180 Gallon stock list help -- African AND South American Cichlid Mix tank!

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
P

petey463

Feeder Fish
May 15, 2011
3
0
0
california
So, I have a brand new 180 tank, cycled ready-to-go tank. I have 2 filters rated for 300 gallon tanks going right now with plenty of flow and hiding spots. I'm using Base Rock from my very old salt water tank as decorations, so they have plenty of open caves to swim through and hide in, it's pretty cool (the rock is completely dried out and disinfected, don't worry!). My big problem (besides possible aggression of course) is the substrate is sand. It's fine for the africans, but I'm not sure how the south american's will handle that. Also, I know I'll get enough fish nazi's after me just becuase I plan on mixing these two fix, but I might as well say my Ph fluctuates from 7.3-7.6 or so. I know fish can adapt just fine, so I don't really think theres a huge issue in the Ph, especially because I'm getting all these fish from the same store with the same Ph going... Anyways, enough background on the tank, now there is stocking help....


So I definitely want majority of the fish to be Africans, I know that for sure, but I just don't know how many I could put in there. For the South American's I KNOW I want to have at least 2 JD's, possibly 2 fire mouth's, and 1 or 2 severums of some kind. I currently have 3 parrot fish (thats all thats in the tank right now) and I'm not getting any more. If it's not too aggressive, I'd like to put in 1 green terror (I hear theres pretty mean fish so thats not crucial to have). And thats about it really, those couple fish and the rest africans... So heres the wishful thinking list easier to read and let me know what you think!

3 red parrot fish
2 Jack Demsey's
2 Fire Mouth
2 Severum
1 Green Terror

10-20????? African Cichlid assortment (jewel, electric yellow/blue, etc.) - help me out with how many I could put in!


So yeah, I'm sure I'm going to get plenty of critism and people saying this is a terrible idea, but this is my plan and I want to make it work. So, I'd appreciate as much positive advice as I can get. Thanks so much!
 
petey463;5129478; said:
3 red parrot fish
2 Jack Demsey's
2 Fire Mouth
2 Severum
1 Green Terror

10-20????? African Cichlid assortment (jewel, electric yellow/blue, etc.) - help me out with how many I could put in!
Click to expand...

THat stock, once adult, sounds like a pretty full 180G already. ALthough if you're dead set on some africans for some extra colour and movement, then I'd certainly go for less than 10.
I suspect peacocks would probably work better, as mbuna might end up being too aggressive and quarrelsome for the sevs, FM and even the JD's (many of which can be quite gentle actually).
 
Nothing to flame you about its not the popular thing to do. but my dad does it and loves it just know that it doesn't always work. Sand will be fine for SA fish too
 
3 red parrot fish
2 Jack Demsey's
2 Fire Mouth
2 Severum
1 Green Terror


I would stick with this and leave the african cichlids out. As already stated, this set up alone with these selected fish will give you a pretty full stock when they get big.
 
I know it's not a popular thing to do but mixing is not recommended for a number of reasons. My tap ph is about 7.8-8.0 on a good day so Africans would be better suited to my water supply. That being said I house all SA/CE cichlids in tanks with lots of driftwood so the ph " sits " closer to 7.4-7.6. Most of the fish I keep were born in these same high ph waters so they didn't have to adapt.

My biggest concern is what happens when your Dempsey's hit adult size. I think your Africans will end up being food. My jack Dempsey has eaten about a dozen 1.5-2" tiger barbs and this fish is only 6" long. A 12" fish can eat a 3-4" fish pretty easily.
 
petey463;5129478; said:
So, I have a brand new 180 tank, cycled ready-to-go tank. I have 2 filters rated for 300 gallon tanks going right now with plenty of flow and hiding spots. I'm using Base Rock from my very old salt water tank as decorations, so they have plenty of open caves to swim through and hide in, it's pretty cool (the rock is completely dried out and disinfected, don't worry!). My big problem (besides possible aggression of course) is the substrate is sand. It's fine for the africans, but I'm not sure how the south american's will handle that. Also, I know I'll get enough fish nazi's after me just becuase I plan on mixing these two fix, but I might as well say my Ph fluctuates from 7.3-7.6 or so. I know fish can adapt just fine, so I don't really think theres a huge issue in the Ph, especially because I'm getting all these fish from the same store with the same Ph going... Anyways, enough background on the tank, now there is stocking help....


So I definitely want majority of the fish to be Africans, I know that for sure, but I just don't know how many I could put in there. For the South American's I KNOW I want to have at least 2 JD's, possibly 2 fire mouth's, and 1 or 2 severums of some kind. I currently have 3 parrot fish (thats all thats in the tank right now) and I'm not getting any more. If it's not too aggressive, I'd like to put in 1 green terror (I hear theres pretty mean fish so thats not crucial to have). And thats about it really, those couple fish and the rest africans... So heres the wishful thinking list easier to read and let me know what you think!

