Zebra plec, L204, the stunning Blue phantom, Gold nugget.

upset which fish ?

Chocolate cichlid, Angels, and Mesonauta festivus that need very slow current or better stagnant.

All these beautiful ishes are territorial and spawn protector, and turn (for some) incredibly aggressive at breeding time.