75 gallon stocking advice

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Man that’s bummer, sounds stressful. I’ve never kept EBAs but I’ve observed them closely in stores since I considered buying some (admittedly not the best case study, but still) and they have almost always been pretty aggressive which runs contrary to what you often hear. That’s part of what led me to creating this thread. But at the same time it’s really case by case with cichlids, you don’t know what kind of a fish you’re adding to your tank so you just have try to offer a tank and tank mates that offer the highest probability of success. It sucks when it breaks like that though and you have to starting moving fish to different tanks or rehoming them.

Those are some gorgeous acara. Would love to keep some at some point. I actually prefer them over EBA but I never see them at LFS. Have they always been that territorial or only during breeding?
 
They only get nasty with the firemouth my tetra and cories are usually let within six inches of the babies. Mom is with the wigglers near the red lego. The firemouth cant leave his rock pile. Dad is prepping the next wiggler holding site on the right20190407_234217.jpg
 
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Honestly if i had a 75 id try them with another big SA like a sev or a festivum. Even a threadfin acara. Just bear in mind that blue acara are pretty closely related to GT so there is the potential to be a maniac
 
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Hate to reply so late! Haven’t checked my account in a bit. That’s a nice setup. Luckily the firemouth has some cover there.

Yeah I thought about adding a second large fish, I’ll probably try it at some point. I can move the second larger SA to another tank if needed. I thought about a threadfin or blue acara but like you said there’s the potential for damage. I’ve even read threadfin acara can be really nasty when they reach maturity. Not sure if a 4 footer would be able to handle one if it ends up being aggressive. Two pairs of apistos have been spawning and they’re already staking a decent little claim in the tank. I haven’t even seen fry honestly so the eggs must be getting eaten still. The cories probably got them.

Would festivum eat plants?
 
My threadfin got bullied by an opaline gourami. Never came to nipping, but it also was never allowed to be in close proximity to the gourami.
 
Oh wow, that’s a big size difference too. I suppose gourami can get feistytho.

I guess I would be worried abt issues with the rams since they have similar body shapes, but they would probably ignore each other I would think. I’ll have to keep an eye out. All my LFS only seem to have albino threadfin right now. Like $50 which seems to be abt the going rate but I’m not a fan of the albino colors
 
If by thread fin Acara you mean Acarichthys heckelli, I believe they get too big for a 75, I had some in a 150 gallon and was warned they needed a bigger tank once mature. I thought I knew better, and at about 2 years of age they started killing each other off. They were quite large, and beautiful, so it was a shame to see them off each other due to my misjudgment. They were about 10" at the time, and IMO, any 10" cichlid is too larger a 75gal.

I also believe you made the right move, going with South American Dwarfs, and angels, and by not going with Central Americans in a 75, although the Amatitlania could work, its too small at adult sizer most others, a pair and only dithers would max out the tank when they matured.
I would only think A nanoluteus, myrnae, and maybe Honduran Red points would be comfortable at full size in that tank.

nanoluteus above, myrnae below

The sajica, cutters, and others I have kept, got quite aggressive in such a small space

Cutteri above, Sajica below, males of both species get quite massive with proper care, and usually want a tank of that size, all to themselves.
 
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