ANOTHER stocking question.

[Randys]

I'm having a hard time deciding what to stock in my new 300 gallon tank.

My thoughts vacillate between a nice community tank all the way to a mated dovii pair, and all the possibilities in between.

I'm thinking, if I go the community tank route, I would have a better chance of keeping the tank harmonious if I bought SA fish, even though my well water is on the hard side. There are many CA's that appeal to me but the fighting that goes along with that doesn't.

That said, is there any concerns of having a small group of earth eaters and silver dollars in the same aquarium? I would pick ones that stay on the small side then mix in a couple of common larger fish also, say maybe an oscar, chocolate, and severum.

Does this sound overstocked? I've got a 60 gallon sump and plan on a drip system.

 

[BichirKing]

silver dollars can be fin nippers and a lot of the earth eaters have long fins so it may pose a problem , not saying you cant. I had a group of Columbian tetras in with my juruparis and it was a nice calm tank.

 

[Rocksor]

There are cichlids in CA that are just as aggressive/harmonius as severums, and will do well in your hard water.

Firemouths or any Thorichthys harems. (they sift almost like earth eaters)
Rainbow cichlid
Green flier cichlid
Nicaraguan cichlid
Pearsei. (nice main focal point, and acts like an Oscar)
Swordtails/guppies/mollies as dithers

If you want hard water SA

Balzani gymnogeophagus earth eaters or anyone of the gymngeophagus group (no heater required)

 

[duanes]

I agree with Rocksor, the South American cichlids from west of the Andes tend to do well in Hard water, as do the Gymnogeophagines of southern South America.
A couple of Gymnogeos below.

Gymno sp Yerbalito above, species Paso Pache below
Also from the sam area are Crenicichla and Australoheros

Plenty of tetras like the Buenos Aires type also from the area.
The advantage I find in these species is you don't need heaters.
Another Geophagus from the area G iporanguesus

Some Central American that are also considered earth eaters are the Cribroheros that thrive in hard water but if kept in shoals are not quarrelsome. C (formerly Astatheros) rostrum below

 

[jaws7777]

Bocourti.

I love our pearsei but think bocourti are nicer looking. I would build the stick list around one of them.

 

[duanes]

I agree with jaws777, bocourti are a beautiful and non-aggressive Central American species option (if kept in a large enough tank), and your 300 is actually about the right size tank for them, anything much smaller might be considered a temporary grow out tank, and use them to become aggressive.
They are primarily vegetarian, so plants would "not" be an option.

I had a fair amount of success keeping them with a shoal of Chuco intermedia

 

[Randys]

I'm gonna need to check into these.
Are they readily available?

 

[Deadliestviper7]

How about: 1x vieja melanura, 2x Redfin pickerel,1 warmouth,and some silver dollars

 

[Randys]

But silver dollars are SA.

 

[Deadliestviper7]

But silver dollars are SA.

Doesn't really matter,unless your going for a biotope