125 Gallon Stocklist

[Steven Vaccaro]

So quick summary is that I've had 125 gallon tank for the past 7-8 years and when I went to college, we gave away my fish (oscars, catfish, bichir, etc.). I'm finishing up college and wanted to get it back going. I have a fluval fx5 and a fluval g6 as filtration, plenty of cover and spots to hang out, and two uv sterilizers. This is a hypothedical list and is not close to being set in stone I'd appreciate feedback though.

-1 tiger oscar
-1 albino oscar
-1 electric blue jack dempsey
-2-4 firemouth cichlids
-3 pike cichlids (unsure about species, etc)
-4-8 pictus cats
-4 common plecos
-1-2 bichirs (unsure about species, etc)

Any feedback and thoughts are appreciated, thanks.

 

[Rocksor]

IMO, way too many fish (as adults). I would trim that list way down if you want to keep big fish.

Do you have hard water (gh)?

Pick a fish that you have to have, and would thrive in your water parameters, and folks can chime in with what works.

 

[Backfromthedead]

Very heavy stocking. Bit too heavy imo. Ime, dont try pictus cats with oscars. Its been well established that oscars will try to eat pictus as soon as they are mature and put on some size, potentially injuring or killing themselves in the process.

If you want oscars, I'd say 2 of them alone would fill the tank. Maybe a pleco too.

Alternatively, the firemouths and jd could share the tank with some bichirs.

 

[Jexnell]

That list is way overstocked. What you should do if find out your water type and build around that. In that list you have Centrals and Southerns that live in different water parameters.

Centrals like higher PH hard water where as South likes lower PH soft water. If you don't have a test kit you can look up your cities water report online. One of the biggest reasons I changed to centrals is due to my water being high PH hard water.

From your list the Oscar's, Pictus, pleco, are Southern.
The JD, Firemouth are Centrals
Not sure about the others as I have not kept them.

 

[Darth Nandopsis]

As stated, far too many fish. I would not go past 2 Oscars & a pleco, & that's with minimum 75% partial WC 1X per week.

 

[Gourami Swami]

Have to agree with the others, a 125 is not large enough for a list like that. In a 300 gallon, your list would be appropriate. There are also some fish on your list which are not really compatible. I have had a bichir choke to death on a pictus cat, for example. And Common plecos are poop factories which will outgrow a 125 gallon in the long run.
For a 125, with the fish you listed, something like this would be better:
-1 Oscar
-1 bichir
-1 smaller pleco species (adult ancistrus would work)
-1 catfish larger than the pictus, maybe a 4-line pimelodella

OR

-5 firemouths
-EBJD
-4 pictus catfish
-1 ancistrus pleco (or similar size)

These would allow you to have a variety of fish types, and with a healthy water change schedule, would be do-able IMO.

 

[Kvandy]

Less is more .