Need help stocking 65 gal

[MannyJs1]

Hey guys, this is my first post on here, so if I'm doing anything wrong let me know (even though I've spent multiple hours on the website). Anyways, I was wondering what kind of cichlid I should get for my 65 gallon tank. The dimensions of the tank are 48x18x24, and in 6 months I'll have a 6ft 125 gallon that the cichlid will be moved into. I'm into big, aggressive, colorful, active, "wet pet" (such as parachromis). I was checking out the motas, freddys, black nasty, bleekeri/polleni, even thinking about dovii (yes he/she would be living in a 200+ eventually). I've been into fish for 10 years i keep my water really clean, I'm just new to cichlids and the big aggressive ones caught my attention! Any help/input is appreciated

 

[Gourami Swami]

Hello!
If your tank is indeed 48x18x24, that is a 90 gallon, not a 65. Great size to start a large cichlid out in. You could get pretty much whatever cichlid species you want, as long as you are willing to eventually get it a large enough tank, which it sounds like you are.
Some of my favorites are members of the paratheraps/vieja complex. There are many species which grow large and colorful, and are very interactive.
Here is an old video of one of my vieja in a 125 gallon, which he shared pretty well with tough, smaller cichlids.

Some stand-out species from this complex, to me, are zonatum, argentea, breidohri, guttalatum (fish in the video) and regani. Though, every fish in the genus is beautiful in it's own way, and a large male of any of them will have the attitude your looking for.
Parachromis are great too! Large motaguense are very impressive, always wanted a big male.
Whichever species you choose, I would get 5 or 6 juveniles and grow them out together, then sell all but the alpha male, to get the best "wetpet" possible

 

[BichirKing]

Heterotilapia buttikoferi

I have one that's about 3" and is destined for a 150g

 

[MannyJs1]

Thanks very much for the input Gourami! I had no clue about the paratheraps they're really cool looking, i love the colors. Oh and i meant to say 36in, oops. But thats a great idea to buy a lot from young age to see which one/ones i like the best! Never thought of that before.

Bichirking, that thing is pretty mean! is that your fish in the video? also where are you located?

 

[HybridFinatic]

Thanks very much for the input Gourami! I had no clue about the paratheraps they're really cool looking, i love the colors. Oh and i meant to say 36in, oops. But thats a great idea to buy a lot from young age to see which one/ones i like the best! Never thought of that before.

Bichirking, that thing is pretty mean! is that your fish in the video? also where are you located?

You definitely should have specified that being that your options are more limited in a 36 inch tank even for growing out these large cichlids.

 

[Fwaka]

Hybrid finatic, yeah sorry once again it’s my first post I should checked over it before I posted. Whatever the fish may be (I was up all night looking them up lol), the fish will be in a standard 125gal 72x18x23 ATLEAST by August when I upgrade my predator tank now!

 

[HybridFinatic]

Hybrid finatic, yeah sorry once again it’s my first post I should checked over it before I posted. Whatever the fish may be (I was up all night looking them up lol), the fish will be in a standard 125gal 72x18x23 ATLEAST by August when I upgrade my predator tank now!

A lot of these large cichlids grow a lot in 6-8 months so I would we refrain from growing a group of 5 to get the best wet pet but only a single fish. You could also go with medium cichlids like thorichthys, salvini, or T bars.

 

[MannyJs1]

Hybrid finatic, do you still think the group of 5 would be bad if I was selling all but one? How long does it take for the dominant fish to distinguish itself? Was checking out a deal online 5 polleni (1"-1.5") for $50 and i love how they look, seem pretty aggressive too!

 

[Gourami Swami]

If you will have the 125 ready by august latest, I think 5 of any of these fish, if you buy them small like 1", should be able to grow out in a 3' 65 gallon.
Just make sure the large tank is definitely going to happen, see a lot of people say they are upgrading and it never happens, end up with a cramped fish in a 65 gallon

 

[HybridFinatic]

If you will have the 125 ready by august latest, I think 5 of any of these fish, if you buy them small like 1", should be able to grow out in a 3' 65 gallon.
Just make sure the large tank is definitely going to happen, see a lot of people say they are upgrading and it never happens, end up with a cramped fish in a 65 gallon

That is what I was worried of. Most of the time people never get to up grading.