180g Stock Advice

[Stevenm1]

Hey guys, getting my 180g back up and running after a 5yr layoff! I also have a 120g and 29g but I’ll focus on those later. I was thinking.....
180g
1 Oscar (main focus)
1 Chocolate (hope to get a Coryphanoids)
1 Severum
1 Senegal Bichir or Striped Raphael Catfish (what do you guys think)?
1 Blue Acara
1 Firemouth
OR
Instead of the Firemouth AND Blue Acara.......I would do 1 Green Terror (what do you guys think)?

Thanks for the advice!

 

[tlindsey]

Hey guys, getting my 180g back up and running after a 5yr layoff! I also have a 120g and 29g but I’ll focus on those later. I was thinking.....
180g
1 Oscar (main focus)
1 Chocolate (hope to get a Coryphanoids)
1 Severum
1 Senegal Bichir or Striped Raphael Catfish (what do you guys think)?
1 Blue Acara
1 Firemouth
OR
Instead of the Firemouth AND Blue Acara.......I would do 1 Green Terror (what do you guys think)?

Thanks for the advice!

I suggest leaving out the Senegal Bichir and Green Terror due to shape of Bichir and choose smaller Acara.

 

[Jexnell]

I would leave out the Firemouth, they are Central and prefer different water peramaters also prefer to be in groups of six or so like tetras.

I have no experience with polys so I can't say if it would work with the cichlids.

As far as catfish go this in my experience is a delicate balancing act. They tend to grow slower than cichlids. I would say wait off on the cats till your fish are bigger, then get a big catfish that won't be seen as a meal. I had spotted Raphael cats with my Oscar Toni that I had to eventually rehome due to Toni outgrowing them.

This leaves us with four cichlids. If it was me I would pic either the O or the Chocolate as a centerpiece fish with a support cast of a catfish/pleco and possibly a group on 6 to 8 spotted silver dollars.
Or two vastly different colored male severum, three male blue acaras, a group of tall bodied tetras, and a group of pictus cats, med sized fancy pleco.

In my opinion trying to put all four cichlids in one tank may work when young, but as maturity comes into play there is just not enough room for it in a six foot tank.

 

[Stevenm1]

Good call on the Bichir and Catfish, I’m going to skip them. In my experience the Oscar, Choc, Sev, Acara, and Firemouth are all really not aggressive fish at all. The tank is heavily filtered and 75% water changes are done weekly. Interested in what you guys think of a Green Terror with the Oscar, Chocolate and Severum in a 180g. I have owned 2 GTs and both happened to be females and very well behaved. I know most likely it will be a jump ball but wanted to hear some opinions. If no GT I’ll go with the Acara and Firemouth, they will all be tank born and raised so I’m not to worried about CA vs SA water. Thanks guys

 

[Jexnell]

I had a GT with an Oscar, and worked till the female GT started laying eggs. She would go postal and pick fights for a few days then go back to normal. If you are going to try it try and make sure you have all males.

 

[Stevenm1]

Thanks, will save the GT for the 120g later....

 

[duanes]

As Jexnell suggested, with the most other cichlids being South American soft water species, and the FM a Mexican hard water species, the FM seems a bit out of place. The G.T.s and acaras are also more alkaline harder water type species.
Coryphanoids and the Severums prefer a pH is the 4-6 range, FMs pH 8.
And the S Americans as full grown adults will probably fill out the tank nicely, maybe even make it appear small.
Of course your tap water will be the ultimate determining factor in long term health.
If your water is hard with a high pH, the acaras, GT, and FMs might be better choices all around.