180 gallon stocking

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abbyles17

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 22, 2020
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Hey, I have been browsing the forum for some time, but this is my first post so I apologise if I am doing this wrong. I have a 180 gallon tank with a 40 gallon sump. I am looking to add one more medium/large cichlid and was looking for advice. I love green terrors, but they seem to turn aggressive from what I’ve researched. Just looking for some additional suggestions on what to add...thanks!FAD54BA2-247C-40E3-A7A0-1E8729161E72.jpeg
The stocking as of now is:
4x geophagus red head tapajos
1x red spotted Severum
1x oscar
1x bristlenose pleco.
 
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Welcome to the forum.

I agree with the above really. Your tank may look a bit empty at the minute, which is always a good excuse to add more, but that oscar will soon fill it. And those tapajos will max out at about 7" too. Along with your severum I think in a few months that tank will look awesome, great scape by the way.
 
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All your current fish come from the soft, mineral poor Amazonian basin waters east of the Andes.
Green Terrors come from the more alkaline waters west of the Andes, so in my world do not quite fit, and would not see each other in nature, and fish from the west are of a different territorial nature, which comes out in that aggressive way you mention (kind of the same attitude as many Central; Americans).
If I were to add another cichlids species to that tank, I would choose something more geographically correct which might also reflect a similar attitude.
But as others have already said, although your fish are juvies now and the tank may appear less than complete, they won't be for long, and as adults make a 180 look small.
I have a 180 at the moment and looking at my own tank, and superimposing what I think your fish would be as adults in a virtual sense, I believe your tank with be quite sufficiently stocked with the stock you have already.
If you add more now, you may run into the dilemma of what to remove later.
 
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While they’re too small, you could add larger tetra species like Buenos Aires. They are too fast for the cichlids and would add some nice movement.
 
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