265 Gallon stocking ideas

[kyleallen22]

Fahaka diets are easy and I found them to be pretty hardy, but I would go the larger hap route. Check out some sites like
Southeast cichlids
Tampa bay cichlids
Imperial tropicals
Ron’s cichlids
Snake river cichlids
And see what you like, you could put so many in a 265, that would be easier than listing off recommendations

You could also add peacocks and the right mbuna as well as Victorians if you like

Thanks for the suggestion I guess I need to do some more research and dial in what I want and come back when I have narrowed it down some.

 

[Joshuakahan]

Thanks for the suggestion I guess I need to do some more research and dial in what I want and come back when I have narrowed it down some.

To be honest, haps and peacocks are the most colorful. Mbuna are pretty but the pics you usually see are mbuna in breeding dress and don’t usually look like the pics. There are exceptions like johanni or Jalo reef mbuna

 

[Joshuakahan]

Thanks for the suggestion I guess I need to do some more research and dial in what I want and come back when I have narrowed it down some.

To be honest, haps and peacocks are the most colorful. Mbuna are pretty but the pics you usually see are mbuna in breeding dress and don’t usually look like the pics. The are exceptions like

 

[Joshuakahan]

Thanks for the suggestion I guess I need to do some more research and dial in what I want and come back when I have narrowed it down some.

Here’s my African tank

Haps, peacocks and mbuna and a single Victorian

 

[AaronKWolfe]

Hello again MFK,

I thought I had this figured out about 18 months ago and was well underway to having some awesome fish in my 265 gallon. (36h x 24w x 72l) I had started with 6 festae (true red terror) in a grow out tank and traded 3 of them away once 2 had paired off.

Sadly one had died shortly after purchase while they were all still in quarantine. Fast forward and I had the 2 paired festae transferred to my 265 with a couple plecos who I would remove if necessary.

Everything was going pretty well, growth was good and other than some typical cichlid jostling everyone was getting along. Well I left a couple months ago to go on vacation after school school had gotten out, all said we were gone about 3 1/2 days and had arranged for my brother to stop in and feed all my tanks and other animals.

I get home and there is a large clutch of eggs from the festae, one of the plecos has been killed and to make matters worse mom had been seriously injured by I assume the male festae who was diligently guarding the eggs.

I took the female out of the tank and isolated her in a 28 gallon I had and tried treating her but she unfortunately succumbed after a couple days and died.

At this point I had the male festae and probably close to 100 babies in my 265 and had to decide what I was going to do. He seemed to be an attentive parent and wasn’t presently a danger to the babies so I left them all together for about a month until the babies had grown enough they were easier to move and I moved the survivors (around 65) to a 40 gallon breeder tank.

So finally I was at a crossroads and decided it was time to part with my festae. I traded the male for a geophagus to someone off Craigslist and arranged to give the babies to a LFS for a small amount of store credit once they were 1-2” long.

This leads me to present day where I need to figure out what to do with my tank. I currently have 6 angels I put in there while I decide what to do with it just so it’s not empty lol.

This is where y’all wonderful people come in, if you had a 265 gallon tank what would you put in it?

I’ve considered an arrowana but know they do better in an 8’ long tank; I’ve also considered the following:

Fahaka puffer with large school of neons
Black ghost knife with ???
African cichlids
Clown loaches + angels + ??

Let me know if y’all think any of these will work well with this tank or if you have any different suggestions.

Thanks for reading and I apologize for the novella

I know I'm late, but I always love coming up with possible stocking.

I think a fahaka would be cool, but they can be tough to take care of in regards to water parameters and keeping their beam ground down.

Perhaps a Jardini might be cool to have.

Perhaps a group of bichirs and a center piece fish like a datnoid, African arowana, small gar, etc.

If it were me, I'd probably get a pickerel with a school of sunfish and maybe some bullheads.

 

[dmyersWv]

Could have great tropheus breeding group. So many to choose from and never a dull moment.