3 red parrot fish
2 Jack Demsey's
2 Fire Mouth
2 Severum
1 Green Terror

10-20????? African Cichlid assortment (jewel, electric yellow/blue, etc.) - help me out with how many I could put in!


So yeah, I'm sure I'm going to get plenty of critism and people saying this is a terrible idea, but this is my plan and I want to make it work. So, I'd appreciate as much positive advice as I can get. Thanks so much!
Click to expand...

You don't want to hear it, so I'm just going to tell you Good Luck.

Your plan WILL fail, and you WILL have mass chaos on your hands.

I hope you have a backup plan.

Incidentally, SA/CA cichlids like a PH of around 7 or so. African's need a PH of 8.5 or higher. While stability is more important than actual PH, the fact that yours fluctuates *at all* is going to be a constant source of problems for you. You're going to stress your fish beyond anything reasonable, and if they don't kill each other, YOU will slowly kill them.

On a more personal note, I'm not even sure why you want an aquarium - you surely don't give a crap about the fish themselves. Is this just some major power kick for you to have the biggest badass fish available? Because you'll fail in that regard, too.
 
I once had the great idea of adding africans to my male JD tank... he skinned all of em alive within a day or two. Found a bunch of corpses with no heads or eyes or fins lol
 
Dissy;5132630; said:
Incidentally, SA/CA cichlids like a PH of around 7 or so. African's need a PH of 8.5 or higher. While stability is more important than actual PH, the fact that yours fluctuates *at all* is going to be a constant source of problems for you. You're going to stress your fish beyond anything reasonable, and if they don't kill each other, YOU will slowly kill them.
Click to expand...

pH doesn't matter for these captive bred species. Unless he's planning to get wild caught fish he won't even notice the difference... and a small fluctuation of 7.3 to 7.6 is not gonna stress anything.

All tanks go through pH fluctuations on a daily basis and this doesn't affect the fish at all, pH will be lower in the morning before the lights turn on and higher at night just before they turn off. Planted tanks that use co2 injection have constant fluctuations as well.
 
Dissy;5132630; said:
You don't want to hear it, so I'm just going to tell you Good Luck.

Your plan WILL fail, and you WILL have mass chaos on your hands.

I hope you have a backup plan.

Incidentally, SA/CA cichlids like a PH of around 7 or so. African's need a PH of 8.5 or higher. While stability is more important than actual PH, the fact that yours fluctuates *at all* is going to be a constant source of problems for you. You're going to stress your fish beyond anything reasonable, and if they don't kill each other, YOU will slowly kill them.

On a more personal note, I'm not even sure why you want an aquarium - you surely don't give a crap about the fish themselves. Is this just some major power kick for you to have the biggest badass fish available? Because you'll fail in that regard, too.
Click to expand...


Thanks for everyones input. I've had tanks for years, and I know that what cacichlids said about the pH is 100% true. pH, givin the time of day will fluctuate a point or two. Different amounts of water flow can affect it as well, lights on/off at different times, etc... What I meant by fluctuating was it has never fell below 7.3 and never higher than 7.6.

Also, I've had africans in the past in a 100G tank for 3 years, with just gravel no pH buffers or anything and they all lived fine. Fish can adapt to almost anything. I mean comon, mollies can live in saltwater tanks with enough patience and transition (youtube it if you don't believe me, hahah)! The point is, I really don't have to have a pH at 8.5 to keep africans alive and healthy, I know I've done it with 7.5 in the past, I don't see why this time would be any different.

And I'm sorry Dissy, but I couldn't help but laugh at your post. The 'power kick' was great! I love when people tell people on forums that they have a god complex problem. But anyways, I do have a 'backup plan' if any fish get crazy I have plenty of other tanks to put them in. But thanks for the concern!


Lastly, what I feared from the beginning is happening...the sand. One of my blood parrots seems to be digging a huge hole of sand in the tank, and it looks like hes eating the sand as well... Hes looks pretty bloated but his color looks fine. I keep filling the hole, and changed my rockwork a bit, but he keeps doing it. I think I'm going to pull him out in a day or two if it doesn't get better. Any thoughts or suggestions on this one??
 
if its normal small grained sand like pool filter sand or something then he should be fine, most new world cichlids will sift through the sand and dig and either spit the sand back out or sift it through their gills, hes not actually eating it, not sure what would be causing his bloating stuff but i highly doubt its the sand
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom